What is Integrative Nutrition Therapy?

What is Integrative Nutrition Therapy?
We are bombarded everyday with the latest and greatest nutrition and diet recommendations. From Dr. Oz to Shape magazine to WebMD, we are inundated with mixed messages about what to eat and what is healthy. How has something so simple as food become so complicated and confusing? If you find yourself second guessing exactly what it is you “should” be eating, you are not alone. One day kale is a superfood, the next day, you read it can cause thyroid problems. One summer kombucha is the elixir of life, the next summer, you hear it can promote a gut bacterial imbalance. Fortunately, integrative nutrition therapy is a lifesaver in breaking down the confusion.
An integrative approach to nutrition silences the excessive, and frequently false, nutrition advice from mass media “experts” and outdated government guidelines. Multiple factors are taken into consideration when approaching nutrition therapy from an integrative stance. Yes, food is the primary focus. However sleep, stress level, chronic conditions, and physical and mental health are also examined. Integrative nutrition therapy acknowledges and examines these various factors and how they influence our nutrition and wellness status. When a comprehensive understanding of all these aspects are taken into consideration, steps can then be taken towards creating a realistic and individualized nutrition and wellness plan.
One of the many strengths of integrative nutrition therapy is that it is bio-individual. Integrative nutrition therapy is a customized approach, even while it rests upon foundational principals that can be applied broadly, namely following a nutrient-dense, whole food based diet. This allows for the client and nutritionist to work in depth and seek out the root cause of what brought the client into the office in the first place. When a nutritional plan is precisely tailored to the client’s needs, positive results are just a matter of time and commitment.
Now, should you eat kale or drink kombucha? Well, the answer is, it depends. It depends on you and your bio-individuality. Integrative nutrition therapy takes a unique, case-by-case approach to not only answer questions like this but to also facilitate and guide in the journey to optimal health and wellness. Along the way, specific conditions such as eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, fatigue, and muscular skeletal injuries are carefully addressed and supported with proper nutrition and supplementation. Many people are amazed to learn that what they eat can be directly related to their chronic skin problems, intense PMS, and even fluctuating moods.
My name is Ellie Billington and I am eager to be joining the team at The Wellness Center as a Certified Master Nutrition Therapist. My mission as a nutritionist is to support individual and family wellness through integrative nutrition therapy. My services include nutrition counseling, guided grocery store tours, and kitchen & pantry make-
overs. I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation to assess how I may be of service to you and your nutritional needs.