There are many therapies available to help you reach your health goals. To do this as quickly and efficiently as possible, we use a combed approach of; dietary changes, lifestyle recommendations, specific therapies and/or exercises and supplementation. This combination of therapies can be altered to meet your specific needs (i.e., we can focus more or less on any one of the areas to accommodate time constraints, cooking ability, desire/time to workout, want or need for supplementation, etc.). More than any other area, the need for supplementation will change dramatically as your health changes.
Supplementation is an important part of your overall plan as it gives your body the nutrients it needs to rebuild and repair. This is especially important as you begin your healing process. Testing may indicate nutritional imbalances that are adversely affecting your health. You may not be getting optimal nutrients through your diet. In both cases, supplementation is necessary for you to achieve your health goals. Very often, deficiencies or imbalances exist that have taken years or decades to create. Food alone cannot restore these nutrients. For this reason, supplementation plays a key, albeit short term role in getting you on your natural path to optimal health.
You can decrease the duration of supplement need by following the recommended dietary changes. Dietary changes will not only provide you the nutrients you need but will also limit the foods that decrease your overall health and/or nutritional status. Thus, you have the control to determine how long you will need to use supplementation to augment your diet.
As you progress toward your health goals, the role of supplementation shifts from providing nutrients that heal to providing the nutrients to maintain optimal health. As you heal, we will focus more on food to maintain your nutrient levels, thereby decreasing your dependence on supplementation. Again, the importance of following your recommended dietary guidelines is paramount to your success. Note these guidelines will also change as your health improves. You will be able to incorporate more foods and/or enjoy some foods that may not be the healthiest options but provide a great deal of emotional enjoyment. At this stage, the 80/20 rule is in full effect – it’s what you do 80% of the time that counts; that gives you about 3 meals/week you can choose to eat foods outside your normal dietary regime.
Progression along your natural path to optimal health is dependent on many factors, including your ability to take recommended supplementation as directed. Testing will be used to determine when to shift your focus to more dietary and lifestyle based therapies. You can greatly facilitate this process not only by following through on your commitment to these changes, but also by participating in the recommended testing and consultations.
Throughout this process, remember that we are working as a team to get you to your goals. Your program is a guideline for success; however, it is not set in stone. If there are aspects of your program that don’t work for you, including the use of certain supplements, dietary needs/preferences, time, financial constraints or any other factors that are important to you, bring them up during your next appointment and we will make the changes necessary to keep you moving along your natural path to optimal health.
We look forward to serving you, now and in the future.