Integrative Nutritionist: EXPLAINED
Ok, so let’s go ahead and answer that question that’s been nagging at the back of your mind…
What in the world is an integrative nutritionist?
While there isn’t necessarily one standard definition of Integrative Health, generally it refers to a whole person approach to health and addresses all potential influences like physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental. It is informed by science and is the combination of conventional medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Self Care practices. An integrative approach incorporates all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing (1).
So, this means that as an integrative nutritionist:
I approach wellness by looking at the whole person. So in my sessions with clients, we talk about health history, food, movement, sleep, stress, lifestyle, support system, what makes you happy, and so much more.
I work collaboratively and synergistically with my clients, as well as other healthcare practitioners as needed. As a team, we can best support our shared vision of health better than we could as individuals.
What is it like to work with me?
I sometimes also refer to myself as a functional nutritionist, which encompasses the idea that my goal is to support health, rather than just avoid illness. I want to keep you functioning - and functioning very well at that!
In my work, I don’t just support you based on your individual symptoms, but rather try to understand the root cause of what may be going on.
I believe that your body is always “talking” to you. My job is to help you tune in and listen. And then, once you hear it, my job is to help you figure out what to do with that information. There are a few key pillars to all of my work with clients.
Collaborative…
I don’t have all the answers. Our work together relies on collaboration. While we may spend a great deal of time working together, you will undoubtedly spend more time without me. I bring wellness expertise to the table; you bring expertise about your life, your reactions, what makes sense for your lifestyle, what doesn’t, etc. I like to use the analogy of driving a car: you’re the one in the driver’s seat, I’m just here to help you navigate.
Science-based…
With my Masters in Nutrition and Integrative Health, I’ve spent the last several years not only keeping up with the latest in nutritional science but also learning how to read studies in order to assess research quality. This is to ensure I’m rooting all of our work together in good science.
Weight-inclusive…
I do not use the number on your scale as a marker of success - I don’t believe it defines you or gives any insight into how you are feeling. I do believe, however, that there are far more specific and accurate markers we can use to assess your progress.
100% tailored…
Our work together is unique to YOU. Your combination of likes, dislikes, daily routine, habits, triggers, and wellness history is unlike anyone else’s. Your wellness journey is no different. In our work together we will co-create little experiments that are designed specifically to work in your life, and if they don’t work, we go back to the drawing board and try again until something works… and works well.
The Nitty Gritty
Working with me starts with a free 20-minute introductory call. On this call, I listen and hear what brought you through my virtual “door”. Whether that’s a current health concern or a goal that you have, I may ask a few questions for better context and to determine if I’m the best person to offer you support. We’ll finish up by going over how I run my practice and by scheduling your initial 90-minute virtual session.
Before your session, I’ll have you fill out some pretty thorough intake forms with questions about health history, family history, your goals, sleep, movement, stress, symptoms, and so much more. In addition, I ask that if you have any bloodwork or testing done within the last year, to please send it my way, so I can review before our session and come as prepared as possible.
Our first session is 90-minutes and we review the information from your intake forms for further context and detail. We’ll also talk about food and likely do a nutrition-focused physical exam, where I’ll ask questions about hair, skin, nails, and stuff like that. Sometimes we may see a shift in these areas before we see anything in blood work that may indicate a nutritional need. We’ll discuss any medications or supplements you’re already taking in terms of any relevant nutrient interactions.
Based on our conversation, we may come up with an “experiment” or two for you to try until we meet again. After the initial session is when I get to work developing a high level plan for our work together, reviewing literature and protocols and analyzing food findings, physical exam findings, and bloodwork findings along with your lifestyle and preferences to tailor this play specifically to YOU!
From here, we’ll continue to meet for 45-minutes at either weekly or bi-weekly intervals and in these sessions, we’ll check in with YOU. How are you finding the “experiments” we’ve tried? If they’re not working for you, great - this means our strategy wasn’t quite right for your lifestyle. We go back to the drawing board and see if we can re-strategize.
Our work together may include some additional testing to investigate a little deeper. These could be things like additional bloodwork, a stool test, or micronutrient test, or a hormone test - depending on what makes sense based on your health story and your budget.
In what situation might someone work with me?
There are many nuanced reasons someone might want to visit an integrative nutritionist and I can’t even pretend to know them all. Here are just a few reasons why someone might seek me out in particular.
Specific Symptoms
Gut health is my specialty, so you might want to seek nutrition support from me if you are experiencing gut related issues. This could be anything from symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, frequent food poisoning, and gas to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), Crohn’s Disease, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Ulcerative Colitis, and more.
Do some detective work
Another reason you might seek out nutrition support is to dig a little deeper into chronic symptoms that you just can’t figure out. Maybe your bloodwork keeps coming back normal and you’ve tried some diet and lifestyle adjustments and still don’t feel your best. In these cases, I may be able to help dig a little deeper and ensure that we are best supporting your body with the nutritional building blocks it needs.
Accountability and Motivation
You may also seek out support if you have a chronic condition or specific wellness goal in mind and you would like to make sure you are supported in making shifts safely. Accountability and motivation are like the fuel we need to put in the car to make it go.
Optimal Nourishment
Finally, you may be a certain time in your life where you’d just like to make sure you are nourishing yourself well. This could be the case if you are planning for a family, getting ready for an athletic event or performance, prepping or recovering from surgery, starting a new medication, or you may just have a curiosity and interest in supporting yourself in that way.
Alright, I hope this helped give a little more insight into what its like working with an integrative nutritionist. If you’ve made it this far and you are curious about working with me or have any other questions, click the button below to schedule a free 20-minute call.
Be well,
Nina
Reference
A Qualitative Analysis of Various Definitions of Integrative Medicine and Health. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2022, from http://www.tihcij.com/Articles/A-Qualitative-Analysis-of-Various-Definitions-of-Integrative-Medicine-and-Health.aspx?id=0000441