Nava Nutrition Counseling & Planning
NAVA believes nutrition is fundamental to our health and can prevent and reverse disease. As such, NAVA has a team of advanced degree Functional Nutritionists ready and waiting to help you achieve optimal health and wellness.
Learn to Make Healthy Food Choices
If you want to learn more about Nava’s Nutrition Plan or are ready to take control of your weight and health with nourishing food choices, then give us a call today.
Call us at:
What is a Functional Nutritionist?
NAVA’s Functional Nutritionists hold graduate degrees in functional nutrition and are proficient in science-based advanced medical nutrition therapy, biochemistry, counseling, education, and research. NAVA’s Functional Nutritionists have earned or are eligible for national board accreditation as a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and state licensure as a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN).
What is Functional Nutrition?
Functional nutrition is an important component of functional medicine. It utilizes food as natural medicine to help restore balance to the body, correct nutrient deficiencies, heal the gut, and so much more. By definition, functional nutrition is the practice of considering every aspect of human health, diet, and overall lifestyle when offering bio-individualized nutrition recommendations. The most significant difference between function and conventional nutrition is personalization. In functional nutrition, we focused on the needs of the individual client. There are no generic meal plans; everything is catered to the individual.
NAVA’s Nutrition team focuses on an integrative and function or “root cause” approach to health by focusing on diet, lifestyle factors, environmental exposure, and targeted supplementation to support healing and optimal health. NAVA’s Functional Nutritionist team believes in working in partnership with clients and collaboration with other NAVA practitioners to develop sustainable personalized nutrition plans based on individual biochemistry, functional testing, and clinical presentation to successfully treat conditions such as metabolic syndrome, digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, sleep disturbances, obesity, anxiety, depression, and much more.
The Functional Nutrition Process:
In the majority of cases, NAVA’s Functional Nutrition team follows a sequence of steps to determine what specific dietary, supplement, and lifestyle changes the individual client will benefit from the most. While there is variance in these steps, they typically include the following:
- In depth evaluation of previous medical history
- Review of organ systems
- Review of all medication and supplements
- Review of current diet
- Review of current lifestyle habits
- Review of medical testing and lab results
- Review of client goals
From the above information, your NAVA Functional Nutritionist will work side by side with you to develop a customizable program that targets the root cause of your health problems.
Who Can Benefit from a Functional Nutritionist?
Many people can benefit from working with a Functional Nutritionist, for a variety of reasons. Whether you need a total overhaul of your diet, or you are looking to better manage a medical condition, NAVA’s team of qualified Functional Nutritionists can help. Our team works to improve many conditions:
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- Diabetes and pre-diabetes
- Allergies
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Irritable bowel disease (IBD)
- Obesity/overweight
- Autoimmune disease
- Cancer
- Eczema
- Anxiety/depression
- Sleep disturbances
- Chronic fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Menopause
- Hormone imbalance
- Estrogen dominance
- Gut dysbiosis
- Gut infection
- Leaky gut
- Hashimoto’s
- Hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism
Advanced Functional Testing at NAVA:
NAVA’s Nutrition team is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest when it comes to advanced functional testing. We currently offer the gold standard of stool testing, micronutrient testing, and organic acids testing. See below for more details.
Stool Testing – NAVA’s Gut Restore Program (GI-MAP)
Nava’s Gut Restore program allows us to uncover the underlying cause(s) of chronic illness and disease. Based on your stool results, Nava’s Functional Nutritionists and Physicians will develop a personalized treatment plan so you can begin your journey to feeling better, once and for all. Your GI tract is home to an entire ecosystem of microorganisms living in a symbiotic relationship with you, their host. Collectively, these microorganisms are known as the ‘gut microbiome’. These microorganisms are essential for life and health. They are responsible for many important bodily functions including vitamin synthesis, hormone production, immune system regulation, and communication with the neurological systems of the body. More than ever before, medical research has established a link between health benefits or disease risks brought about by these microorganisms that inhabit the human body.
The results of your GI-MAP stool test will be interpreted by your Nava Functional Nutritionist who will work side by side with you to create a personalized treatment protocol that may include dietary and lifestyle changes, targeted supplementation, and potentially prescribed medications if necessary. The goal of the treatment plan will be to address any gut dysfunction present based on gut infections or imbalances.
Micronutrient Testing – NAVA’s Micronutrient Profile (SpectraCell Laboratories)
Virtually all metabolic and developmental processes that take place in the body require micronutrients, and strong evidence suggests that subtle vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant deficiencies can contribute to degenerative processes such as arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Evaluating micronutrient status can therefore be the first step in identifying metabolic inadequacies while shedding light on the possible underlying causes of complex chronic conditions.
SpectraCell’s Micronutrient test provides the most comprehensive nutritional analysis available by measuring functional deficiencies at the cellular level. It is an assessment of how well the body utilizes 31 vitamins, minerals, amino/fatty acids, antioxidants, and metabolites, while conveying the body’s need for these micronutrients that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances essential for proper growth, development, and good health. Repletion recommendations are made based on need.
Organic Acids Testing – NAVA’s OAT Profile (Great Plains OAT)
The Organic Acids Test (OAT) provides information about the body’s biochemical balance by measuring metabolic byproducts in urine. The 76 metabolites, including creatinine, detected in the OAT can indicate vitamin and hormone metabolism, energy cycle function, intestinal wall integrity, neurotransmitter metabolites, and muscle function. Our Organic Acids Test also includes exclusive markers for HPHPA and oxalates. Specimens from individuals with a chronic illness, allergic condition, or neurological disorder often have one or more abnormal organic acids. Some organic compounds are produced by an overgrowth of gastrointestinal yeast or bacterial species due to impaired immune function, exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics, or high consumption of simple carbohydrates. The OAT reliably detects the overgrowth of yeast and bacteria species commonly missed by conventional culture methods. These organisms and their metabolites can produce or magnify symptoms of many medical conditions. Identification of yeast or bacterial overgrowth paired with successful treatment increases the chance of recovery. The OAT includes markers for Krebs Cycle abnormalities, neurotransmitter levels, nutritional deficiencies, antioxidant deficiencies, yeast and Clostridia overgrowth, fatty acid metabolism, oxalate levels, and more.