Nutrition

An advantage we have at Tampa Bay Acu Health is the simultaneous use of both western nutrition and eastern food therapy. While the two often overlap, looking at problems from two views helps address internal health problems better.

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Chinese medicine views each food as having its own characteristics that influence the body’s balance.  For each health condition certain foods may be more suitable than others, and utilizing the proper diet can expedite the body’s healing process. Chinese dietary therapy offers an effective tool which can be used in conjunction with other therapies such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, bodywork or homeopathy.

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In addition to Chinese Dietary therapy, at Tampa Bay Acu Health and Spine,  we also consider the nutritive value of foods in western terms, and a thorough dietary intervention can be used in several special conditions, most notably diabetes.  Nutritional supplements are selected on a case by case basis when necessary.  However, the aim in this clinic is to provide patients the nutritional knowledge they need to make the best choices for their health.  In order to help patients with difficult health problems, specialized nutrient testing is available as well.

 

Nutrient testing:

Special types of tests exist that go beyond the ordinary blood work that most people get. When one gets a lab draw, the purpose is to measure markers that show disease or do not show disease. But when more detailed micronutrient (vitamins, minerals, amino acid) testing is done, the precursors of illness that arise earlier can be evaluated.

 

It is important to realize that regular blood work is a measure of what you have flowing in your blood at the time of the blood draw. Micronutrient testing is not a measure of a nutrient in the blood. It is a measure of metabolites, the metabolic by-products of nutrients, showing how the nutrient was used inside the cell itself. It is inside cells where micronutrients do their metabolic functions. So you see, someone could have an adequate amount of a nutrient in their blood, but for various reasons that nutrient has not done its job inside the cell. Micronutrient testing will show the difference.

 

Have you ever heard of someone who felt there was a problem with their health, but was told their blood work was fine? More than likely they were told their problem was all in their head. But remember, blood work shows what is in your blood today, but cellular metabolites show what has been processing for the last couple of months. Because of this, a much deeper picture of someone’s nutrition status can be seen. Their problems may not have been in their head after all, and could likely be helped with individualized nutrition.

Micronutrient testing measures 33 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants, and metabolites. Proper processing of these nutrients is needed to produce enzymes, hormones, and all other biochemistry needed for good health. Nutrition status can become impaired despite a balanced diet and the use of vitamin supplements due to malabsorption, chronic illness, excess stress, prescription drugs, aging and even long term strenuous exercise. A long term impairment in nutrition status can predispose one to diabetes, fatigue, mood disorders, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, migraines, hypertension, inflammation and other disease.

In addition to micronutrient testing, a comprehensive cardiovascular risk profile can be done.

 

With testing through Tampa Bay Acu Health and Spine, not only can long term health issues be improved, but now your chances of preventing them have just gotten better.

 

Please feel free to join and follow our nutrition blog on FaceBook, called “Nutrition East Meets West”.  We regularly post from short notes to research articles concerning foods and all issues health related.