Upstairs at Organico, the new therapy rooms play host to a range of professionals practising in different natural wellness disciplines. In this series of articles, we introduce each of our resident therapists and walk you through the services they have available.

While growing in popular recognition, the world of nutritional therapy remains something of a mystery to many people. Gwen Enright, a qualified nutritional therapist, is committed to introducing more people to this way of working with health and helping folks understand how, exactly, nutritional therapy can help them.

What is nutritional therapy?

Nutritional therapy is a health-focused approach that aims to understand symptoms through the lens of their root causes.

Gwen gives the example of a migraine, highlighting that when you go to a doctor or pharmacist, you’ll most often be sent away with a painkiller to manage your symptoms. While this may be helpful and necessary in the short term, it does little to address the underlying issue of why the migraines are occurring. 

Nutritional therapy, on the other hand, will look at what’s causing your migraine in the first place.

“I’m like a detective”, says Gwen, “It’s like peeling back the layers of an onion. We’d look at things like your response to histamine drivers, such as red wine and chocolate. We might explore whether or not you’re deficient in magnesium, your hydration levels, diet changes, and sleep.”

Gwen’s general way of working is to look at her clients’ most pressing symptom first, and, from there, work fluidly with other symptoms as they begin to reveal themselves.

Introducing Gwen Enright, a qualified nutrition therapist

Aged 44, Gwen is a mum of two and a Long COVID sufferer, so has personal experience of being unwell (along with the joys of perimenopause).

Her formal education is rooted in science; horses were her first love, so a Bachelor's in Equine Science was a natural first step for her. She went on to achieve a Master’s in Food Science, Technology & Nutrition.

Gwen brings more than a decade of experience to her practice as a health and wellness coach. With a specific thrust towards women's health, she holds a special interest in hormones, experience with autoimmune and chronic conditions, fertility, perimenopause, and post menopausal health.

Additionally, Gwen is keenly interested in how stress affects the whole body, specifically hormones, the immune system, and digestive function.

Gwen mentors other practitioners, lectures for IINH, and does public talks all over West Cork and Beara, as well as online. She frequently features as a writer in the Pure and Natural magazine.

Nutritional therapy sessions: What to expect and prepare

In advance of attending a nutritional therapy session, Gwen recommends that you begin keeping a food diary and bring it to your initial consultation.

“That way, I can give you tailored tweaks right off the bat,” she says.

You’ll also have the opportunity to bring along any recent blood test results dated within the last three months. Gwen can help you interpret your results through the lens of ‘optimal health’, as opposed to the standardised ‘normal range’ that keeps you out of the hospital.

Based on her interpretations, she can make subsequent recommendations for supplements and dietary adjustments. 

Gwen is a self-proclaimed ‘diet agnostic’, steering clear of blanket diet recommendations and instead offering personalised dietary advice for each client. If enacting a total diet overhaul sounds intimidating and unrealistic, never fear; she believes in working with small habits for sustainable change.

If needed, Gwen is happy to write referral letters for doctors and consultants, and readily works with other practitioners to find the right person/therapy for each client, such as herbalists, acupuncturists, or amatsu practitioners.

Book a nutritional therapy session with Gwen

Gwen offers a range of services to suit each person’s specific needs:

  • Mini consultations (free through Organico - book directly in the shop or by calling 027-51391) 
  • Full consultations (1 hour, €120, follow-ups if required are €90) 
  • One-off sessions (1 hour, €120 - focus on 2-3 health issues or needs) 
  • Full nutritional therapy with coaching 1:1 (2-hour initial followed by 4 months of coaching, different packages available) 

    All above include review of bloods and food diary

Contact Gwen via email at [email protected], or on WhatsApp/ Phone on 087-6578307. You can also find her on social media under gwenright_nutrition.