What is Functional Nutrition?
Functional nutrition embodies a comprehensive approach, utilising diet, lifestyle choices and supplements to enhance bodily functions. It's centred on optimising health, with the goal of boosting energy, strength and vitality, thereby enabling individuals to thrive and enjoy a higher quality of life.
This methodology seeks to unravel and address the root causes of health issues, be it food intolerances, chronic stress, nutritional deficits or low stomach acid. As functional nutritional therapists, we integrate body and mind, recognising the interconnectedness of various bodily systems. For instance, improving digestive function can positively influence the nervous system and so forth.
Diving deeper, functional nutrition assesses ten interlinked functional systems: gastrointestinal, nervous, endocrine, reproductive, immune, respiratory, urinary, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and integumentary (skin). By evaluating these, we identify which systems require the most support. Often, the gastrointestinal system takes precedence, offering ample scope to utilise food and supplements to progressively enhance a client’s well-being.
Our practice treats each client as unique, piecing together their health puzzle using 'antecedents' (like genetics), 'triggers' (such as food poisoning, antibiotic courses, or traumatic events) and 'mediators' (factors that perpetuate symptoms, e.g., low vitamin D, high-sugar diets or sleep deprivation). Understanding these elements allows us to craft personalised protocols to correct these imbalances. Through gradual dietary and lifestyle modifications, we work towards improved health.
Where budgets allow, we conduct functional tests, including blood, microbiome, hormone and genetic assessments. These tests are invaluable in clarifying and tracking the factors influencing a client’s health issues.
Functional nutrition is a dynamically evolving field, constantly bolstered by new research highlighting the profound impact of food, supplements, and lifestyle practices (like strength training, breathwork and cold exposure). These insights continually equip functional practitioners with advanced tools to enhance client well-being.
My mission is to provide a space where holistic health is not just a concept, but a practical reality. If you're ready to embark on a journey of internal healing and empowerment, I invite you to connect with me. Let's navigate this transformative path together, towards strength and holistic health.
