Nutrition Therapy & Counseling
We offer Functional Medicine Nutrition in our office, through our board-certified Nutrition Specialist Tasha Picciarelli (Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists). Functional Medicine Nutrition is the gold standard in advanced medical nutrition therapy. Its goal is to address the base cause of issues rather than to manage symptoms. Through a whole-foods diet, high-quality supplements and natural therapy counseling, Functional Medicine Nutrition gives the body support to heal correctly and help itself.
This approach to nutrition can help patients with
- Weight loss
- type II diabetes
- food sensitivities (gluten / dairy / other)
- high blood pressure
- high triglycerides
- issues with insulin resistance or intolerance
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- chronic gut issues (cramping/constipation/diarrhea – typically these are food sensitivities that the person may not be aware of).
Some causes of nutrient deficiencies include process, nutrient-poor foods, poor or overused soil and increased time it takes food to get to the market and then to table.
Additional conditions associated to some extent with nutrient deficiencies include:
- Stress, anxiety
- Poor wound healing
- Skin disorders (eczema, psoriasis, acne, dermatitis herpetiformis, among others)
- Myalgia
- Anemia
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Hormone imbalance
- Depression
- Mood disorders
- Insomnia
The process entails viewing the body as one complete integrated system. Through a consultation, an educated approach is formulated to ensure consideration of biochemical individuality, genetic predispositions, and functional health status. The partnership with each individual patient is key to adapting an integrative approach supported by research, lab work, and clinical experience.
Nutrition patients receive a customized dietary and supplement protocol that streamlines with her / his functional health status. It’s a holistic approach based on the latest in scientific medical research.
The process optimizes an individual’s health and nutrition, strengthens the body’s processes and supports the body’s natural detoxification.
Benefits of working with a Certified Nutrition Specialist:
- Faster healing and shorter recovery time with less bruising and swelling for surgery patients
- Improved scar/wound healing
- Functional lab work and tests determine possible nutritional deficiencies
- Better, improved overall health!
Functional Whole Body Nutrition Before & After Surgery
Optimizing nutrition before surgery is critical to ease recovery and reduce complications. Post-surgery recovery requires more nutrients. Being well nourished, has your body better equipped for surgery and translates into faster healing and recovery. Most adults are nutrient deficient, especially in magnesium, zinc and vitamin C. These are essential for proper wound healing, decreasing inflammation and faster recovery. You can mitigate some of this stress, help support healing and make recovery as fast as possible. Here are a few suggestions.
Increase Anti-oxidants + Vitamin C
Stress of surgery increases free-radical production causes inflammation. The body needs antioxidants to reduce stress and inflammation.
- Brightly colored fruits, lots of GREEN vegetables
- Blueberries, berries, orange fruits, veggies, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, bell peppers.
Increase Lean protein (eggs, chicken, turkey, beans and legumes)
Collagen, the body’s most abundant protein, is important in knitting tissue back together.
- Body’s demand for protein increases significantly after surgery
Strengthen the gut and optimize absorption of nutrients (Probiotics)
Antibiotics are prescribed after surgery to prevent infection. While antibiotics kill bad bugs, they may also harm beneficial bacteria that line your digestive tract. Beneficial bacteria help digestion, manufacture vitamins and are important in immune system function.
Consume Easily digestible foods (bone broth, green smoothies, juicing)
Bone broths are among THE VERY BEST foods you can eat prior to and following surgery. A rich source of minerals, it is easy to make on your own and is a delicious, comforting food to sip after surgery. Bone broths contain collagen and gelatin that benefit gastric ulcers, and proline which is used for the formation of collagen. They also contain glycine which improves digestion by increasing gastric acid secretion and helps prevent the breakdown of protein in muscle. Glycine helps the body detoxify and induces sleep. Broths contain the amino acid glutamine that heals the lining of the small intestine and helps heal leaky GUT. Bone broths are excellent for anyone recovering from surgery, is ill or who have any serious health concern, such as autoimmune disease. Broths are truly food as medicine!
Stay Hydrated with filtered water
The body is 80% water. Detoxification relies on water to sweep away toxins and convert fat soluble nutrients to water soluble nutrients. Since medications must be processed through the liver, staying hydrated before and after surgery is essential to clearing these substances from the body. For most people drinking 60+ ounces of water per day is a good goal. While recommendations are to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day, this is extremely difficult for most people. If you feel thirst, you are dehydrated. Start the day with a glass or two and then just keep sipping throughout the day. Remember that filtered water is best since there are many contaminates in tap water.
To achieve your optimal nutrition before or after surgery, schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with our Certified Nutrition Specialist Tasha Picciarelli. Just ask our staff or call 281-894-9992.
Learn More about Beclinicalspa at beclinicalspa.com
