Functional Nutritional Therapy & Biofeedback
Functional Nutritional Therapy & Biofeedback Services are a comprehensive and personalized approach to nourishing your body and promoting overall well-being. It is rooted in addressing the unique needs of each individual by delving into the core of holistic nutrition.
A VIVA Wellness Functional Nutrition Therapy Practitioner (an FNTP is accredited through the Nutritional Therapy Association and is also a RN) is equipped with specialized training in a hands-on technique known as the Functional Clinical Assessment (FCA). This method enables them to assess your nutritional needs in a holistic way, considering both your body's systems and organs. This personalized approach allows us to identify any imbalances or deficiencies that might be affecting your well-being. Based on this assessment, our FNTP creates a customized plan of recommendations tailored specifically to your wellness goals. We're dedicated to helping you achieve your optimal wellness through the power of holistic nutrition and personalized care.
We believe is that any symptom is a reflection of how your system is functioning as a whole. The services we offer are carefully curated based on this belief and we know them to be truly beneficial to all individuals who would like to improve their health at a deep level. Our Functional Nutritional Therapy & Biofeedback Services are a true reflection of this belief and supports your wellness goals, whatever they may be, by tending to the information that your unique nervous symptom is presenting as a priority for care.
The concept of FNT is is rooted in the belief that the body's innate immune system is always trying to communicate with us through symptoms (that gut instinct or hunches we may pick up on) but we have never been taught how to understand those signals. FNTPs believe in the body’s ability to heal itself given proper nutrients, lifestyle and environment. This parallels the VIVA Wellness Philosophy of integrative and holistic approach to healing—meaning that all parts of the system are connected—so when you are able to create healing in any one area, the whole system benefits. When you tend to any symptom or system, chances are you begin to create change to the whole system which builds positive momentum all around.
A Powerful Approach to Nutrition & Wellness
If you’ve been told your symptoms are “normal” and yet you still feel your body is telling you that something isn’t quite right, or you’re stuck or overwhelmed with all the information out there, or you want to get to the root cause through diet, lifestyle and supplementation, consider Functional Nutritional Therapy. This root cause service uses your body’s response to kinesiology-inspired palpitations that tap into the nervous system to read organs, systems, and test for the appropriate approach to addressing what’s discovered.
If you see yourself in the list below, this approach, developed to use your body’s real-time guidance through kinesiology response (not muscle testing) may help us understand what you’re experiencing at a more clear, in-depth level, which is where the solutions will become evident:
- Digestive issues - bloating, gas, constipation, cravings
- Decrease in energy/mood
- Experience fatigue
- Brain fog
- Struggle with blood sugar regulation
- Sleep disturbances
- Feel inflamed or have signs of inflammation
- Hormone imbalances
This is also an incredible tool for folks looking for general health optimization or understanding their body on a deeper level. Those who participate in this service can expect to begin to understand the way that their food and lifestyle choices impact the way that they feel in both the short and longer term.
What is Functional Nutritional Therapy?
There are endless ways to arrive at your health goals, but at VIVA Wellness, we strongly feel that your unique story and the information available from your body at this moment can unlock powerful clues that move you toward your healing.
To create a bio-individualized plan, we use a comprehensive questionnaire, a five-day food and mood journal, a comprehensive intake interview, and two tools that allow us to access the body’s innate ability to discriminate between what it needs, and what it doesn’t need. Those tools are the Functional Clinical Assessment combined with Lingual-Neuro Testing.
Functional Clinical Assessment
During the Functional Clinical Assessment, we create a bio-individualized plan. We use a comprehensive questionnaire, a five-day food and mood journal, a comprehensive intake interview, and two tools that allow us to assess the body’s innate ability to discriminate between what it needs, and what it doesn’t need.
"A process that allows us to identify organ systems under stress and prioritize support accordingly. It involves non-invasive palpations to assess for potential stress or imbalances. Why does it work so well to create a bio-individualized plan of action? Organs and organ systems are surrounded by blood vessels, the nervous system and the lymphatic network. When a system is stressed, blood and lymph are directed to those areas of imbalance to bring in nutrients and remove waste. The collection of both blood and lymph take up space and that space results in tenderness." Via https://nutritionaltherapy.com/what-is-the-functional-clinical-assessment/)
Please note: the FCA can not be done if an individual is pregnant.
Initial Interview and Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire
Comprehensive tools that allow us to gather information on medical history, health goals, current and past diet and lifestyle factors, and most prevalent symptoms one might be experiencing.
Food and Mood Journal Analysis
A 5-day food and mood journal in which you’ll be recording diet, sleep, hydration, movement, and stooling patterns. It’s a tool that allows us to make connections and look for patterns, upon which we make recommendations to work towards your goal.
Lingual-Neuro Testing (LNT)
An assessment tool that’s combined with the functional clinical assessment to determine which nutrient is needed to restore function and balance within that organ system. We rely on unique biofeedback of the individual to develop the best course of action.
In general terms, the LNT utilizes the connection between the brain and organ. During this time, it involves placing a specific nutrient on the tongue and allowing time for the presence of that nutrient to be registered by the brain as either supportive or not.
What to Expect & How to Prepare
If we’re making it to the assessment, you’ve already completed all required intake forms and food/mood journal. Arrive to your treatment in comfy or soft clothing, as if you were going to a yoga or gentle movement class. Your assessment will take place in the privacy of an office, on a massage table.
The functional clinical assessment portion of the program involves the use of noninvasive palpations and focusing on areas of discomfort that clue us into organs or systems that are out of balance, which generally aligns with the information we gathered throughout your initial interview and questionnaire.
When areas of tenderness are identified with palpation, Lingual-Neuro Testing is initiated. This is where the fun begins! We get to see how your body individually responds to nutrients that support that organ or system. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another so this part allows us to tailor the support and protocol to your unique needs. If the nutrient is supportive for improved function, your body will respond with a tenderness rating that’s often remarkably different.
Note that if the body is under tremendous stress, some people may not have a response to palpitations or LNT, which is okay. In these cases, we are still able to use what we do discover in conjunction with the journal, history, lifestyle, medications, etc. Most people have multiple areas that require support.
At the second meeting, you’ll be presented with your protocol of supplements and lifestyle and dietary changes. Our FNTP limits supplements to use of four at a time to reduce overwhelm and to ensure we’re able to track what’s working or not. If someone does not want supplements, that is an option, but keep in mind this may slow the rate of change and require more extreme commitment to the diet and lifestyle tweaks. Trust your gut when deciding.
Program Overview
Intro Meeting/Discovery ($99)
- Allows for questions
- Allows FNTP to understand your health challenges, goals and history
- Covers the details of the program
- Mutually explore if this is the right program for your wellness goals
If you are ready to proceed after the Discovery session, you’ll complete in-depth on-boarding forms that are a critical part that set up your Therapist for the in-person assessment. Often your responses will begin to paint a picture that will then be discovered more in-depth at the FCA and LNT.
- Initial paperwork*
- 320 symptom questionnaire*
- 5 day food and mood journal*
*You will need to have this completed prior to our first 90 minute FCA and LNT, which is the first meeting following our discovery meeting.
Functional Nutritional Therapy Pricing
Two Package Options
Each package includes:
- 90 minute (in person) FCA & LNT.
- 60 minute (in person) protocol reveal and explanation. In depth and personalized protocols with updates as needed. Protocols may include stress management, mindset and presence techniques, and other lifestyle changes that may influence digestion and overall organ and system function.
- Two 30 minute follow-up consults per month.
Those in the 6 month program, will repeat NAQ Questionnaire, FCA/LNT at the end of 3rd month for comparison to assess progress.
Not included:
Cost of supplements. Keep in mind that no more than 4 will be added at any given time AND you have an option to use food and lifestyle change only versus adding in supplementation. This may alter the time required to see the change, but it is an option if you are strongly opposed to adding supplements.
We do get a large volume of phone calls daily. If you get our voicemail, please leave a message and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible. You may also send a text message or complete our contact form.