Jessica Barfield, BSc (Hons), PG Dip, MBANT, CNHC - 'Enjoy Nutrition'
About me
About Me
When I was 14 years old, I had a Saturday job in a whole-food shop, measuring out flours, grains and spices to customers who taught me all about their delicious and beneficial uses. It started a lifelong interest in nutrition. I'm not sure why I actually went to university to study Economics, because once I got my degree, I knew I didn't want a city job, I wanted to be involved in nutrition. However, life, expectations and paying bills meant that I spent the next few years in a variety of jobs from theatre to publishing to estate agent to carpentry until I eventually ran my own business in London selling original cartoon artwork.
My journey back to nutrition was prompted by the return of my daughter's osteosarcoma after less than a year off treatment. She was diagnosed when she was 12 year old. I had been very passive during treatment the first time around, but the return put me into full battle mode. My daughter jokes that I fought her illness with vegetables, and I did. She had to go through another gruelling round of chemotherapy and operations, but this time, I read everything I could about nutrition to find ways to support her through it. I also wanted her body to recover quickly and well, and for her still growing body to be able to develop as well as it possibly could after the onslaught of powerful chemicals it had to endure. My incredible daughter is now 19 years old and about to leave home to live and study in Sweden. But it was a rocky, bumpy, scary ride.
As a result, my interest in nutrition and its power to protect and rejuvenate was rekindled and I retrained as a Nutritional Therapist on the MSc course at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York (accredited by the University of Middlesex).
I am absolutely passionate about nutrition as a powerful tool not just for maintaining health, but as a therapy to restore lost health. And as it happens, my Economics degree has come in handy after all. It taught me the critical and analytical skills that help me to make sense of the many factors in a complex set of circumstances, such as a range or collection of symptoms, and to be able to analyse them and make connections. With the help of the evidence base, I can then arrive at possible causes and therefore potential solutions.
I call my practice 'Enjoy Nutrition' because I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy their food, no matter what their health and dietary needs are. I collaborate compassionately with people to achieve better eating habits that help them optimise their health, but that they can also enjoy.
Consultations
I prefer to see clients for a minimum total of 4 hours which is usually split between 3 and 5 appointments. The first consultation is for information-gathering, the second is to deliver results of researches and discuss how you want to proceed, and further meetings are for following up and planning further progress towards your goals.
Nutrigenomics
I am a trained Nutrigenomics Practitioner and for particularly complex cases I can use gene testing to investigate more deeply, at a biochemical level, what may be at the root of or driving a client’s health concerns. From this, a more targeted and specific approach can be identified as a starting point for action.
This service is also for people who have already taken a gene test such as 23andMe and would like some help with interpreting and acting on its results.
Training, qualifications & experience
BSc (Hons); Post-Graduate Diploma in Nutritional Therapy.
Member organisations
British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy
The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy is the professional body for Nutritional Therapists.
There are different BANT membership classes, including Full Member, Fellow Member and Student Member.
All BANT practitioners must have met the required standards of training, be fully insured and adhere to the BANT Code of Ethics and Practice.
Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council
The CNHC encompasses many types of alternative therapy, including massage, aromatherapy and nutrition.
In order to be admitted to the register a practitioner must have studied to the National Occupational Standards for that profession/discipline, or have reached the equivalent of the National Occupational Standards through other relevant training or at least three years of experience and been assessed by their peers.
A practitioner must also have professional insurance and agree to abide by the CNHC Code of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Nutrition topics
If you have been diagnosed or suspect you may have this medical condition, you should consult your GP for advice, diagnosis and treatment and always inform your health professional before starting any alternative or additional therapies, treatments or making any major changes in your diet or exercise programme.
Fees
£190 for 4 hours, usually split between 3 and 5 appointments (see above)
Alternatively, the hourly rate is:
£60 for 1 hour
£30 for half an hour
£20 for 15 minutes
Nutrigenomics Assessment (test price not included): £350
(This includes a one hour consultation)
Further information
My office is in central Harrogate within 5 minutes walk of the bus and train station. The number 36 bus to Ripon from Leeds stops right outside the office.
There is on-street parking outside the office, with good availability of spaces, but the time limit is one and a half hours.
There is a multi-storey car park round the corner on Tower Street, as well as a small outdoor car park there too. Both are reasonably priced and within 5 minutes walk of the office and there are usually spaces in both.
You can also park at Waitrose, 2 minutes away, for free for 2 hours
If you like to park and stride, try the top of Cold Bath Road or Tewit Well Road and walk across the Stray in both cases. These are both about 10 minutes away.
