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Your Complete Guide To Functional Nutrition + How To Become Certified
Perhaps one of the most well-known, au courant concepts leading the way in the health and wellness spheres today is biological uniqueness, or the notion that everyone is truly individual in biochemical terms.
From metabolic makeup and genetics to overall nutritional requirements, every one of us has particular well-being needs, which is why one-size-fits-all approaches to health just don't work.
Instead, it's important to adopt a whole-person approach that integrates the full complexity of an individual (mind, body, lifestyle, and beyond). Enter: functional nutrition.
What is functional nutrition?
In the same family as functional medicine, functional nutrition is a personalized, systems-oriented approach that goes beyond managing the immediacy of symptoms and disease—and rather looks at the whole person.
"With an emphasis on personalized food and lifestyle approaches to wellness and disease management, functional nutrition focuses on the patient (not just on their disease or condition) while taking a holistic approach to optimizing an individual's health based on their unique needs," says registered dietitian Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN.
Summary
Ways to practice functional nutrition
- Prioritize high-quality, whole foods over nutrient-poor processed foods (shop the perimeter of the supermarket first).
- Get to know your local food system and eat foods that are in season in your area.
- Eat the rainbow: Aim to work as many different colors on your plate as possible, to maximize the phytonutrient diversity you're getting from plants.
- Consult a physician to get a better understanding of your nutritional gaps and how to fill them with foods and supplements.
- Eat slowly and mindfully. Listen to your body after you finish a meal to tune into how certain foods make you feel.
- Consider how your eating patterns change over time, and how factors like stress impact them.
The benefits of functional nutrition over standard nutrition
As Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., CDN, previously told mbg, it's important to take the whole person "inclusive of their lived experience, culture, heritage, and health needs—into consideration" when it comes to nutrition. "We often say there is no one-size-fits-all dietary approach yet perpetuate a narrow view of what a 'healthy' plate is supposed to look like." This very concept is a cornerstone of what differentiates functional nutrition from more standard methods.
According to Cording, "compared to medical nutrition therapy, functional nutrition focuses more on the individual and also encompasses lifestyle factors that could affect food choices—and how food choices may be impacting lifestyle," she says. "It offers a more holistic approach to enhancing a person's well-being while providing more nuanced care."
Moreover, functional nutrition seeks to establish an empowering, educational, and therapeutic patient-provider relationship to better amplify their well-being, autonomy, and foster sustainable transformations.
| Functional nutrition | Standard nutrition |
|---|---|
| A personal approach to food | A one-size-fits-all approach to food |
| Focuses on lifestyle factors that impact food decisions | Does not focus on lifestyle factors that impact food decisions |
| Provides an impowering perspective | Can be disempowering |
What does a functional nutrition coach do?
Functional nutrition coaches are trained professionals who help guide individuals on their health and nutrition journeys.
They take a person-forward approach to health while considering all the factors that may affect an individual's well-being. Functional nutrition coaches tend to have a multidisciplinary knowledge of multiple topics in the health and wellness field, from gut support to longevity.
While there are many similarities between nutrition coaches and health coaches, the former is more focused on food and nutrition science.
If you're interested in seeing a functional nutritionist, it's important to choose one who has received training from a respected functional nutrition program.
If you're interested in becoming a functional nutritionist, look for a coaching program that features a science-backed curriculum, focuses on whole-person well-being, and weaves in psychological lessons on how to be an effective coach and encourage behavior change in clients.
RELATED READ: Here are the top 5 courses currently being taught for holistic health coaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a functional nutrition?
Functional nutrition is a holistic style of nutrition that focuses on why people make the food choices they do. It provides a more personalized approach to helping people find the nutrition plans that best suit their unique backgrounds, needs, and lifestyles.
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a functional nutritionist?
Functional nutritionists tend to focus more on the individual and consider how their stress, lifestyle, and emotions may be driving their nutrition habits.
The takeaway
Functional nutrition is changing modern healthcare by helping people use food as personalized medicine. It's also an exciting career path for anyone looking to deepen their knowledge of nutrition and help others flourish along the way. Learn more about mindbodygreen's unique functional nutrition offering here and read a graduate review here.