There are many types of nutrition and wellness professionals which can make understanding their different roles a bit confusing. Between dietitians, nutritionists, health coaches, and nutritional therapists you might feel a bit lost about what someone's credentials actually mean as you consider working with them. It’s completely understandable that you may wonder what the term Nutritional Therapy Practitioner means, so we’re ready to break it down and help you understand how working with one can make a big difference in reaching your health goals. Here's what we'll cover:
- What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner?
- Our food-first philosophy
- Bio-individuality concept
- Focus on root cause
- Targeted supplements
- Getting personalized recommendations
What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner?
Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (FNTP or NTP) are holistically trained nutrition professionals who emphasize the most important foundations of health. They look at how foundational systems impact the symptoms you experience in your day-to-day life, and design a customized plan to specifically address you and your individual needs. When working with an NTP they’ll focus their work in the following foundational areas in order to help you achieve your healthiest and best-feeling self:
1. Consuming a nutritious whole foods diet
2. Supporting digestive health
3. Balancing blood sugar
4. Paying attention to hydration levels
5. Supporting you in optimizing your fatty acid intake and mineral status
6. Addressing your overall stress management skills
These are the foundations that impact your overall health, and are connected to the nagging symptoms (or as we NTPs like to say “the consequences”) that likely brought you to seek professional nutrition support in the first place. Once we identify the foundations or body systems that need support, we then recommend tools like dietary changes, lifestyle choices, and targeted supplement options as a way to empower your body to do its own healing. Your body is innately intelligent and our role is to support it the best we can in its healing process.
Now that we’ve covered what an NTP does, it is important to also understand what we don't do. NTPs do not treat or diagnose any disease. We don’t prescribe medications, and we will never tell you to discontinue or start any medication without first consulting your doctor. We believe that a team approach to health is important, and having an NTP on your side is a valuable asset for your wellbeing.
Food Comes First
The food and nutrients you consume are the foundation of all foundations—the most useful tool in our tool kit. A properly prepared, nutrient-dense diet is essential for feeling your best and achieving optimal health, and NTPs believe that finding the healthiest diet for your individual body is the first step in your journey with us. This is the step that many individuals skip before working with a professional, often in hopes that they can out-supplement or out-exercise a poor diet and stressful lifestyle, but unfortunately fail to realize that without addressing it they’ll make minimal progress toward achieving any goals. This is why we always discuss food first, and work together to make sustainable nutrition choices that will have a lasting impact.
Many will also come to an NTP and ask them exactly what to eat and what not to eat. Surprisingly, we actively work to stay away from diet dogma and recommending overly restrictive diets. We believe that these are not sustainable and can actually impact you negatively in the long run. The goal of an NTP is not to eliminate all of the “unhealthy” foods you might enjoy, but instead is to educate you on how to make sustainable nutrition choices that you enjoy, that feel good for your individual body, and that provide you with the widest variety of foods possible. We love food and we want to make sure you continue to love the food you eat too!
Each Body is Individual
Too frequently individuals seeking nutrition help receive blanket nutrition advice that is not applicable to their unique body and needs. The current healthcare environment is fast-paced and rarely accounts for individual nutrition needs. The concept of bio-individuality is central to the NTP approach and this is what makes us a valuable resource for you. We understand that each body is unique and individual, meaning that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition! Simply put, what works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s normal. A Nutritional Therapy Practitioner is able to take a deeper dive into how your body is functioning, understand how your dietary and lifestyle choices impact the challenges you're experiencing, and consequently make recommendations based on your individual needs. Our initial consultation includes looking at your health history, dietary preferences, family health history, analysis of any symptoms or challenges you're experiencing, and how it all impacts your mood and energy levels. This in-depth process means that when you meet with an NTP, you can be assured that the recommendations you receive are based on you and only you.
Focus on Root Cause Rather than Symptom Management
Our job is to listen well and hear your challenges and then help you make the connections between what you are experiencing and what your body is trying to tell you. We avoid chasing symptoms and instead look for the "why" behind them, and use the foundations we mentioned earlier to help your body reach a healthy balance. We try to limit the “band-aid approach” which typically provides you relief in the moment (think ibuprofen when a headache strikes or melatonin to help you sleep), but does not provide any long-term relief. In fact, you may find that using these approaches leads to more long-term reliance and a built-up resistance to these band-aid fixes down the road. When you focus on symptom management, you don’t address the root cause of why you are experiencing symptoms, which means the foundations remain unbalanced for too long. This chronic imbalance of your body systems impacts the whole body, and will likely lead to more health problems in the future. By addressing the root cause, we support your body in restoring proper function and overall health. 
Targeted Supplement Recommendations when Indicated
Supplements shouldn't be the first step in someone’s health journey and this is what makes working with an NTP a unique process. While it is true that they often have a powerful impact on your health, supplements need to be used thoughtfully and should not be used with the intention of out-supplementing poor nutrition and lifestyle choices. NTPs are trained to understand body chemistry and how supplements impact the body systems. We make supplement recommendations after thoughtful consideration of how it will impact your health, and only choose to make recommendations when we feel it will move you closer toward reaching your goals. In fact, there are circumstances when we might choose not to recommend supplements at all. Food and lifestyle choices are always the first priority in our work and we use targeted supplementation only in addition to these recommendations, never alone.
Empowering Clients to Take Ownership of Their Health
Finally, and unique to NTPs, is that we empower our clients to take ownership of their health. We believe that you know your body best, and we try our hardest to approach our work through a collaborative lense. Although we might be experts in the field of health and nutrition, we believe that you are the best expert of your own body. We work with you to create a plan that includes achievable and realistic goals that move you closer toward becoming your healthiest self.
It is also important to us that you don’t feel alone or stranded as you make these changes. Our job is to guide and empower you through your health journey, and to act as accountability partners when you find you need a bit more support along the way. This is yet another way that we stand out from other professionals, and a strength of our client-practitioner relationship.
Is Working with an NTP Right for You?
Working with an NTP is a great idea for anyone looking to increase their understanding of how to make the best dietary and lifestyle choices possible for their individual body. NTPs possess a deep understanding of how the body works and are able to use that knowledge to address a number of common symptoms you might experience including heartburn, bloating, fatigue, constipation and diarrhea, general digestive distress, acne, skin conditions, detoxification, PMS symptoms, lack of energy, food cravings, joint pain, brain fog, aging related issues and so much more. Although we are unable to diagnose or treat these conditions, we are trained to help support your body in doing what it needs to do—make you feel good! If you’re ready to kickstart your health with the support of a qualified professional, our Curated practitioners are ready to support you.
While we don’t treat sickness or disease, at Curated Wellness we can guide you towards a more holistic and well-rounded approach to your health. Our trained nutrition professionals can accompany you on your wellness journey through food and supplement choices, movement, and mindfulness.
If you’re ready to take back your health with a knowledgeable guide and accountability partner, our practitioners are ready for you. Click to schedule a one-on-one!
About the Author:
Emily Alexander, M.Ed, FNTP—Emily is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with Curated Wellness. She is passionate about supporting others in their journey to improve their relationship with food and their body through gentle nutrition, and is a firm believer that understanding the bio-individual components of nutrition is one of the best ways to do so. Emily completed her Master’s of education in health education and promotion with a concentration in eating disorders, and draws from both her educational background and life experience to help her clients improve their energy, understand their bodies, boost their athletic potential, and break down diet myths one at a time. Read more about Emily.
The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.
