Digestive issues, autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation are some of the many leading health issues that we face today. In this regard, nutrition is one of the most neglected yet important piece of the puzzle - we underestimate the important of bio-individual nutrition as a preventative and supporting tool for our health. This means that a “one size fits all” approach to nutrition does not exist.
The role of a Nutritional Therapist Practitioner becomes paramount in this situation. But, what can we expect when meeting with and NTP? How will Nutritional Therapy help you? How does a consultation go? Let's not forget that true health and wellness lies is our environment and not just in our genes. What we eat, how we digest it, how we sleep, what chemicals we are exposed to, all have an important role in our health and wellbeing. As NTPs we believe that many of modern society’s health problems result from weaknesses in the body’s physiological foundations brought on by poor nutrition.
This indeed is much different to an allopathic treatment with medication, it as a holistic, bio-individual and complementary approach that works in synergy with your medical team. Nutritional Therapy aims to allow the body to heal itself. This isn’t a quick fix approach, as it takes time and commitment for the body to adapt to new healthy habits and to correct nutritional deficiencies. It can take anywhere from a few months to a year to see long-lasting results, depending on your situation, but it is worth it!
What are the 6 Foundations of Nutritional Therapy?
NUTRITION —In this fast-moving world, we've come far away from eating nutrient-rich, whole food. Everyone wants a quick snack but what most of us don't realize is that where our food comes from matters the most. What we should be seeking is nutrients and consuming nutrient-dense, properly prepared whole foods.
DIGESTION — you are what you absorb. Gut health is tied to your overall health in a really beautiful way so keeping the gut healthy should be our first priority! The acid in our stomach Is not something to run away from, it is instead our dear friend which ensures our digestion is in check.
HYDRATION — Water is life. It is a well-known fact that our bodies are made up mostly of water. All organs need water and proper hydration to function properly.
FATTY ACID BALANCE — forget what you've been told. Eating less fat in our food to make us physically look good is a big myth among people, instead what we should focus on is the fact that healthy fats are necessary for the proper functioning of our body.
BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE — we're talking about increasing energy, balancing macronutrients, managing stress, and improving sleep
MINERAL BALANCE — these are the spark plugs of the body. Crucial components for proper function and an area where most people need TLC
What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner?
NTPs have a science-based education on holistic nutrition to harness the power of real food and empower people to reconnect with the innate wisdom and unique needs of their bodies, thereby supporting lasting wellness. We believe that many of modern society’s health problems result from weaknesses in the body’s physiological foundations brought on by poor nutrition. We are dedicated to helping people reverse the negative effects of the modern diet through nutritional therapy. Our foundational, holistic approach focuses on the importance of a properly prepared, nutrient-dense, whole food diet paired with a well-balanced lifestyle and we help each client find the right types of whole food that will restore balance and enhance their own body’s ability to heal.
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” — Hippocrates
What is the process?
1st step - Initial Consultation - Health Assessment
This is our first step before determining what package would be best for you.
We will focus on gaining an in-depth understanding of your health concerns, your lifestyle, your food choices, and your sleeping and digestion patterns. We will unveil any organ weaknesses and system unbalances for then to address them through personalized nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle changes. Before this consultation, you will have a few forms to fill out including a comprehensive 320 symptom health assessment questionnaire that helps us evaluate your deficiencies, unbalances, and foundations of health, an in-depth review of your health history and bio-individual nutrient deficiencies and 3-day Food & Mood journal analysis. For the Food & Mood journal, it is very important that you do not try to eat better than usual as this will allow me to see what you usual eating habits are and help establish your protocol. These forms will take about 45 minutes total to fill out and need to be sent 24 hours prior to the consultation. The consultation itself lasts &.5 hours. After the consultation, you will receive a complete recommendation protocol - a plan of action with detailed and personalized recommendations according to your bio-individual needs
In short, this includes :
· A comprehensive 320 symptom health assessment questionnaire helps us evaluate your deficiencies, unbalances, and foundations of health
· An in-depth review of your health history and bio-individual nutrient deficiencies
· 3-day Food & Mood journal analysis
· A plan of action with detailed and personalized recommendations according to your bio-individual needs
· An opportunity to roll into a 3-month health coaching plan or a 4-month deep dive health coaching plan with functional testing
Then we determine if we want to do functional testing such as the GI-MAP, functional stool analysis, and the MRT food sensitivity test.
WHAT IS THE GI-MAP?
GI-MAP is a functional stool analysis. It is the first step towards finding the right root cause of your issues by addressing gut dysfunction. It is a powerful tool that allows to know what we are facing rather than guess according to symptoms. You do not have to have digestive symptoms to be a good candidate for the GI-Map. In fact, if you suffer from chronic pain, chronic inflammation, and even more so if you suffer from an Autoimmune disease, this is a great tool as a starting point for a nutritional therapy protocol.
The GI-MAP goes beyond the traditional techniques of culturing or microscopy that can miss up to 50% of bacterial species as it uses DNA making it the most accurate stool test on the market. It relies exclusively on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology to detect parasites, bacteria, fungi, and more, by targeting the specific DNA of the organisms tested. Traditional methods only report positive or negative feedback but do not quantify results.
It is really important to note that not all pathogens cause disease when present - knowing how much DNA is present gives us critical information for making more accurate decisions about our protocols.
WHAT IS THE MRT FOOD SENSITIVITY TEST?
Food sensitivities can play a role in many common health conditions, especially chronic health complaints such as digestive problems, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue. These are all signs of your immune system's reaction to foods and dealing with inflammation. A lot of times, the foods we are reactive to do not correlate directly with a symptom making it very hard to detect that it is a problematic food. Also, you might be sensitive to foods that are considered “healthy” such as chicken, broccoli, or garlic can cause symptoms and they are making your matter worse every time you eat that food.
MRT is a patent blood test that quantifies how strongly your immune system reacts to the foods and food chemicals tested by measuring intracellular mediator release indirectly. When released from immune cells, chemical mediators such as histamine, cytokines, and prostaglandins produce damaging effects on body tissues leading to the development of symptoms. Identifying harmful substances is the first step toward improving your health if you suffer from food sensitivities.
This test is important to do in conjunction with the GI-Map as we want to make sure we are eliminating all inflammatory foods when trying to heal the gut. It is like trying to put out a fire with constant matches being thrown in it!
2nd step - Choosing the right package
I work with people for a minimum 3 months because this is the time needed for me to support you through your protocol, educate you and start seeing results. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is resolved in 3 months! My goal is for you to be completely independent by the end of the 3 months, with new food and lifestyle habits for long term health, but we can of course work together for an additional 3 months of needed. This will be up to you and how much support you would need moving forward.
Option 1: 3-Month Health Coaching Package
This package is designed for people with "minor" health issues needing a straightforward healing approach. You will learn how to nourish your body according to your bio-individual needs, how to simplify food choices, fuel your body with the right foods, use food as medicine, and adopt lifelong habits that will keep you feeling your best and healthy! We meet once every 2 weeks.
This package includes :
ONE Initial Consultation with the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and the Food & Mood Journal evaluation and an in-depth review of your health history and bio-individual nutrient deficiencies
THREE 30-minute follow-up consultations (one per month)
TWO 1 hour consultations with the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and the Food & Mood Journal re-evaluation (one per month, excluding the first consultation)
A plan of action with detailed and personalized recommendations according to your bio-individual needs
Unlimited e-mail support
Ongoing recommendations that are adapted as we go
Option 2: 4-Month Deep Dive Health Coaching Package with Functional Testing
This package is designed for those who require more in-depth gut healing and want to know exactly what's going on inside their body through functional testing. Gut health is crucial for healing, it is best to know exactly what we are dealing with to determine the proper action plan that will be right for you. We meet once every 2 weeks
This package includes :
Functional lab test analysis and interpretation: GI MAP comprehensive stool test and MRT Food Sensitivity test
Targeted supplement and food protocol based on results
A meeting every 2 weeks
ONE Initial Consultation with the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and the Food & Mood Journal evaluation and an in-depth review of your health history and bio-individual nutrient deficiencies
FOUR 30-minute follow-up consultations (one per month)
TWO 1 hour consultations with the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and the Food & Mood Journal re-evaluation
Unlimited e-mail support
Ongoing recommendations that are adapted as we go
Every recommendation I make is to specifically help you achieve your goals. Every protocol is individualized according to your bio-individual needs, your health history, and your personal health goals.
While nutrition is surely a big part of working with clients, behavioral and lifestyle improvements are also important to sustain health. Let's not forget how important it is to take the first step toward our journey of improvement. No matter how overwhelming it seems at first glance, the power to change is in our hands and I am here for guidance, education, and support.
Feel free to schedule a free 20 minute discovery call if are interested in working with me and have any questions. This is a great chance to get to know each other and see if we could be a good fit!