Why You’re Still Sick.

“I’ve tried everything and nothing works.  No one seems to know what is wrong with me.  I am tired of taking all of this medicine”.

While part of me is slightly saddened to be the last resort for clients, the opportunity to play a role in helping others to truly find relief never gets old.  Medical advancements and technologies have saved the lives of many and play a huge role in longevity and ever-increasing lifespan of humans.  However, in today’s fast-paced world we are lucky to get 5 minutes with a practitioner.  Assessments and diagnosis can fall short due to time constraints.  This rushed sense of patient turnover has unfortunately led to a health model that is more disease centered than patient centered and truly impairs the effectiveness of treatment.  In our culture, visits to the doctor are usually a result of acute symptom, so the symptoms of the day are the main focus of the visit. “You have joint pain? Here, take this.  That medication has this side effect, so you’ll want to take this too!”

When working as a clinical dietitian in the hospital setting for many years, I too fell into this practice and each day grew more and more distant from my true passion which was treating people through food and identifying the root cause of chronic conditions.  After years of trying to figure out my “niche”, Integrative and Functional Medicine fell into my lap when trying to better manage my own chronic disease after multiple failed attempts following the conventional approaches.  From that point on, I have dedicated my career to learning and perfecting my knowledge of more holistic approaches to nutritional treatments beyond calorie counting, measuring cups, and body fat percentages.  I wanted to truly enhance the body’s natural ability to function and heal through food.

The practice of Integrative and Functional Medicine “reaffirms the important of relationship between practitioner and patient”, and focuses on the patient as a whole person versus isolated symptoms.    It realizes that each person has a unique genetic make-up along with internal (mind, body, spirit) and external (physical and social) factors that affect total functioning.  This approach looks at core imbalances that underlie symptoms and are the root of chronic health conditions. The tools that functional medicine utilizes include:

• In-depth patient interviewing
• Laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques
• Herbal remedies
• Exercise
• Supplements
• Therapeutic Diets
• Detoxification Programs
• Stress-Management techniques

What is Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy?

Currently, I am enrolled in a program to become certified in Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT).  An Integrative and Functional Registered Dietitian Nutritionist uses an approach that is complimentary to conventional medicine practices and seeks to work with other practitioners in a team approach.  A combination of scientific evidence and practice-based evidence helps to guide RD’s who focus on this area.  The advanced training in IFMNT helps to provide a unique holistic approach to modulating chronic disease pathophysiology toward wellness.

What should you expect from your visit with an IFMNT Registered Dietitian?

At initial visits with an IFMNT RD, you should expect an in-depth interview that allows the practitioner to understand the whole, big picture of your story.  This assessment focuses on lifestyle, core imbalances, metabolic pathways and networks, biomarkers of health and nutritional status, and signs and symptoms.  It takes into consideration predisposing factor, triggers to symptoms/conditions, and factors that allow the continuation of issues.

Sometimes at the first visit, nutrition is not the primary focus!  It is vitally important to the success of each client to discuss physical, mental, and emotional aspects of life.  Current and ongoing problems are addressed while the RD creates a timeline and identifies connections.  A discussion of what has worked versus what has not worked in the past takes place as well which allows the RD to really connect the dots.

The TEN Tenets of Dietetics and Integrative Medicine (From the University of Kansas Medical Center/KU Integrative Medicine)

1. Individualized Integrative Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) optimizes wellness
2. Genomic uniqueness of an individual contributes to integrative MNT interventions in addition to practice and evidence based medicine.
3. Listening to a patient’s story is the basis of therapeutic relationship between providers and their clients to maximize health outcomes
4. Food as epigenetic messaging- “Food is information”- wellness promoted by targeted food and nutrient interventions for each individual.
5. Low-contaminated whole foods and targeted nutrients specific for the individual provide are the foundation of integrative MNT
6. Correct nutritional deficiencies as well as insufficiencies to optimize nutrient metabolism and lower the risk of chronic disease.
7. Use of targeted nutrient therapies to reduce toxin damage to metabolism
8. Beliefs and community relationships influence nutritional health
9. Know when we are NOT the expert. Collaborate with other members of the healthcare team

Long story short, work with a practitioner that truly identifies you as an individual and appreciates that what works for your best friend, your mom, or even your children may not be the best approach for you.  This “one size fits all” realm that we have created isn’t working anymore.  You are unique.  Your story is unique.  Your treatment is unique.

EMAIL:
hello@chewsfoodwisely.com

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Business Mailing Address:
2525 Robinhood Street
Houston, Texas 77005