What is a Nutritional Baseline?
by Lindsey Duncan, N.D., C.N.
As seen in Vitamin Retailer
Discovering your nutritional base-line might be the single most important step you take in improving your health. A nutritional baseline is a whole-body assessment of your specific health status and needs. It is designed to establish your overall "health complexion" - your inherent strengths and weaknesses and genetic predispositions, as well as your current (and past) dietary and life style choices. Whether you feel perfectly well, or are suffering from chronic symptoms or a more serious condition, a nutritional baseline will help you to understand your health from a "whole-body" perspective.
Can you give me some examples?
In evaluating an individual's genetic pre-disposition, a nutritionist will want to know about your family's health history. For instance, if your parents and/or grandparents smoked cigarettes and/or had lung cancer, you may have been born with weak lungs. And if your family has a history of colon cancer or constipation, it's highly likely that you've inherited a structurally weak bowel. Is arthritis common in your family? You too might be more susceptible to this over-acid condition. Has breast cancer struck any of the women in your family? Chances are you've inherited a sluggish or weak lymphatic system. Are heart issues or high cholesterol a problem in your family? A weakened circulatory system could be one of many genetic gifts given to you by your mother or father. Every human on the planet is born with genetic strengths and weaknesses, some more so than others. The trick is to give extra nourishment and attention to the potential problem areas. This is where a healthy diet and supplementation can make a world of difference. Prevention is the best medicine!
How can I use my nutritional baseline to my best advantage?
Your own nutritional baseline supplies you with the knowledge you need to address potential problem areas and keep your body healthy. It teaches you to make sure you supply your inherently weak or constipated colon with plenty of high-fiber foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a good fiber supplement. It teaches you to make sure you supply your over-acid body with an abundance of alkalinizing leafy green vegetables and green super-food supplements, while staying away from acid (arthritis) forming foods such as sugar, alcohol and red meat. It teaches you to make sure you supply your sluggish lymphatic system with "live" foods (containing live versus dead enzymes) such as fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of fresh water, and to avoid saturated fats and heavy, processed foods that tend to stagnate the lymph. It's vitally important to understand your body's inherent weaknesses and biochemical tendencies (acid, alkaline, etc.). Armed with this information, as well as nutritional knowledge, you are in the unique position to prevent potential health problems and chronic disease conditions.
How can I establish my own personally-tailored nutritional baseline?
Your own nutritional baseline should be established by a reputable, practicing nutritionist or naturopath, who uses some type of biochemical analysis of urine, saliva and hair. I prefer this type of analysis for several reasons. It is non-invasive and supplies a more stable reading. A practicing iridologist who knows how to read the eye skillfully is a plus - your eyes are the windows to your body. A wealth of information can be gleaned from examining the irises.
What are the benefits of establishing a nutritional baseline?
By understanding the biochemical tendencies and inherent weaknesses (and strengths) of your body, a natural health professional can tailor a nutritional program specifically for you. He or she will teach you what types of foods are best suited to your specific needs, what supplements would be beneficial, and what organs in your body need special attention and supplementation. A personalized nutritional baseline will also address and help alleviate any current health complaints you now experience, whether it's constipation, fatigue, weight gain, low sex drive, headaches, PMS, allergies, or digestive disorders. In my experience it seems that almost everyone wants to be healthier and live longer. Establishing a personalized nutritional baseline takes the confusion out of what you must do to accomplish this. It offers you a specific guideline to nutrition, supplementation, diet and life style choices. Your nutritional baseline will be a reference point you can draw from during your entire lifetime. It arms you with a wealth of knowledge about yourself. It is the first, and one of the most important, steps toward taking control of your health and your own longevity.
