What Makes Purpose Different?

Health and Wellness Counseling is an exciting and proven innovation in healthcare and nutrition.  I do not practice as a nutritionist or a dietician.  I am not a doctor or a life coach.  My approach is unique.  I have studied physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, engineering, and the nature of food.  I have studied the impact of stress, mindset/attitude, and lifestyle choices on our bodies.  Most importantly, I have studied functional medicine and how all of these elements work together in determining our quality of life – whether we live with ease and vitality or dis-ease.  My education is from MIT, the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Bridgeport University, and the Institute of Functional Medicine.  But my most powerful learning has come from intense clinical work with clients – and getting breakthrough results.

My goal is to help my clients to become happier and healthier, permanently.  I believe strongly that the body has an innate, in fact unstoppable, ability to heal itself (even in situations that appear hopeless) if it has what it needs:

• Maximize the good stuff. Put in what’s needed.
  • Raw materials your body needs to function and heal (e.g. vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, healthy fats)
• Minimize the bad stuff. Take out what’s harmful.
  • Toxins, Infections, Allergens, and Stress
• Then, get out of the way. Create an environment for healing.
  • Sleep. Rest. Laughter/Stress reduction. Meaningful relationships.

While this might seem simple, believe it or not, optimal health is usually not complicated.  It’s like a puzzle.  The difficult parts are (1) understanding what puzzle pieces are missing and then (2) fitting all the right pieces into the puzzle of our existing habits.  I use principles of functional medicine and engineering to explore and uncover the root causes of my clients’ health struggles.  I often work directly with clients’ physicians to pursue more comprehensive or specialty testing to uncover fundamental issues via biochemical markers.

Much of modern medicine today focuses on specialties.  If you have a hormone problem, you are referred to an endocrinologist.  If you have a stomach issue, you see a gastroenterologist.  If you have depression, you might visit a psychiatrist.  A skin irritation, a dermatologist.  It’s almost as though we believe our body parts are separate, independent – disconnected.  But obviously we are not!  Every one of our organs and body systems affects all the others.  Just as our thoughts, our feelings, affect our bodies.   Thus, I work with the whole person in my clients and strive to understand how seemingly unrelated body parts or issues are affecting one another.  For example, mercury toxicity from your dental work can cause IBS, depression, eczema, and terrible PMS.  The solution is to address the mercury toxicity at the root.  If you had visited the four specialists above, you likely would have just come away with four medications to band-aid or mask your symptoms – no true healing.  No long-term relief.  Just the risk of long-term side effects from all the drugs.

From an experiential perspective, what makes Purpose programs different from other health and nutrition services (e.g. dietician, nutritionist, doctor, Weight Watchers)?

You can expect your program and support to be…

• Individualized.  Despite what best-selling health books promote, there is no one magic way of eating that works for everyone.  We are all different, special.  My programs offer no pre-set program or standardized formula.  All solutions are engineered for an individual’s body, health history, goals, lifestyle, and preferences.
• Achievable and Sustainable.  I do not believe in diets or rigid meal plans to force quick results.    While most dietitians dwell on calories, restrictions, and lists of good and bad foods, I work with my clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and free of denial. I offer step-by-step, gradual changes allowing clients time to experiment with and adjust to new habits so they are more likely to remain long-term changes.  You get results and, more importantly, ones you can sustain.
• Natural.  I focus on the body’s ability to heal itself given natural, simple food, supplements, recreation, and stress management choices.  I don’t endorse gimmicks, fads, or solutions requiring special products.  While many times pharmaceutical drugs can save lives or provide key triage, they are usually poor life-long treatments for chronic illness due to toxicity and/or unintended side effects.
• Scientifically Sound.  Our body is always seeking wellness.  If we are unwell, there is a reason – a true root cause.  My focus is on understanding  and addressing the root causes, not simply alleviating symptoms with medication.  I believe many people who have been told “nothing can be done for you” have been misled.  I often work in partnership with my clients’ physicians for more extensive medical testing to help uncover the root causes of their discomfort and disease.
• Fun and Flexible.  Laughter, tolerance, creativity, and room for trial-and-error are a key part of client support.  We experiment and find what works rather than repeatedly forcing a fixed solution.  What doesn’t work or stick for a specific client, we discard and move on to another solution.
• Realistic.  Our goal is persistence, not daily perfection.  Life-long habits have to have room for indulgence and “real life” circumstances.  I also believe guilt does not have a helpful place in maintaining health.  Understanding and empathy for clients is balanced with high expectations and personal accountability.
• Positive.  I don’t focus on deprivation and denial.  I believe food is to be savored and relished as an enjoyable part of life.  I focus on adding positive, healthy, and healing foods, behaviors, and activities to a person’s life.  This approach effectively “crowds out” the negative and unhealthy.
• Empowering.  I believe we are all capable of managing our own health and wellness.  I emphasize education and self-sustaining tools.  My goal is for each client to discover and learn healthy habits and skills they may use effectively on their own for the rest of their lives.