3 ways to make yourself invincible – how functional nutrition is changing the wellness game

What if I told you that a simple shift in mindset to functional nutrition can save you thousands of dollars and several years of lost time when it comes to caring for your well-being. Would you take the time to listen?

The answer is YES because you’re reading this right now. Bravo, keep going.

Here’s the thing: American doctors do not have all the answers. Functional nutrition can help fill in the gap.

In the book “Doing Harm”, Maya Dusenbery states “The incentive for doctors to sit and listen to patients has completely disappeared. It’s a negative incentive, they are punished for slowing down. We’ve taught people that it’s not okay to think outside the box. There is no curiosity.”

Does this seem true to you?

I know I have high anxiety when I head to the doctor and worry that I won’t get a chance to talk and be heard. While I’m sitting in that waiting room for 30+ minutes, I’m coming up with strategies to join the conversation with important parts of my story. After all, aren’t we there for me? 

Unfortunately, not always.

I’ve seen too many doctors that spend as little time as possible in the room and prescribe as many pills and tests as they think will satisfy me enough to go away for a few months. I know my story is not unique and you may have a similar story to tell.

I would argue that our current medical system is set up for quick fixes and one-time treatments; which is the complete opposite of what is needed to properly diagnose and treat chronic conditions.

Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely a value to western/modern medicine and I am all for using that when it’s appropriate. I ALSO believe there is a lot we can solve for ourselves in a more basic and less costly way.

Agree? Yes or No

Treating a broken arm or a bacterial infection is not the same as treating a long-standing digestive disorder like Crohn’s disease or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

When I was told to “take this pill” and also “eat whatever you want, food doesn’t affect your condition,” I had to take matters into my own hands because I knew this was false.

The medical community today recognizes about 100 chronic diseases; a vast majority of these are classified as AutoImmune (AI) Diseases which include:

• Crohn’s
• Colitis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• Psoriasis
• Alopecia
• Vitiligo
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Type 1 diabetes

Within our standard American medical system, a person sees and average of 4 doctors before getting an AutoImmune diagnosis because the symptoms come on quickly and unpredictably, they may seem like several small things that don’t add up to a medically known diagnosis, symptoms come and go with triggers that are not tracked by a central system, and specialists are generally only focused on one area of the body and not the body as a complex system.

So can we get out of the mindset now that doctors are the key to our health and start believing that we can take charge of our own wellness?

I hope you can start to understand that:

1. Everything is connected (all systems in your body are connected to each other and your body is connected to the environment)
2. We are all unique
3. All things matter -> Environmental factors that AFFECT our genes are more important than our genes themselves. Things such as food, environment, movement, stress levels, mindset, etc… This is known as epigenetics.

According to Andrea Nakayama at FX Nutrition, all health issues have 3 roots and many branches. The roots are what they sound like – the actual root cause and the branches are the symptoms we experience. There is NOT one single root to chronic conditions so the three areas to look at to make yourself invincible are:

1. Genes & how their expression is influenced 
2. Digestion
3. Inflammation

Each of these 3 categories can branch into many other areas including environment, mindset, movement, and food. And even food can be broken out into 4 areas of quality, quantity, diversity, and timing. This is called the study of Functional Nutrition.

Want to know more about how functional nutrition can help plant your 3 roots into more fertile soil and reap the benefits of a more wellness-filled life?

Join me this week in The Hassle-Free Family to find out!

Written By

Diana Dutcher

I am an educator and entrepreneur who is passionate about non-toxic living. I get to be with my five kiddos (8, 6-year old twins, and 4-year old twins) as much as I want and teach one day a week. It's a beautiful abundant life 💖

Contact Diana