Making Nutritional Modifications

How Do I Start Making Nutritional Modifications?

Functional medicine is about getting to the root of the problem – the causes, not the symptom. For that reason, we often take a close look at our patients’ diet and nutritional habits. Many people that visit Denver’s Omnia Health are asked to make some lifestyle modifications that involve nutrition. 

For some people, this feels like we are asking you to stop eating your favorite foods. I know it is hard, not fair and no fun but trust me, we really see results, and more importantly, so will you! Plus, you came to Omnia to feel better, right? 

The question is then begged… “Where do I start?” I always start each patient by asking what a typical day of eating looks like. While I know all days vary, people tend to eat pretty similarly on most days. Once we get a big picture of what you are eating on a daily/weekly basis we are able to see where the changes might start. 

Let’s start with your favorite meal of the day

So let’s say you love breakfast, it is your favorite meal of the day but you tend to eat a lot of cereal, bread, and pastries at breakfast. Starting your day off with lots of carbohydrates and sugar is like a jolt to your system and lasts for a short period of time and then most people end up craving more sugar and then fueling their bodies with sugar rather than whole foods. So as your health coach, I might ask you what else you like at breakfast, I may offer up some ideas of different breakfast options. 

Once you settle on something that fits into the nutritional modifications we talk about you can incorporate this change into your daily routine.  

It is important to note that we don’t always start with breakfast, we might also start with lunch or dinner or even snacks. The beauty of health coaching is that we start where you think you can be the most successful. You are in the driver’s seat and I am coaching you along. Making lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming at first but just like anything else once you practice you just keep getting better.

Science tells us WHY

The next question that a lot of patients ask is why? They come to see me and tell me the practitioners told them no gluten, dairy or sugar but they don’t know why. The very simple reason is that science tells us that these are the big three inflammation drivers in our bodies.  The world tells us these are also the yummiest foods out there! Trust me, I can teach you and help you find lots of yummy gluten, dairy and sugar-free foods, you just have to be willing to make changes in your lifestyle. 

Functional medicine provides answers

Now you might be asking me or yourself why does it matter if I eat foods that cause inflammation. That answer is a little bit more complicated, however again science tells us that your risk of heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, auto-immune disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other chronic issues increase. 

“In the functional medicine world, we strongly believe food is medicine…”

In the functional medicine world, we strongly believe food is medicine so when we ask you to make changes to your diet we are doing it because there is a science to prove that it actually works and clears up symptoms without prescription medication. 

And to make sure we’re looking at the right information to design your plan, we always test, we never guess! Lab tests are critical to making decisions based on fact.  

Let’s work together

Now we are back to the beginning. How do we make these modifications and how can we help support you as you embark on your new eating habits? This is where Omnia Health comes in. 

We will work together to set goals around food, we will work within your boundaries to find solutions specific to you. I will walk with you through the process of change into transformation and ultimately you will be optimizing your health and wellness. 

What is Functional Medicine? Learn more here.