Nutritional Therapy

What does nutritional therapy really mean?

Nutritional Therapy: (Nutritional) Relating to the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth. (Therapy) Treatment intended to alleviate an illness or injury. Nutritional Therapy is the use of nutrient dense whole foods along with lifestyle changes and necessary supplementation to help the body restore itself in a healthy and natural way. Infertility can be related back to digestive dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar imbalance, or simply a poor diet. It can be hard to find the necessary nutrients the body needs to function optimally on a daily basis in our current diets. Even if the nutrients are in our food, they can be difficult to digest and absorb. Any imbalance in our bodies can lead to unpleasant symptoms. I believe that once the body is well nourished, and the foundations of health are balanced, signs and symptoms of dis-ease begin to diminish.

As a Nutritional Therapy Practitoner, I perform a comprensive evaluation of every client's health, to make sure that each individual receives the care that is best for them. As a result, my clients receive a protocol that is customized to their specific needs. I begin by addressing the foundations of health to get a better understanding of the root cause of symptoms. The foundations of health include diet, digestion, mineral status, essential fatty acid status, hydration status, and blood sugar regulation.

I check for signs of possible toxicities, deficiencies, and sensitivities. I work with each client to make sure they are getting all key nutrients to build a healthy body and baby.

I also focus on making sure digestion is working sufficiently so my clients can utilize and benefit from those nutrients.

I BELIEVE THAT ONCE THE BODY IS WELL NOURISHED, AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH ARE BALANCED, SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DIS-EASE BEGIN TO DIMINISH.

THE FOUNDATIONS

Lets take a look at the foundations of nutritional therapy

WHY DOES DIET MATTER?

It is almost impossible for the Standard American Diet to provide proper nutrition in todays world. Our food is hardly food anymore. Animals are pumped full of steroids and antibiotics, milk products are chemically altered and full of hormones. Processed foods contain toxins, food additives, artificial colors and sweeteners and so much more. Many nutrients have been stripped from our food during processing, and partially added back in a synthetic form. Farming methods have impacted the nutritional content of our produce, leaving a lot of it void of nutrients. Our bodies use more energy processing most foods than we actually gain from consuming them.

I believe there is nothing more important in the quality of our health than the food we put in our mouths. Together, we can figure out what diet is the best for your body type and how to get the most from the food you eat, so you can benefit from the wonderful nutrition in a real food diet.

WHAT ABOUT DIGESTION?

In a perfect world, it wouldn't matter what we eat, and we wouldn't have to worry about things like digestion. Unfortunately, it's not a perfect world, and for some people digestive dysfunction is very real. I'm going to spare you the boring details of exactly how digestion is supposed to work, and instead offer you a quick explanation of what happens when it doesn't.

There are many opportunities along the digestive path for misfortune to happen. It can start as early as in your mouth, if you are not chewing your food long enough to produce enough saliva to break it down. Once you swallow your food, there's a change you may not have enough hydrochloric acid to break down your food even further, or you may be running low on digestive enzymes. If you do not have enough hydrochloric acid, you may experience symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), or other unpleasant symptoms.

Once you get past the stomach and pancreas, there is a chance the bile in your gallbladder may be stagnant or sluggish. This will interfere with your ability to digest and absorb fats. Eating the wrong kind of fat, or not enough fat can cause stagnant bile and also lead to gallstones. Issues with fat malabsorption can prevent the body from getting the nutrients it needs for proper hormone balance.

Now, let's back up a little bit. If some of the protein from your diet was not properly digested (due to lack of HCL and enzymes), it can impact the health of your gut. These undigested proteins can cause damage to the villi and microvilli in your small intestine. This can cause leaky gut syndrome and other problems. Once the gut has been damaged, undigested food can pass through the gut wall and alert the immune system. This can cause allergies, auto-immune disorders, and all sorts of other problems, including infertility.

Once we are past the small intestine, we move along to the large intestine. If there is any undigested food that has made it this far, it can cause dysbiosis and disrupt the healthy flora of your colon. This weakens the cells of the colon and makes it more susceptible to inflammation, diverticula, and loss of tone.

Digestive dysfunction can lead to irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, colitis, and celiac disease, and a host of other issues that I have not discussed in this section.

It is also a major cause of inflammation, possibly the number one cause of unexplained infertility.

WHAT ABOUT MINERALS?

I'm not going to talk a lot about minerals here, since I have dedicated an entire page to the importance of mineral balancing. However, I will not a few key roles of minerals below:

They act as cofactors for enzyme reactions.
Minerals maintain pH balance in the body.
Minerals facilitate the transfer of nutrients across cell membranes.
Minerals contract and relax muscles.
Minerals regulate tissue growth.
Minerals provide structural and functional support.
Minerals are necessary for proper hormone function.

For more info on minerals, check out my minerals page HERE!

WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?

Low fat diets have been a fad for many years. It is important to understand the necessity of fats and the roles they play in our bodies. Fats have a number of important roles:

Fats are important for the make up of the cell membrane.
Fats are necessary for healthy liver function.
Fats are needed for building healthy cholesterol and bile, which are important for our delicate hormonal balance.
Fats are required for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Fats serve as a protective lining for the organs of the body.
Fats are necessary for slowing the absorption of food for proper energy regulation.
Fats are required for managing the inflammatory process, also very important for hormone balance and fertility.

Deficiencies in healthy fats can lead to a number of health complications, such as: musculoskeletal issues, endocrine issues, cardiovascular issues, immune issues, allergies, skin conditions, depression, hormonal imbalance, infertility and much more.

Many fats can be made in our bodies, with the exception of Linoleic Acid (an Omega 6 fatty acid), and Alpha-Linoleic acid (an Omega 3 fatty acid). These fatty acids are absolutely necessary in our diets, however the ratio of these two fats has become completely skewed in the Standard American Diet. Thanks to the use of vegetable oils and deep fried everything, many of us are getting way too much Omega 6 and not nearly enough Omega 3. If the ratio of these fats is out of balance, it can cause an array of health issues. It is important to minimize the amount of processed foods and maximize foods high in Omega 3's. Some examples of these are fish oils, flax, wheat germ, walnut, and hemp. It is also extremely important to avoid hydrogenated oils and trans fats as these are highly unstable and toxic, and are a major source of inflammation.

WHAT DOES BLOOD SUGAR HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

Blood Sugar Regulation is vital to all aspects of human physiology. It is important for proper energy, tissue and blood vessel integrity, hormonal balance, and brain health. Blood sugar dysregulation leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, and erratic energy output. Our bodies were designed to run on unrefined carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins as our main source of energy. Today's modern diet fueled with refined carbohydrates and sugar is causing an unfortunate epidemic.

High blood sugar has a catastrophic impact on many areas of the body. Many people may see this and think "I don't eat tons of sugar", "I avoid candy, sodas, etc.", or "I only have the occasional donut." Let me tell you, sugar is hidden EVERYWHERE. Take a look at the label on your food, and be aware of all the different forms of sugar. Also, if anything is "refined, enriched, or processed", it is likely high in sugar.

Eventually after processing too much glucose, the body starts to wear out. The pancreas gets tired and can no longer keep up with the demand for insulin. The cells become resistant to insulin because they don't need the amount of glucose that insulin is trying to force in to them. The adrenals become exhausted as they are tired of turning on to help out way more than they were designed to and the liver can no longer keep up with it all either.

If you thought that was enough, high blood sugar can also lead to PCOS, hormonal imbalance, and infertility.

If you are dealing with fatigue, insomnia, depression, infertility, slow metabolism or weight issues, or general endocrine issues, you may have issues with blood sugar regulation. Additional signs and symptoms could be: craving sweets, irritable or light headed if meals are missed, dependent on coffee, jittery or shaky, easily upset or nervous, memory issues, or blurred vision.

WHAT ABOUT HYDRATION?

Water is the most common nutritional deficiency in the American population. Fatigue can set in if the body loses as little as 2% of it's water content. When the body loses 10% of it's water content, significant health problems can arise. Some signs of dehydration include: fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depression, cravings, cramps, and headaches. More severe signs of dehydration include: heartburn, joint pain, back pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, constipation, and colitis. Water is critical for many very important roles within the body. Some of these roles are:

Removal of wastes
Flushing toxins
Preventing tissues from sticking
Lubricating joints
Improving cell to cell communication
Maintaining normal electrical properties of cells
Improving oxygen delivery to cells
Transporting nutrients
Absorbing shock to joints and organs
Regulating body temperature
Moistening oxygen for easier breathing
Promoting healthy sperm and cervical mucus

The body can only produce roughly 8% of it's daily water needs through metabolic processes, the other 92% needs to be ingested through the foods and beverages we consume on a daily basis.

To ensure you are properly hydrating, do your best to avoid diuretic beverages, such as soda, alcohol, coffee, fruit juice, etc. Seek out a pure, clean source of water, free from flouride and contaminants. Try to drink half your weight in ounces each day, and if you consume diuretic beverages, you will want to drink additional water to make up for it.