What is a Holistic Pharmacist?
Posted on 16th October 2023
A common question I am asked is “What exactly does a holistic pharmacist do and how can you help me?”
The term "holistic" means considering the whole person in the management and prevention of illness – so my approach does not only address symptoms, I’m a health detective and will look to uncover the underlying causes of your symptoms.
My approach to holistic health does not dismiss conventional medicine or the importance of a scientific approach and I bring 30 years of experience and my knowledge of Western science and pharmacology, combined with nutritional therapy to transform your health.
Question: So, does that mean you tell me what to eat and that I’ll have to go gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, alcohol-free and basically just eat salad? Is this what nutritional therapy is all about?
Answer: Nutritional therapy is so much more than just nutrition!
• Yes, I will review your current diet and see if there are some easy tweaks that you can make that could make a huge difference to how you are feeling. I collaborate with you to put a plan in place that is realistic for you, your lifestyle and your budget without being too restrictive. Food is to be enjoyed!
• I look at what medications you may be taking and check whether there could be any food/supplement interactions.
• I may suggest specific high grade supplements that could optimise your health
• I may also give some lifestyle recommendations to help your symptoms, such as stress management tips, sleep hacks, assessing your environment (tips to make your home or place of work healthier for you) and even signpost you to specific exercises that could benefit your body.
• I may also suggest some functional testing to help uncover any underlying issues such as hormone testing, food intolerance or allergy testing, stool tests and/or genetic testing.
The general definition of Pharmacist is a healthcare professional who specialises in the preparation, dispensing and management of medications to ensure safe and effective use, while also providing medication advice, health screening (eg. taking blood pressure, blood sugar & cholesterol monitoring) and giving health guidance to patients and healthcare providers.
I loved being a community pharmacist. Not only did I provide medication and general health advice for issues such as hair loss, skin issues, hormone imbalances, fertility challenges, pain management, stress overwhelm and mental health, I also mentored pharmacy students and was involved in various management roles.
I loved immersing myself in the community, running support groups for patients seeking advice about Fibromyalgia, Menopause, Migraine and Stress.
Although I don’t work within a pharmacy setting anymore, I am still a registered pharmacist and run my business from home.
Throughout the year I also love to dive into new research, explore new supplements and deepen my knowledge in topics such as Menopause, Metabolic Syndrome and recently Mould Illness.
How can I help you?
There are many ways that I can help.
Sometimes I work with groups of people, for example in delivering educational talks and/or providing written content but 30 years of experience in health care have shown me that what people really want is a 1-2-1 where they can discuss their specific health concerns. We are all different and I find a customised plan for each individual gets the best results, rather than a “one size fits all” approach.
If you have a health concern, are suffering from debilitating symptoms or perhaps you’d like me to provide health advice to your business, then please do get in touch to discuss how I could help you.
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