Join Rob as he talks about what is knows as The Four Pillars of Health: Nutrition,    Movement,    Stress,  SleepThe focus of today's show will be nutrition, specifically Functional Nutrition.~Links:   © 2018 The Institute for Functional MedicineIntroduction to Functional Nutrition If you want to participate in a group chat with fellow audience members on a similar path, you can join the community on our Telegram chat group:  t.me/allaroundgrowth    Subscribe to the All Around Growth Podcast channel for show updates ONLY:  https://t.me/allaroundgrowthpodcast  ~How To Leave a Rating & Review in Apple Podcast AppThis really *does* affect the algorithm......as of recording in December 2021 - I would invite you to do this!The podcast game is changing - help us with a rating and review!~Have a Question or any feedback for Rob?Send me an email at allaroundgrowth@gmail.com~Notes: © 2018 The Institute for Functional Medicine Introduction to Functional Nutrition What is Functional Nutrition and why does it matter? Functional Nutrition is about finding the right way for each of us as individuals to eat—using food to maximize the potential for health and reverse dysfunction or disease.  There is no single “right diet” that applies to everyone.  We all have different genetic backgrounds, different dietary preferences, and different lives.  We all want to be healthy, but figuring out how to make food and dietary patterns serve that goal can be difficult.  Functional Nutrition offers the concepts, strategies, and tools to make that happen. ~n For centuries, humans have relied on the food supply as a source of energy, health, and connection. However, in the last six or seven decades, changes in the food supply (and how we use it) have contributed strongly to the growing epidemic of chronic disease. Functional Nutrition developed out of a desire on the part of healthcare providers to change that picture. ~n  Emerging science is very clear that food is a powerful influence on health.  Food offers not only the calories that fuel our body’s metabolism, but it also contains many diverse components that play important roles in all our bodily functions.  In certain proportions and amounts, poor-quality food can influence or create disease, and high-quality food can reverse disease and sustain health.  In a very real sense, food is medicine. ~n  Food also represents connection. In most cultures, food plays a major role in familial bonding, celebrations, and ceremonies.  Through food, we connect with friends and family, and the memories we make with them are often recalled when smelling or tasting familiar foods. The action of eating also integrates the mind with the body, and this mind-body connection influences how we experience the world around us. ~n  The loss of the shared family meal with food prepared from scratch has been part of the transformation that is feeding the chronic disease cycle. Support the showBecome a Patreon of the Show! ➡️ patreon.com/allaroundgrowth