Dreaming of changes in health care…
Posted by Andrea Nakayama

I have a dream.
It’s a dream that involves you.
A dream that I believe we can realize together.
In fact, I think it’s a dream that we share. . .
I have a dream that we are the ones that are poised to change the face of healthcare.
We can do this by bridging gaps,
- between the personal and the medical
- between food, physiology and optimal wellness
- between personal agency & the impulse to put health into the hands of doctors alone
We can do this.
In fact, I have the opportunity to do this in my own practice, mentorships and nutritional instructions ever single day. It’s empowering to both me and the people I work with. And I want you to be an agent of change too!
There are three critical steps to consider as you build your practice and your expertise so that you can fully support more people on their healing journeys and be a part of this wave of change.
1) Know who you are
Go watch the videos over at the Holistic Nutrition Lab website. In those videos I tell you a bit about who I am. I share some of my background and experiences that lead me to practice in the ways I do through Replenish PDX.
But you have your own story; a story that’s rich with the seeds that have made you the excellent practitioner that you are.
You come with your own unique set of skills and worldliness, past “lives” or careers and a biography that is particular to you, and only you.
I invite you to hone the edges of your unique puzzle piece. Define the curves. Know your passions and your strengths. And together, with each of our singular attributes, yours and mine, we can build a much larger fabric of change ~ just like individual puzzle pieces take their part in a larger puzzle.
No two segments of that puzzle are alike, yet together, they make a whole.
2) Develop your skills
This is where I’m eager to help you. As I wrote last week, the missing piece in many nutrition programs is nutrition.
Nutrition is the art and science of eating for health. The art requires that you tend to step #1 and know how you uniquely meet others in their own health journey. The science is a skill you develop and hone. That science must include an understanding of the vessel of chemical reactions into which the food goes. That’s the human body ~ the body of each and every one of our clients or patients.
Once again, no two are alike.
Our comprehensive understanding of What’s Going On In There ~ as I like to call it ~ is key to our ability to prescribe the appropriate nutritional therapy for each individual that looks to us for care, support and remedy.
It’s our obligation as nutritional healers to consistently hone our curative skills.
3) Build the bridge
Here’s where the bridge piece comes in. . .
With an understanding of our unique selves, as well as an understanding of our clients’ and patients’ characteristic physiology, we’re now better equipped to build bridges.
- We can build bridges between those that look to us for care and their opportunity to experience true healing.
- We can build bridges between the various members of their health team, so that they benefit from working with a consortium which has their best interest in mind and heart.
- And we can build bridges between each person we touch and their ability to understand for themselves What’s Going On In There. (Objectifying the problem often makes it much easier to face.)
Now I have three more steps for you, three steps to take to embrace both your potential and calling to authentically use food as medicine, as you are meant to do.
1) Head over to the Holistic Nutrition Lab website and watch the videos where I tell you more about my path as a nutritionist.
2) Register for the free seminar on Friday, where I’ll share some of the tools I use to dive deeper into each client’s unique health history ~ tools adapted from the principles of Functional Medicine to meet our needs as nutrition professionals.
3) While, you’re on the Holistic Nutrition Lab website, hop on over to the ‘About Andrea’ page where you can read more about my training, but more importantly, watch my TED-X talk about this very subject of you and I being the forces that can change the face of healthcare.
I look forward to the movement that we can create together Alexander. Let’s do it!
Warmly,
EXPERIENCE A FREE TRAINING SERIES WITH ANDREA NAKAYAMA TO HELP YOU
Begin practicing functionally today!
MORE TO EXPLORE
You Might Also Like
The Importance of Blood Sugar
Blood sugar balance is a standard focus for patients with diabetes, and even those with non-diabetic hypoglycemia, but blood sugar is often overlooked as a cornerstone of care for other health concerns. Longtime readers and Full Body Systems students and grads know how much I stress the importance of addressing blood sugar in practice, whether […]
Read MoreRefined Sugar-Free, No-Bake “Donut Holes” Recipe
Do you love a sweet snack but hate the added sugar? I have good news for you! These refined sugar-free, no-bake donut holes are the perfect solution for you to satisfy your cravings while you reduce your dependency on the processed stuff. They’re made with nutrient-dense ingredients like almonds, pecans, and dates, and they’re super […]
Read MoreA Functional Understanding of Microflora and Candida
I’m a firm believer that you are not what you eat, but what your body can do with what you eat. In other words, you are what your body can break down and absorb. In many ways you are also the sum of your parts. Sure there’s the usual digestive parts – your mouth and […]
Read MoreStart with the Gut
It's been several months since I've written a Consumer's Report. Please don't let that fool you into believing that I'm not a consumer. Like you, I get caught out-and-about and also just appreciate being able to buy a pre-packaged thing or two that meets my exacting standards and serves my gut intentions. I especially love to get my hands on a product that simultaneously passes the grade, is gratifying to the taste buds and fuels my health. That's what these pages are all about! Today I raise a glass to KeVita, my favorite drink on-the-go.
Read MoreGraduate Spotlight: Salomey Adomako
Salomey Adomako is a registered nurse (RN) and a Functional Nutrition Alliance Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) in Simsbury, Connecticut. She is originally from Ghana, West Africa, and devotes a great deal of time to her Ghanaian community in Connecticut. Salomey specializes in working with women struggling with chronic health issues to support their health […]
Read More