What does a functional nutritionist do? Can they help you improve your health?

Key Points

• Functional nutritionists strongly believe that food is medicine.
• These experts help you focus on healing your entire body as a whole.
• Functional nutritionists can help you boost energy levels, maintain a healthy weight, and address chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and inflammation.

Functional nutrition promotes overall health by addressing chronic conditions through nutrition.

Functional nutritionists know that most people want to eat better and stay active. But often, real life gets in the way.

How do you balance busy schedules, deadlines, parenting and caregiving duties, household tasks, and more when you're low on energy and dealing with chronic pain?? How do you cook nutritious meals when you're making it through the day with your body's fuel light on?

Battling “invisible illnesses” can make exhaustion your status quo. It can be hard not to relax on the couch at the end of the day and reach for processed foods for comfort.

However, there is hope. Personalized nutritional recommendations from a functional nutritionist can help.

Learn more about functional nutrition, what functional nutritionists do, and the cost of these sessions to help you decide if a functional nutritionist is right for you.

What does a functional nutritionist do?

Functional nutritionists are nutrition health professionals who treat your body as a whole. They help you achieve your health goals through personalized nutrition.

If you experience low energy, pain, bloating, gas, fatigue, acidity, joint pain, or other chronic symptoms, functional nutritionists work to uncover the underlying causes.

For example, everyone feels tired occasionally, but if you're constantly fatigued, there could be several underlying reasons, including:

• Bacterial imbalance in the gut
• Sleep apnea
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Inflammation in the digestive system
• Hormonal imbalances
• Food sensitivities
• A combination of the above and other factors.

Functional nutritionists evaluate your personal history, biochemistry, food sensitivities, lifestyle, and dietary preferences to provide a customized functional nutrition plan.

Here's another example: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can cause symptoms like irregular periods, fatigue, weight gain, difficulty conceiving, acne, and excessive hair growth. However, some people don't realize they have PCOS until they gain weight or have trouble getting pregnant. They may even not have the other symptoms.

This is why cookie-cutter weight loss plans do not work. A functional nutritionist will dig deep to learn why you're gaining weight and develop a PCOS-specific nutrition plan for your body.

What health concerns can functional nutritionists help with?

Functional nutritionists use food as medicine. They can help alleviate symptoms of metabolic disorders and chronic conditions such as:

• Excess weight gain
• Chronic fatigue
• Digestive issues, such as bloating, gas, and constipation
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Chronic pain
• Cognitive issues, such as brain fog, memory loss, and difficulty focusing
• Mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
• Sleeplessness
• Binge eating urges and food cravings
• Hormonal issues, including PCOS, perimenopause, menopause, infertility, diabetes, and thyroid conditions
• Autoimmune disorders that cause inflammation.

Fay can help you find a functional nutritionist near you, covered by insurance.

What to expect from sessions with a functional nutritionist?

Step 1: Learn about you

First, functional nutritionists pay attention. They listen to your health concerns, dietary goals, and food preferences, learning how these foods affect your well-being. Let your functional nutritionist know about any medical diagnoses, prescription medications, and supplements you may be taking.

Your lifestyle choices also play a strong role in your overall health. It's best to be open with your functional nutritionist about your activity levels, fitness regimen (if any), and use of tobacco, alcohol, or other substances.

Talk to your functional nutritionist if you have any stressors in your life because chronic stress influences how you eat.

Also, discuss your expectations, preferences, and any cultural, religious, or personal beliefs related to food.

Step 2: Assess personal biochemistry

Your nutritionist may recommend laboratory tests and blood work to:

• Understand your unique biochemistry
• Check for vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and
• Identify underlying health issues, such as chronic disease, infections, or autoimmune disorders, that may be causing inflammation or other symptoms.

Step 3: Develop personalized functional nutrition plans

Functional nutritionists provide highly customized nutrition plans based on evidence-based strategies. These plans may evolve over time based on how your body responds.

For instance, if your nutritionist discovers food allergies or sensitivities, they can adjust your plan for optimal health. Your nutritionist or dietitian may also recommend dietary supplements when necessary.

If you have budget constraints, your functional nutritionist can help you figure out the best way to get functional nutrition without breaking the bank.

Step 4: Ongoing support as your health coach

Functional nutrition isn’t a quick fix; it’s a holistic approach to achieving health through nutrition. The more collaborative the process, the more likely you are to stick with the plan even after your sessions end.

If you want ongoing support to stay motivated with your health goals, your functional nutritionist can help improve your food choices over the long term.

What is the difference between a functional nutritionist and a standard nutritionist?

At its core, functional nutrition is a whole-person approach to health and wellness. Functional nutritionists follow principles of integrative nutrition. They treat chronic conditions by connecting diet, lifestyle, and other factors together.

While there are no qualifications to be a general nutritionist, a certified functional nutritionist (CFN) may have the expertise you need.

What is a certified functional nutritionist (CFN)?

Functional nutritionists with certifications often have an undergraduate degree in nutrition or a related field. Many also have graduate degrees in functional nutrition.

Registered dietitians (RDs or RDNs) can also specialize in functional nutrition. These professionals undergo rigorous training to become dietitians, need a license to practice in most states, and are authorized to practice Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to treat medical conditions with nutrition.

How much does functional nutrition cost?

The short answer is that it depends. Functional nutrition is gaining popularity, and some health plans may cover this specialty.

An excellent alternative is a dietitian who follows a functional nutrition approach. Most insurance plans cover services from registered dietitians. So, you may pay $0 or next to nothing for expert nutrition health professionals.

Get started now. Fay can help you find a functional nutritionist who accepts your insurance.

The views expressed by authors and contributors of such content are not endorsed or approved by Fay and are intended for informational purposes only. The content is reviewed by Fay only to confirm educational value and audience interest. You are encouraged to discuss any questions that you may have about your health with a healthcare provider.