Gemma Clark

Why am I here?

Either you're thinking about seeing a nutritionist, wanted a yummy recipe or somehow found yourself here after seeing a picture of Gemma's very cute pupper on The Sprout Facebook page or Instagram. Maybe you've got acne or out-of-whack period issues and are looking for a trusted practitioner to help you navigate through treatment. Maybe you're just so dang tired of being tired and stressed or hormonal. Either way, welcome. I've got your back.

What does a clinical nutritionist do?

Clinical nutritionists exist to give you the tools and guidance to achieve your optimum health through extensive questioning, functional pathology and diagnostic testing, anthropometry and diet analysis. We guide you through diet and lifestyle modifications and prescribe practitioner-only supplementation if necessary. Essentially, we work with you to nut out all facets of your health and life and figure out how to make them BETTER. Make sure any nutritionist you choose to see is degree qualified. Gemma has a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional Medicine) and a Bachelor of Arts (Communications), so she's more than capable when it comes to your health and explaining the geek-speak in your terms.

Can Gemma fix my periods, acne, stress, PMS, weight gain, insulin resistance and fatigue?!

Phwoar! Sounds like you've got a lot going on. Look, I'll give it a red hot go. It does take two to tango, but you're in good hands if you're looking for a practitioner to help you with any (or all!) of the above. I specialise in helping people achieve balance in their physical and emotional state - and especially for teens and tweens.

Who should see a nutritionist?

If I had it my way, everyone would see a nutritionist! Food is a fundamental, basic need. It literally feeds life! So, what if the food you're eating (or not eating) isn't feeding the life you want? Maybe you're always tired, or always hungry, or both. Maybe you want to lose weight, gain weight or be at the top of your athletic game. Maybe your doctor has given you a diagnosis and you're not sure how that's going to affect how your body functions or uses nutrients. Maybe you have mood swings, irregular periods or insane PMS. Maybe you struggle with depression or anxiety. Maybe you don't sleep well, or have chronic pain. Maybe you just reckon you could FEEL BETTER. Everyone can benefit from talking to a nutritionist about their diet and lifestyle. At the very least, you'llend up with some new knowledge about how you, unique individual, work. Not convinced? Check out my list of conditions I often work with here.

Why should I see Gemma instead of a dietitian or naturopath?

You are the only person who can decide what type of practitioner is right for you, but here's a very simple break down of our differences. Typically, dietitians are science-based thinkers who are concerned mostly with the foods you are eating and how your body responds to them. Appointments are short and may not touch on other aspects of your health or life. Naturopaths, (again, generally), are holistic thinkers who take into account all of your puzzle pieces - diet, lifestyle, emotional health, physical health, vitality - to create your overall picture to treat you with actionable goals and nutritional and herbal supplements. GEMMA is a clinical nutritionist with naturopathic training. This means she has the scientific knowledge about how foods and nutrients work or spazz out in your body, but also sees immense value in looking at every other aspect of your life and can prescribe nutritional supplements like a naturopath does. My appointments are longer, I have a toolbox full of nutrition strategies AND loads of lifestyle hacks to give the best results. Best of both worlds, eh?!

What is Gemma's philosophy?

My motto is "every great thing starts from something small". The Sprout Nutrition & Wellness is built on the idea that any seed we plant has the potential to grow into something pretty amazing. You have the ability to grow, and how fast and great you grow is dependent on your environment and nourishment. Further more, I believe you are unique and deserve to be treated accordingly. I look at your individual needs and tailor a health solution specific to you. You don’t have to overhaul your lifestyle all at once in order to better yourself. At The Sprout, I believe in the “non-diet” diet approach, where we focus on whole food nutrition and happy and healthy relationships with food. You can find out more here.

What happens in an appointment?

When you book an initial appointment, you'll be sent a registration and initial intake form that helps me start building a picture of you. You send this back to me and the appointment occurs over Skype, Zoom, phone or FaceTime if you've booked an online appointment. We'll have an hour together to have a chat, discuss some of the things your wrote on your registration form, maybe order some pathology and generally get everything out in the open. We'll talk about your diet, your lifestyle, hobbies, pets, relationships...nutting out not just your physical health, but your emotional health and the environment you thrive, or fail to thrive, in. We'll then discuss your goals, which I will formulate with you, and I put together a digital treatment plan with specific actions you can take in regards to your diet and lifestyle. At this point, I'll also talk to you about any supplement/s I'm prescribing that will help your body get to where we're going (you'll be able to access the order system online to have these delivered to your door). We'll walk through your treatment plan actions and supplement protocol together so you know exactly what steps to take, where you're going and most importantly, WHY.

When we catch up for a follow-up appointment, we'll have another chat, see how you've gone with your actions and if any didn't work for you, we'll troubleshoot them. My questioning and diagnostic testing will be more focused on measuring the progress of your goals. Just like your first appointment, I'll prepare a treatment plan for you, talk you through how to implement it and re-assess your supplement requirements.

It's hard to believe, I know, but we clinical nutritionists cannot do everything (haha!) and sometimes I'll write you a referral letter for healthcare out of my scope. If your circumstance is a little complicated, I may also order some functional pathology testing - things like blood tests, stool or urine analysis, saliva testing - to help me see HOW your organs and nutrient pathways are working so I can target your treatment plan actions to specific mechanisms in your body.

Sound interesting? There's only one way to really find out what happens in a consultation, so check out the full list of services here.

How many appointments will I need?

Everyone is different, but I will give you an idea of the short and long-term plans at the end of your initial appointment. Typically, you'll benefit most from a minimum of two appointments. As a rule of thumb, the more chronic and/or complicated your situation, the longer-term your treatment will be.

What makes you so special in treating teens and tweens?

At the end of the day, I just love being able to set up young people to live a great lifestyle with a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. I've been treating teens and tweens for years and seen so many transformations - not just physically, but in general moods. I've been a part of the Standing Strong team since January 2017, instructing classes for girls aged 7-17 with a focus on empowering them by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to look after themselves and each other in a holistic, healthy way.

Do you only see teens and tweens?

Absolutely not! I've been treating adults my entire career, with a particular interest in stress, fatigue and hormones. I'd love to help you.

Will you make me go on a crazy diet or sell me meal replacement shakes?

No! I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach or restrictive diets. Your treatment plan will be tailored to you, taking into account what is best for your health AND what is realistic and sustainable for you to achieve.

Do you weigh kids and teenagers?

As a general rule, I don't like to weigh clients under the age of 18, or clients of any age with a history of disordered eating or body dysmorphia. If it's a key measurement tool I think will be useful, I have scales where clients can't see the number and it (along with lots of other useful body composition data) gets sent straight to my computer.

I don't like kale. Will you tell me to eat it?

Look, you may have had a bad kale experience and I'm sorry to hear that. I won't force you to eat anything, particularly things you don't like, but maybe I can give you some ideas of how to incorporate kale into your diet more deliciously. Generally, though, we work within your tastes and you never know...you might find as your health changes, so do your tastebuds!

I'm embarrassed to tell you about my diet and/or lifestyle!

You're not alone! No one wants to admit the pack of Tim Tams they ate on the couch last night or other things they think will be nutrition sins. Firstly, we're all human. Secondly, you going ahead with your consultation is a massive pat on the back to you. Thirdly, The Sprout Nutrition & Wellness is a judgement-free zone and I like to know the whole story so I can best help you, not judge you.