FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION IN RENO

HEALTHSMITH takes a clinical approach to supplementing your diet to address your symptoms and improve your health using targeted supplements and herbs. Dr. Vicky McCoy uses muscle testing, Applied Kinesiology (AK), Nutrition Response Testing (NRT), Wholistic Methylation, and Morphogenic Field Technique (MFT) to assess all body systems, organs, and glands for deficiencies, toxicities and immune challenges; diminishing or eliminating symptoms such as fatigue, weak immunity, thyroid conditions, autoimmunity, digestive disturbances, hormone imbalances, sleeplessness, chronic pain, and more using supplements specifically selected for you. This takes the guess work out of discovering exactly what you need to feel your best.

Dr. Vicky uses supplementation from Standard Process, Nutri-West, Apex Energetics, Thorne, and Supreme Nutrition among others to nourish, feed, and balance those organs and systems to restore health from the inside out.

At Healthsmith, we focus on your health within.

FAQs

What’s the difference between Functional Nutrition and Functional Medicine?
At the core, there is not much difference. Both Functional Nutrition and Functional Medicine aim to support the body’s physiology with nutrients and supplementation to increase overall health and reduce or eliminate symptoms. The main difference is that Functional Medicine relies heavily on blood work, and while at Healthsmith we do often use blood work to gather information about what is going on in the body, we combine it with asking your body what is going on and what it needs through neurological feedback, known as Applied Kinesiology. We believe that a lot of information can be gathered through the muscle testing, which allows your body to tell the practitioner what challenges your system is facing, what supplements will work best with your system, how much of it to take, and when to stop taking it.

What is muscle testing?
Muscle testing, also called Applied Kinesiology, is a way of using the neurological and muscular response of your arm to give feedback about what your body finds stressful and what improves it. Dr. Vicky uses a combination of several techniques studied over the years, including Wholistic Methylation, Nutrition Response Testing, and Morphogenic Field Technique.

Why do you use muscle testing?
Muscle testing is non-invasive, affordable, and can often answer questions and find solutions that cannot be found using other testing techniques. By using the information that your body is providing, the practitioner is not the sole decision maker for which supplements you should take, your body is telling us what it wants and needs, and the practitioner is simply the interpreter. We use muscle testing because it WORKS.

What do you check for in a nutrition assessment appointment?
Every session we are able to check your current supplement recommendations to be sure your body still benefits from them. You may also bring in supplements or foods from home to see what your body thinks of them. Dr. Vicky has several kits and vials that can ask your body a wide variety of “questions”, including about viruses, bacteria, fungus, yeast, molds, parasites, autoimmune dysfunction, heavy metals, toxins, detoxification pathways, hormone production and clearance, every gland, organ and body system, energy production, mitochondrial function, genetic anomalies, neurotransmitters, sleep, heart health, vitamin and mineral deficiency or excess, and MUCH MORE. Supplements and exact dosage will be determined and recommended at each visit.

Can you make meal plans or tell me what to eat or avoid?
Dr. Vicky does not make meal plans, but she can give guidance on foods that may suit you and foods that may be causing distress based on your feedback and muscle testing. Her general approach to diet is not to be overly limiting, restrictive or rigid, but to find out how your body can be its best without resorting to unsustainable practices or fad diets.

Can you help with weight loss?
Weight loss is not something that is directly addressed in our Functional Nutrition program. However, there may be certain organs and systems that can play a part in a healthy body weight, such as the liver, blood sugar, sex hormones, thyroid, adrenals, sleep, and those are absolutely addressed during nutrition appointments. (Keep in mind that a “healthy body weight” is different for different people, and varies at different stages of life.) At Healthsmith, we focus on what the insides are up to, and assist you in feeling your best by supporting your overall well-being.

How often should I come back?
This widely varies patient to patient, and some of that will depend on symptoms, treatment goals and life factors. Some patients have once a month visits and will do so for the rest of their lives. Some patients check in a few times a year to make sure they are still on track. The average return visit for functional nutrition is every 6-8 weeks.