Optimal Wellness & Mental Fitness
So What’s Your Brain Got To Do With It?
You know the saying, “You are what you eat”? No words have ever been more true. Think of your brain as the central processing unit (CPU) of your body. If you don’t give it what it needs then the system shuts down!
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Diet is the major source of information that operates our body starting at a cellular level and ultimately creating system wide functionality
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Gut-Brain Connection: Connection between the food you eat and the body and brains biochemistry
We are individuals and have thoughts, behaviors, actions, and reactions. We all want to be and act as the best version of ourselves. This not only makes us happy, but others around us as well. When our brain is optimally functioning we are happier, more productive, have better focus, fewer mood swings, optimal digestion, no cravings for food or other substances, fewer physiological issues, sound decision making, relaxed, more successful substance abuse recovery and relapse prevention, and better sleep.
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Who Wouldn’t Want That?
Mindful Nutrition for Life has a systematic approach to what I like to call
Optimal Wellness & Mental Fitness.
Where Do I Start?
Step One: Gastrointestinal Healing
Digestive functioning is where our health begins.
The role of our GI System & why we want it optimally functioning:
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Digestion: Think optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. If this is broken, nutrients won’t get to where they are needed. Resulting in a system breakdown.
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Enteric Nervous System: Also called our second brain (remember the gut-brain connection?) - making use of more than 30 neurotransmitters including serotonin and dopamine. Taking care of our CPU - if it doesn’t work, we have system malfunction.
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Immune System: 60% of our immune system comes from our gut. Our first line of defense.
How Do I Make Sure My Digestion is Running Optimally?
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Test. Don’t Guess.
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Mindful Nutrition for Life provides objective testing that takes the guesswork out, allowing for better outcomes.
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GI-MAP Test: DNA stool test that tests for pathogens, parasites, fungi/yeast, microbial dysbiosis, and immune markers.
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MRT Food Sensitivity Test: Determines the foods that are creating inflammation and removing them temporarily so we can successfully create and implement a protocol to heal the gut - bringing it back to optimal functioning.
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Both of these work in conjunction with one another and are the stepping stones to healing your gut and moving towards Optimal Health & Mental Fitness.
Step Two: Amino Acid Testing
What is Amino Acid Testing and why should I do it?
Remember all those feelings, behaviors, and ability to respond calmly and logically? They are mediated by neurotransmitters (derived from protein - derived from food). If these neurotransmitters are in balance and properly functioning, so are we. On the other hand, depleted neurotransmitters lead to symptoms such as cravings, depression, anxiety, apathy, and insomnia to name a few. An imbalance can create the ability for a cascade of other symptoms that have adverse reactions on other systems in the body (weight gain, adrenals, addictions, immune health).
That is where Amino Acid Testing comes in:​
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Amino Acid Testing works by supplementing depleted aminos and ultimately creating a balanced brain.
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Clients learn to acknowledge and ultimately answer to their own body’s unique needs.
Step Three: Diet & Lifestyle
Diet
We’ve talked about how food is information that feeds the body and brain.
Mindful Nutrition for Life will conduct a diet analysis based on your 7-day food diary. A 7-day snapshot of your current dietary intake is a good road map to uncover your nutritional strengths and deficiencies moving forward in our healing protocol.
What Can I Expect To Get From My Diet Analysis?
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Areas of strength
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Macro & Micro
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Nutritional deficiencies
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Macro & Micro
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Energy Consumption
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Hydration
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Dietary Analysis
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Recommendations
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Coaching
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Meal plans
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Recipes
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Lifestyle
You might be wondering why I am not calling it lifestyle modifications? All of our bodily functions have systematic interconnectedness in order to run efficiently. While I view food as medicine for the body, I hold lifestyle medicine in high regard as well. Lifestyle medicine is a required biological necessity helping regulate all bodily systems. Any imbalances can set off a cascade of symptoms.
Mindful Nutrition for Life also includes a lifestyle analysis in our quest to bring your body back into Optimal Wellness & Mental Fitness.
What if I don’t like your lifestyle recommendations?
​We all have our own bio-individuality as well as personal tastes- lifestyle medicine should be crafted to fit you.
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What exactly is in the lifestyle medicine cabinet?
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Sleep hygiene
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Physical movement
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Sunshine
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Stress Reduction
Once you go through one of Mindful Nutrition for Life’s programs or services you will not only view nutrition differently, but ‘lifestyle medicine’ as well. Your body’s innate needs will come shining through!