Our Natural Therapy Association has been accrediting nutritionists for more than 60 years, ensuring that they meet the highest educational and training standards required for membership. All of the nutritionists in our directory are qualified and capable of delivering first-rate treatment.
Find accredited nutritionists across Australia, in our directory of experts.
Herbalism (also known as Western herbal medicine) uses plants to create medicines for disease, to improve health, and to enhance wellbeing. The plants used in herbalism are typically sourced from Australia or abroad that include (but not limited to) North America, Europe and Asia.
Clinical herbalists are trained to create unique herbal prescriptions for patients. As with many natural therapies, herbalism is a holistic approach to healthcare, and often used in conjunction with conventional medicine. Herbalists understand and incorporate biomedical science and research into their prescriptions—an evidence-based approach that helps with treatment. Many have thorough knowledge of health science, clinical assessment, pharmacology, and herbal synergy, and can also provide basic dietary and lifestyle advice to clients.
Herbalism aims to strengthen the body’s systems, support the body’s ability to heal itself, and prevent disease. It does this by restoring vitality and balance to the body, through the use of herbs.
Western herbal medicine uses various parts of the plant to create remedies, including the flowers, roots, leaves, bark, and fruit. These are turned into tinctures, creams, tablets, herbal extracts, and tea infusions.
To become ANTA members, herbalists must meet strict criteria. Every ANTA member is fully qualified, with nationally accredited government qualifications. If you’re looking for a herbalist, the quickest and most effective way is to use our natural therapists directory.
If you’d rather find a clinical herbalist yourself, it’s important to consider the below.
Herbalists must be qualified, with government-recognised accreditation. Accreditation can include an Advanced Diploma, including clinical training and the study of science-based subjects, as well as a Bachelor of Health Science in Western herbal medicine.
Medicine advances over time, and a clinical herbalist must stay up to date with the latest developments in their field.
There is a wide body of research supporting the safety and effectiveness of many herbs, however, you should speak to your doctor and herbal medicine therapist about the potential side effects of any herbal preparations.
A clean, professionally prevented room can be a good indication of quality.
Holistic nutrition is the notion that your health is affected by complex relationships in your body, which include physical, chemical, mental, and emotional processes. A holistic nutritionist is someone who considers all of these key areas, so that they have an overarching understanding of your health, rather than just focusing on one factor like your physical health.
Eating healthy, nutritious food is one of the most effective ways to stay in excellent shape—inside and out. It has a huge variety of benefits, which include:
A nutritionist may use the following techniques to help you achieve good health through food:
Some people visit nutritionists to achieve certain goals, like losing weight or improving their sports performance. The nutritionist can not only help you to conquer your biggest health goals, but will also monitor your performance and make any necessary adjustments along the way.
Nutritional analysis is the process of understanding your existing diet—the foods you eat and how often you eat them. This gives them a good insight into the macro and micro nutrients you are consuming, and allows them to offer recommendations on what should be changed.
To help you achieve your goals, a nutritionist may also need to understand how much exercise you complete every week. If you’re a couch potato, you will need fewer calories than a marathon runner.
After understanding the patient’s general health, their current diet, and the goals they’re trying to achieve, a nutritionist may create a customised meal plan. To be effective, this must be closely followed by the patient, and the nutritionist usually checks in with them along the way to ensure this is happening.
Food diaries might also be recommended, which are used to keep track of every single thing that has been consumed.
Every nutritionist that we represent has met our strict membership criteria, so the easiest way to find a high quality nutritionist is through our practitioner directory at the top of this page. But if you’re set on finding someone yourself, they should hold either an Advanced Diploma of Nutrition or a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition), be up to date with the latest nutritional science (this changes a lot), and their office should be clean and presented in a professional way.
In your first appointment with a nutritionist, they will likely ask about your medical history, diet, lifestyle, and more. They will measure your weight, height, and perhaps your body fat levels. This entire process can take up to an hour and a half to complete, but by the time you’re done, they will have everything they need to start working on a tailored meal plan for you.
Both nutritionists and dietitians are qualified in nutritional science, so either of them can help you to lose weight. Nutritionists tend to take a more holistic view of your health, considering other factors like your mental health as part of their work.
If you’re struggling to recover from an eating disorder, a nutritionist can provide you with sound advice on how to get the nutrients you need to return to excellent health. In fact, a doctor may refer you to a nutritionist once the eating disorder is under control.
We have a huge variety of nutritionists in Melbourne, some of who may specialise in areas like paleo. The best thing to do is search for nutritionists using our practitioner directory, and read their profiles to check for specialisation in paleo. They might also include this information on their website, which you can access from the directory itself.
