Six Foundations for Good Health

Improving your Foundations of good health can prevent or resolve unwanted negative health Consequences.

Lunch Hour Lesson #46

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Alongside my private nutrition practice, I also work for the Nutritional Therapy Association as an instructor of their NTP certification programs.

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In honor of launching our February 2020 course registration this week, today I would like to outline the paradigm that we teach in our curriculum, because I find it really helpful for understanding why so many people are sick these days and what we can do about it.

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The Nutritional Therapy Association breaks down the components of health from a nutritional perspective into what we call the Foundations and the Consequences. In short, the Foundations are what must be optimized for good health to occur, and the Consequences are where dysfunction can arise if the Foundations are not optimized.

The six Foundations:

  • Whole Food, Nutrient-Dense Diet
  • Proper Digestion and Elimination
  • Fatty Acid Balance
  • Blood Sugar Regulation
  • Mineral Balance
  • Hydration
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Four primary Consequences, or issues with:

  • Endocrine system
  • Immune system
  • Cardiovascular system
  • Nutritional Detoxification
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You can think of the Consequences as the things that you would seek help for if you were having problems in that area. Here are a few examples. Problems in the Endocrine system could manifest as thyroid disorders, or hormone imbalance, or unexplained weight gain. Problems in the Immune system could be always getting sick, histamine reactions, or autoimmune conditions. Most people know that Cardiovascular disease is unfortunately common in our society. And the concept of Detoxification has become a buzz word with many quick fixes touted to cleanse the body.

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Whatever I eat, I choose it consciously, I enjoy it thoroughly, and then I let it go.

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What the NTA does differently in looking at these problems is to emphasize that they are consequences of an imbalance in the six Foundations. They are not isolated conditions in and of themselves. And that brings so much clarity into what can be the confusing state of ill health.

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As a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, I do not diagnose or treat disease, so if a prospective client came to me asking me to cure them of autoimmune condition, for example, I cannot do that. But, what I could do would be to start working with this client to optimize his or her Foundations so that the body can do a more effective job of healing.

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One of the issues that women ask me about most often is hormone balancing. There are certainly options to pursue with your medical doctor, but nutrition plays a surprisingly large role in this complex system, and is often overlooked.

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The Foundations of Blood Sugar Regulation and Fatty Acid Balance are probably the most important to master if you would like long-term hormonal comfort and vibrancy.

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That said, to go just a little further, it is important that you’re able to digest and absorb the good food you are eating, and have regular elimination. Many hormone imbalances can arise if we aren’t eliminating the used up hormones from our bodies in an efficient way. Constipation and estrogen dominance often go hand in hand.

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If this all sounds interesting to you, the best way to get a more in-depth look at the Foundations is to take the NTA’s free mini-course called Nutritional Therapy 101. It is a self-paced, completely online course that takes you through seven brief educational modules.

Weekend Tip

Sign up for the NTA’s free online mini-course called Nutritional Therapy 101 and learn about the Foundations of good health. It may start you on a path that you never expected!

Lunch Hour Lessons with Allison

Watch this week’s Facebook LIVE – Lunch Hour Lesson #46: Six Foundations for Good Health Each week I bring you a topic related to nutrition and health that I think is interesting, and give you a lesson to take with you into your daily life. Watch Live on Facebook, Wednesdays, 12:30pm PST!