How do each of the six Foundations support proper function and overall health in the body? 

I am so happy that you have decided to invest in your health. As women in leadership positions, we sometimes put our health on the back burner. We rush from meeting to meeting or work all night to meet a deadline. We feel like we have to do it all, and we have to do it perfectly. We end up not eating lunch or shoving the closest snack down without considering how that food gets digested. We have been taught and conditioned to look at calories, not the nutrient density that goes into food. We reach for a Coke and a Snickers bar for a mid-day snack for energy or as a comfort food. Some old habits leave us not feeling well, tired, achy, or moody. Then you get diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and prescribed a ton of medicine that leaves you not feeling great. You think, “I can’t live like this.” How do I know? I was once there. You’re in the right place. We will work through the foundations to support proper function and overall health in the body so that you can achieve your personal and professional goals.

The Foundations of Health include Nutrition, Mineral Balance, Hydration, Digestion, Blood Sugar Regulation, and Fatty Acids. Let’s explore these foundations together.

(Foundations of Health, 2020)

Nutrient-Dense Diet

First and foremost, there is no one-size diet that fits all. Please, let’s say that together again. Moving forward, we will focus on a nutrient-dense diet and then notice how those foods make us feel.

Start reading labels and knowing the ingredients that are in the food you eat. Incorproate more whole foods into your diet and ditch the highly processed ones. Find what works for you. Explore other cultures and make your food experience fun and enjoyable!

Macronutrients include carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Please get rid of the idea of a low-fat diet. That is a myth that we have been conditioned to believe. By focusing on balancing these macronutrients, our bodies can obtain the fuel they need. Combined with proteins and fats, carbohydrates help us fight infections and grow new body tissue. Fat builds cell membranes and helps us absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Protein is used for building blocks for tissues, organs, nerves, and muscles.

Digestion

Did you know that all disease starts in the gut? Healthy digestion is fundamental to nutrition. Think about it this way- if you can’t properly digest the foods you eat, you aren’t getting the nutrients, and your cells aren’t getting what they need to function. Optimal healthy digestion relies on a balanced microbiome.

Digestion begins in the brain and is a north-to-south process. We should strive to be in a parasympathetic state. How many times are we rushing to eat lunch? How often do you eat at your desk in front of your computer without stopping working? How often do you take lunch while you are in meetings? If you are human, then things happen often. However, when we do this, we already throw off digestion. We want to create a parasympathetic state through small, systematic behavioral changes. These can include sitting down during a meal, taking deep breaths before eating, eating calmly, relaxed, or beginning a meal with gratitude. Components such as bowl emptying, stomach acidity, and nutrient absorption are critical to digestive health. Digestive destress such as heartburn, gas, and bloating are not normal yet we have accepted them as a way of life.

Additionally, many women with autoimmune diseases are on drug therapy. These drugs can have an impact on our digestive tract. For example, many people are prescribed pepcid for heartburn. One of the depletions of this drug is low stomach acid. Knowing the contradictions and depletions of prescription drugs is essential to address these foundations systematically.

Blood Sugar Regulation

Blood Sugar Regulation affects energy production and balance, hormonal balance, brain health, and the tissue integrity of organs and blood vessels. Blood Sugar Regulation is controlled by the central nervous system with the PAALS (the Pancreas, the adrenal glands, adipose tissue, the liver, and the skeletal muscle).

(Summary: Glucose Homeostatis via the CNS & PAALS, 2020)

The above diagram showcases the roles of the PAALs. The PAALs works with the Central Nervous Symptom to help regulate blood sugar levels.

As a society, we gravitate towards processed and refined sugar. In our busy lives, we don’t take the time to make a meal but instead, opt for the drive-through or go to the snack machine, which is full of processed food choices. When we hit that mid-day slump, we reach for a coffee loaded with sugar and caffeine. We are in a constant cycle of glucose levels soaring or crashing. Look at the below visual and try to visualize yourself. We have all been there. We reach for that morning hit of coffee without breakfast, and our glucose soars. When they start to plummet, we need another hit of coffee or sugary carbs, which leads them to soar again. We reach for a high-carb lunch, and we are soaring again. We are in a constant state of fluctuation, going for the next hit.

(Impact of the Modern Diet & Lifestyle, 2020)

Concurrently, we are faced with the critical need to lower blood sugar because of these environmental factors. Have you ever stopped to look to see how much sugar is in your food? How much sugar are you putting into your body that you weren’t even aware of?
Many women with autoimmune diseases struggle with hyperinsulinemia or reactive hypoglycemia. These symptoms may include fatigue, rapid heartbeat, memory issues, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, and intense cravings for sweets. However, we can stabilize blood sugar regulation with the proper diet and lifestyle changes. These factors include eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, reducing stress levels, and increasing physical activity and movement. We can feed our mitochondria (energy) by balancing our macronutrients so we do not have these surging plummets of glucose.

Fatty Acids

Recently, increasing evidence has shown that the abnormal inflammatory response is closely associated with many chronic diseases, especially in autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), gout, and diabetes (Chen, Bozec, Ramming & Schett, 2019). Inflammation can be addressed by focusing on the nutritional foundations, including fatty acids. The body needs to both inflame and anti-inflame so we need adequate amounts of Omega 6, Omega 3, and Arachidonic Acid. A mixture of fatty acids is required for optimal health and depends on your bio-individual needs. Saturated fats could include palm oil, coconut oil, or raw dairy and should comprise approximately 30% of your diet. Polysaturated fats include omega 3’s and omega 6’s. These could include fish oil, flaxseed oil, black currant seed oil, and evening primrose. The ideal ratio between omega 3’s and 6’s is 2 to 1. Polyunsaturated fats should make up about 10% of your diet. Finally, Monosaturated Fats include almond oil, avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil. These should make up most of your diet, with about 60% coming from these sources.

Mineral Balance

Minerals are the spark plugs in our bodies. Humans do not produce minerals; therefore, we must get them from food. Minerals play essential roles in obtaining ultimate health, including acting as cofactors for enzyme reactions, facilitating the transfer of nutrients, regulating tissue growth, and providing structural and functional support.

Macrominerals include calcium, chloride, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorous, and potassium. Some microminerals include iron, zinc, selenium, and cobalt, to name a few.

Autoimmune disorders sometimes have underlying inflammatory factors that make people more prone to bone loss (Recker, 2015). Calcium is a mineral that is essential for healthy bone health. From a foundations and functional perspective, most people get enough calcium in their diets; however, other factors contribute to adequately absorbing and using it. These cofactors may include hormonal function, hydration (water and electrolytes), other minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, and digestion.

Hydration

Water is the most essential nutrient in the body. Water’s role in the body includes:

• Transporting nutrients.
• Cushioning bones and joints.
• Enabling the digestive process.
• Removing wastes.
• Regulating body temperature.
• Empowering the body’s natural healing process.

Many Americans live in a chronic state of dehydration because they either do not drink enough water or they do not have enough electrolytes in their water. Daily water needs depend on your bio-individual needs. However, a comprehensive approach includes drinking when thirsty, drinking pure water throughout the day until your urine is light yellow, and evaluating your bio-individual needs. Your age, activity level, environmental conditions, elevation, chronic and acute diseases, and pregnancy are all bio-individual needs to consider.

Conclusion

Supporting the foundations is critical in maintaining your health and feeling your best. Nutritional Therapy Practitioners do not diagnose like medical practitioners. Instead, we look at your symptoms and conditions and investigate the function of what may be underneath. As you can see, these foundations work together and do not operate in silos. We will work together to start and pick small, manageable goals based on the function of your symptoms. This is a lifestyle change. This is not a fad diet. Focus on the foundations, small behavior changes, and environmental arrangements that will contribute to your success. Working with a Nutritional Therapy practitioner will help support your bio-individual goals around these critical foundations of health.