Let Food Be Thy Medicine

“It’s about figuring out how to work with an individual, how to balance out the body and then get them to adapt to changes.” The answer to healthy living may be right within us all along. Tiffany Meyer is a firm believer in a holistic approach to healing the root causes of health issues, rather than slapping on band-aids. As a certified Oncology Nutrition Consultant (ONC) and Functional Nutrition Therapy Practitioner (FNTP), she works with clients to support them in meeting their health goals. Tiffany joins Amber Barbach on Glioblastoma aka GBM to share insights on how she treats cancer patients and shed light on the importance of balance within the body.  Hear us talk about: Understanding functional nutrition. Functional nutrition seeks to treat specific health issues by naturally balancing out the body. For example, in treating eczema, a functional nutrition therapy practitioner would investigate food intolerances and gut health. Functional nutrition doesn’t just provide you with a supplement in place of a medication - it gets to the root of the problem and smooths it out. How Tiffany interacts with clients. She doesn’t tell her clients what they should and shouldn’t eat, instead Tiffany works with them to understand how they feel and what they are willing to do. She guides clients along the decision making journey, leaving the final decision up to them. The only requirement, however, is for vegans and vegetarians. “If you’re going to work with me,” Tiffany tells them, “I’m going to request that you adapt to eating red meat, even if that starts in supplement form.”  Why you should sit down to eat. If you're eating on the go, your body is in a sympathetic state and can’t do what it needs to to digest your food. Tiffany suggests a method you can use to get your body into a parasympathetic state. Lay on the floor, put your feet up on the couch so that your knees are above your heart, and take a few deep breaths before you sit down to eat - this calms you down from whatever you were doing before, and preps your body for digestion. Gradual change vs. rapid change. Changing lifestyle habits isn’t easy, but that’s a good thing. When you try to quit cold turkey and drastically change everything you’re putting in your body, it struggles to adapt for a few weeks because you are essentially going into shock. The best method is to gradually shift things - a capsule here, a smoothie there - until you build up to changing everything completely. It’s about keeping your body balanced. Individualized treatment. No two people are the same, so why should their treatment be? Tiffany cultivates treatment plans for each client based on their specific needs and circumstances, because she understands that what works for one person may not work for another.  What’s Next? Tiffany Meyer is a certified Oncology Nutrition Consultant (ONC) and Functional Nutrition Therapy Practitioner (FNTP). She is dedicated to designing individualized nutrition and lifestyle recommendations for each client, helping them heal their bodies from the inside out. As always, the information that is discussed in Glioblastoma AKA GBM is not meant to treat or diagnose any disease. What we and our guests share are personal stories of what has worked for the individuals in question, and should not be taken as medical advice or opinion, and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have any questions about your own situation, always consult with your medical provider and healthcare team.