Eating
The saying 'you are what you eat' is as true today as it has always been. Food and eating are also emotional issues that can cause pleasure or upset in a family, and rarely may be linked with complex weight or eating problems. We help you to maintain a healthy BMI (body mass index) and we enjoy guiding families to make eating simple, nutritious and enjoyable and meet the needs of each member of the family.
Our professional nutrition team have an international reputation and have authored many books. You will receive up to date practical advice matched to your personal needs, budget and lifestyle. Our nutritionists also have specialist skills in many areas; for instance: balancing women's hormones; treating a child's health; dealing with food intolerance and allergy; or reducing the risk of heart attacks and cancer.
You may choose to have tests that could include vitamin and mineral and omega fatty acid analysis and stool testing.
Our nutrition team work alongside consultant doctors when illness, infection or allergy may be a factor. Dr Neil Shah offers Paediatric gastroenterology, the specialism devoted to digestion problems in children, which may be important for your family. We also have a strong allergy team with Professor Brostoff specialising in adult issues, and Dr Adam Fox caring for children with allergies.
Emotions and food often go hand in hand. Your nutritionist or doctor may give you guidance, or you may wish to use the support of a hypnotherapist, counsellor, or psychotherapist from our 'Emo' team. Our team is very successful in helping individuals and families to alter deeply ingrained personal or family eating patterns. Many people are both surprised and pleased when an unhelpful eating habit, or a food-related addiction, disappears.
Complementary therapies may provide support on many levels, e.g. assisting your body's absorption of nutrients; helping you relax; or reducing discomfort. Cranial osteopathy, homeopathy, reflexology and acupuncture are all very helpful to balance energy, reduce cravings and support digestion.
Exercise and eating are close companions, particularly when you want to adjust or balance your weight. Our fitness and life coaches help many people to change their work-rest balance and to enjoy regular exercise.
Did you know?
Food and eating are closely linked to happiness and bonding. Some scientists call the stomach the body's emotional centre; some refer to it as the 'little brain'. Your digestive system is in constant communication with the brain in your head, particularly the limbic, or emotional brain, via a complex network of chemicals and nerve signals. Your digestive system releases 'feel-good' and 'stress' hormones, as well as neuro-peptides, which also flow between brain cells with every thought.
Enjoying food, and making eating sociable, could provide a welcome energy boost, more smiles, and greater intimacy and friendship. In the UK, the number of families who eat together is in steady decline - yet having meals together presents the opportunity for chatting, laughing and relaxing, and even addressing family conflicts. Where does your family eat?
