Functional Nutrition

What is Functional Nutrition?

It’s a form of nutrition practice which evaluates the complex interactions among genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that influence all acute and chronic health problems.
This model uses advanced nutritional assessment by means of a thorough health history analysis as well as functional laboratory tests to formulate a personalized therapeutic plan to promote optimal health and vitality.

The prevalence of complex chronic diseases is increasing at an alarming rate around the globe.
Chronic diseases are mainly diet and lifestyle related and thus require dietary and lifestyle solutions.
The current prevalent healthcare system fails to take into account the unique genetic makeup of each individual as well as the fact that many lifestyle habits (like dietary modifications, sleep quality, movement and relaxation) can affect gene expression (= ‘epigenetics’).

I use a functional assessment that includes your and your family’s health history, test results carried out to date, and a diet and lifestyle review that allows for nutrient-related clinical patterns and underlying biochemical imbalances to emerge.
I check for physical signs to identify altered body composition, abnormal vital signs and a variety of nutritional imbalances that can be further explored by means of laboratory testing. This includes taking vital measurements, your weight, as well as looking at the appearance of skin, eyes, nails, tongue, gums, teeth and more.
I use functional laboratory testing to uncover nutritional deficiencies and physiological patterns related to clinical imbalances. (see – Tests for further details)
I scrutinize your completed Functional Nutrition Questionnaire for dietary, nutrition and lifestyle details to evaluate your physical macro- and micronutrient intake, your relationship with food (eating habits, cravings, stress feeding responses and beliefs around food) as well as how they correlate with your presenting complaints.
I formulate a nutritional support strategy and a detailed therapeutic action plan for you to follow in order to bring you back to balance, whatever level it may be lost at, be it physical (biochemical), mental, or emotional.

Nutritional therapy works for people of all ages and can help a great many acute as well as chronic conditions.

Here are a few examples of those that research has shown to have responded well to this way of optimising health:

Stummy pain, bloating, diarrhoea, irritable bowel, inflammatory bowel (Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease), constipation, reflux

depression, anxiety, ADHD, developmental delays, autism, dyslexia, irritability, mood swings, dementia