What Does a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner Do?
This Thursday, I will graduate from the Functional Nutrition Alliance as a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner. One of the main comments I receive when sharing my news is, “That’s great! What does that mean?”
It means that I can now help to fill the gap between what your medical care team suggests and the need the client has to move forward with the suggestions with confidence.
A lot of health concerns can be addressed with diet and lifestyle changes. These changes can be daunting to make on your own and a lot of times people don’t have the support to make sustaining changes. My role is to help them clarify what their goal is and then use food and lifestyle to help them reach their goal.
An example might be someone who has high blood pressure. They might be told by their medical team to loose some weight, starting walking, and lower their stress. All those things are easier said than done!
We will help you to look at all parts of your life and how your body is responding to the food you are giving it. My mentor told us, “You aren’t what you eat. You are what you body is able to absorb.” Think about that statement for a bit….. You can eat all of the salads you want, but if you are not able to digest and absorb the nutrition from what you are eating, it doesn’t matter. We look at what your body is able to do with the food you are putting into it and then make a plan from there on how to help you move forward. We also address the stress your body is going through when making these changes. Your body can’t rest and digest if you are in a constant state of stress.
We meet the client where they are at by also addressing not only the current condition that is presenting itself, but also connecting the dots on life events that lead them to the path they are now on. This process takes time and in a lot of instances, our current health care model doesn’t have the time allotted on how to feel well. The focus is more on what isn’t going right and the quickest road to feeling better.
One of the aspects I enjoy the most in this role is developing the relationship with the client and helping them on their journey to wellness. If you have a health concern or what to dig in deeper on why you are feeling the way that you do, I would encourage you to give us a call. We can support you as you navigate all parts of your wellness.
I am now able to offer comprehensive assessments at ANMC and would love to partner with you as you continue on your wellness journey.
