Ask Your Dietitian 2024: Living A Balanced & Nourished Life

Laura Coster, the founder of Ask Your Dietitian, is a highly skilled specialist in various areas of nutrition, including eating disorders, digestive issues, diabetes, cancer care, and weight management. With extensive experience and expertise, she consults for both local and international companies, providing valuable insights on menu analyses, product formulation, nutrition in the media, and research. Leading the Ask Your Dietitian team, Laura is committed to delivering expert nutrition advice to clients worldwide. She is deeply intrigued by the intricate interplay between mindset, eating habits, and biology in shaping overall wellbeing. Laura and her team are dedicated to ensuring that everyone receives the support they need to achieve optimal health. With a focus on gut health, eating disorders, diabetes, and cancer care, Laura is passionate about her work both in clinical settings and in collaboration with media outlets and various projects beyond individual consultations. DeliveryRank has the pleasure of chatting with Laura.

Your team covers a wide range of specialisms from clinical to non-clinical and research-oriented aspects of nutrition. Could you share a pivotal case or moment that truly exemplifies the impact your team’s expertise had on a client’s life?

After running a charity health webinar for the IBS Network, we were contacted by a middle-aged woman who had suffered with pain, bloating, and diarrhea which was controlling her life. After following the advice from the webinar her symptoms had substantially improved and she asked for tailored support for her specific needs. After a 1-to-1 session she was symptom free for the first time in her life and praised us on our knowledge and compassion. Her success is just one example of numerous clients we help around the world.

Sustainability in dietary plans is a significant focus for your practice. How do you navigate the challenge of creating plans that are both flexible and enduring for clients seeking long-term health changes?

Each person's situation is unique, and we take a comprehensive investigative approach to understand all the factors affecting our clients' health needs. Our goal is to educate and empower them so they can adjust their eating habits to fit their lifestyle, allowing for flexibility to enjoy food while also taking care of their health.

Your team's involvement in media, collaborating with various entities and providing expert opinions, is impressive. How do you ensure that complex nutritional information is effectively communicated to the public without losing its scientific accuracy?

Nutrition research is constantly published that discovers new ways for long-term health. Nutrition research needs to be accessible to all and we’re highly skilled at summarizing and translating this to all we help. We turn complex scientific data into practical ways that people can improve their wellbeing.

Nutribabble and misinformation about diet and nutrition can be rampant in media and online platforms. How do you distinguish your team's advice as reliable and evidence-based, especially in a landscape flooded with fad diets and unverified claims?

Our team is bound by the rigorous ethics and medical standards of the British Dietetic Association and the Health and Care Professions Council. ‘Dietitian’ is a legally protected title indicating the validated medical nutrition expertise that no other person working in the field can offer. Our practice is constantly reviewed and continues delivering the highest standard of care which everyone deserves.

Your engagement with nutritional workshops, industry analyses, and collaborations spans various sectors. Could you elaborate on the impact your team aims to make within the food industry and how you balance commercial interests with health-focused advice when consulting for manufacturers?

We have every individual’s best interests at heart and ensure that our clients in the food industry deliver their products in an honest way. We advise on health claims and guide companies to be truthful in representing their products so individuals can make informed decisions to nourish themselves. 

If you would like to find out more about Ask Your Dietitian, please visit https://askyourdietitian.com/ 

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