Sally Flood - BSc (Hons), Cert.ION
Sally is part of our customer services team, she is committed to helping our customers optimise their health.
About Sally
Sally completed her first BSc degree in Educational Psychology at Bristol University in 2006 followed by a career in marketing and advertising in London, where she helped deliver through-the-line advertising campaigns and brand management strategies for a number of healthcare brands. After having 3 children, Sally was keen to pursue her desire for further education in health and nutrition and is currently studying for her second BSc degree in Nutritional Therapy at The Institute For Optimum Nutrition (ION).
Sally wholeheartedly believes in an evidence-based, patient-centred approach to identifying and addressing the root-cause of disease. Sally has special interests in women’s health and gut health, which she hopes to develop further following her degree.
What is a Registered Nutritionist?
When you choose a nutritionist, check their qualifications first.
Who regulates nutritionists
The Association for Nutrition (AfN) is the independent regulator for Registered Nutritionists. Registered Nutritionists are listed on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN). To join the register, a nutritionist has to meet strict standards of competence and professionalism. The UKVRN is the only register of qualified nutritionists recognised by the NHS.
Nutritionists' training
There are two main routes to becoming a nutritionist:
- Registered Nutritionists (rNutr) usually train through AfN-accredited science degrees and register with the AfN.
- Nutritional therapists train through colleges such as the Institute of Optimum Nutrition (ION) and the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM), and register with BANT or CNHC. Their training covers nutritional science, functional and lifestyle medicine, vitamins and supplements. It includes 2,000–3,500 hours of study over 2–4 years, plus 200–400 hours of clinical practice.
By comparison, a GP gets fewer than 2 hours of nutrition training on average across all of their medical training (Source: Time for nutrition in medical education, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2020). That means a nutritional therapist trained through these colleges has about 200–350 times more nutrition than a GP.
There are about 5,000 - 7,000 qualified, practising nutritionists in the UK.
Registrations and titles to look for
- AfN / rNutr: Association for Nutrition / Registered Nutritionist
- mBANT: British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine
- CNHC: Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
- RNTP: Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
Book a free 15-minute consultation with one of our qualified nutritionists: Book Consultation