Functional nutrition - what it can do for you

Written by Ana Nery Brigagão - Nutritionist (CRN 1638)

FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION

Diet is one of the behavioral factors that most influence our quality of life. More and more, we are confirming that a proper, balanced diet is fundamental to keeping the body healthy and preventing disease.

Over the last 40 years, our lifestyles have undergone major changes. So-called “modern life” has led to changes in lifestyle, increased stress, changed eating habits and exposed the body to pollution, pesticides and chemicals. All of this has resulted in overloading the body, which needs more nutrients to carry out its functions. In addition, the lack of time to prepare food, the number of meals eaten away from home, the increased consumption of industrialized products and foods high in sugars and fats have created an epidemic of nutritional deficiencies.

Our body is made up of around 100 trillion cells and we renew 50 million of them every day. These cells are made up exclusively of nutrients and phytochemicals that are provided by our daily diet, and it is precisely this raw material that we provide for cell renewal that will determine the outcome, good or bad, of the new tissue we will have. As a result of these factors, studies have led to the emergence of Functional Nutrition.

Functional Nutrition aims to promote and restore people's health in an individualized way, and it is essential to assess the needs of each individual, as well as the signs and symptoms they present.

Functional Nutrition professionals recommend functional foods in your daily diet. These foods contain substances or nutrients that provide health benefits, either in the prevention or treatment of various diseases.

Having a diet guided by a Functional Nutritionist means that the person will receive nutritional suggestions taking into account their life history, such as: pregnancy, breastfeeding, the use of medication, emotional or physical traumas, history of illnesses and treatments, history of family illnesses (genetic tendency), evaluation of biochemical tests, investigation of signs and symptoms, and observation of food intolerances and dietary errors.

We believe that the nutrients and phytochemicals in food perform specific functions in the body and, by knowing these processes, we can detect functional imbalances. These imbalances are alterations in organic functions caused by nutritional deficiencies and overloading of the immune system, as well as a decrease in the body's ability to eliminate toxins. These imbalances can trigger disorders that affect physical, mental and emotional health.

Functional disorders are manifested through: migraines, insomnia, depression, hyperactivity, concentration and learning disorders, mood swings, anxiety, compulsions, irritability, gastrointestinal problems, rhinitis, sinusitis, muscle and joint pain, unexplained fatigue, dermatitis, autoimmune diseases, obesity, among others. In this way, Functional Nutrition makes it possible to effectively treat the CAUSES of these disorders, restoring organic balance and PREVENTING new problems.

Principles of Functional Clinical Nutrition:

1. Biochemical individuality;
2. Modulation of gene expression by the environment and nutrients;
3. Treatment centered on the patient and not the disease, identifying and treating causes and not just symptoms;
4. Interconnections between physiological factors;
5. Nutritional balance, avoiding deficiencies and excesses;
6. Health as positive vitality.