Hi Daniel, what a great article. You’ve articulated so many concerns that trouble me too. One of my favourite quotes (though I can’t remember who said it) is ‘the world of wellness is mainly a po-faced one. My biggest problem with our profession is how introverted it is becoming. So much of the knowledge and education is shared (and paid for) between ourselves rather than designed to be accessible for others. One of the issues is that complementary approaches tend to attract independent thinkers who are not naturally inclined to be agreeable. Nevertheless I agree with you that focussing on pathways obscures the bigger picture, and this is particularly true in cancer (conventional and complementary approaches). Why do we complicate things instead of making them simple? (Answer: when we don’t really understand them.) It is surprising that, several decades after ION was set up there has been no real change in public health messages, and more confusion than ever. I too get tired of our industry but we are still ‘young’, and I’m reminded of the forming, storming, norming, performing model. Perhaps we’re at the storming stage? Sometimes though it all seems a bit surreal: so many people making wellness their hobby and primary aim in life. Maybe because the world we’ve created is just not conducive to human thriving? While the answer to our health problems is to reconnect with the cycles of the planet, the impossibility of doing this for most people means there is a need for people like us to keep helping people to stay well within the context of ‘normal life’. I think that goes to the core of the dilemma, so that it feels like we are fighting a losing battle. It’s hard to find a moderate response. Orthorexia or Oreos? That’s the question!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Your favourite quote really hits home for me too. The wellness industry does have a tendency to turn inwards, with so much knowledge being shared and paid for within our own circles instead of being made accessible to the wider public.
You’re absolutely right about it attracting independent thinkers and/or over-thinkers about their health,
We’ve been forever trying to find our footing amidst all the debates and conflicts. I do wonder if forever going on about processed foods really gets us anywhere - a big debate itself.
Our role, as you said, is to help people find wellness within the constraints of 'normal life'. Hopefully this platform can be a way to do that, as you’re seeing in your brilliant Substack.
Such a great article. It's amazing as I rarely read articles but yours seem to find me and this one is just so true to my heart. Could agree more. I thought for a long time nutrition was the answer, the testing felt like such reassurance and science to back it all up...however often leads to more rabbit holes and no answers (now realising there is no answer but a many pronged approach to life). I am training at the moment in TCM and at the moment am really finding more "answers" or maybe perspectives from their approach. We are all so wonderfully different, made from so many things (planets, genetics, traumas etc etc) there will never be the one size fits all, but love seems to be the key to most of it xxxx thank you as always
Thank you Georgie for your kind words. I think as practitioners, its good to always let in other perspectives or approaches. It always helps us do what we love doing and keep interested in doing so.
Fantastic article Daniel. I think your views resonate with most of us in the nutrition industry for sure. There’s so much noise out there! So many opinions, theories,egos and this sometimes overshadows the crux of our actual role as nutritionists/therapists to help people reach optimum health. I do sometimes feel overwhelmed with the industry so imagine how clients feel! Thanks again for sharing x
Hi Filomena, Thank you for your lovely words. The key lesson I have found is to stay in your lane of what you believe in and your individual offering. The people that resonate with you will find you :-)
This is very well written Daniel. Thank you for your insights. I’m four years into being an NT and retrained very late in life. I’m shocked by the politics in the industry as you have highlighted, but it is somehow very sad that we do not put more time and $ into prevention and integrative approaches. Such a missed opportunity and some of it self inflicted by the profession I’m sorry to say. I have a loved one with a recent and complex cancer diagnosis. I have completed my cancer training but such is the poly pharmacy, it has made me lean more than ever on the power of food, not supplements or testing. I’m really fortunate that the oncology team are highly collaborative and we are learning from each other as we all respect our areas of expertise. However I suspect this is a very rare example. I think the UK has a very long way to go in the area of integrative medicine. Thank you for writing. Much love to you.
Hi Daniel, what a great article. You’ve articulated so many concerns that trouble me too. One of my favourite quotes (though I can’t remember who said it) is ‘the world of wellness is mainly a po-faced one. My biggest problem with our profession is how introverted it is becoming. So much of the knowledge and education is shared (and paid for) between ourselves rather than designed to be accessible for others. One of the issues is that complementary approaches tend to attract independent thinkers who are not naturally inclined to be agreeable. Nevertheless I agree with you that focussing on pathways obscures the bigger picture, and this is particularly true in cancer (conventional and complementary approaches). Why do we complicate things instead of making them simple? (Answer: when we don’t really understand them.) It is surprising that, several decades after ION was set up there has been no real change in public health messages, and more confusion than ever. I too get tired of our industry but we are still ‘young’, and I’m reminded of the forming, storming, norming, performing model. Perhaps we’re at the storming stage? Sometimes though it all seems a bit surreal: so many people making wellness their hobby and primary aim in life. Maybe because the world we’ve created is just not conducive to human thriving? While the answer to our health problems is to reconnect with the cycles of the planet, the impossibility of doing this for most people means there is a need for people like us to keep helping people to stay well within the context of ‘normal life’. I think that goes to the core of the dilemma, so that it feels like we are fighting a losing battle. It’s hard to find a moderate response. Orthorexia or Oreos? That’s the question!
Hi Dawn,
Thank you so much for your kind words. Your favourite quote really hits home for me too. The wellness industry does have a tendency to turn inwards, with so much knowledge being shared and paid for within our own circles instead of being made accessible to the wider public.
You’re absolutely right about it attracting independent thinkers and/or over-thinkers about their health,
We’ve been forever trying to find our footing amidst all the debates and conflicts. I do wonder if forever going on about processed foods really gets us anywhere - a big debate itself.
Our role, as you said, is to help people find wellness within the constraints of 'normal life'. Hopefully this platform can be a way to do that, as you’re seeing in your brilliant Substack.
Thank you again for your insightful comment. ❤️❤️
I just love how us 'outliers' can connect in spaces like these. Thank you for letting us in on your journey, Daniel.
Such a great article. It's amazing as I rarely read articles but yours seem to find me and this one is just so true to my heart. Could agree more. I thought for a long time nutrition was the answer, the testing felt like such reassurance and science to back it all up...however often leads to more rabbit holes and no answers (now realising there is no answer but a many pronged approach to life). I am training at the moment in TCM and at the moment am really finding more "answers" or maybe perspectives from their approach. We are all so wonderfully different, made from so many things (planets, genetics, traumas etc etc) there will never be the one size fits all, but love seems to be the key to most of it xxxx thank you as always
Thank you Georgie for your kind words. I think as practitioners, its good to always let in other perspectives or approaches. It always helps us do what we love doing and keep interested in doing so.
Fantastic article Daniel. I think your views resonate with most of us in the nutrition industry for sure. There’s so much noise out there! So many opinions, theories,egos and this sometimes overshadows the crux of our actual role as nutritionists/therapists to help people reach optimum health. I do sometimes feel overwhelmed with the industry so imagine how clients feel! Thanks again for sharing x
Hi Filomena, Thank you for your lovely words. The key lesson I have found is to stay in your lane of what you believe in and your individual offering. The people that resonate with you will find you :-)
This is very well written Daniel. Thank you for your insights. I’m four years into being an NT and retrained very late in life. I’m shocked by the politics in the industry as you have highlighted, but it is somehow very sad that we do not put more time and $ into prevention and integrative approaches. Such a missed opportunity and some of it self inflicted by the profession I’m sorry to say. I have a loved one with a recent and complex cancer diagnosis. I have completed my cancer training but such is the poly pharmacy, it has made me lean more than ever on the power of food, not supplements or testing. I’m really fortunate that the oncology team are highly collaborative and we are learning from each other as we all respect our areas of expertise. However I suspect this is a very rare example. I think the UK has a very long way to go in the area of integrative medicine. Thank you for writing. Much love to you.
Thank you, Karen. It sounds like you're doing wonders yourself.
We train and trust those training us; it takes a while, with self-inquiry, to see through things :-)
Fabulous article, thank you. You know my views on this, and they're mostly unpublishable... I won't say any more than that! 🫠