Is food your medicine and supporting your health and healing, or is it your poison working against you and making you feel worse? If you struggle from aches and pain, digestive discomfort, headaches, or migraines, then food could be thy poison.

It’s a common occurrence for my clients to be shocked at how great they feel simply by changing how they feed their body. They can’t believe the symptom relief they experience in a very short period of time. I love this part of my coaching practice as it provides a renewed hope to someone that may feel like they’ve tried everything without success. They’re hopefull they can feel great again and get back to doing the things they love daily, without their pain and discomfort holding them back.

The human body is a resilient machine, continuously striving for healing and balance. By providing the right nutrients, you can support your body in its quest for optimal health. Healthy eating can bring about significant transformations. Your body has centuries of ancient wisdom passed on to it from generation to generation. Tapping into the healing power of this ancient wisdom using whole-food personalized nutrition can seem like magic – but I promise it’s science.

Your body only has you to help it do that, and your symptoms may be your body’s way of asking you for more support.

Here are a few tips to get you heading in the right direction:

Personalized Nutrition Tip 1: If you battle achy joints, headaches or migraines (if you suffer from migraines, nobody needs to tell you there are probably one or more food triggers):

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. This includes eliminating foods that contain refined sugar, refined flour, gluten, dairy, corn and soy. Take note as to whether your achy body goes away. If you feel better after removing the inflammatory foods, then you know there is deeper work to be done to improve your digestive health.

Personalized Nutrition Tip 2: If you deal with irregular or inconsistent bowel movements or they alternate between constipation and diarrhea. Yup! As a dietitian we talk about your poop; what’s coming out is just as important as what’s going in.

See tip No. 1 and start there, while also focusing on cooked vegetables and easy-to-digest foods. Eat a sweet potato loaded with ground chicken and steamed broccoli. Focusing on low-fat meats, cooked vegetables and easy-to-digest carbs makes all the difference. Also, increase your water intake to half your body weight in ounces.

Personalized Nutrition Tip 3: If you suffer with limited energy in your day or wake up tired.

Yes, an inflammatory diet can make you feel tired, but the first step to eliminating this symptom is to eat more food and flood your body with whole-food nutrients at every meal to get out of a state of nutrient deficiency. Eating in a rhythm of every four hours is a great place to start. At that point, evaluate whether you’re too full or ravenous at the four-hour mark. If that’s the case, check your portions and adjust them accordingly for the next meal.

By tuning into your body’s signals and customizing your diet, you can embark on a journey toward better health. Keep track of your symptoms and collaborate with a health professional to unlock the full potential of personalized nutrition. A diet tailored to your needs is crucial for overall well-being and long-term success.

Fran Sutherlin, RD, MS is a local registered dietitian, specializing in using digestive wellness to prevent or manage chronic disease. She has a master’s degree in nutrition, is a personal health coach, speaker, and owner of Sustainable Nutrition. She can be reached at (970) 444-2122 or [email protected].