1. What does a nutritionist do?
Nutritionists assess their clients’ current diet, lifestyle and medical history and listen to what diet and health goals they have. Then, they identify where changes should be made to reach those goals. Their advice is very practical and suggests how as well as what foods and meals would be best for you. Usually a number of follow up sessions help you to stay on track, ask further questions and fine tune your nutrition. Nutritionists focus on food and eating patterns and only occasionally suggest supplements.
2. How much does a nutritionist charge?
To have a one-on-one consultation with me, Corinne, costs $140. I spend about one hour and fifteen minutes with you, in person or online, and then several hours of my time go into preparing advice for you based on our meeting.
You may want to provide me with a detailed list of everything that you ate and drank for a period of three days before we meet and I can analyse your current diet and pinpoint any areas that need tweaking. That initial assessment costs $60.
3. Can I claim a nutritionist on Medicare?
In short, no. Despite all the evidence which points to a healthier diet being such a large part of disease prevention and general good health, a nutrition consultation is not claimable. However, I really believe that you should consider the fee an investment which costs no more than a trip to a decent hairdresser and which will last you much longer!
4. What’s the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
As opposed to dietitians, who are qualified to diagnose eating disorders and design diets to treat specific medical conditions, nutritionists deal with general nutrition goals and behaviours. Typical scenarios where a nutritionist works are eating for better health, helping fussy eaters, increasing community awareness of healthy eating, sports nutrition and adjusting the diet to cope with IBS or gluten free diets.
5. Do you have to be referred to a nutritionist?
No referral is necessary, anyone can take steps to find out about healthier eating and a healthier life!
6. What’s involved in seeing a nutritionist?
You can make contact with me via my website: or by calling me on (02) 66291692 / 0413 086 054 or by email: goodnessmenutritionist@gmail.com. Or, send a message via my facebook page.
I will contact you and ask a bit about you and your goals. You can be sure that I will not treat clients who I feel are beyond my scope of practice or area of experience. Then we will decide whether you’d like me to do an initial assessment of your current diet, or just dive straight into a consultation.
We can meet at my place or yours, or else set up an online meeting. We talk about what you eat, your lifestyle and what your concerns are.
7. Can a nutritionist help with weight loss?
A nutritionist is an excellent person to connect with when you want to lose some weight. They will help you decide on the best weight loss plan for you personally; advise on other aspects of lifestyle which could help you out; assist you in setting realistic goals and keep you motivated and on track.
If you would like to lose some weight, read my blog post on choosing the right diet for you, here.
8. Can you do online consultations?
Yes! We can do any of the consultations or follow ups online. I will discuss with you which platform you prefer to use. Book a consultation here:
9. How do I know whether I have a good diet?
A great way to do an ‘audit’ on your current diet is to ask for an initial dietary assessment. Based on a three day record of everything that you have eaten and drunk, I can provide you with detailed information on how you’re travelling- macronutrients, areas for concern, possible deficiencies or over indulgencies!
10. I can’t afford a nutrition consultation, what else can I do?
I have three great ways for you to still connect with me and get some evidence-based nutrition information which will help you to eat better.
Firstly, why not follow me on Facebook and Instagram? Every week I post excellent free advice and up to date nutrition information.
Secondly, join one of my groups. Currently I run a FREE Coping with Covid Kitchen Hacks group, where group members share their culinary covid tips and I can help solve problems too. I also have a subscription group Eat the Mediterranean which is all about following the super healthy Mediterranean diet and where I share nutrition information, health tips and lots of great recipes. Message me for details or if you’d like to join!
Thirdly, share the love! Why not organise a small group of work colleagues, parents, gym goers or friends and invite me to give a talk on any aspect of healthy eating? This could be in person (we could even have real food!) or else in the form of a webinar. Share the cost and get lots of information for a small per person cost.
11. What is gut health?
In recent years more and more research has emphasised the pivotal role of the billions of micro-organisms which live inside us- in our large intestines especially. These ‘bugs’ help us to produce vitamins, digest fibre, fight cancer, signal our brain to not overeat, feel happier and so much more. It seems that every week there is new evidence of how the microbiota (or community of micro-organisms which is unique to you) affects your health.
What we eat has a big impact on which bugs proliferate and which ones die off. Therefore, we are not stuck with the bugs that we acquire during the first years of life, we can change them (for the better)! Eating a diet high in fibre and in polyphenols- found in colourful and flavoursome fruits and vegetables in particular such as garlic, coffee, beetroot, turmeric and many more – is great for encouraging the beneficial micro-organisms to grow in our guts. Interested? Read more here12. What is Irritable bowel syndrome? (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome, often referred to as IBS, is a functional gut disorder. That means that it is not a disease and is not causing damage to your digestive system. It involves your gut lining being overly sensitive. It is highly uncomfortable and has a significant impact on the quality of life of those who have it. It is always associated with eating certain foods/drinks and also with stress. Abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits is always present. A nutritionist can help you to address the triggers for IBS and may suggest a special modified diet to help identify what your food triggers are.
13. How do I know if I have IBS?
You must have symptoms of abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits (towards diarrhoea or constipation, or both) which have been going on for some months. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, back pain, hip pain, lethargy, lack of energy, a feeling of general ill health, excess gas and bloating.
You cannot self diagnose IBS, a doctor must give a positive diagnosis before you can seek the help of a nutritionist. That is because many digestive disorders and diseases share the same symptoms and so these need to be ruled out.
The gut microbiota are now known to have an impact on IBS. Read about it here!
14. What is a low fodmap diet?
A low fodmap diet is often used to help a client who has IBS to identify which foods and drinks they are particularly sensitive to. It involves a period of abstinence from fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (fodmaps) and then a testing phase where individual types of carbohydrates are trialled to see if they cause symptoms to return. Then, a personalised diet excluding the problematic foods can be drawn up. This process is quite complex and is best undertaken with the help of a nutritionist.
15. Can a nutritionist help children too?
Definitely! Nutritionists help everyone from unborn babies to adults in their old age to eat the healthiest diet they can. Forming great habits during childhood is a fantastic start to life and can massively reduce risk of chronic disease later on.
16. What is the best weight loss diet?
There is no one perfect weight loss diet for everyone. A nutritionist can help you to identify which diet suits you best and gets the best results. Read my blog posts on how to go about choosing and then the various weight loss options. Then book a time to talk to me!
17. What is a Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating which has been for thousands of years the everyday diet of certain populations in Crete, Greece, Italy and parts of the Middle east. It is known to lead to lower incidence of chronic disease. Many people are embracing this diet for a healthier life and also embrace the concepts of being active and sharing food with family and friends in social setting. You can learn more here.
