Private Dietitian Service

Private Dietician Service

Welcome to our Private Dietitian Service at Essex Private Doctors. We are delighted to introduce our newest team member, Florence Rowe, a highly qualified, evidence‐based dietitian dedicated to transforming patients’ health through personalised nutrition and holistic care.

A Personalised Approach to Nutrition and Well-being

Diet plays a fundamental role in health, affecting everything from metabolism and digestion to mental well-being and chronic disease management. A science-based, personalised approach to nutrition can help individuals optimise their health, manage medical conditions, and create long-term sustainable habits.

A structured framework is used to develop a personalised and sustainable nutrition plan, addressing multiple aspects of health, including body composition, metabolic markers, dietary habits, lifestyle factors, and medical history.

Advanced Body Composition Analysis

A crucial first step in any dietary assessment is evaluating body composition rather than just weight. Weight alone does not provide a full picture of health, which is why body composition analysis is used to assess:

  • Muscle mass to determine lean tissue levels.
  • Fat mass to identify where excess fat may be stored.
  • Cellular health is a key marker of metabolic function and overall well-being.

This detailed insight allows for more precise and effective nutrition plans, ensuring that dietary recommendations support optimal health and metabolism.

If needed, blood tests provide essential information about nutrient deficiencies, metabolic health, and inflammation levels. These tests help to:

  • Identify vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may be affecting energy levels, digestion, or weight management.
  • Assess blood sugar regulation, cholesterol levels, and inflammatory markers, which play a role in heart health and diabetes prevention.
  • Monitor hormonal balance, particularly for individuals experiencing weight fluctuations, menopause-related symptoms, or metabolic changes.

Lifestyle, Eating Habits, and Long-Term Dietary Change

Beyond clinical assessments, nutrition plans are built around a full understanding of lifestyle and dietary habits, including:

  • Past relationships with food, eating patterns, and any history of restrictive or emotional eating.
  • Cooking habits and preferences, ensuring meal plans are practical and sustainable.
  • Physical activity levels, as exercise and movement influence energy needs and
  • Medical conditions, sleep patterns, and stress levels, all of which play a role in dietary choices and long-term well-being.

Rather than providing one-size-fits-all meal plans, this approach supports long-term lifestyle adjustments that work for each individual.

Weight Management and Metabolic Health

Many individuals find weight management increasingly challenging as they age due to changes in metabolism, muscle mass, and hormone levels. Nutritional strategies focus on preserving lean muscle mass, balancing blood sugar, and supporting metabolic function, preventing common pitfalls such as muscle loss and metabolic slowdown.

For those using weight-loss medications such as Wegovy or Mounjaro, nutrition plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable results. A common mistake is rapid weight loss that disproportionately reduces muscle mass instead of fat, which can lead to slower metabolism and weight regain over time. Effective dietary support ensures:

  • Adequate protein intake to preserve muscle.
  • Sufficient nutrient density to prevent deficiencies.
  • A balanced approach to weight loss that promotes long-term success.

Weight Management and Metabolic Health

Many individuals find weight management increasingly challenging as they age due to changes in metabolism, muscle mass, and hormone levels. Nutritional strategies focus on preserving lean muscle mass, balancing blood sugar, and supporting metabolic function, preventing common pitfalls such as muscle loss and metabolic slowdown.

For those using weight-loss medications such as Wegovy or Mounjaro, nutrition plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable results. A common mistake is rapid weight loss that disproportionately reduces muscle mass instead of fat, which can lead to slower metabolism and weight regain over time. Effective dietary support ensures:

  • Adequate protein intake to preserve muscle.
  • Sufficient nutrient density to prevent deficiencies.
  • A balanced approach to weight loss that promotes long-term success.

Gut Health, Bloating, and Digestive Disorders

Many people struggle with bloating, constipation, and digestive discomfort, particularly during menopause or times of hormonal change. The gut microbiome plays a significant role in digestion, inflammation, and even mental health, making it an essential focus of dietary interventions. Nutritional strategies help to:

  • Reduce bloating through gut-friendly foods and tailored dietary approaches.
  • Improve digestion and bowel regularity with optimised fibre intake.
  • Support gut microbiome diversity, which is essential for overall health and immune function.

Managing Chronic Conditions: Diabetes and Heart Disease

For individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, targeted dietary strategies can help:

  • Stabilise blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes and cravings.
  • Improve cholesterol and heart health, focusing on heart-friendly foods.
  • Reduce inflammation and insulin resistance, supporting long-term metabolic health.

How Diet Affects Stress and Mental Health

The relationship between diet and stress is closely linked through the gut-brain axis. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in regulating mood, anxiety, and stress levels by influencing the production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Poor diet choices—such as high-sugar, processed foods—can increase inflammation, disrupt gut bacteria, and lead to higher cortisol levels, exacerbating stress.

By making targeted dietary changes, it’s possible to improve mood, enhance cognitive function, reduce anxiety symptoms, and increase resilience to stress.

Histamine Intolerance and Dietetic Support

Histamine intolerance occurs when the body struggles to break down histamine, leading to symptoms such as headaches, skin flushing, digestive discomfort, and fatigue. The enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) is responsible for breaking down dietary histamine, but factors such as gut health issues, hormonal imbalances, and chronic inflammation can reduce its effectiveness.

Nutritional strategies for managing histamine intolerance include:

  • Identifying and reducing histamine-rich foods that may trigger symptoms.
  • Optimising gut health to support DAO enzyme production and function.
  • Ensuring balanced nutrition while following a lower-histamine diet.

Improving gut health and addressing nutrient deficiencies can significantly reduce symptoms and improve overall well-being.

Histamine Intolerance and Dietetic Support

Histamine intolerance occurs when the body struggles to break down histamine, leading to symptoms such as headaches, skin flushing, digestive discomfort, and fatigue. The enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) is responsible for breaking down dietary histamine, but factors such as gut health issues, hormonal imbalances, and chronic inflammation can reduce its effectiveness.

Nutritional strategies for managing histamine intolerance include:

  • Identifying and reducing histamine-rich foods that may trigger symptoms.
  • Optimising gut health to support DAO enzyme production and function.
  • Ensuring balanced nutrition while following a lower-histamine diet.

Improving gut health and addressing nutrient deficiencies can significantly reduce symptoms and improve overall well-being.

Menopause and Nutrition

For women in menopause and in perimenopause, the loss of oestrogen can lead to various metabolic and hormonal challenges, including weight gain, increased risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular issues, fatigue, and mood changes. Managing these symptoms through diet can have a transformational impact on long-term health and quality of life.

PCOS and Diet

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal condition that affects metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and reproductive health. Women with PCOS often struggle with irregular periods, weight gain, acne, excess hair growth, and difficulty losing weight.  Dietetic support can have a significant impact on symptom management of PCOS through its effect on hormonal and blood sugar regulation.

What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?

Many people seeking dietary advice are unaware of the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist.

A dietitian is a highly qualified healthcare professional who has undergone extensive medical training and is legally regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK. They hold degrees in dietetics or related sciences, complete clinical placements, and are trained to work with complex medical conditions such as diabetes, metabolic disorders, gut health issues, and food intolerances.

A nutritionist, on the other hand, is not legally regulated. The term “nutritionist” is not protected, meaning that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, regardless of their level of training. Many nutritionists lack clinical expertise and medical training, and some rely on pseudoscientific approaches that are not backed by evidence.

By choosing to see Florence Rowe, our registered dietitian, you can be assured that they are receiving the highest standard of dietary care, backed by science, clinical experience, and professional regulation.

What to Expect from a Dietetic Consultation

Your programme will include:

  • An initial in-depth consultation to fully assess your health, diet, and goals, whether related to managing a condition, losing weight, or simply enhancing daily well-being.
  • Practical, achievable steps that guide you steadily towards better health without being overwhelming.

  • Six or more follow-up appointments to track progress and adjust dietary needs (see our fees for details about our care package).

  • Education and support for long-term health improvements.

Private Dietitian Essex

Florence Rowe is our expert dietitian.

Florence brings a wealth of experience, and a science-based, personalised nutrition plan can have a profound impact on your health, weight, metabolism, mental well-being, and management of any long-term conditions you may have. Through a structured approach that includes body composition analysis, clinical assessments, and lifestyle considerations, you can achieve lasting health improvements.

Investing in proper nutrition is an investment in long-term well-being. Book your dietetic appointment with Florence Rowe today.