A personalized nutrition approach is based on an individual’s specific health needs, their preventative health goals, personal values, genetics, as well as social and family life. We take into consideration the full constellation of a person’s life and come up with an optimal plan to meet those goals.
In today’s world of nutrition science, you will find a dizzying amount of health claims. There is no lack of controversy when it comes to nutrition advice, some of which borders on religious fervor. Aside from all the controversy and conflicting advice, is conventional dietary advice effective? The conventional medical establishment has been pushing a low-fat, high carb diet for years. Is there really evidence that this is the best path to optimal health?
So where does one start? Should you try Vegan? Paleo? DASH? Mediterranean? Paleo Mediterranean? Keto? Low Carb? Carnivore? Atkins? Ornish?
What diet actually works for you?
Personalized nutrition cuts through all the hype. Instead of trying to fit you into a cookie-cutter single way of eating, we tailor a plan that meets your needs. We start with asking a series of questions–
Are you dealing with any current health issues? For instance, someone may have concerns about diabetes, heart disease or reflux. We look at what these current issues may be and consider what may be best for these conditions.
Perhaps you have had kidney stones in the past and would like to prevent them in the future? There is also the issue of genetics. Many people now have access to genetic reports like 23andMe that give information about certain genetic markers. Perhaps you are interested in understanding what kind of nutrients you need to help prevent a condition like Alzheimer’s? Or how to reduce overall inflammation as a way to help prevent certain cancers?
For most people, food and the sharing of meals is a source of social connection and joy. We will discuss what is important to you in terms of keeping you healthy and happy. We will also discuss and strategize how to make your family happy while you make changes. Many people find that they need their family members or fellow household members to be at least partially on board when making changes in order for there to be long-term success.
We take a blood serum baseline when you first come in. We test cardiometabolic markers like fasting insulin, fasting glucose, lipid profiles, HbA1C, inflammatory markers, as well as the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid balance in your cells. We also test micronutrients to see if you are low in anything that you may need.
Once you have a nutrition protocol to implement, we have you adhere to your new way of eating for 3-4 months. We then retest your blood serum using the same panel. We can then see how your individual blood values have shifted in response to your new diet and lifestyle. We look at the numbers and we can then see if we are headed in the right direction!
Some people need a kitchen makeover. We will help you stock your cabinets with new, healthy foods that fit your lifestyle and goals. We offer a program that involves one or more house visits where we assess cooking and food items, suggest healthy alternatives and we then help you get on your way by formulating a weekly menu plans. In the beginning of this process, we send a personal chef to your home to show you how to prepare meals and snacks in order to make this transition simple and fun!
If you are seeking an in-depth dietary consultation that addresses lifestyle and health concerns, please make a functional medicine first time appointment here! We will do an intake that addresses all your health concerns and pertinent issues. From there we take you on your personalized nutrition journey!