What is Nutritional Therapy?
Nutritional Therapy is a unique way of navigating your health. With the help of a practitioner (NTP), you explore your goals and concerns, and see how they might tie in with the 6 FOUNDATIONS of Nutritional Therapy. There is no one size-fits-all; these foundations are only foundations to be built upon. It is the Bioindividual needs of each single person that guide the specific use of these foundations.
– Properly Prepared, Nutrient Dense Food
Just like cars run better on higher quality benzene, humans too run better on higher quality fuel, meaning NUTRIENT DENSE FOOD.
Nutrient dense meals are as diverse as possible and include food sources in their most natural, unprocessed state.
Nutrients are the many different components in our food that allow the body to function optimally. This way of eating has a positive impact on the body and not only enhances energy, but also the quality of how the body functions. Your energy levels do not depend on getting any kind of fuel, but getting the right fuel that allows your engine to run smoothly.
– Digestion
Digestion is the process by which our body breaks down food to release its energy.
Food is broken down by chewing, as well as by several chemical components throughout our digestive tract. It runs from the mouth, through the esophagus to the stomach, then into the small intestine and the large intestine before finally reaching “final destination”. The pancreas, liver and gallbladder release important components into the GI that help breakdown food as it moves through.
When digestion works smoothly, we feel great, but if there is an imbalance, we may feel pain or general malaise. Digestion itself requires a lot of energy, so supporting this foundation not only allows you to make better use of your food and get the most benefit for energy levels, proper digestion also means you are not tiring yourself out just to fuel up.
– Blood Sugar Regulation
The energy circulating in our body available for use is called blood sugar. This energy comes from food or is released from our bodies’ energy stores. The body can adapt to control the amount of circulating blood sugar, keeping it in a semi-steady amount with the least fluctuations possible. Bringing blood sugar down after eating prevents damage that can be caused by an excess. Releasing energy from our bodies’ stores (bringing blood sugar up) means we can have energy between meals without getting tired or “hangry”.
Dysregulation can happen if the body cannot utilise its energy stores, or if it’s burdened with too much sugar, causing a stress response as it tries to bring blood sugar down and blood sugar to dip sharply after a spike. Regulation of blood sugar is important to keep our energy sustained and keep you focused throughout the day.
– Fatty Acids
Fatty acids are a tasty, slow burning source of energy. What this means is that they provide slowly rising energy for a longer time, helping you avoid those energy roller coasters. They are also a main building block of all our cells.
Most of the naturally and minimally processed oils provide us with these. If our food is deficient in beneficial fatty acids, or if we consume too much of the damaging, processed kind, we can cause dysfunction and damage to our cells. Fat also helps us absorb certain fat-soluble nutrients, thereby avoiding nutritional deficiencies.
– Mineral Balance
Minerals are another type of nutrient that we need. Examples include Iron, zinc, magnesium, to name a few of countless. Though they only make up 4% of the body and are needed in the tiniest amounts, the balance of minerals is crucial. Minerals make our bones strong and dense, our muscles work and relax, and are part of reactions in the body that regulate its energy.
Balanced minerals provide major support to all foundations mentioned above.
– Hydration
Saving the best for last, WATER is the integrative medium for all, what our body uses to absorb nutrients as well eliminating wastes.We are made of water, and so cannot survive longer than a few days without it. Water is not just an integral part of our structure, but it is also a key player in the functions of the body. All those processes that absorb and produce energy as well as eliminate waste and toxins from the body happen in water. Nutrients need water to break down, get absorbed, and be available for use. The environment inside the body is water.
Proper hydration ensures that we can do all of this, and that this internal environment stays in balance. Hydration is important for our physical wellbeing as well as our mental focus. When dehydrated, we may experience fatigue, headaches, constipation, dry skin, among other symptoms.
Check this post on bioindividuality to find out more.
