Functional Therapeutic Diets & How They May Help

A functional therapeutic diet is an approach to eating that aims to reduce or resolve a cluster of symptoms that a person is experiencing. The symptoms, not a particular diagnosis, determine which diet to implement. A health coach can work collaboratively with clients for comfortable adherence to these diets by focusing on quality foods, lots of variety and recipe ideas, and supportive lifestyle recommendations that are unique to the client's interests, needs and abilities.

This is not to be confused with a "clinical therapeutic diet" which is prescribed by a physician or registered dietician with the purpose of providing medical treatment to a patient diagnosed with a disease or chronic health condition. If you have been prescribed a clinical therapeutic diet from your doctor or dietician and are struggling with implementation, a health coach is well-equipped to help with the confusion and frustration of working through the limitations of the diet.

There are many functional diets that you may have heard of, and many others that maybe you've never seen. I am qualified to educate and help with implementation of the following therapeutic diets:

• Primal Blueprint Diet

• Paleo Diet

• Basic Elimination Diet

• Specific Carbohydrate Diet

• Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP)

• Whole Foods Ketogenic diet

• Carnivore diet

Below is a general outline of symptoms that may benefit from each therapeutic approach.

Primal/Paleo

• Moderates the production of insulin by reducing glycemic load

• Provides the essential nutrients the body needs by increasing vitamin and mineral intake.

• Increases nutrition to support physiological processes such as digestion, hormone production, immune function, cognition, etc.

• Reduces chronic inflammation by removing inflammatory and immunogenic foods

• Supports healthy digestion by reducing antinutrients which some are sensitive to

Basic Elimination Diet

• Brain fog, headaches

• Fatigue

• Generalized systemic inflammation, joint pain

• Rashes

• Indigestion, bloating, diarrhea

Medical diagnoses that could be related to food reactions and might benefit from experimenting with food elimination:

• Asthma and upper respiratory allergies

• Mood disorders

• ADD/ADHD

• Migraines

• Autoimmune skin rashes or other autoimmune conditions

• Arthritis

The human body is not simple, and these conditions can have complicated reasons for manifesting. It is important to remember that no two people are alike, and although some people may find relief through eliminating foods from their diet, others may need a different approach.

Specific Carbohydrate (FODMAP)

Used as a treatment for those with a medical diagnosis of:

• Crohn’s disease

• Ulcerative colitis

• Diverticulitis

• Celiac disease

• Cystic fibrosis

• Chronic diarrhea

• Anemia related to poor B12 status or iron deficiency

Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

General inflammatory conditions (listed below) are considered to be risk factors for developing autoimmune disease. People with these conditions may benefit from an AIP approach.

• Acne

• Allergies

• Arthritis

• Asthma

• Cardiovascular disease

• Eczema

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Obesity, excess body fat

Whole Foods Ketogenic

• People showing symptoms of insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, pre-diabetes, high visceral fat, hypertension, metabolic syndrome 

• Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

• Lymphedema and lipedema

• Cancer patients 

• People with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia 

• People with mild cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions 

• Those who are hoping to (potentially) avoid developing the above conditions

• Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder

• Children and adults with seizure disorders

Carnivore

The following symptoms or Clients with the following diagnoses may benefit from the short-term implementation of a carnivore diet:

• Intestinal Permeability (leaky gut), SIBO, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis

• Recurrent gastrointestinal distress such as, gastritis, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, abdominal pain, bloating

• Autoimmune systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome

• Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes

• Skin issues including eczema, rashes, rosacea, psoriasis, fungal or yeast infections

• Chronic inflammation and inflammatory conditions

The functional therapeutic diets I've listed here are evidence-based, scientifically validated diets. With that being said, most of them are not taught by dietitians. I am able to provide my Clients with generalized nutrition information about these diets and help with implementation if learning and properly following a therapeutic approach is your goal.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss further or have questions.

Prioritize your health!