Margaret Papoutsis is a qualified Registered Nutritional Therapist and Nutritionist, and has for many years used diet and supplementation as an important part of her therapeutic armoury.
For thousands of years diet has been recognised as an essential element in both the maintenance of health and the development of disease. It was Hippocrates, the founder of modern therapeutics who said, 'Let food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food'. This vital precept has been ignored or suppressed at various times in the history of medicine, but once again diet has become a subject of much discussion and research.
However, so much publicity is given to how a bad diet can predispose to disease, it is easy to overlook the importance of the benefits of really good food.
Eating well is not only about avoiding illness. It is about feeling energetic, pain-free and optimistic; about clear skin, sparkling eyes and glossy hair; about keen intelligence, enthusiasm for life and the sensuous enjoyment of delicious and satisfying food. Everything, in fact that a truly healthy individual accepts without a second thought.
NOTE:It is always advisable to consult your GP for appropriate investigations and diagnosis before seeking nutritional advice.
The management of many conditions can benefit from an integrated approach which includes both conventional and nutritional approaches. It is important that patients do not stop any medication without advice from their GP.
We are happy to liaise with patient's medical practitioners when appropriate.
Performance Nutrition Margaret Papoutsis has unique experience of the dietary problems facing performers, especially dancers. She has completed several post-graduate courses with the National Centre for Eating Disorders and has a particular interest in the nutritional aspects of recovery from eating disorders. (see Specialist Areas)
Health Maintenance You do not have to be suffering from a definite disorder to benefit from Nutritional Therapy. Many people come for a nutritional 'MOT' because they feel tired all the time, or are generally below par, yet not actually ill. During times of particular physical, mental or emotional stress, the requirements of the body increase, yet the quality of the diet usually decreases.
A nutritional consultation can encourage you back onto a path leading towards health and vitality.
Before your initial consultation, you will be requested to complete questionnaires, which will give us an overview of your current health problems, medical and family history, plus diet and lifestyle factors.
Your current intake of fats, carbohydrates and proteins will be assessed, and any possible biochemical imbalances including vitamin and mineral deficiencies will be identified. You will be offered, where appropriate, biochemical tests which are at the leading edge of nutritional diagnosis.
A personalised dietary, lifestyle and nutritional supplement programme will be generated from the information gathered in your consultation, and from any recommended laboratory tests.
Advice will be given on how to support the efficiency of many metabolic pathways, boosting the body's ability to cope with stress, infection and disease. By increasing your intake of nutrients whilst reducing exposure to environmental and lifestyle toxins, you may influence the processes of chronic degenerative disease and ageing, and maximize the natural healing ability of your body.
Follow-up consultations are usually advised to assess progress and make adjustments.
Please provide a list of any medication and/or supplements you are taking. If you have recently had blood tests or any other investigations, provide us with a copy of the results.
Some patients experience mild 'detox' symptoms at the onset of dietary changes,such as fatigue or transient skin rash. This is usually a very positive sign, but please report this reaction, should it occur, in order to allow for further modification.
In the UK it is not lawful for non-medical practitioners to give treatment for certain disorders, including cancer and diabetes. However, many individuals suffering from these conditions may benefit from dietary advice which may improve their general health and reduce the severity of side-effects of both the disorder and its necessary therapies. Any such advice must be given with the consent of the GP or consultant.
Nutritional Therapy combines very effectively with Herbal Therapy and 'Visceral' Osteopathy.
Chronic ill health may be improved by Reiki healing or Psych-K™ (Applied Kinesiology).
Many digestive and hormonal disorders are benefited by exercise.
Biochemical and Hormonal Testing
Laboratory testing can be helpful in several ways - as an aid to diagnosis, a way of measuring the progress of therapy, and an indicator of predisposition to both genetic and acquired disorders. Accurate results can save valuable time and money by targeting only the most significant areas.
Cardiovascular screen Includes multiple risk markers not tested in standard NHS screening
Breast cancer predisposition Important markers of genetic hormone-processing abnormalities
Hair mineral analysis Invaluable guide to heavy metal and other toxin levels
Female hormone testing Helps in diagnosis of PMS, perimenopause, infertility, PCOS etc.
Adrenal function Chronic fatigue, 'tired all the time', stress, cardiovascular problems
Bone turnover Measures the rate of bone breakdown - a valuable tool in preventing and managing osteoporosis
Liver detoxification Valuable information which may help prevent permanent liver damage in the future. Valuable also in hormonal and digestive problems
Candida testing Allows accurate diagnosis of this difficult condition and avoids unnecessary treatment
Anaemia screen
Further information on these and other tests is available on request.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Margaret has been instrumental in helping me overcome problems that would otherwise have hindered my ability to lead a normal life.
As an osteopath, Margaret has enabled me just after one treatment to walk when a painful lower back meant that before I could barely stand upright and any movement meant excruciating pain. This was even more important for me when considering that taking time off work at the time meant that it would have affected deadlines.
Margaret is also currently advising me with regards to my dietary regime, with the aim of helping me to reduce the chronic bloating indicative of a yeast sensitivity and gastric reflux, as well as to reduce my weight. Although at the early stages of the therapy, I have already begun to notice an improvement and have not needed to take my usual drugs for heartburn.
Finally, Margaret’s Psych-K, stress relieving technique helped me get over my regular panic attacks, which were seriously limiting my ability to function normally on a day to day basis. I am now able to travel by airplane once more, as well as crowded trains without the debilitating racing heart and shortness of breath that accompanied my overwhelming panic.
Based on my experiences therefore, it should be no surprise that Margaret with her consummate professionalism has been, and is of great help to me, and would without hesitation recommend her to anybody in need of her valued skills. (SY, London)
