Nutrition: Your Personal Foundation for Health
- Dr Michael Elliott MSc, D.C., CFMP.
- Aug 5
- 1 min read
When it comes to achieving lasting health, nutrition is the foundation. It fuels every system of your body, supports energy production, and can either reduce or amplify inflammation. But here’s the truth: there is no one-size-fits-all diet.
The right eating plan must be personalised, because your body’s nutritional needs are influenced by:
Food preferences – A healthy plan must be enjoyable and sustainable.
Sensitivities and intolerances – Even healthy foods can trigger inflammation or digestive upset if your body reacts poorly to them.
Cultural and lifestyle factors – Food is deeply personal, tied to traditions and daily routines, and your plan should respect that.
Energy demands and goals – Someone training for a marathon has different needs than someone focused on metabolic health or recovery from illness.
In functional and lifestyle medicine, personalised nutrition goes beyond calories—it’s about optimising the quality and timing of your food to support your unique biochemistry and health goals.
Nutrition is the first pillar in our NAUTIE HORMONES framework for health, which we introduced in our previous article on Determinants of Health. This framework guides us in exploring all the key influences on your wellbeing, starting with N for Nutrition.
When your nutrition is personalized and aligned with your body’s needs, it becomes a powerful tool for healing, resilience, and vitality. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore each health determinant in detail to help you build a comprehensive, individualized health plan.
