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In Andalcuia there is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.
by Dee McMath
Nutritional Therapy is
the study and application of the individual patient's nutritional
needs to ensure that the body is properly maintained for optimum
health.
Even those who try to eat sensibly are often missing
essential nutrients in their bodies, because of the generally low
quality of vitamins and minerals and high levels of toxins in most
food available to us today. We overeat or eat too much sugar and
fat content foods and then go on diets to control our weight. All
of this leads to poor nutrition and bad health. The renowned Mediterranean
diet is still available and rich in many of the constituents needed
to stay healthy. This, together with the right amount of sun exposure
to give you plenty of good Vitamin A, makes Andalucia a great starting
point to look into nutritional therapy.
There are many practicing nutritional therapists
in Andalucia. Although I would say that southern Spain is generally
less advanced in its nutritional thinking, those who are taking
an interest in nutritional therapy are normally as up-to-date
as
the rest of Europe. Sadly, with the great influx of British and
other foreign residents and holidaymakers in Andalucia, and especially
the Costa del Sol, many of the bad Northern European eating habits
are becoming the norm in this area. Fast food outlets are easily
found all along the coast and also inland. But the Andalucian
Virgin
Olive Oil, fresh salads and seafood is still there and comes highly
recommended.
There are many free English language magazines easily
available all along the Costa del Sol, where nutritional therapists
advertise. They often also advertise on notice boards in local the
Health Shop (Herboristería). The nutritional therapist understands
that each person has his or her own nutritional needs. The therapist
will often also be a fully qualified doctor, who will ask you about
your medical history and will probably require that you have blood
tests to find out what vitamins deficiencies or other problems you
may have. Food supplements may be prescribed, along with special
dietary suggestions. Sometimes your body may simply not absorb the
vitamins and minerals in certain foods. This can be due to many
reasons, such as long-term depression, trauma from bereavement or
divorce or a post illness debilitation. The nutritional therapist
will take all this into consideration and monitor your progress,
probably suggesting other complimentary therapies to build up your
immune system and improve your general health.
Other therapies, which help with correct diet intake,
include; acupuncture, reflexology and even meditation. Stress can
cause toxins to build up in your blood stream and ultimately cause
serious harm to your health.
It is important that you trust and get on well with
your nutritional therapist because the advice you get from them
can change your life. For your time and money to be spent well,
it is also essential that you face up to the first home truths that
your therapist will tell you - consider giving up smoking, don't
drink to excess, don't overeat, cut down on fats and sugars, exercise
regularly, etc. Once you've got these basics under control, then
a tailor made lifestyle programme can really work. Food and drink
is the body's fuel. As one Danish (English speaking) nutritionist
in Fuengirola said to me "people look after their cars better
than their own bodies. We need a service and an oil change the same
as the car does - and we can't buy a new body". I know its
all been said before, but we really are what we eat.
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| DIETITIAN
Nicola Drabble - BSc Diet, Post Grad Dip Diet, Cert in
Exercise Science. Dietary assessment, nutritional
analysis, Body composition analysis.
Tel: +34 952 883 151 Mobile: +34 677111513
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