How is a functional nutrition approach different?
To help understand what a functional nutrition approach looks like, I like to explain it by having you visualize a tree. The leaves and branches of the tree are the signs and symptoms, and even diagnosed health conditions that a person experiences. For example, asthma, autoimmune conditions, aches, pains, mood concerns, fatigue, irritable bowel type complaints and hormonal imbalances. All of these, and many more are signs, symptoms and diagnoses that are the outward expressions of imbalances within the body.
From experience, despite there being potentially many branches, with thousands of leaves, typically there are only three roots that have allowed these branches and leaves to grow. These are:
To help understand what a functional nutrition approach looks like, I like to explain it by having you visualize a tree. The leaves and branches of the tree are the signs and symptoms, and even diagnosed health conditions that a person experiences. For example, asthma, autoimmune conditions, aches, pains, mood concerns, fatigue, irritable bowel type complaints and hormonal imbalances. All of these, and many more are signs, symptoms and diagnoses that are the outward expressions of imbalances within the body.
From experience, despite there being potentially many branches, with thousands of leaves, typically there are only three roots that have allowed these branches and leaves to grow. These are:
To help understand what a functional nutrition approach looks like, I like to explain it by having you visualize a tree. The leaves and branches of the tree are the signs and symptoms, and even diagnosed health conditions that a person experiences. For example, asthma, autoimmune conditions, aches, pains, mood concerns, fatigue, irritable bowel type complaints and hormonal imbalances. All of these, and many more are signs, symptoms and diagnoses that are the outward expressions of imbalances within the body.
From experience, despite there being potentially many branches, with thousands of leaves, typically there are only three roots that have allowed these branches and leaves to grow. These are:
Our Genes
We used to think that genes determined our destiny, but now we know that it is mostly EPIGENETICS that influences which of our genes are switched on and which are switched off. The most important part of this new research is the understanding that it is our everyday choices, our diet and our lifestyle choices, that influence which of our genes express.
Our Digestive Health
The health of our gastro-intestinal tract affects everything in our body. It plays so many important roles - it breaks down our food, it helps us absorb nutrients, it even produces nutrients, it regulates our immune system, and it is the gatekeeper to keep out toxins and other harmful byproducts of digestion.
Inflammation
Inflammation is good in the short term as it helps us recover from injury or illness, but when it becomes a long term feature, it indicates the immune system has become hypersensitive, and creates a smouldering fire in the body contributing to all types of signs and symptoms of disease.
The most important thing to understand is that each of these three roots exist in soil. And just like improving the soil will benefit the health of a tree, with a Functional Nutrition approach I help clients improve their health by addressing the ‘soil’ that these three roots exist in.
I often refer to the soil as the terrain– the terrain in which the roots of health challenges are able to grow.
Improve the condition of the soil, and you'll improve the health of the roots, and subsequently the condition of the tree.
Improve the condition of the soil, and you'll improve the health of the roots, and subsequently the condition of the tree.
