Nutritional Therapy 

EAT: It helped Kelly, our Mum about Town, so we decided to find out more!

 

We are what we eat apparently.... and so it's no surprise that more and more of us are turning to diet as an answer to our health issues.

Thousands of people suffer with illnesses in Swindon, ranging from autoimmune diseases to mood disorders, but did you know that nutritional therapy can help you to lead a healthier life?

SwindonWeb's Mum About Town, Kel Jobanputra, started working with Alison Aldred from the town centre a couple of years ago when she kept experiencing stomach pains and she needed guidance on how to make dishes that excluded her intolerances.

Here's an interview with Ali where she speaks candidly about her own health story and how she can help you when it comes to your health.....

 

What made you first want to be a nutritional therapist?

 

I didn’t have good health growing up. Asthma that was so bad at times that I needed epinephrine injections and an oxygen tent, regular oral steroids, antibiotics and the usual inhalers. I also had a misdiagnosis for a hip condition which meant I spent 18 yrs, from age 12 in pain. This misdiagnosis resulted in four major hip ops, one of which (an osteotomy, where they cut the bone, realigned and affixed a plate) they forgot to give me post operative pain relief for, which as you can imagine was quite painful considering how invasive the procedure is and the equipment used.

 

These and other experiences helped me to become empathic. I have experienced first hand the amazing benefit of nutritional therapy on my own health and training to be a nutritional therapist has given me the opportunity to support and guide others to improve their health. I am very fortunate that I do a job I love.

 

How can nutritional therapy make a difference?

 

Don’t expect to eat the latest super food for a week, or take a supplement and it rid you of a major disease.

 

Nutritional therapy starts with a comprehensive look at your diet, lifestyle and genetic history to find underlying nutritional and biochemical imbalances that have contributed to ill health. I work with an individual over a period of time to make positive changes to diet and lifestyle, sometimes this involves other tests and possibly supplements, but it is not ‘a pill for an ill’ - the main focus is using food as medicine and lifestyle changes. The benefits of even small changes can make a huge difference to how we feel.

 

 

What are the most common complaints that you come across in your line of work?

 

My work is very varied, which I love, but tiredness, poor immunity, IBS and PMS symptoms usually factor somewhere.

 

Who is your favourite TV chef and why?

 

Tricky, probably Jamie Oliver, because he is constantly striving to improve standards and habits for our kids.

 

What simple advice would you offer someone to start them off on a healthy food journey?

 

Start small and be consistent. For example, if you normally survive on crisps and energy drinks to get you through the working day, try eating a proper breakfast.

 

What are the misconceptions of nutritional therapy?

 

‘nutritional therapist are quacks’ - It is science based. I trained for five years.

 

‘you need to eat broccoli every day’ - No you don’t

 

‘it is just about healthy eating’ - It isn’t. We are individuals and respond differently to the food we eat.

 

‘nutritional therapists live on brown rice’ - Wrong again.

 

‘all nutritional therapist give you are supplements’ - This one infuriates me! Not true!

 

What are your favourite restaurants in Swindon and why?

 

I very rarely eat out, but when I do - I like a bit of spice ;-) My favourite places to shop are Jones Country Fayre in Wroughton (for meat and eggs reared ethically), The Pulse in Curtis Street (for whole foods) and if I needed a caterer I would use Our Farmhouse Kitchen as Lorraine is an amazing cook and ethical.

 

What are your go-to winter, spring, summer and autumn dishes?

 

We have an allotment, so I try and use whatever is in season. I’m also a busy mum, so in the autumn and winter I use traybakes and the slow cooker quite a lot.

 

I can’t live without my food processor for saving time. In the spring and summer, lots of salads.

 

If someone wanted to work with you - what should they do?

 

Always check that a Nutritional Therapist is reputable via the BANT website (link below) 

 

Alison can be contacted on 07890 968 216 or nutritionalihealthy@gmail.com  

 

and via the link below.