My philosophy: Functional Nutrition
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine is rooted in a “client-centered” approach. Together, the client and I will find a tailored, individualized-diet that transforms their health by by reversing or preventing any major dysfunctions or diseases. Functional Nutrition, a branch of the Institute of Functional Medicine, embraces the idea that there is no single “food plan” or “ideal diet” that applies to everyone. This is because everyone is different based on their genetic backgrounds, dietary preferences and needs, lifestyle, environment, and biochemical individuality. It looks at the whole person, not just the list of their symptoms. Through one-on-one personalized dietary and lifestyle interventions, Functional Nutrition will give you the tools and strategies to achieve lasting and transformative health. All suggestions are based on evidence-based scientific research to create a personalized food plan just for you.
How is Functional Nutrition Different?
Functional Medicine (FM) is a patient-centered approach where it looks at each person with fresh eyes. It does not just “group” people together based on their disease, condition, or symptoms, but rather examines each individual person’s case and history as to what brought them here today. FM hopes to promote health and vitality within every person, not just the absence of disease.
Functional Medicine integrates the qualities of Western medical practices with more “integrative” medicine by putting an emphasis on nutrition, diet, and exercise. It incorporates the latest laboratory testing and diagnostic techniques, prescription of drugs and/or botanical medicine, supplements, therapeutics drugs, detoxification programs, as well as stress-management techniques.
FM does not look at the “what” of a disease or condition, but the “why?” It examines the origins, prevention, and treatment of a chronic disease. Instead of putting a band-aid fix and preventing associated symptoms of a disease, it looks at the complex web of interactions that led to the illness – What is their history? Lifestyle? Career? Stress level? Diet? It considers a person’s genetic susceptibility to a disease, their social and physical environment, as well as the body’s mind and spirit.
What is it like working with a Functional Nutrition practitioner?
As a Functional Nutrition practitioner, I understand the biochemical processes that are affected by your diet at a cellular level. For example, a deficiency of a key nutrient may have a major impact on the causes and triggers of dysfunction. But why is this person deficient in a certain nutrient? It could be from low dietary intake, not being able to properly absorb the nutrient within the gut, inhibited by a certain medication, or having a genetic SNP that impacts the person’s ability to metabolize the nutrient properly. These are all elements that I consider as a Functional Nutritionist. There are many parts of health that can be affected at the cellular level, including detoxification, regulation of hormones, neurotransmitters, immune system function, how you produce energy, and more. Simply put, any of these processes are influenced by an underlying cause, which can be through their environment or their genetics. A Functional Nutritionist, like myself, will take the time to find where the imbalances or disturbances are for you.
