DEFINITION
What is Nutrition?
Integrative nutrition means nourishing your whole self, not counting calories. Food is medicine here, the way it's been used for centuries to help people heal. The real question we ask: why does your body react to food the way it does, and what does it actually need to feel well?
Unlike standard diet advice, integrative nutrition is built around you specifically. Genes, gut health, hormones, stress, sleep, even your relationships, all shape how your body uses nutrients. What works for someone else might do nothing for you, or actually cause harm.
Our nutrition counseling draws on integrative and functional nutrition, naturopathic medicine, and traditional healing systems including Traditional Chinese Medicine. The nutritionist and naturopathic doctors here use advanced testing alongside scientific research and time-tested practice. And they'll actually explain what your lab results mean, not just hand you a printout.
Qualifications & Background
Our nutrition counseling is rooted in integrative and functional nutrition, naturopathic medicine, and traditional healing systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine. Our nutritionist and naturopathic doctors use advanced testing, scientific research, and time-tested healing practices to understand your unique needs. They can explain complex lab results in a way that's easy to understand and offer practical advice that fits into your life.
INDICATIONS
What conditions does it help with?
ADVANTAGE
Why GWCIM?
Most nutrition counseling stops at your diet. We don't. Sleep, movement, stress, your environment, your relationships — all of it affects your mood and energy, and all of it affects how your body absorbs nutrients and heals.
We also offer integrative and functional medicine tests, like genomic panels, metabolic assessments, and gut microbiome analysis, that most nutrition practices simply don't have. That's how we get past guessing and build a plan that's actually custom to you. Your nutrition plan keeps evolving here, adjusted along the way by your whole care team.
At GWCIM, Nutrition is integrated into several services:
- Nutritional Counseling
- Naturopathic Medicine
- Functional Medicine
- Integrative Medicine/Primary Care
- Integrative Geriatric Medicine & ReCODE Program
- Chinese Medicine
APPROACH
Our Approach
We start by getting to know you, not your chart. That means your health history, symptoms, lifestyle, sleep, stress levels, and whatever labs you've already had done. Sometimes we recommend more testing to fill gaps in the picture. All of it is there to find the pattern connecting your symptoms.
Your nutrition plan doesn't exist in isolation. Our doctors coordinate with your naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, or whichever specialist you're seeing, so everything fits together. Food is information for your body, the same way a lab result is information for your doctor. We help you learn how to send the right signals.
Lasting change comes from support, not guilt, in our experience. Sessions are collaborative and practical, and we'll explain why a food works for your body or why it doesn't, so you understand the reasoning instead of just following rules. Family members are welcome to join when it helps. A supportive home matters more than any meal plan.
Integrative Focus
Integrative: Root causes, whole-person vs. Conventional: Disease-specific (e.g., low-fat for heart)
Food is Superior Medicine
We believe food is the most basic and safest medicine. Ancient traditions, like Chinese Medicine, have always recognized that proper nourishment is the cornerstone of good health.
Individualized Medicine
Studies of personalized diets show the results vary by individual genetics and gut bacteria; it is not a one-size-fits-all diet.
Beyond the Plate: A 360-Degree View
What is on your plate and in your refrigerator is only part of the story.
Your Body's Potential Through Food
Food does more than fuel you. It calms inflammation, helps rebuild cells, and balances hormones. That's real ground to stand on against chronic illness.
Mind-Body: why how we eat - matters
Stress, sleep, and emotions influence nutrient absorption and metabolism.
Prevention and Longevity
Integrative Nutrition emphasizes sustainable lifestyle over quick fixes.
At Your Pace
You know your life better than we do. We bring knowledge, practical tools, and support. We're not here to hand you a rulebook that doesn't fit how you actually live.
Care Options
Nutrition Counseling
Your session with a nutritionist will focus on the role of food in your health and disease.
Naturopathic Medicine Consultations
Nutrition is always an important part of your consultations with a Naturopathic Doctor.
Functional Medicine Consultations
Nutritional advice is always integrated into our Functional Medicine consultations.
Chinese Medicine Concultations
Ancient traditions, like Chinese Medicine, have always recognized that proper nourishment is the cornerstone of good health. You can even receive nutritional guidance rooted in the principles of Chinese Medicine.
EXPERTISE
Recommended Providers
Ajowa Ifateyo, MS, CNS
Certified Nutrition Specialist, Health Coach, Certified ReCODE™ Provider
Marianna Ledenac, BS, ND
Naturopathic Physician
Sharon DeMocker, MD
Integrative Medicine Physician
Ashley Drapeau, PA-C, L.Ac., MPAS, MAC
Medical Director | Functional Medicine | Long-Covid Program Director
Deirdre Orceyre, ND, MSOM, L.Ac.
Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine Physician, Naturopathic Medical Director
Paymon Sadrolsadot, ND, PhD
Naturopathic Psysician, Integrative Medicine Physician
Tiffany Hoyt, DAOM, M.Ac., M.CHM, Dipl. O.M., LAc
Chinese Medicine Doctor
FAQ
Common Questions
Registered dietitians provide solid, evidence-based guidance, usually focused on general healthy eating or a specific diagnosed condition. Integrative nutrition counseling looks at more of the picture: your genetics, gut microbiome, hormonal balance, lifestyle, and environmental exposures. And because nutrition here is part of a larger care team, your plan stays coordinated with whatever else you're doing at GWCIM.
Depending on your history and goals, we might recommend functional medicine testing: comprehensive metabolic panels, food sensitivity testing (IgG/IgE panels), gut microbiome analysis, genomic nutritional testing, hormonal panels, micronutrient testing, or inflammatory markers. These help us find what's actually driving your symptoms instead of guessing. Not all of it is necessary for every patient — we'll talk through what makes sense for you.
At GWCIM, weight management means managing body composition, not chasing a number on the scale. We focus on reducing body fat while preserving lean muscle, which matters more for lasting results and long-term health. Dr. Marianna Ledenac, ND, leads our weight and body composition program using FirstLine Therapy (FLT), a physician-supervised, evidence-based lifestyle medicine program. It combines a modified Mediterranean eating plan (low-glycemic, balanced in proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), targeted supplementation, regular movement, and stress management. We track body composition throughout, so progress means more than a lighter number on a scale. Many patients see meaningful results in as little as 12 weeks.
There's a well-documented connection between the gut and the brain: the gut-brain axis. Nutritional interventions targeting gut health, blood sugar stability, inflammation, and micronutrient status can meaningfully affect mood, anxiety, and cognitive function. When it's relevant, we coordinate with mental health providers on our team so your care stays connected.
Integrative nutrition is a core piece of the ReCODE protocol, a program developed by Dr. Dale Bredesen to reverse or slow cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Specific interventions, like a modified ketogenic approach, time-restricted eating, and anti-inflammatory nutrition, play a central role in cognitive health restoration. Our nutritionists work directly with the ReCODE team on this.
EDUCATION