A conversation with deaf nutritional therapist, Naomi Goldman! (BSL)

Hi Naomi! Firstly can you introduce yourself to our readers? 

Hi! I’m originally from London. I am qualified as a Nutritional Therapist and I am fully insured and a member of a professional body. I work with clients on a range of health issues including gut health, weight gain, blood sugar imbalance, stress management and hormonal health (such as the menopause, etc.)

I am profoundly deaf and wear one cochlear implant. The majority of my clients are d/Deaf, and I communicate with them in sign language (BSL and SSE). I also work with hearing clients.

At the moment, my consultations take place over Zoom because it allows people from all over the world to be able to book with me. I have had clients from Germany and the USA, as well from all over Great Britain. I love working with a wide variety of people.

How did your interest in nutrition begin?

I have always been interested in health and nutrition for as long as I can remember but I decided to take this interest one step further, and did a course in nutritional therapy.

Growing up I always made food from scratch and never liked the idea of processed, ready-made foods – the taste was never the same and I never felt good! There is nothing better than making a delicious and nutritious meal especially when you know you are going to feel a lot better from it.

Where did you embark upon the training to become a nutritional therapist?

I completed my course in London. It was a 4-year part time course, but in the same time-period, I got married, learnt another language and moved countries so it was 5 years before I qualified.

Being the only deaf person on the course, and the fact that the college never had a deaf student before, it was not an easy ride. I had to educate the tutors about what they needed to do to ensure that I had a smooth experience but this was not always the case. Luckily, I managed to get through and qualified.

What did you personally find most helpful or insightful about nutrition?

It has enabled me to make different food choices for the benefit of my health. I do feel much better in terms of energy and do feel that I am aging well!

In my private clinic, there is nothing better than seeing the power of nutrition on clients health. I have seen a range of health benefits such as better blood sugar control (no longer pre-diabetic), blood pressure decreasing, no major gut issues such as urgency to go to the toilet, or uncomfortable bloating episodes, and much more.

The more I see how nutrition can help people, the more I think that nutrition should be considered as ‘natural medicine’.

What do you think the biggest misconception people have about nutrition generally?

That nutrition has no impact on one’s health. We cannot be blind to the fact that if one has a diet consisting only of processed foods (McDonalds, KFC, sweets, pizza, cola, etc) with no fruit/vegetables that one would have a shorter life expectancy.

Slowly, I think that people realise that good nutrition equals good health.

People need to look after themselves better and they need to realise that they need to invest in their health if they want to live a long, happy and healthy life free of aches and pains. I think that people are slowly changing their mind-sets and are willing to spend more on themselves.

Would you say the deaf community are less or just as aware of the benefits of nutritional therapy compared to hearing people?

I would say, less. This is because a lot of Deaf people are not proficient in written English so they do not always understand what they read. Deaf people also need a place where they can ask nutrition-related questions via sign language.

At the moment, the gap between the Deaf and hearing world is bigger than it should be, and I would love to see the gap narrow further.

Deaf clubs and organisations do also need to change, and must invest more in nutrition and health.

Are there many deaf people working in this field? Have you worked with other deaf people on any projects?

As far as I know, there are no other deaf qualified nutritional therapists in the UK. However, I have been lucky enough to have worked with a few d/Deaf professionals in other fields as well with Deaf clubs across the country.

However, I feel that there is so much more that I can do and it is indeed up to the Deaf clubs and organisations to put nutrition at the forefront.

What are the biggest obstacles for deaf people wishing to change their diet? How do you propose to overcome these?

I think that they need more support, and they need more visual aids. I think that the best way would be to do a series of workshops throughout the country. It needs to be practical because this is the only way that change can come about.

Presentations are not enough. People need tools that they can take home. They need to be excited about the change that they need to make. No one will change their diet or lifestyle if it is a boring journey.

What can people expect from booking a session/ course with you?

I treat everyone differently because we are all unique! I always take into account lifestyle and family dynamics because this plays a huge role in nutrition. They should know that I would ensure that they understand WHY they need to make the necessary change.

It is important that everyone knows that I cannot do the hard work for them. Only clients themselves can do it. However, I give them plenty of tools and a lot of support to help them make the positive change.

Do you have any exciting new year offers to tell us about?

Yes! I have three exciting offers for everyone! This is because I am so keen to get the message across the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing community. The three different programmes are as follows:

1) 30-day Go Veggie Challenge starting on 18th January 2023. January is a time when people make many new year resolutions, and one of these is to lose weight or to have more energy. This is why I have set up a 30-day Go Veggie Challenge! This programme will include BSL clips but also more cook-alongs! All sessions will be recorded for those who miss it. This costs £69.

2) Kitchen Cleanse. This is a brand new service! I will personally come to your house, will look at the kitchen cupboard, and will tell you which items are healthy, and which items are not and I will provide alternatives. Only available for those in the London area. £65 per hour.

3) Mini-consultation (45 minutes): I will look at your diet and lifestyle taking into consideration your health goals. I will provide you with a nutritional plan. You will need to complete a 3-day food diary as well as a short questionnaire. This is £65.

On top of this, as I am especially keen to get more d/Deaf people on board, I have a £10 off coupon which people can use on ANY of the above offers. NEWYOU23. The offer expires on 31st January 2023.

To contact Naomi about her services you can text or email:

naominutrition@outlook.com, 07834184846.
Her social media links are below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naomigoldman4nutrition
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomigoldman4nutrition/