At East Bay Nutrition Therapy and Integrative Health Counseling we believe many dis-eases of mind and dysfunction of the body are caused significantly by sub-optimal nourishment on multiple levels: biological/physical, psychological/emotional, social/cultural, and spiritual/creative. Even in the presence of a highly caloric diet, and constant contact via social media, more and more people are overfed and yet undernourished. Functional Nutrition Therapy and Integrative Health Counseling focus on finding the best bio-individual way for each of us to use multiple forms of nourishment as medicine (food, friends, movement, contribution, etc.) to optimize our health and prevent or reverse dysfunction or dis-ease. There is no "one size fits all" approach as we each have variations in our genetics, cultural preferences, environments, access, health histories, wellness goals, and relationships with self-care.
Thus, while functional medicine nutrition attends to symptoms, our focus is much more "upstream" to find the root origin/s of symptoms. This is done through a comprehensive health history that includes all aspects of one's experience that may have contributed to sub-optimal health including psycho-emotional stress, nutrient deficiencies, environmental toxins, isolation and marginalization, and genetics. Then, we work together, realistically and compassionately, to attend to avenues that can support more optimal health and feeling of greater vitality. Although lab analysis from a functional medicine perspective can be helpful and motivating for some, expensive laboratory testing is not necessary. We can use a nutritional physical exam, comprehensive assessment questionnaires, and thorough history taking to gather a great amount of information about your health.