NUTRITIONAL
THERAPY
Food is energy. Food is information. Food is medicine.
Hi, I’m Mandy, a Nutritional Therapist & Health Coach, and welcome to this opportunity to Feed your Health and thrive!
- Is your health not quite where you want it to be?
- Are your blood test results bothering you?
- Do you need a handful of pills to navigate each day?
- Are you lost with all the healthy food messages out there?
I specialise in digestive health including its effects on immunity, heart health, brain health, energy, hormones, metabolism, and body weight.
I help clients to explore the possible root cause(s) of their symptoms, discover connections between their, symptoms, diet, lifestyle, and genetic background (family history).
I provide personalised, real food & real-life recommendations to help adults make healthy food and lifestyle choices.
I offer my clients the knowledge to take control and optimise their health, based on well-grounded nutritional science.
I enjoy working one-on-one with a client, discovering their individual health stories and biochemistry imbalances to get to the heart of their problem.
It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach- its personal!
For further information, please browse through the tabs below.
To book a consultation please fill in the form below and I will get back to you.
Thank you for reading and continue to browse through the tabs for more information.
To book a consultation please fill in the form below and I will get back to you
Some of the conditions and symptoms I can help with include: -
Gut health
Gut health
- IBS, IBD, Candida, GERD
- Food intolerances
- Constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, gas, acid reflux, burping.
- Abdominal discomfort/pain
- Digestive issues that you can’t quite put your finger on
- Food confusion (what to eat and what not to eat).
- Food reactions/allergies
- Frequent colds & infections.
- Elevated cholesterol levels (dyslipidaemia)
- Elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
- Central obesity or “belly fat”.
- Type 2 diabetes
- Blood sugar dysregulation (insulin resistance/impaired glucose tolerance)
- Fatty liver (non-alcoholic)
- Fatigue
- Low energy
- Brain fog
- Joint pain
- Headaches
- Feeling “rundown"
- Anxiety
- Sadness
- Dry skin
- Difficulty losing weight
- Trouble sleeping
- Untamed sweet tooth
- Emotional eating.
- Do you feel your gut health needs a make-over. Let me teach you how to support your gut-friendly bacteria (microbiome) and keep yourself in optimal health.
- Do you feel that your physical & mental ability is not what it should be as you enter your golden years. Let me teach you how to support your bones, muscles, and brain.
REVITALISE
A one-month programme consisting of two sessions: an initial consultation + one follow-up
Who is this ideal for?
TRANSFORM
A two-month programme consisting of three sessions: an initial consultation + two follow-ups
Who is this ideal for?
ADD-ON Sessions
These are addition 45-minute sessions available for those clients who want more time to incorporate changes to achieve their goals.
What you can expect from working through a programme with me: -
A one-month programme consisting of two sessions: an initial consultation + one follow-up
Who is this ideal for?
- Those who have just one health complaint and are otherwise healthy.
TRANSFORM
A two-month programme consisting of three sessions: an initial consultation + two follow-ups
Who is this ideal for?
- Those who have multiple health issues impacting negatively on their quality of their life.
- Those who have been diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions.
- Those who want to lose weight.
ADD-ON Sessions
These are addition 45-minute sessions available for those clients who want more time to incorporate changes to achieve their goals.
What you can expect from working through a programme with me: -
- A functional and biochemical explanation as to what may be the underlying cause for your health issue.
- A Bespoke Health Optimisation Plan (HOP) following each consultation.
- Hand-outs, recipes, or knowledge building.
- Motivation to implement changes using tangible and objective measures.
- Accountability by attending follow-up consultations.
A free introductory call
You can book a free 20-minute introductory call, with no obligations, with me. We’ll talk through your concerns and goals and determine if I am a good fit for your needs. I will recommend the programme that I think will best fit your goals.
Before the consultation
Once we have scheduled an appointment to meet, either face to face or Zoom, I will email you a comprehensive health questionnaire to fill in. This also includes a 3-day food diary template to complete. Please aim to send these back to me at least 48 hours before our initial consultation so that I am able to prepare and make the most of our first consultation together.
Initial consultation
During our initial consultation (1hour 15minutes) I will compile a full case history: taking time to understand your story, finding out about your current health, symptoms, family history, diet, and lifestyle.
Once all of the relevant information has been discussed I will then go on to explain what might be causing your underlying issues. Based on your goals, we will then work together to develop a personalised dietary and lifestyle plan that is realistic, manageable, and achievable. This may include diagnostic or functional tests and nutritional supplements where necessary but not in all cases.
Follow up consultation(s)
After the initial consultation, usually 4 weeks later, there is a follow-up consultation. This will be a 45-minute session to review the current programme, discuss any test results, recognise any changes in symptoms and make adjustments where necessary. Subsequent follow-up consultations will be 30-45 minutes.
You can book a free 20-minute introductory call, with no obligations, with me. We’ll talk through your concerns and goals and determine if I am a good fit for your needs. I will recommend the programme that I think will best fit your goals.
Before the consultation
Once we have scheduled an appointment to meet, either face to face or Zoom, I will email you a comprehensive health questionnaire to fill in. This also includes a 3-day food diary template to complete. Please aim to send these back to me at least 48 hours before our initial consultation so that I am able to prepare and make the most of our first consultation together.
Initial consultation
During our initial consultation (1hour 15minutes) I will compile a full case history: taking time to understand your story, finding out about your current health, symptoms, family history, diet, and lifestyle.
Once all of the relevant information has been discussed I will then go on to explain what might be causing your underlying issues. Based on your goals, we will then work together to develop a personalised dietary and lifestyle plan that is realistic, manageable, and achievable. This may include diagnostic or functional tests and nutritional supplements where necessary but not in all cases.
Follow up consultation(s)
After the initial consultation, usually 4 weeks later, there is a follow-up consultation. This will be a 45-minute session to review the current programme, discuss any test results, recognise any changes in symptoms and make adjustments where necessary. Subsequent follow-up consultations will be 30-45 minutes.
What exactly is a Nutritional Therapist and a Health Coach?
Nutritional Therapy practitioners assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and understand how these may contribute to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. It follows the Functional Medicine model to addresses the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. Client and practitioner work together.
.A Health Coach will help a client discover the best wellness routines that work for them and empower them to meet their unique health goals.
I am trained in both roles and believe in their mutual power.
Do you offer more than the general nutrition/lifestyle guidelines that I read about elsewhere?
My advice is based on reputable science-based peer-reviewed nutritional and lifestyle research. It is not based on influencer blogs, fashionable good or bad foods, or the diet wars, that you read about in the media.
What difference can “personalised” dietary, and lifestyle changes really make to my health?
Each person’s response to nutrition and lifestyle changes is shaped by their unique genetic makeup, environment, and health history. A personalised approach aims to help you understand what is happening in your body and then create a plan that is practical for your lifestyle and priorities. It builds on activities that you enjoy. They are personalised solutions tailored to your concerns and goals, not those of your neighbour, mother or favourite influencer.
How difficult is it to follow your programmes?
My aim is to make your programme perfectly achievable for you.
Some people are very motivated to make big changes. Others have a lot of competing priorities and are happier with smaller steps.
Do I still need to see my doctor if I follow one of your programmes?
Yes, I do not diagnose or treat disease and my recommendations are not a replacement for medical advice. I work alongside your primary medical carer to support your wellbeing.
You should continue to see your doctor and let them know you have started one of my programmes, especially when you are taking blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetic medication.
Will your food recommendations be expensive?
I will always aim to work within your budget.
Will you recommend a lot of tests and supplements?
Supplements and tests can allow very targeted support. However, I’m careful not to overuse them and believe in food first; food is energy, food is information, food is medicine.
I will always explain the cost and benefit balance to you but will work around your preferences. if you don’t want to do tests or take supplements,
Can I claim these costs from my medical aid?
No.
As the field of personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine is still evolving, it's not yet an integral part of the South African healthcare paradigm.
Do you work with everyone?
I do not work with children, people currently receiving treatment for cancer, those with chronic kidney disease, people with eating disorders or ultra-sports men/women.
I’m vegan – will you work with me?
Of course!
I will never question your choice if you are vegan for ethical reasons. If you became vegan for health reasons and you’d like to talk through your decision, we can do that.
Will I have my consultation(s) online or in person?
Clients generally have the best experience if they’re able to attend all the sessions in person. However, this might not be practical or easy, especially if you’re not local to Pennington. In this case, I can conduct all your consultations online. Just let me know when you contact me.
Who is Mandy?
I've always been fascinated by the human body and, after matriculating from Maris Stella High, I completed my studies in Radiography at Addington Hospital, Durban, where I also gained valuable insight into how our bodies work. Ten years later, I went on to specialize in Radiation Therapy, obtaining a Bachelor's degree. I then worked exclusively with cancer patients for another decade.
These qualifications allowed me to follow my other passion, Travel, and I have worked and backpacked my way around the world from South Africa to Israel, England to Ireland as well as Australia and New Zealand.
The last 15 amazing years I spent in the ‘Research and Development’ section at Siemens Healthcare's "Head Office" in Germany, where I and my team were involved in developing state-of-the-art diagnostic CT scanners and Radiation Therapy machines. I continued traveling privately with my husband who, lucky for me, also loves to travel and we take every advantage to do so. Through my work at Siemens, I visited our factories in America, India, and China where I also took the opportunity to explore these fascinating countries.
Although my work at Siemens was to build the machines essential in the fight against chronic disease and cancer, what always bothered me was the lack of education and motivation given to assist patients to prevent many chronic ailments that bring them to the doctors’ and specialists’ waiting rooms.
While working for Siemens in Germany, I participated in an employee 3-day Health Training that included, among other topics, lectures on the relationship between our food choices and our health outcomes. I learned about the ‘Blue Zones’, areas around the world where people live to 100 years of age without chronic diseases; and about the Adventist Health Studies which show definitive links between lifestyle, diet, and disease. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.
So, while continuing my work in the corporate world of healthcare, I dived into the personal world of healthcare and decided to go ‘back to school’. I studied at the renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, to learn more about the personal world of healthcare and graduated with a Diploma as a Registered Nutritional Therapist. I joined the British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine [BANT] and have also qualified as a Health Coach.
In February 2022, I left my corporate job to concentrate on my Nutritional Therapy practice.
My goal is to empower others to live their best lives all day, every day.
Read the TAB called Working with Me to see if I can help you.
Thank you for reading
Nutritional Therapy practitioners assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and understand how these may contribute to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. It follows the Functional Medicine model to addresses the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. Client and practitioner work together.
.A Health Coach will help a client discover the best wellness routines that work for them and empower them to meet their unique health goals.
I am trained in both roles and believe in their mutual power.
Do you offer more than the general nutrition/lifestyle guidelines that I read about elsewhere?
My advice is based on reputable science-based peer-reviewed nutritional and lifestyle research. It is not based on influencer blogs, fashionable good or bad foods, or the diet wars, that you read about in the media.
What difference can “personalised” dietary, and lifestyle changes really make to my health?
Each person’s response to nutrition and lifestyle changes is shaped by their unique genetic makeup, environment, and health history. A personalised approach aims to help you understand what is happening in your body and then create a plan that is practical for your lifestyle and priorities. It builds on activities that you enjoy. They are personalised solutions tailored to your concerns and goals, not those of your neighbour, mother or favourite influencer.
How difficult is it to follow your programmes?
My aim is to make your programme perfectly achievable for you.
Some people are very motivated to make big changes. Others have a lot of competing priorities and are happier with smaller steps.
Do I still need to see my doctor if I follow one of your programmes?
Yes, I do not diagnose or treat disease and my recommendations are not a replacement for medical advice. I work alongside your primary medical carer to support your wellbeing.
You should continue to see your doctor and let them know you have started one of my programmes, especially when you are taking blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetic medication.
Will your food recommendations be expensive?
I will always aim to work within your budget.
Will you recommend a lot of tests and supplements?
Supplements and tests can allow very targeted support. However, I’m careful not to overuse them and believe in food first; food is energy, food is information, food is medicine.
I will always explain the cost and benefit balance to you but will work around your preferences. if you don’t want to do tests or take supplements,
Can I claim these costs from my medical aid?
No.
As the field of personalised nutrition and lifestyle medicine is still evolving, it's not yet an integral part of the South African healthcare paradigm.
Do you work with everyone?
I do not work with children, people currently receiving treatment for cancer, those with chronic kidney disease, people with eating disorders or ultra-sports men/women.
I’m vegan – will you work with me?
Of course!
I will never question your choice if you are vegan for ethical reasons. If you became vegan for health reasons and you’d like to talk through your decision, we can do that.
Will I have my consultation(s) online or in person?
Clients generally have the best experience if they’re able to attend all the sessions in person. However, this might not be practical or easy, especially if you’re not local to Pennington. In this case, I can conduct all your consultations online. Just let me know when you contact me.
Who is Mandy?
I've always been fascinated by the human body and, after matriculating from Maris Stella High, I completed my studies in Radiography at Addington Hospital, Durban, where I also gained valuable insight into how our bodies work. Ten years later, I went on to specialize in Radiation Therapy, obtaining a Bachelor's degree. I then worked exclusively with cancer patients for another decade.
These qualifications allowed me to follow my other passion, Travel, and I have worked and backpacked my way around the world from South Africa to Israel, England to Ireland as well as Australia and New Zealand.
The last 15 amazing years I spent in the ‘Research and Development’ section at Siemens Healthcare's "Head Office" in Germany, where I and my team were involved in developing state-of-the-art diagnostic CT scanners and Radiation Therapy machines. I continued traveling privately with my husband who, lucky for me, also loves to travel and we take every advantage to do so. Through my work at Siemens, I visited our factories in America, India, and China where I also took the opportunity to explore these fascinating countries.
Although my work at Siemens was to build the machines essential in the fight against chronic disease and cancer, what always bothered me was the lack of education and motivation given to assist patients to prevent many chronic ailments that bring them to the doctors’ and specialists’ waiting rooms.
While working for Siemens in Germany, I participated in an employee 3-day Health Training that included, among other topics, lectures on the relationship between our food choices and our health outcomes. I learned about the ‘Blue Zones’, areas around the world where people live to 100 years of age without chronic diseases; and about the Adventist Health Studies which show definitive links between lifestyle, diet, and disease. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.
So, while continuing my work in the corporate world of healthcare, I dived into the personal world of healthcare and decided to go ‘back to school’. I studied at the renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, to learn more about the personal world of healthcare and graduated with a Diploma as a Registered Nutritional Therapist. I joined the British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine [BANT] and have also qualified as a Health Coach.
In February 2022, I left my corporate job to concentrate on my Nutritional Therapy practice.
My goal is to empower others to live their best lives all day, every day.
Read the TAB called Working with Me to see if I can help you.
Thank you for reading
Male 56
I was questioning myself on how to improve my wellbeing and help with an annoying food intolerance, so I approached Mandy. After the initial consultation, a dietary assessment, some nutritional counselling and follow-up session, Mandy provided me with a personalized plan and educated me on healthy food choices. She also helped me understand the importance of certain foods and taking on regular physical activities.
With her guidance and support, I was able to make changes to my diet and lifestyle and I started seeing positive results thereafter. I am very grateful to Mandy for helping me achieve my goals and improve my overall health.
I was questioning myself on how to improve my wellbeing and help with an annoying food intolerance, so I approached Mandy. After the initial consultation, a dietary assessment, some nutritional counselling and follow-up session, Mandy provided me with a personalized plan and educated me on healthy food choices. She also helped me understand the importance of certain foods and taking on regular physical activities.
With her guidance and support, I was able to make changes to my diet and lifestyle and I started seeing positive results thereafter. I am very grateful to Mandy for helping me achieve my goals and improve my overall health.
Get in touch, I'd love to hear from you ...
Mandy van Prooijen
DipRad(D), B-Tech(T), DipION(UK)
Tel: +27 (0)72 380 5997
Email: mandy@feedyourhealth.co.za
DipRad(D), B-Tech(T), DipION(UK)
Tel: +27 (0)72 380 5997
Email: mandy@feedyourhealth.co.za