Our body’s ability to function is continually demonstrated by scientific research to be significantly affected by what we eat.
Many people consider food as simply a source of energy which is why commercial diets have little impact on long term health. Nutrition therapy that identifies the underlying cause of a wide range of your health problems provides the basis to target foods and support to get your biochemistry back on track, and not focus just on managing energy.
Functional medicine uses nutrition therapy as its main treatment along with conventional medicine where necessary. It views us all as unique genetically and biochemically and treats the person as an individual rather than diseased. The focus is on supporting the normal healing mechanisms of the body naturally, rather than attacking disease directly.
It is profoundly science based and keeps up with the latest as research shows us the complexities of connected networks and relationships in the body. Understanding those relationships allows us to see deep into the functioning of the body.
The body is genetically programmed to correct itself and self-regulate given what it needs to balance highly dynamic physiological systems.
Good health is a state of immense vitality and not just the absence of disease.
How does it works
When foods are broken down into building blocks, they interact with our body on a chemical level. Nutrients are the stepping stones in all pathways, speeding things up, causing diversions and inhibiting other reactions to allow organs to communicate and work synergistically. They give our body the essence it needs to flourish in the way that it is designed to.
It is not quite that simple as what we put into our bodies is highly reliant on many other factors which is why one food or one diet is not necessarily right for the next person. Our ability to tolerate and digest foods, fight disease, detox unwanted molecules, manage blood sugar, sleep soundly and balance brain chemistry have a profound influence to place deviations and obstacles in between us and the path to health, and therefore supporting the body nutritionally is all the more pertinent.
Nutritional Therapy is not as simple as being told what to eat and when; what foods are good for you and what’s not. The objective is to identify what imbalance or dysfunction is at the heart of a specific health condition and manage it in a sustainable way. Minor symptoms are also considered to be part of everyday wellness headaches, acidity, bloating, cramps, skin issues, PMS and energy fluctuations are a sign that our body is out of balance and not performing to an optimal level. Biochemical testing may be recommended where necessary, to give an empirical basis and ensure approaches are targeted to each individual.
What can Nutrition help with?
Making changes to your diet and lifestyle are not just about treating and addressing health concerns, but also about achieving greater performance and pushing boundaries to achieve higher goals. What a functional approach does is understand your genetics and physiology to understand you better.
How can nutrition help?
• Tailor nutrient intake to maximise cellular health and promote healing
• Balance hormonal activity to help prevent hormone-induced health conditions
• Prevent DNA damage that can lead to wrinkles and sings of ageing
• Reduce inflammatory reactions which are often the major drivers of auto-immune disease, food intolerance, insulin resistance, eczema and psoriasis, bone and joint issues.
• Regulate digestive dysfunction, which is commonly implicated with food intolerance, detoxification, autism spectrum, respiratory health and allergy, sleep issues, poor immunity and nutrient insufficiencies.
• Identify allergies and intolerances that could be leading to a number of niggling health issues.
Tried and Tested
We can provide a number of physiological tests in order to gain a more accurate picture of the internal environment of the body.
Tests include:
• Gastrointestinal functioning CDSA 2.0 stool analysis
• Adrenal function
• Thyroid function
• Allergies and food intolerance Cambridge Food Print
• Nutrient levels – blood and urine
• Toxic element levels – blood and urine
• Sex hormone balance
• Neurotransmitter balance
• Amino acid balance
• Mitochondrial function
• Organic acids
• Neuro-genomics saliva test for chromosome mutations
• Candida tests
• Homocysteine levels
• Antibody testing