Interview

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We chat to registered nutritionist Claire Sambolino, from BANT, about the organisation’s new campaign Food for your Health and ways we can get involved 

What is Food for your Health all about?

“BANT has launched Food for your Health to encourage individuals to prioritise their diet and nutrition in support of their health. The campaign aims to highlight how dietary choices directly impact health and wellbeing. At the heart of this campaign is a food-first ethos which inspired the campaign name. The underlying motive is to address the continued rise in diet-induced metabolic dysregulation.”

What is diet-induced metabolic dysregulation and why is it such a pressing issue? 

“Diet-induced metabolic dysregulation describes the cluster of modifiable metabolic symptoms we regularly see in day-to-day nutritional practice such as overweight and obesity, blood sugar imbalances, insulin resistance, inflammation, microbiome disturbances, hypertension, and high cholesterol. These conditions are all modifiable by dietary and lifestyle interventions.

“Poor diet and lifestyle choices can exacerbate and accelerate symptoms, whilst optimised diet and lifestyle choices can support, and in many instances ameliorate metabolic imbalances. An optimised diet therefore focuses on nutrition - more simply put, the foods we eat – as the first line of prevention.

“The timing of this campaign is crucial, with the majority of UK adults being deemed overweight or obese according to NHS statistics – 67% of men and 60% of women are overweight; of these, 26% of men and 29% of women are obese.” 

What are the campaign's main objectives?  

“The aim is to help individuals learn how to make educated choices when it comes to their diet and lifestyle, and to promote a food-first ethos to health and wellbeing.

“BANT believes that helping more people to learn how to make dietary choices to optimise their nutrient intake and help prevent diet-induced illness, is key to empowering individuals to take greater control of their health. We aim to provide a range of free resources to introduce individuals to nutritional therapy and the principles of how to eat a healthy balanced diet.”

How can people start to make more informed choices about food?

“Knowledge is power so the first step is really for people to better understand their current health status and how their dietary and lifestyle choices may be affecting it. We have a range of free tools available to download which include tracking tools for monitory body composition and symptoms, as well as meal planners, alongside more informative fact sheets on metabolic symptoms, and finally a range of new food guides to help people begin to make more healthy choices and of course some recipes to get them started.”

What inspired the name of the campaign?

“The campaign name Food for your health perfectly expresses what BANT nutrition practitioners advocate every day in clinical practice; how to eat to optimise your health and wellbeing. This philosophy is at the core of personalised nutrition and simply means embracing food and diet as the first line strategy in supporting health and preventing diet-induced illness.

“Our health is intrinsically influenced by what we eat. Food is more than just fuel and empty calories. It is a rich source of essential nutrients which support health and wellbeing.”

How can practitioners get involved with the campaign? 

“Practitioners can get involved by supporting the campaign and sharing across social media. They can download our press pack and social media kit online and use the campaign hashtags in their communications: #onesizefitsone #personalisednutrition #preventionbeforecure #bant

“They can also benefit from many of the resources in clinical practice, and direct their clients to the website.”