Is this clinic right for me?
If you have any diet-related concerns, including IBS, digestive health issues, weight management, chronic conditions such as pre-diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, eating disorders, or simply wish to improve your relationship with food, then our clinic is here to help. Our practice has expert registered dietitians who understand how challenging it can be to tackle dietary problems, and they are here to support you. While our face-to-face clinics are based in Bristol, our eating disorder clinics are exclusively online. Nevertheless, we offer online appointments for all our clinics to anyone across the UK. You can book via the website by going to the relevant page for Sophie’s Digestive Health Clinic, Aoife’s Eating Disorder Clinic or Rachel’s Weight Loss and Chronic Conditions Clinic. For more information about each dietitian and their specialist clinics, click here to read more about them and decide which one is best for you.
Will you make me a meal plan to follow?
We typically don’t provide meal plans, as they aren’t a long-term solution. Our primary goal is to empower you with the necessary nutritional knowledge needed to enable you to take control of your own meal planning. During our appointments, we often discuss meal ideas together which you can then use to craft your own personalised meal plan.
What qualifications and experience do you have?
We are all qualified dietitians who strictly adhere to the ethical guidelines set by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The title ‘Dietitian’ is legally protected. In fact, dietitians are the only nutrition professionals regulated by law and are bound by an ethical code to guarantee that they consistently work to the highest standards. The advice we provide is rooted in rigorous scientific research and is tailored to accommodate your lifestyle, preferences, and routine. We pride ourselves on delivering evidence-based, safe nutritional guidance without resorting to passing fads or unsustainable diets. Some of our dietitians also have additional qualifications. Please visit the ‘Meet the team‘ page for more detailed information.
How much do appointments cost?
Prices vary depending on the condition being addressed, which reflects differences in appointment length and the required specialist expertise. You will find the pricing for clinic appointments on each of the relevant clinic pages for the condition that you are struggling with. We offer 10% discount for concessions i.e. over 65s, student and those on financial benefits – please email us at info@freshapproachnutrition.co.uk if this is relevant to you so that we can apply the discount for you.
What should I expect from appointments?
We’ve written a whole blog about this topic. Take a look here.
How many appointments will I need?
It’s understandable that you might be wondering how many appointments you will need, however it’s a tricky question for us to answer. It’s a bit like, “how long is a piece of string?” Different conditions naturally necessitate varying numbers of sessions. As a rough guide, those with IBS and digestive health conditions typically require between 3-6 appointments on a monthly basis, while weight management and chronic conditions can need anywhere between 3-10 sessions depending on how much support you feel you need and tend to be every 2-4 weeks.
When considering how many appointments you will need to help with eating disorders or disordered eating, Aoife, our specialist eating disorder dietitian suggests that after your initial assessment appointment, the plan will be to meet on a weekly basis for at least 4 weeks. This gives you a chance to settle into sessions and work out if her approach is right for you. Overall, Aoife finds that it can take around 3-6 months of sessions to start reaping the benefits of your sessions and seeing results.
While this will be discussed during your initial assessment, it’s crucial to understand that it’s impossible to predict with certainty the exact number of sessions you’ll need. This estimate will be regularly reviewed and adjusted with your dietitian as necessary to cater to your unique situation.
Do you offer intolerance or blood testing?
We do not conduct any in-house testing. Instead, we maintain a close working relationship with GPs. Should we require any specific clinical investigations, we can make a request through your GP. For insights on why we do not offer testing, particularly food intolerance tests, consider visiting this British Dietetic Association food intolerance test fact sheet. It highlights that many commercially available food allergy and intolerance tests are not validated or supported by scientific evidence, and they can often lead to unnecessary food avoidance and risk of malnutrition. This is one of the primary reasons we focus on evidence-based practices and liaise directly with GPs for any testing needs.
Which dietitian should I see?
We have specialist dietitians who cover different diet-related conditions including IBS, digestive health conditions, weight management, chronic conditions and eating disorders. Below is an outline of each clinic to help you to understand which would be best suited to you.
- Digestive Health Clinic – This clinic is run by Sophie, our Lead dietitian. She sees individuals in this clinic with digestive health concerns such as IBS, diverticulitis, bloating, constipation, loose stools, and food intolerances. She works with clients in person at the clinic in Redland, Bristol or via online appointments; whichever works best for you. In an in-depth consultation, you’ll discuss your digestive health issues and come up with an action plan for the best way to tackle them.
- Eating Disorder Clinic – This clinic is headed up by Aoife, our Specialist Eating Disorder dietitian. It is designed for those who feel that they have a difficult relationship with food. Aoife is happy to see anyone who feels ready to make positive changes to the way they view food, whether or not you have a formal eating disorder diagnosis. Aoife will help you unravel the complexities of your relationship with food, offering you evidence-based strategies to foster a healthier mindset around food. Just to let you know, Aoife offers online appointments only and slots are limited.
- Weight Loss and Chronic Conditions Clinic – This clinic is run by Rachel, our Registered Dietitian and is for individuals who are looking to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way and/or they have a chronic condition which can be managed through diet such as pre-diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. She also has experience in sports nutrition and nutrition support for cancer so she is extremely knowledgeable. Rachel offers appointments in person at the clinic in Redland, Bristol or via online appointments; whichever works best for you. Rachel will use information about your lifestyle, routines and preferences to provide a tailored action plan that fits into and around your life. She’s all about long term, sustainable improvements to your diet and health so you won’t find any prescriptive meal plans here!
What if I have any questions before I book?
If you have any questions or you’re not sure who to book with, please contact us on info@freshapproachnutrition.co.uk