Nutrition And Health

The one thing we all have in common is that we have to eat to survive. The foundation of a good diet and nutrition is the most important aspect of optimal health.

Did you know that about 90% of our serotonin, which is the main ‘happy’ neurotransmitter, is made in the gut? This gives us some understanding, of the importance of good eating habits to balance our moods. Our bodies are made up of many physiological systems.

Our job as functional nutritionists is to assess the different systems of the body and advise you through food, lifestyle and sometimes supplements. Therefore we get to the root of many health issues. We treat the cause, which ultimately should treat the symptoms using the principles of functional medicine.

Let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food
– Hippocrates

Approximately 9.8% of the Irish population are diabetic and predisposed to develop type 1 or 2 diabetes. The knock-on pressure of this western world dietary phenomenon on our health service and more importantly our personal health is yet to be fully realized. Following a healthy diet and lifestyle decreases an individual’s chances of developing insulin resistance and pilling on the pounds.

A large part of my clinical work has led me to treating a lot of thyroid and low energy clients. Thyroid medication is in the top ten prescription medications list according to the HSE PRCS statistics, printed in 2015. In my practice, at least 1 in 4 women are taking thyroid medication.

Many still feel the symptoms of main hypothyroidism so why is that? I look to the other systems of the body to work on what needs nourishment. It could be the gut, low iron stores, weak immunity, poor detoxification and the list goes on from that.

Your Nutrition Profile

As part of the healthy heart program team with Dr Dilis Clare, I also have to reassess potential acute or chronic cardiac patients’ nutrition profile. Once again diet and lifestyle are key factors in the recuperation of healthy circulation, lowering bad cholesterol and decreasing inflammation.

My dissertation was researching the effects of probiotics on IBS. Even then I could see the importance of good gut health. Over the years I have seen more and more that healthy digestion from mouth to anus is the foundation of feeling good. Whether you have constipation, diarrhoea, diverticulitis, low or high stomach acid, haemorrhoids, gastritis, or gall bladder issues there are interventions that can give you a new lease of life!

Whether you play team sports, run marathons or have started going to the gym for the first time in years a focused diet plan albeit conventional, paleo, vegetarian or vegan individualized eating plans can play a key part in performance and health.

Recent research shows that 20% of your health story can be attributed to genetics. More and more of my clients are opting to have nutrigenetic/nutrigenomic testing.

Generally, It Is For People With Either;

• autoimmune conditions.
• client’s who have great diets, tried ‘everything’ and still can’t get what the problem is…
• strong genetic tendencies within the family to certain disorders eg. Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s, Haemochromatosis and more…
• high-performance athletes and anyone who wants to achieve the best that they can in sports and health.
• optimal health.

I also offer food intolerance testing and many other functional tests through the CNS laboratories or Genova Diagnostics, depending on requirements. Eliminated food sensitivities are a major benefit for everything from chronic sinusitis to rheumatoid arthritis.

Food intolerance in children is on the increase as are ADD, Autism, and hyperactivity to name but a few-could there be a link?
So depending on the client there are many avenues of nutritional therapy to be explored and no two cases are the same so make an appointment today. Call 087 9074701.

Please call 087 9074701  or use my contact page so we can discuss any issues you might be having.

Take Some Time To Read Some Interesting Articles On The Different Aspects Of Nutrition

• Carbohydrates in your diet
• The importance of Proteins
• Vitamins and your diet
• Water is the cornerstone of health
• Weight loss