As a naturopathic nutritionist, I have a deep appreciation for the healing potential of our bodies. Every cell has an innate intelligence that programs it for health. Naturopaths of old understood that if they could access that intelligence, they would know what people needed to heal. With the advent of applied kinesiology (AK) in the 1960’s, otherwise known as muscle testing, and more recently the development of systems that use AK to analyze the body, we can now have that “conversation” with the body and yield better results for clients in less time!
Systems that use muscle testing are invaluable tools that allow the clinician to ask your body “What’s wrong and what do you need to fix it"? Although a muscle is used, communication happens via your nervous system. The feedback your body provides is so reliable that it is instrumental in leading to optimal health. Since your body is the means for analysis, you can be spared expensive, invasive conventional testing and lab fees.
I am trained in three systems that use AK to analyze the body. They are all rooted in the belief that our body has the potential to heal itself when given the right whole food nutrients, herbs, and/or homeopathics. All three systems:
- Determine underlying causes of health challenges effectively and efficiently
- Identify hidden stressors including: chemical toxicity, heavy metal toxicity, infections (bacteria, viruses, fungi/yeast, and parasites), scar interferences, food allergies and sensitivities
- Develop supplement protocols customized to match each client’s unique healing needs
- Provide immediate results and recommendations
Many people are aware that they have an energy field around their body but what they do not know is that it is a great tool for optimizing health. This energy field is an extension of your nervous system. MFT is an advanced system for nutritional and energetic evaluation that efficiently taps into the energetic fields of your body allowing the clinician to harness the power of this energy to support the natural healing process. Using the energy field is a fast, effective way to move your body towards healing. MFT aligns well with the preventative focus of naturopathy because it is designed to draw information from your body at the cellular level and head off issues in the early stages. It also places top priority on establishing foundational nutrition by optimizing your hydration, digestion, fatty acid balance, mineral balance, sugar handling and detoxification channels. MFT is unique in its ability to discover and manage health issues that arise from the consumption of genetically modified foods (GMO’s), an increasing risk to health today.
Nutrition Response Testing uses a Heart Rate Variability test (HRV) to evaluate your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), the part of your brain and nerves that works without your conscience thought. Your ANS has two parts, the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), your “gas pedal” and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), your brakes. In order to be healthy and function optimally, we need both systems working well and in balance. When our ANS is impaired, our ability to use nutrition from our diet and supplements to heal can be compromised. For this reason, restoring a healthy ANS is a priority of NRT. The organs and glands are then analyzed with a body scan done by the practitioner.
Your genome is your complete set of genetic instructions (genes). Nutrigenomics is an emerging science that studies the interaction of nutrition and genes, especially with regard to the prevention or treatment of disease. Health and quality of life are highly dependent on the methylation process. The methylation cycle is a major metabolic pathway involved in many regulatory processes including:
- Regulating healing
- Energy production
- Liver detoxification
- Immune function
- Turning genes on and off
- Building and metabolizing neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, melatonin)
- Processing hormones (estrogen, insulin, cortisol)
- DNA synthesis and repair
- Producing myelin coverings of nerves
- Building and maintaining cell membranes
Methylation cycle defects can be caused by genetic defects, environmental conditions, mental stress, nutritional deficiencies and aging. That explains why one person can be damaged by environmental toxins while others living in the same environment are not affected.
Common ways methylation cycle defects manifest include:
- Fatigue
- Heart palpitations
- Toxicity
- Immune dysfunction (inability to fight infections and autoimmune issues)
- Autoimmune disease
- Joint pain and inflammation
- Digestive issues
- Food sensitivities and leaky gut
- Thyroid problems
- Low cortisol
- Insulin resistance
- Neurological damage with symptoms including anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, diabetes
- Low dopamine which can lead to depression, apathy, ADD, ADHD and addictive behavior
- Allergies
- Hormone imbalance
- Insomnia
- Decrease in myelin production
- Neurotransmitter depletion resulting in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder.
The good news is that trained clinicians can evaluate your individual methylation patterns through genetic (DNA) testing and muscle testing to determine approximately where the genetic defects are and to develop a supplement program that in effect bypasses your genetic defects and optimizes methylation cycle function.
Advances in genetic research have led to a major breakthrough in our understanding of the origins of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and more. Prevention of conditions that we consider “inherited” is well within our grasp!