Virtually everyone, at some point in their life, has gone on a diet. From Atkins to Paleo, Keto to cabbage soup, there are no end of trends that make grandiose promises (and usually with some celebrity endorsement thrown in as well).
While some people achieve a level of success, such attempts are far more likely to end in failure. This is especially relevant if, like many people, you follow a diet plan to lose weight. Even if you do shed a few pounds, the overwhelming evidence is that this will slowly be regained in the weeks or months after you stop following the plan.
However, before we run away with the thought that dieting is all to do with weight, consider this:
Nutrition (AKA diet) directly impacts the body at cellular level
Your food choices affect so much more than just your weight and body shape. They have an effect on everything that makes you the person you are – from health to the ageing process, allergies to mental well-being – and everything in-between.
And there’s another crucial aspect that might come as even more of a surprise:
We all have different nutritional needs
That’s because each of us is biochemically unique, requiring a range of nutrients that is particular to us and us alone. This is why there’s no one-size-fits-all eating plan and the reason that most diets are doomed to failure.
Your Body Responds Differently to Everyone Else’s
As well as needing a particular blend of nutrients for optimal function, your body’s response to food is also impacted by other factors.
These include:
- Your lifestyle
- Health conditions
- Your environment
- Genetics
- Hormones
- Your mental health
There’s also the issue of food allergies and sensitivities. While a true allergy presents in fairly typical ways (itching, a rash/hives, wheezing, facial swelling, breathing difficulties etc), food sensitivities tend to have far more subtle symptoms.
Examples include:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Difficulty losing weight
- Inflammation
- Skin conditions, such as eczema
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it helps paint the picture that the food we eat is directly linked to every aspect of health.
Let’s look at one particular area of health, inflammation, and its links to nutrition.
Inflammation can be acute – in response to an illness or injury – or it can be chronic. The latter can have extreme negative effects on health. From diabetes to arthritis, chronic inflammation is now known to be a contributing factor to many (if not virtually all) modern illnesses.
For some people, certain foods can also increase inflammation. Examples of potentially inflammatory foods include red meat, white flour, alcohol, some types of fish, tomatoes and even potatoes.
But, once again, this isn’t true for everyone. So… How on earth do you know that a certain food or foods might be the cause of any of your health or well-being issues?
Welcome to the Field of Functional Nutrition
One of the biggest medical shifts over recent years is the move towards precision, or personalised medicine. This is an innovative approach that takes information about a person’s genetics, lifestyle and environment, and uses this to guide their care.
Functional nutrition is a sub-field of this, utilising a holistic approach where food is used as medicine to treat a wide variety of symptoms and promote long-term physical and mental health.
Forget forbidden foods, calorie counting, macros and such, the first step of this novel method doesn’t have anything to do with advising you what to eat. Instead, it’s all about defining how your food choices might be interacting with other aspects of your health.
Examples of how this might present include:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Stress
- Anxiety or depression
- Hormonal issues
- Poor sleep
- Any known health issues
Functional nutrition uses many methods to define the underlying causes of these symptoms. The process is primarily undertaken through verbal assessments that can identify any contributory factors. It might also include blood tests, hormone tests, microbiome and gut testing, if appropriate.
Armed with this information, your functional nutritionist can then create a personalised plan that targets your body’s individual dietary requirements. This will consist of not only dietary advice, but also lifestyle modifications, supplements and any further testing recommendations. It will also include how long you should follow this initial plan and a further assessment appointment.. At this point, certain tweaks might be made, depending on your progress and taking any challenges into account.
This tailored, holistic approach to nutrition is proven to positively address many health challenges. Heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, gut health, mental health conditions, hormonal balance and more – as well as that age-old reason so many of us follow a diet plan, to lose weight.
A big part of working with a functional nutritionist is the on-going support. It takes time to identify and fine-tune your nutritional needs. Rest assured, this isn’t another diet craze, nor does it promote any kind of restrictive eating. This is a proactive, detailed and considered approach, with the aim of restoring balance in the body and the support to become the very best version of yourself.
Find out more and book a functional nutrition appointment at The Dr Jenni Clinic today.