About Petronella
I studied at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London and practice Nutritional Therapy from my clinic in Chelsea, London SW3. I’m a member of BANT* (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) and am registered with CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council)*. I regularly attend lectures and seminars to keep me up to date with new scientific nutrition research in order to best help my clients. I host quarterly meetings for nutritional therapists in London when we discuss new research and share case studies. I am a qualified Metabolic Balance® coach and I am currently writing a book about nutritional supplements and how to use them.
Many of my clients consult me because they want to lose weight or they want more energy. I specialise in nutritional solutions for adrenal and thyroid health and help people with poor digestion and stress as well as low energy and weight problems. I use nutritional therapy to address skin problems including acne and eczema, aches and pains, allergies, hay fever, cardiovascular issues, lowered immunity and hormone imbalance. And I see children whose mothers consult me for help with their child’s weight or immune problems and for general nutrition.
What inspires me? I am inspired by the body’s innate healing power, sometimes called ‘the wisdom of the body’. I’m inspired by the huge health improvements I see with nutritional therapy and how the body affects the mind and vice versa. I’m also inspired by the speed with which the body, given the right foods, seizes its chance to return to health. And I’m always inspired by the people who come to see me and who are ready for change.
This is my philosophy on food:
Eat food as close to nature as possible.
As a rule of thumb - if you can pick it or dig it up and eat it, eat it.
If you have to process it in any way to make it edible, leave it.
If you can hunt it or fish it, eat it.
Food with shelf life has no life – avoid it.
Of course there are exceptions to this, but very few.
Individual health solutions for individual people
'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' Is there any truth in this? Eating an apple a day is certainly a good thing because apples contain vitamins and minerals as well as fibre. They also contain protective plant antioxidants, including quercetin.
Any kind of food keeps us alive. But alive isn’t the same as healthy and WELL. Good health is accompanied by the energy and enthusiasm to live life to the full. Nutritional therapy is about finding exactly the right nutrition for each individual – the perfect nutrition for their unique biochemistry.
Past and present, some of the many practitioners, doctors and scientists who inspire me include:
- Patrick Holford- founder of London’s Institute for Optimum Nutrition and author of many books
- Barry Peatfield – endocrinologist and author of ‘Your Thyroid and how to Keep it Healthy’
- James Wilson – adrenal expert and author of ‘Adrenal Fatigue – the 21st Century Stress Syndrome’
- Nicholas Gonzales - New York doctor specialising in naturopathic cancer treatment and author of ‘The Trophoblast and the Origins of Cancer’
- Roderick Lane – naturopath, teacher and endocrine specialist; author of ‘The Adam and Eve Diet’
- Marion Kirkham - Naturopath, nutritionist, teacher and co-director of the College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Science
- John Stirling – Naturopath and founder of the supplement company Biocare, which he sold in 2005
- Xandria Williams – biochemist, naturopath and author of several books including ‘Liver Detox Plan’
- Bernard Jensen, 1908 – 2001- Naturopath, chiropractor and author of 40 books – a pioneer of holistic health and healing
- Linus Pauling, 1901 –1994 - Nobel Prize winning chemist, and author of several books including ‘How to Live Longer and Feel Better’
- Broda Barnes, 1906 –1988 – the endocrinologist who taught us so much about the thyroid and changed so many lives for the better; author of several books including ‘Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness’
* BANT is the regulatory body for nutritional therapists – BANT requires its member to have “the highest standards of integrity, knowledge, competence and professional practice, in order to protect the client's interests, nutritional therapy and the Nutritional Therapist.”
* CNHC is the organisation that protects the public by keeping a register of approved complementary health practitioners; it only gives its approval to well-qualified and responsible professionals. CNHC was developed with support from the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health and The Department of Health is committed to establishing CNHC as the national voluntary regulator in the complementary healthcare field.
