Evidence-based nutrition support

Food intolerances and allergies can be confusing and stressful to navigate. Many people come to see me feeling uncertain about what they can safely eat, worried about symptoms, or overwhelmed after being advised to avoid multiple foods — sometimes without clear guidance about what is truly necessary.

I provide evidence-based nutrition support for food intolerances and allergies, with a strong focus on safety, nourishment, and quality of life. I am careful to distinguish between medically necessary avoidance and restriction that may do more harm than good.

Food intolerances and allergies — what we know

Adverse reactions to food can arise for different reasons, including:

  • IgE-mediated food allergies

  • Non-IgE-mediated reactions

  • Food intolerances (such as lactose or fructose intolerance)

  • Functional gut sensitivity

  • Reactions influenced by stress, illness, or gut health

Research shows that symptoms are often multifactorial, and that broad or prolonged elimination of foods — particularly without clear diagnosis — can increase nutritional risk, anxiety around food, and disruption to everyday eating.

In my experience, people do best when food-related guidance is clear, proportionate, and carefully reviewed over time, rather than based on fear or guesswork.

Common concerns I support

I work with people who are experiencing:

  • Diagnosed food allergies

  • Suspected food sensitivities or intolerances

  • Ongoing symptoms without clear answers

  • Confusion following testing or conflicting advice

  • Anxiety or fear around eating

  • Long lists of “avoid” foods that feel unsustainable

GPs often refer people to me when symptoms persist, when diets have become increasingly restrictive, or when nutritional adequacy and quality of life are at risk.

A non-restrictive approach to food sensitivities

Because unnecessary restriction can:

  • Increase food fear and anxiety

  • Compromise nutritional adequacy

  • Worsen disordered eating patterns

  • Reduce enjoyment and social ease around food

I take a conservative, step-by-step approach to dietary change.

Where food avoidance is required, it is:

  • Medically indicated

  • As limited as possible

  • Clearly explained

  • Regularly reviewed

Where appropriate, the focus is on re-introduction, tolerance building, and expanding food choices, rather than maintaining long-term elimination.

Testing and diagnosis — used thoughtfully

Food-related testing can sometimes be helpful, but not all tests are clinically useful or appropriate.

I do not rely on non-validated food sensitivity testing. Where investigations are considered, they are:

  • Guided by medical diagnosis and symptoms

  • Interpreted cautiously

  • Integrated with clinical history

  • Discussed openly, including limitations and uncertainty

Testing is never a prerequisite for support.

Food intolerances, restriction, and eating-disorder awareness

People managing food reactions are at increased risk of:

  • Over-restriction

  • Fear-based eating

  • Loss of appetite or enjoyment of food

  • Disordered eating patterns over time

For this reason, all work in this area is eating-disorder-informed. My priority is to protect both physical health and psychological wellbeing, particularly for people with a history of dieting or eating difficulties.

If food anxiety or restriction has already become part of your experience, this will always guide the pace and direction of our work together.

How we work together

Nutrition support for food sensitivities and allergies may include:

  • A detailed nutrition and symptom assessment

  • Clarifying which foods truly need to be avoided

  • Support for safe, adequate, and varied eating

  • Planning for eating outside the home

  • Reducing fear and uncertainty around food

  • Collaboration with your GP, allergist, or other health professionals where appropriate

The focus is always on supporting safety and nourishment, without unnecessary limitation.

Is this the right fit?

This approach may suit you if:

  • You want clear, evidence-based guidance

  • You are concerned about becoming overly restricted

  • You want support that balances safety with quality of life

  • You value a calm, non-alarmist approach

It may not be the right fit if you are seeking:

  • Broad, indefinite elimination diets

  • Non-evidence-based testing

  • Highly restrictive or fear-driven approaches

Managing food sensitivities and allergies can be challenging — but nutrition care should make eating feel safer and clearer, not smaller or more frightening. My work is grounded in evidence, restraint, and respect for the whole person.

Support for food sensitivities and allergies is offered within my broader Services, alongside weight-neutral care for eating concerns, gut health, diabetes, PCOS, menopause, and renal disease.