Naturopathy is an eclectic approach to natural healthcare, encompassing the whole person as an individual: diet and lifestyle, mental and emotional health and body structure. A naturopath evaluates which aspect of the patient's health needs supporting and works with the patient to enhance or restore that area, thus improving their overall health. Naturopathy therefore includes aspects of the work covered by a nutritionist, bodyworker, counsellor, with a holistic overview of the patient as a whole and assessment of their needs as an individual.

Naturopaths do have areas of special interest: I am a naturopath specialising in personalised medicine. Based full-time in Canterbury, Kent, I am now offering a Tuesday clinic at the Sunflower Centre. My interest in personalised medicine began 15 years ago after reading the book Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter D’Adamo, which shows how a person's blood group can affect the way particular foods are digested and metabolised, as well as certain requirements in other areas of health. Through working with my patients by testing their blood group and then suggesting a specific diet and lifestyle recommendations, I discovered that they regained their health faster than when on a one-size-fits-all ‘healthy diet’ which might be advised by a nutritionist. Personalised nutrition doesn't just focus on foods to avoid, but also foods that will actively promote wellbeing for that individual. I then set up my own laboratory to test blood groups and subgroups, giving a further level of refinement to my advice. I received both Fellow and Master certification with the Institute of Human Individuality (IfHI), an organisation established to promote nutrigenomics, and subsequently gave lectures at IfHI conferences.

As more research became available looking at genetic tendencies to susceptibility towards particular types of disease, Dr. D’Adamo evolved the original premise of using blood groups to include other easily obtained signs of genetic influence on the individual, such as the symmetry of the fingerprints (created at an early stage in the womb and affected by maternal stress); and comparing the length of the second and fourth fingers (determined by the effect of maternal hormones on the HOX2 gene). A series of body measurements including leg and torso length, type of teeth, shape of the jaw and head all give indications as to genetic ancestry and what influenced the growing foetus, moving the action of certain genes into the foreground or background. 

Finding out which of these influences have affected the expression of your genes allows you to choose particular foods, activities, and to make lifestyle choices which modify the activity of those genes. This is detailed in Dr. D'Adamo's latest book, The GenoType Diet: Change Your Genetic Destiny, and following on from this Dr. D’Adamo has developed a software programme called SWAMI GenoType, which calculates the best foods, food combinations, exercise and other lifestyle guidance for a particular individual based on these specific factors, and defines several subgroups of individual within each major blood group category. 

A full SWAMI GenoType report gives you easy to read information which can be used for life. This is available following a first consultation, which lasts 90 minutes and involves collecting your biometric measurement data and other simple tests. Your ABO blood group and secretor status test is included in the consultation fee. Ideally you will send in a fingerprick blood sample in advance for our laboratory to carry out testing for your blood group (if you don’t already know it) and your Lewis subgroup. Otherwise a blood sample will be collected at the first appointment. To take a breath hydrogen test to check for bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine you will also need to have been fasting overnight before your appointment. You can collect a blood test kit from reception at the Sunflower Centre, or call the Nature Cure Centre on 01227 454 848 to order one by post. 

Your data will be processed by the SWAMI software and you will get a personalised SWAMI GenoType report emailed to you by the end of the appointment, including suggestions for beneficial food combinations, a recipe guide and access to an online meal planner. Many people have found that a comprehensive SWAMI personalised nutrition programme can restore balance and wellbeing. Many factors influence the dietary recommendations in the report, such as medication which may deplete certain vitamins and minerals, or family history which can increase the risk for certain diseases. The resulting report is more comprehensive and personalised than any standard diet prepared by a nutritionist or dietician.

One visit may be enough, but one or two follow-up appointments may be helpful depending on the reason for the consultation, for example, those with particular symptoms or health issues may find they benefit from discussion of changes to diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations as their health improves. The SWAMI report can be modified at follow-up appointments with changes to medication, health and laboratory test results, for example. Follow-up appointments are charged at additional cost. For more information about SWAMI GenoType see www.nature-cure.co.uk/bloodgroupingandgenotyping.htm