
When your healthcare provider tells you to “eat a balanced diet”, it seems straightforward and easy at first. But, there are many conflicting opinions about what it means to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
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In the context of Functional Nutrition, a “balanced diet” is one that is appropriate for your lifestyle, health concerns, and food preferences. In other words, there isn’t one specific diet or way of eating that works for everyone. Instead, food and lifestyle plans should be tailored to the individual in order to improve overall health and wellbeing. For example, a person suffering from a stress-induced IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) attack has a specific set of nutritional needs, which are very different from the needs of someone who is active and wants to incorporate more fresh, whole foods into their diet.