The Nutritional Supplement

1. What Course(s) did you graduate from at CNELM and when did you graduate?

I graduated from CNELM with a BSc Honours Nutritional Therapy in September 2014.

2. What made you decide to embark on this course of study?

I have been health conscious for some time now. After reading the book ‘Our Stolen Future’ in 1996, our family began eating organic food – long before it became fashionable – I wanted my two daughters to have the best chances in life.

I ran my own digital agency business for 18 years from my home, which I successfully sold in 2008. At that time my wife’s father had just died a very unpleasant death after his struggle with cancer. I finally had time to read up on the different ways that he could have been treated. It was like opening a hornets’ nest, although I did not have the ability to objectively evaluate if the information I was gleaning was correct or not.  I knew that the internet is a double-edged sword. 

I knew that food was a key area in health, so I began looking into different Nutritional Therapy science degrees and came across the BSc at CNELM. I wanted to train in nutrition, so that I could eventually go into clinical practice. 

3. Did you work during your studies in the health field? What was your first role after graduating?  What did you do to get your first clients?

I didn’t work at all during my degree and I was privileged to be able to immerse myself completely into the degree - so that I could get the most out of it.  Despite that, I still extended my degree by 6 months. 

As soon as I graduated I built a website.  I had sorted out my domain name and branding way before.   In fact, I hunted for a while to find a name that would portray the essence of what I was doing.  Entire Wellbeing encompasses it all – achieving optimal health through nutrition and lifestyle changes. Because I had run a digital agency I understand the power of branding and digital presence. A website is your shop window to the world.

It is worth investing the time and effort it takes to get to know other complementary therapists too, as referral is one of the ways I have gotten to see clients.  I also think that word-of-mouth is essential! 

4. How did you kickstart your practice / career?

I did a lot of talking to people.  Most people will prick up their ears when you talk about health, as most people are in fact interested in their own health. That is especially true when things begin to go wrong, so it was all about building a word of mouth network. I have made and am still trying to build key partnerships with other practitioners. 

I have also begun holding seminars, as this is a great way to market yourself and get exposure. 

5. Do you specialise in a particular area of health?

I have always been interested in gut health, autoimmune diseases and gluten-related disorders and it is these specific areas on which I am focussing my clinical energy.  During my studies, I had the opportunity to read The Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride, which really inspired me.  I have subsequently become a GAPS practitioner and use elements from this protocol with virtually all my clients. If your objective is to ‘heal and seal’ the gut then GAPS is probably one of the best tools at your disposal.

I am also a Nutrigenetic counsellor and a certified gluten practitioner. The benefits of being able to identify genetic weaknesses in clients is very useful, as this facilitates the rapid creation of very personalised and targeted nutritional interventions.

When you consider the science that shows the link between autoimmunity and intestinal hyper-permeability, then gluten has to appear high up the agenda of potential triggers that requires further investigation when presenting with autoimmunity. Training as a certified gluten practitioner has been, and still is, key to my knowledge in this area.

These tools in combination with my functional training put me in the best possible position to be able to make a real difference to the health of my clients presenting with autoimmune conditions.

6. How have you found the transition from Student to Nutritional Therapist?

I genuinely had no problems.  I had been a student for a long time and really wanted to get into clinical practice.  Clinical practice is the best way of learning.  I face real clients with real issues and have to make my own decisions without the safety net of the college. Practising the profession on clients is the only way I can become a better practitioner. This is when the real learning begins!

It is all about continuous learning, what have I learnt, and reflection on how to do things better next time

7. Have there been any particular influences, or influencers e.g. tutors, other practitioners, books etc. that have inspired you in your work?

Reading Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride was a very important step in my overall direction. I find Chris Kresser a constant source of inspiration. Dr Tom O’ Bryan ran a gluten conference at CNELM in 2014 when I was still a student which was a pivotal moment for me.

The staff at CNELM for clinical training were excellent and lecturers in general were of a very high quality.  In particular, lectures by Dr Nigel Plummer and Dr Alex Concorde fired me up about issues, which were beyond the content of the degree.

8. What is your vision for the future in terms of your career? [Your beliefs, values, dreams etc!]

My vision is to make as big a difference as possible to as many peoples’ lives.  I want to use public speaking and the internet to help me to do that.

Our health care system is in crisis and is well on its way to bankrupting the nation. A large part of the solution to this problem has to involve reducing the load on the system, by empowering people to take back control of their health.

9. What advice would you give to those just who are just starting their training?

Read, read, read and be inquisitive. Don’t have preconceived ideas about anything!

10. What advice would you give to those who are just about to graduate?

Get out into the world, and do the best you can to make people as well as they can.  You are part of the solution to the current health care issues that the country faces. Inform people so they understand what decisions they can make to improve their health. Inspire! Don’t underestimate the time that you will spend on each client and make sure that your financial model works for you.

11. Do you have any tips, hints, regrets….??

Find your own style and believe in your training. Be prepared for obstacles and don’t focus for long on anything that doesn’t go according to plan. Not everything can go well all the time. If I was a young man I would have liked to have trained as a medical doctor…Oh well, I will just have to find one to work with!

Mark's Website: http://www.entirewellbeing.com/