Functional nutrition, also known by the names holistic nutrition and nutritional therapy, uses food as medicine to address health issues at their foundation or root. Most people in the Western world do not know how it feels to feel truly healthy!
Nutrient Deficiencies:
Most Americans have a significant nutrient debt. They are walking around with multiple nutrient deficiencies, some of which were inherited, but most from eating the Standard American diet, which is in its very nature deficient in many vitamins and minerals that are crucial to health. These deficiencies cause all sorts of symptoms and can lead to disease.
Digestive Dysfunction:
Many Americans are also plagued with digestive dysfunction and various food sensitivities. Bloating, burping, passing gas after meals, and heartburn are all signs of digestive dysfunction–these things are common but they are not normal!
Microbiome imbalance (dysbiosis):
Along with digestive dysfunction and food sensitivities, which both wreak havoc on our microbiome, our obsession with sanitization and killing microbes combined has caused imbalanced microbiomes to be the norm rather than the exception. An imbalanced microbiome can be at the heart of issues ranging from skin issues to brain fog to low immune function and can lead to autoimmunity.
Hormonal Imbalance:
When it comes to hormonal dysfunction, diet is crucial. A combination of nutrient deficiencies, digestive dysfunction, eating too many refined carbohydrates, and eating low fat are some of the most common culprits that tip our hormones out of balance. Combine all of this with our stressful pace of life and living in a toxic world and our sensitive hormonal symphony falls into discord.
Personalized Nutrition:
By personalizing our nutrition and using targeted supplementation, we can correct nutrient deficiencies, restore digestive function, create balanced hormones, and rebalance the microbiome as well as so much more! When we work on the foundations of health, healing occurs naturally.
Every person is unique. What works for your neighbor, best friend, or even your own mother might not be what works for you. Nutritional therapy seeks to find exactly what your body wants right now for you to be healthy and reclaim the vitality that is your birthright! Just because obesity, back pain, anxiety, and many other health ailments are common, does not make them normal!
About Reclaiming Vitality
This purpose of this blog is to educate those who are seeking to reclaim their health and vitality amidst a sea of misinformation. Reclaiming your health need not be complicated, but it does take work. Each body has different needs and it is important to figure out what is right for your particular body.
In this blog you will find:
- Nutritional information
- Information on how different organs and organ systems work
- Whole foods/traditional foods recipes
- Safe alternative remedies
- Non-toxic home and beauty DIYs
- Information on how to personalize your nutrition
If you would like to be a member, sign up at the bottom of the page or in the pop-up. Membership is free and gives you access to the ever-growing Reclaiming Vitality Resource Library with ebooks, pdfs, and checklists to help you on your journey to finding exactly what your body needs to achieve health and vitality.
I am a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP), a Restorative Wellness Practitioner, and board certified in Holistc Nutrition. I see clients in-person and virtually. If you want my guidance on your healing journey, I would love to help you!
About Chelsea
Creator and Author
Chelsea is an FNTP (Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) with a Master’s in Education. She is a former community college teacher whose passion for food combined with her passion for keeping her family and herself in optimal health led to the creation of this blog.
Her interests in nutrition, health, and wellness intensified after encountering some big personal health issues. First, in her late 20’s she was diagnosed with Graves disease and underwent radioactive iodine therapy to kill off most of her thyroid, making her hypothyroid for the rest of her life. Second, she was diagnosed with Melanoma in 2009. She views these health challenges as blessings in disguise because through them she developed a passionate for alternative forms of healing and food as medicine.
In her 20’s, Chelsea was an esthetician. She uses that knowledge to make effective and safe skin care recipes and so there are a number of homemade skincare recipes on the blog.
Chelsea spent quite a bit of time in the restaurant industry which is where her passion for food and cooking first took hold.
