Have you ever wondered why treating symptoms alone rarely leads to lasting health improvements? Imagine this: You’ve been battling frequent heartburn, so you start popping antacids. They help initially, but the discomfort keeps returning, forcing you to rely on them more frequently. Soon, you’re also feeling bloated all the time and your clothes aren’t fitting well, you’re exhausted, and just not feeling like yourself—what’s going on?

The antacids didn’t address the real problem; they were just a Band-Aid covering deeper issues.

Think of your health as a tree with three main roots and many branches. The roots represent underlying causes—genes, digestion, and inflammation—while the branches are the visible signs, symptoms, and diagnoses like heartburn, headaches, fatigue, depression and anxiety, joint pain, weight gain, allergies, IBS, MS, Hashimoto’s, fibromyalgia. etc.

In functional health, the focus is on nourishing the roots and the soil they grow in, not just pruning branches. To grasp this, let’s explore the roots and how they are connected.

The first root is our genes, which provide the blueprint for life and health. Our genetic make-up is fixed but which genes are expressed is not. The field of epigenetics has shown that environment, diet, stress, exercise, and mindset influence gene expression—turning genes on or off without altering DNA (MedlinePlus, n.d.). By modifying these factors we can change the signs and symptoms that we experience.

Digestion is equally foundational: If gut structure, function, or microbiome balance is off, nutrient absorption suffers, no matter how perfect your diet. The saying, “You are what you eat,” is true

but it would be more accurate to say, “You are what you can absorb from what you eat.” So, optimizing digestion ensures your body gets the fuel it needs to function properly.

Inflammation, the third root, is the immune system’s response to stressors . It is how our body is designed to respond to protect us from infection or injury. However, when those stressors become chronic, so does the immune response leading to imbalance and overreaction. The goal then is to clear the stressor, calm the response, and modulate and enhance the immune system so that it can function the way it is designed to

These roots are all connected. For instance, poor digestion causes deficiencies that spark inflammation, altering gene expression and sprouting symptoms of dis-ease. But remember, the roots are fed by the soil that surrounds them and it must be clean and have the right nutrients and enough water for the roots to be strong and produce healthy branches. As your Functional Nutrition Coach, I’m here to guide you in uncovering your unique imbalances and enriching that soil by crafting personalized and sustainable lifestyle and diet modifications to nurture true, lasting wellness. Ready to dig in and transform your health tree? Let’s connect and start growing stronger today.

Connect with an intake counselor at NuWell Health for a free consultation today!

MedlinePlus. (n.d.). What is the epigenome? In MedlinePlus Genetics. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 14, 2025, from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/epigenome/