How can we live longer AND healthier? 

Erin Vanderkooy

50plus Magazine

 

Following is a view of health through a functional nutrition lens and what is truly sustainable as we grow older.

 

My health journey began when I became incredibly ill and my doctor made a list of all possible diagnoses. We started ruling these out one by one by one. While it was reassuring that I did not have any scary diseases at the time, I felt lonely and a touch crazy when they got to the end of the list, looked me in the eye, and told me there was nothing wrong.

 

Constant pain was affecting every area of my life. This led me on a path of self-discovery, to finding amazing mentors, and furthering my education in health and wellness. Today I am a Functional Nutrition Counselor and Lifestyle Practitioner who teaches functional nutrition. This writing is meant to be an introduction — to me, Erin Vanderkooy, and the field of functional nutrition. I invite your questions and look forward to responding in future issues.

 

When we look at and treat the body as a whole and how each system might affect the other, we start to see the full picture. In functional medicine, the body is often referred to as a tree, the branches being symptoms we experience. Symptoms can be gas, bloating or digestive upset like constipation or diarrhea, achy or swollen joints, itchy skin like psoriasis or eczema, irregular sleep, fatigue, low or fluctuating mood, and more.

 

When we deal only with the symptoms (branches) we are placing a bandage on the problem when we really need to identify and treat the root cause. Digging to discover and treat the underlying cause is the only way to sustainable relief.

 

Exploring this analogy further goes to the soil or terrain of the tree, which in the body is the gut. Here, research and science shows, is where almost all diagnoses and illnesses begin. While we’re not really what we eat, we are what we can digest.

 

I’ll leave you with one fun tip to play with. It may sound too simple to be true. Chew your food.

 

That’s it!

 

This simple act can really have a major impact on your overall health. Rather than counting, I recommend chewing intentionally. Keep it simple. Think about your beautiful body breaking down those macronutrients. Try putting your utensil down between bites or pausing before eating to appreciate where the food came from or the hands that prepared it.

 

I hope this gentle reminder got you thinking and that your next meal is lovely and intentional. Try this out for a few days and see if anything changes.

 

Enjoy these summer months! And remember, “Observation and curiosity over judgment, always.”

 

Erin welcomes your questions and suggestions for future articles. Contact her at erin@erinvanderkooy.com.