October 2, 2017, 2017
We are thrilled to bring your attention to our DIFM Secretary, Denine Rogers, as this month’s Featured Member! Denine is an Integrative Registered Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Living Healthy, which is a unique nutrition, health, and wellness consulting business in Douglasville, Georgia. Denine has been a wellness food and nutritional lifestyle management consultant for over 15 years to food service companies, hospitals, federal government programs, educational institutions, corporations, small businesses and healthcare facilities. Denine works full-time as a Telemedicine Nutritional Consultant with Anthem where she is currently doing a Facebook Live presentation on Health Equity in the African American Population.
What is your area of practice and how do you incorporate integrative and functional nutrition into your work?
My areas of practice are herbal medicine, aromatherapy, stress management and whole food therapies. I am writing articles and doing speaking engagements on herbal medicine and aromatherapy, but I am starting to incorporate more of this into my private practice. Currently, for my private practice clients, I have been teaching the importance of whole food therapies, detoxification, inflammation diet plans and digestive health with the 5R protocol. I incorporate a wellness approach of promoting lifestyle factors that can significantly decrease total body burden, which can also reduce the risk of chronic disease development and progression. I have been using the Integrative & Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT) Radial for my assessments on clients. The following five key factors of the IFMNT Radial affecting health are physical activity, restorative sleep, stress resiliency, mindfulness, spiritual practices, and connection to nature and community. All of these lifestyle factors contribute to a nutrition care process and have resulted in a personalized, meaningful and positive transformation for the client.
What are some of the results your clients have seen since integrating functional nutrition into your practice area?
Some of my clients appreciate that I took the time to speak with them and that my assessments, teachings, and recommendations are based on viewing the person as a whole person through personalized integrative nutrition and functional medicine which has benefited them. I had a patient who had chronic digestive issues with her IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) of recurrent bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhea or constipation. She tried endlessly to find relief through medication, but this did not help. She was very stressed out about her symptoms and how it has been affecting her work. I did an assessment based on her lifestyle with food & diet, stress level, exercise, sleep and supplements. I asked her if we can try the FODMAPs diet plan for the next 6-8 weeks along with probiotics. Also, I recommend the patient try stress-free exercises such yoga, meditation and tai chi. Within four weeks, her symptoms subsided, and her high-stress level had gone down. She slowly started to do the reintroduction phase of FODMAP along with using a food symptom journal. She told me that this had changed her life for the better.
Where have you completed most of your training in integrative and functional nutrition?
It starts with having the opportunity to become a volunteer Master Gardener for the State of Georgia. I enjoyed teaching my community about gardening, whole foods therapy, and food sustainability. I then decided to go back to school for my Master's Degree in the specialized area that I love which is herbal medicine and aromatherapy. In January of this year, I completed my Master's Degree in Complementary Alternative Medicine with a Graduate Certificate in Herbal Medicine. I also did other certificate programs in other schools online on Natural Wellness, Alternative & Complementary Nutrition, Herbal Supplements, Holistic Health Practitioner and Holistic Chef for Animals.