Integrative Nutrition
The ideals and concepts of holistic nutrition and integrative nutrition aren’t all that different. They each focus on aspects of incorporating nutrition into the broader view of health.
Holistic nutrition may look like simply thinking outside of traditional dietary guidelines in order to incorporate what works best for them. This is what IIN calls bio-individuality – that idea we are all unique, and recognizing and honoring our uniqueness is the key to health and happiness. Simply put, what works for one individual might not work for another. Holistic nutrition doesn’t look like avoiding gluten just because your friends do; it’s about doing what works for you. It may also concentrate on food and diet as a first step to combating illness and improving health. To complement their traditional treatments, someone who follows holistic nutrition beliefs may turn to plant-based remedies.
Integrative nutrition is slightly more expansive, as it considers everything not found on your plate. We call this primary food, and it encompasses the many areas of our lives that impact our health and well-being, not just our nutrition. These include things like our environment, career, relationships, spirituality, social life, finances, education, and physical health. Integrative nutrition takes all of these non-nutritional components into account when determining what’s best for your health and diet.
So, while similar, holistic nutrition is just one aspect of integrative nutrition in practice. And integrative nutrition is the full realization of looking at all aspects of your health, not just nutrition.
How to Practice Integrative Nutrition
Take care of your gut microbiome
Over 70% of your immune system lives in your gut, and it’s important that you support your gut environment through proper diet and lifestyle changes. Processed foods can negatively affect the lining of your gut, leading to a range of health issues, like leaky gut, bloating, gas, indigestion, chronic inflammation, and brain fog. Research recommends eating plenty of fiber, staying hydrated, and being physically active.
Focus on whole foods
Getting the essential nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats is a key tenet of integrative nutrition. Eating a diet high in whole foods can help you to crowd out parts of your diet that may be negatively impacting your overall health.
Indulge in primary foods
Things like your stress levels, sleep routine, quality of relationships all impact your body. By looking at the primary foods in your life, integrative nutrition can support areas that may be lacking and help you make more nutritious choices. For example: Poor sleep habits can contribute to higher stress levels, which in turn may disrupt the endocrine system. This disruption can lead to reaching for quick hits of sugar and processed foods, which can then raise stress levels even higher.
Benefits of Practicing Integrative Nutrition
Integrative nutrition emphasizes the idea that “food is medicine,” which mirrors the stance that functional medicine takes on using diet to treat illnesses. Practicing integrative nutrition allows you to tailor your food choices to your unique physical needs. For practitioners such as functional medicine doctors and dietitians, integrative nutrition is the natural approach to take because they can customize recommendations based on their patient’s full history and lifestyle.
Many common medical complaints have shown to react well to changes in diet, either alone or alongside traditional medicines. According to research, integrative nutrition has shown to be effective in treating the cause of or improving the symptoms of:
Diabetes
Kidney disease
Hypertension
Irritable bowel syndrome
Thyroid disorders
PCOS
Cardiovascular disease
Mood and memory disorders, like Alzheimer’s and depression
Some cancers, like colon cancer and breast cancer
How to Get Serious About Integrative Nutrition
Integrative nutrition connects the dots between physical, mental, and emotional wellness and how we think about ourselves and the foods we eat. Nutrition is a key aspect of health, but it’s just one part of the health equation. By focusing on nourishing each of these dimensions of health and wellness, you can show up in your life as the best version of yourself.
