supporting family members and carers
When someone receives a life-changing diagnosis, it can also have a knock-on effect on the health of those around them. At You Nutrition Clinic, we recognise the importance of the care team, and as such, we have designated practitioners who offer 1-1 support to carers and family members.
support for carers
When a family member or friend receives a neurodegenerative or neurological health diagnosis, it's normal for family members to feel anxious and worried. Being a carer can have a potential impact on physical, mental and emotional health, as well as financial implications that can greatly contribute to stress levels. Stress, anxiety, worry, tiredness and exhaustion can play havoc with our health. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, has been shown to negatively impact a number of aspects of health, including immune, gut, metabolic and hormonal health. In addition to life stress, lack of sleep can also drive up levels of cortisol and impact health outcomes. It's so important to manage this appropriately so that there are no knock-on adverse outcomes and carers remain in the best health possible to fully support their loved ones.
That's where we can support you. Practitioners are available for consultations with family members who are concerned about their stress levels and any related symptoms, and want to optimise their health outcomes. To support clients, various tests may be recommended, including:
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Metabolic health
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Gut health
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Genetic risk factors
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Nutrient status
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Stress levels
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Hormonal health
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Toxic load
Lifestyle support, including dietary intake, exercise, and management of stress and sleep are all key to improvement in the symptoms often experienced by carers. Often diet and lifestyle changes alone aren't enough to correct imbalances, so therapeutic nutraceuticals can be utilised to optimise nutrient status and balance biochemical pathways.
We are aware that meal planning for clients with special dietary needs can be challenging. For many neurodegenerative clients, the challenge can be keeping nutrient levels up and preventing weight loss. The assigned practitioner may also have some specific dietary requirements for your loved one, which can feel challenging to implement as the carer. Deborah is available to support carers who need a little help developing meal plans or meal ideas for themselves and/or their loved ones, with consideration to all of the challenges that go along with neurodegenerative health conditions.
In addition, Rae, our Breathwork and Movement Practitioner can offer you 1:1 sessions to calm your mind and support your sleep.
support for predisposition
For some family members, in addition to the worry around a loved ones' health outcomes, there may be concern for our own health outcomes, particularly if a genetic link has been established to a neurodegenerative health diagnosis. You are not alone. Kerry, Jessica, Nicolle and Melody are available for consultations with family members or those who have concerns about developing a neurodegenerative condition, and will help you to optimise health outcomes from the earliest possible stage.
To do this, we take into consideration all of the biochemical pathways, how they intertwine, and how to best support these pathways so that they function optimally. We may run a range of standard and functional tests to determine nutrigenomic, metabolic and nutrient status, the root cause of gastrointestinal issues, as well as pathogen and toxin exposure. The tests that we typically use are listed above, but may vary person to person.
further support
On occasion, further support from external practitioners may be recommended, which may include counselling, physiotherapy, and personal training for exercise support. Guidance will be provided to ensure that you have access to the most appropriate practitioners.
For more information on how to best support your diagnosis through diet and lifestyle interventions, reach out to us at admin@younutritionclinic.com for a free 15-minute chat.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The first step is for you to book your free 15-minute chat so that we can get a better understanding of your situation. From here, if we feel that we can help you, we will send you a questionnaire to complete, and schedule an appointment with you. If the questionnaire is too daunting for you to complete by yourself, we can complete this together in your first appointment.
At your initial appointment, we will provide you with advice and support to help you make the first steps on your health journey. This might include recommendations for further testing. If you require functional tests, we will talk you through the most appropriate and affordable options for your condition and support you through the process. If you require any supplements or nutraceuticals, we will provide detailed guidance, including brand and dose. We will also work with you to develop a schedule of appointments that suits your needs and finances.
Please reach out to us at admin@younutritionclinic.com with a summary of your health issues, and we will arrange a free 15-minute chat with the appropriate practitioner.