Functional Nutrition
Functional nutrition was developed based on the ideas of functional medicine. Functional medicine is a unique way of treating and preventing illness. This method addresses the whole self, not just the apparent symptoms.
Benefits of Hormone Therapy
How Does It Work?
Now you know the basics—functional nutrition is based on functional medicine, aiming to treat all body systems. It does this by addressing the root cause of the symptoms rather than the symptoms themselves.
So now, let’s review how functional nutrition works in practice.
A person visits their doctor complaining of abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and bloating. While a standard diet or nutrition expert may suggest a particular meal plan, a functional medicine dietician would likely run more tests.
How would seeing a functional nutrition expert be any different from that?
How Is This Approach To Nutrition Unique?
Treating the Whole Person
A functional nutrition practitioner’s ultimate goal is to help you alleviate your symptoms. But more than that, they want to make sure you are holistically well. They believe that each of the body systems is interconnected. So, in order to promote optimal wellness, functional nutrition advises on diet and lifestyle conditions.
A Personalized Approach
Functional nutrition is all about personalized care. No two people are exactly alike—even if their symptoms are the same. Functional nutrition diet plans take into consideration everything that makes you unique.
This approach increases the likelihood that you can find a sustainable, long-term solution to your health issues.
Different Models For Care
Functional nutrition practitioners use unique systems and models in practice -for example, the functional medicine matrix. The matrix is made up of various sections, each of which addresses factors that contribute to your health.
The 5-R protocol is another common tool used by functional nutritional practitioners.