What is functional nutrition? 

Functional nutrition, also referred to as nutritional therapy and nutritional medicine, utilises a functional medicine approach - this considers all possible root causes of a health condition and/or of presenting symptoms, including genetics, nutrient deficiency and excess, environmental and lifestyle factors, trauma and stress

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Is functional nutrition/nutritional therapy covered by health insurance?

If you have health insurance you may be eligible for a refund of your appointment fees. You should discuss this directly with your insurance provider. At this time, we do not liaise directly or collaborate with any health insurance providers.

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Is our consultation confidential? 

You Nutrition follows strict GDPR guidelines, which means that all of your records are securely stored and everything discussed is completely confidential. You can request your records, or request deletion and/or transfer of your records at at any time. 

 

Is nutritional therapy available on the NHS?

Unfortunately, functional nutrition/nutritional therapy isn’t yet available on the NHS.

 

When and how do I pay?

Payment is required ahead of appointments. Payment details will be provided when you book your initial consultation. Please note that there is an additional charge for international clients, to cover the payment transaction fee. 

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Are consultations in person or online? 

All consultations are available via Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. 

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Do you accept international clients?

We work with many people internationally.

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How many consultations will I need?

Everyone’s individual health needs are different. For complex clients with MND/ALS, Parkinson's and other complex health conditions, regular consultations (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) are recommended for a minimum of 3 to 6 months. For clients who want to run a number a functional tests, ongoing support is recommended beyond this. 

 

What is the duration of the appointments?

The initial consultation is one to two hours in duration, depending on the complexity of the case. A typical complex case initial consultation is 1.5 hours and follow-up consultations for complex clients are 1 hour in duration. A typical non-complex case initial consultation is one hour in duration, and the follow-up consultations are 40 minutes in duration. Follow-up consultations that include test interpretation are 1 hour in duration. For pricing, see below. 

 

What is the frequency of consultations?

This varies depending on client need but generally speaking, appointments are scheduled between two and four weeks apart. For the highly complex cases, weekly consultations are recommended in the first instance. 

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Can I contact you between consultations? 

Clients can reach out following a consultation for clarification on any of the recommendations made, and between appointments if there is an issue e.g. a change in symptoms, to provide an update, or to send in GP test results. We recommend that clients make a list of points that they wish to discuss and email these over prior to their scheduled consultation. If clients feel that they require midpoint consultation between full consultations, they can schedule a 20-minute consultation at a cost of £50.

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Do I need to complete any paperwork?

There is paperwork to be completed ahead of the initial consultation. A Terms of Engagement document needs to be completed before an initial consultation can proceed. Further paperwork includes an initial questionnaire and a timeline of life events. There is also sometimes the need to complete a food and symptoms diary. Completing this provides me with the level of detail I need to fully review your case and maximises the support I can offer you.

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What if the paperwork feels too much?

Not everyone has time or ability to complete paperwork, so there is an option to extend an initial appointment by 30 minutes for an additional cost of £75 if you would prefer for us to complete your paperwork with you in the initial consultation.

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Are there any additional costs?

Additional costs may include supplements. When these are recommended, they are sent in a ‘shopping basket’ via the Natural Dispensary and Amrita online supplement shops, with a 10 % discount applied. Clients can also opt to source supplements directly from supplement companies. Private functional testing is often recommended - test costs vary depending on the type of test selected (see below). There may also be additional costs as you implement the recommendations such as changes to your weekly shop.

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Will you speak with my healthcare provider?

I will write to your healthcare providers to request tests or to report any concerning symptoms. Your permission would be requested and you would be copied into all correspondence.

 

What is your availability?

Following your initial chat you will be given the option of booking a quarterly package with a set appointment time at a frequency that works best for you, or scheduling consultations ad hoc.

To book your own consultations, you will be sent a link to Calendly. This will allow you to schedule your initial and ongoing consultations. There are limited slots available, so it is recommended that you schedule all follow-up consultations three months in advance. 

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functional tests

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Quite often, testing will be suggested to determine markers for health. Where possible, standard blood tests are requested via your healthcare provider. However, in some cases, there may be grounds for ordering private standard and functional tests which have varying costs. Options for these will be discussed in full during appointments. Functional tests range from £200 - £700 in the UK and EU. Tests will be suggested based on your case presentation and your budget. 

 

The tests listed below are recommended for all clients presenting with a neurodegenerative condition, a mental health concern, or symptoms of neurodivergence: 

 

- Gut microbiome testing (Invivo GI Ecologix for UK and EU clients): £379 plus shipping (including interpretation fee). This test allows us to take a deeper look at your gut microbiome and identify any factors that may be driving GI and other symptoms. ​

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- Nutrigenomic testing (Lifecode GX, typically available globally): Initial DNA swab and one panel: £249 plus shipping (including interpretation fee); additional panels are £150 (including interpretation fee). This test helps us to understand the genetic predispositions that you may have which may be causing you to function less optimally. Typically we recommend methylation and detoxification panels for all MND/ALS clients and an additional nervous system panel for clients with Parkinson's Disease or any mental health concern. Other panels (nutrient core, metabolic, histamine, hormones) are also recommended based on the case presentation. 

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- Metabolomic testing (Genova Diagnostics Nutraeval or Metabolomix, typically available globally): £500-£675 plus shipping (including interpretation fee). This innovative test allows us to understand biochemical imbalances at a cellular level, based on metabolites present in urine and blood from biochemical reactions. This helps us determine your specific nutrient needs. 

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Further functional and predictive tests may also be suggested on a case-by-case basis and may include testing for heavy metals, pesticide and chemical exposure, Lyme disease and associated pathogens, candida, mould exposure and viral load. These tests help to determine the root cause of presenting symptoms.

 

The cost of each of these tests varies from £150 to £800. is generally carried out within three to six months of the initial consultation, depending on the case presentation and the client's financial capacity. Testing recommendations will be discussed at your initial consultation. 

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​Please note that there is an added charge to review functional tests that have been carried out by the client or the client's previous practitioner prior to the initial consultation. This ranges from £50 to £70 per test. 

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