The Nutritional Supplement

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

Nutritional Therapy BSc, which I graduated from in 2012.

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

Prior to starting the degree I had been working for 15 years as a freelance operative in Local Authority finance, which meant that my living arrangements were quite unstable, moving constantly from big cities to small towns, bed hopping between B&B’s and working very long hours, on many occasions 18 hour days and regularly 7 day weeks. Those 15 years flew by but as you can imagine after that amount of time of dysfunctional living I was feeling pretty burnt out and decided that it was time to make a change.

I worked as a sales executive for a photocopier/printer company for a couple of years and although I enjoyed it, it felt as if I had jumped from the fat into the fire. Even though I was no longer travelling all over the country, the competitiveness and the need to always close the deal meant that it was quite difficult to ever breathe and truly relax.

My next move working with young people was a real change of pace. I was working with young carers, providing support as a mentor and helping them to improve their engagement with the wider world. It was during this time I made the decision that whatever my next career move was going to be, it would involve making a significant contribution to improving the lives of others, rather than just making lots of money. As an avid sportsman and someone that had always paid particular attention to my own diet, a career in the health industry seemed like a no-brainer!

Were you working alongside studying?

Yes, I was working with two youth charities, also as a Personal Trainer.

Did you use your dietary educators certificate after the first year of study?

I didn’t as I already had a Nutrition Diploma and could already work with clients at that level, but if I didn’t have the diploma I would have definitely used the Dietary Educators certificate, as nothing beats practical experience in terms of building confidence and in terms of finding your unique voice with regards to the way in which you deal with your clients.

What work did you do after graduating?

After graduating I threw myself straight into practising as a Nutritional Therapist. I actually took some time out so that I could disentangle myself from everything that I was doing and start focusing on making the transition to working fully as an NT. There was a temptation to continue with the PT work as it brought in money, but ultimately this was something that I was doing simply to finance my way through the degree and wasn’t something that I wanted to hang on to.

The very good advice that was given by our tutors at CNELM was that it is important to specialise in a specific area and for me I was not 100% sure of the area that I wanted to commit to. Areas that I was considering were male health issues specifically erectile dysfunction and prostate problems. I found this area interesting, as there is clearly a big opportunity to provide conscientious help in an area where men are often exploited and where very few find themselves able to speak out about what they are going through. It always fascinated me that so much of our study in college was focused on female health issues but not so much the male side. That said, there were only two men in our year, so that may have had something to do with it!

My other interest was obesity and much of my work since graduating has been working with obese people, helping them to safely attain a healthy weight. However, as obesity is such a multi-faceted imbalance, even with specialising in it there is still an obligation to keep your knowledge on a wider level up to date.

My collaboration with PT’s has brought me into contact with many clients from the Middle East, particularly Qatar, which is a country that has major problems with obesity. Many Qatari’s have turned to bariatric surgery to overcome their weight problems rather than the old school method of calorie restriction and extra energy output. I am now working with a growing number of young men who have had a procedure called the ‘sleeve gastrectomy’, whereby approximately 80% of the stomach is removed in an effort to reduce consumption and weight.

The support I offer helps them to understand the consequences of the procedure as well as formulating nutritional strategies that will enable them to move forward. I would never have guessed that this would be an the area that much of my attention as a NT would be taken up by, but in some respects I suppose if you give yourself to the nutrition ‘gods’, they will ultimately identify for you where your skills are required!

I do find it sad to see young men, usually between the ages of 20-25, take such brutal and permanent measures to manage a situation that can obviously be dealt with by non-invasive measures and as such I’ve given a number of talks to groups of young men within the Qatari community presenting an alternative approach to dealing with their weight problems. However, when you are dealing with people who have enough money to always be able to afford the best of everything, opting for the quick fix solution is often the outcome.

How did you promote your practise?

Word of mouth and by offering PT’s incentives for referring clients, some of my best promoters are clients that I have helped to resolve longstanding health problems.

Was practising the way you thought it would be when you decided to train as a nutritional therapist?

Having worked with clients prior to completing the degree this gave me some indication of what to expect. I think that if you are independently minded or have run a business to some degree before, this will help as there are many things that you have to focus on such as CPD, marketing, working with clients, dealing with your finances and being creative. However, underpinning all of that must be a deep desire to really want to help people improve their lives because if you are not passionate about this work I don’t believe that it is sustainable for the long term.

I believe that if you are passionate and this work is your vocation then it is possible to not just survive but to thrive as a NT.

Is there anything you wish you’d known before finishing your studies that you might have prepared for differently?

I wish I had the chance to study without the distraction of having to work at the same time. I was determined to complete the degree within three years, so I had so many long nights where I would be up into the small hours studying and wondering if I had the resolve to get through it. However, in hindsight maybe it was the challenge of keeping it all together against the odds that made me knuckle down and just get on with it.

Tell me more about the wedding service you have set up?

The idea behind the wedding service that I offer is to engage people who want to lose weight and are highly motivated to do so. Non-compliance is probably the bane of all NT’s but particularly so when working with the obese and overweight. I have found brides preparing for their big day to be very compliant as they are so focused on looking right for that day. It is satisfying to see the joy on the faces of clients that achieve their goals and ultimately their joy reflects well on my practise and me.

The weight lost industry is a competitive one and offering a service to brides-to-be is an effort to carve out a small niche in a crowded marketplace.

What about your new book?

My book ‘An Ordinary Person’s Guide to Greatness’ was written with James Allen’s ‘As a Man Thinketh’ in mind. My book certainly doesn’t compare to that literary masterpiece but since I discovered James Allen’s work some 20 years ago I have constantly referred back to it whenever I feel that I need to recalibrate and remind myself of the simple rules that enable us to be successful and decent.

I give a copy of my book to all my clients so that they can have something that is a quick read but reminds them of some of the simple and free things that they can easily do that can help them to make positive change. It covers areas such as laughter, posture, hydration and confidence. It is not a book about nutrition but more about some of the obvious things that we know we should do but, during the hurly burly of life, may have simply forgotten about.

What or who has most inspired you in your work?

Last year I was invited to a clients 40^th birthday party where I met her family. Her mum and dad could not stop hugging and thanking me for the work that I had done and the difference that it had made to their daughters life. She had suffered for 20 years with a range of digestive issues. The joy on her family’s face and the gratitude that they showed me highlighted the real difference that we make to peoples lives, it doesn’t just improve the individual but has an impact on extended family members too. Those successes are my inspiration.

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

I have no regrets!

The only tip that I can offer is that the end of the degree is when your learning really begins, read as much as you can and attend as much training as possible. If anything the degree simply highlighted to me how much more there is to learn!