What is a Functional Medicine Nutritional Coach?
The thought of a nutritional coach might be a turnoff for you. You might be thinking of a drill sergeant who forces you to eat broccoli with every meal. Or you may be worried a nutritional coach is going to tell you to cut calories and leave you feeling hungry 24/7.
But that’s not what nutritional coaching is like at all—especially when you work with a functional medicine nutritional coach.
It doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to be difficult for difficulty’s sake. And it doesn’t have to come at the expense of self-esteem. In fact, nutritional coaching should have the opposite effect.
By eating properly, you’ll have more energy to do the activities you love. You’ll learn more about your body and realize that weight and inflammation are complex biological processes, not just a matter of willpower. Every step of your journey, you’ll also have an enthusiastic supporter (your coach) who will encourage you toward your goals.
Let’s learn more about functional medicine nutritional coaching.
What is a Functional Medicine Nutritional Coach?
A functional medicine nutrition coach is a professional who works with clients to improve their overall health and wellness by using functional medicine principles and nutritional science. They help clients identify and address the underlying causes of health issues, rather than simply treating symptoms. This can include evaluating the client’s diet, lifestyle, and medical history and making recommendations for dietary changes, supplements, and other interventions to address specific health concerns. They also work with clients to develop personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans to support optimal health, helping them make sustainable changes to their eating habits and lifestyle.
Examples of Functional Medicine Nutritional Coaching
Whenever we start a new patient on a nutritional coaching plan, we want to get clear on their health goals. What do you want to achieve through our sessions? In many cases, the goal is to uncover a hidden cause of symptoms and address those naturally and holistically. Here are three common examples of nutritional coaching goals.
- Weight management: A functional medicine nutrition coach may work with a client who is struggling to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. They will evaluate the client’s current diet and lifestyle and make recommendations to optimize nutrient intake, balance hormones, and improve gut health, which can help support weight loss.
- Digestive health: A functional medicine nutrition coach may work with a client who is experiencing digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea. They will evaluate the client’s diet and lifestyle before making recommendations to improve gut health, such as increasing fiber, reducing processed foods, and incorporating probiotics.
- Chronic disease management: A functional medicine nutrition coach may work with a client who has a chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease, or autoimmune disorder. They will evaluate the client’s diet and lifestyle and make recommendations to improve nutrient intake, balance hormones, and reduce inflammation, which can help manage symptoms and improve overall health.
Nutrition is Just One of the Three Pillars of Health
At Integra Health and Wellness, we focus on all areas of health. If you’re getting all the right nutrition but your hormones are off balance, then we can’t say that you’re experiencing true health. That’s why we’ve come up with three pillars of health, which we emphasize in each patient’s personalized treatment plan.
Nutritional coaching is one of our health pillars. In fact, nutritional coaching at Integra Health is not optional. We welcome patients who have a deep knowledge of nutrition as well as a desire to learn more. Without nutritional coaching, true healing isn’t possible.
Cognitive therapy is the second pillar. Our team treats people with Alzheimer’s and other causes of cognitive decline. Even if you’re dealing with moderate brain fog, we can get to the root cause and help you feel better. We focus primarily on two modalities that assist the limbic system in promoting neuroplasticity. This focus is crucial as the limbic system is involved in emotional long-term memory and hippocampus function.
Finally, bioidentical hormone therapy rounds out our three pillars. This therapy has been used by medical practitioners for years and is a highly effective therapy designed to mimic the hormones in your body in an effort to better balance and regulate hormones. This therapy can be beneficial for both men and women of all ages and in all stages of life. This includes pre-meno, peri-meno, and post-menopausal women, as well as those individuals trying to conceive. It also includes hormonal symptoms experienced by men, including low libido, reduced mental clarity, and poor sleep.
Start Functional Medicine Nutritional Coaching in Fresno
If you’ve been trying to reduce bloating, lose weight, or increase your energy without success, then you might be a prime candidate for nutritional coaching in Fresno. Work with the team at Integra Health and Wellness. We come at nutrition from a holistic approach, looking to see how the food you eat can resolve underlying health problems.
You won’t believe how good you will feel once you correct a few gut imbalances and nutritional deficiencies.
