NUTRITION

Brittany Tyus of Infuse Aesthetics and Wellness seeks to educate patients about helath and wellness, not just offer quick solutions.

Nutrition” is the process of ingesting foods and/or food substances to support energy needs and cellular processes, in order to “fuel” necessary physiological demands (for regular, metabolic bodily maintenance and physical activity). Foods consumed are further broken down into two categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients include: carbs, proteins, and fats (each broken down into smaller substrates through digestive and metabolic processes) and provide energy for the body. Think of these macros as the fuel the body needs to operate, much like gasoline is needed to operate a vehicle. Each macronutrient fuels the body in unique, essential ways; and contrary to many modern-media spoofs, none should be avoided.

Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals, which do not provide energy, however aid in the metabolic cycle used to create energy (from fuel-sourced substrates). Energy is created in a cellular structure known as the mitochondria, often referred to as “the powerhouse of the cell.” Throughout the process of energy production, many reactions take place in three different processes: ATP-PC, Glycolysis, and Oxidative Phosphorylation. Within each of these stages, multiple reactions occur, requiring these micronutrients obtained through the digestive process, to aid in the mitochondria’s production of energy. To correlate with the above car example, think of these vitamins and minerals as the elements that allow machines to optimally prepare gasoline (or fuel) for the vehicle.

Average daily recommended amounts for macro and micronutrients, as recommended by the National Academy of

Medicine, can be found at the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Sciences website, but vary according to various factors, such as: lifestyle, age, and energy expenditure.

Influencers and trainers all over the internet, social media, and TV, as well as medical doctors, all proclaim the same thing: eat healthy! But what does that mean exactly? A “healthy diet” or “healthy nutrition”, simply means well-balanced. A well-balanced meal, three times a day with healthy snacks in-between, includes a proper proportion of all macros and micros, and can be visualized using the MyPlate method. MyPlate offers a very simple, visual way to obtain and maintain this balanced diet, without the need to count the specific content of all your food groups. At a full meal, half of your plate should include fruits and veggies (each providing an excellent source of various vitamins and minerals), about a quarter of your plate should consist of carbohydrates (which, contrary to common belief, do not need to be completely avoided - 45-60% of your daily food intake should include carbs (which does include fruits and veggies, as well as other whole grain sources)), another quarter should include protein, and finally, a small portion of low-fat dairy is also recommended, if tolerated. As far as snacks throughout the day, opt for smaller portions of nutrientdense foods, such as: a handful of nuts, yogurt with fruit and granola, or an apple or banana on-the-go.

Although most essential nutrients can and should be obtained through real-food sources, many individuals choose to supplement their diet with supplemental nutrition, such as: protein powders, pills, fruit and veggie powder blends, bars, and more based on their unique needs.

Bainbridge houses multiple businesses with products and medical services to help supplement each person’s nutritional needs in different ways.

Infuse Aesthetics and Wellness, located at 721 E Shotwell St., is a local health clinic focused on functional wellness, and providing clients with medical-focused services tailored specifically to the individual’s long term health goals. Bainbridge-native, Brittany Tyus, FNP-C is the owner and nurse practitioner at this local clinic and shared about the mission of Infuse, why she chose to bring such a clinic to Bainbridge, and details about the services provided to patients. Her mission: to personally engage with and educate patients on functional wellness, rather than prescribing a quick fix and sending them on their way, and making health and wellness an easilyaccessible priority by providing “big city” services with a small town feel.

She talked specifically about three well-known and distinctive services pertaining to nutrition that they offer: medically-driven weight loss, vitamin infusions (inserted directly into the bloodstream via IV), and hormone therapy via hormone pellets. Their weight loss packages begin with an initial consultation to discuss further options and packages best suited to each client, all of which include general nutritional guidance. Patients may also choose to receive IV drips and add-ons from a list of solutions containing different vitamin content, and therefore varying outcome-targets, all of which provide a faster release and quicker benefit to the body. Also unique to this medical-focused health and wellness business, Infuse provides hormone therapy via hormone pellets. After initial consultation and labs for clients, the pellet is inserted into the fatty layer of the skin where it remains for slow absorption over a 3-4 month period. This technique provides a much safer route for hormone therapy, as the bio-identical hormones used helps to keep hormone levels more stable and consistent over a longer period of time, and provides safety against unwanted side effects often experienced through hormone therapy in synthetic forms.

How do hormones relate to nutrition, exactly? Hormones regulate pretty much everything in the body (physiological reactions, mood, physical health, performance, digestion, etc.), and nutrition highly affects the regulation of these hormones. What you ingest makes its way to the gut where digestion takes place, so that your body can break down and utilize the nutrients from the food, as well as discrete the waste not needed. Thus relating to gut health, which has a huge impact on everything in the body. Mindfulness is imperative, and as Brittany summarizes it, beautifully, as this, “The gut is your leading pathway into everything. The better gut health you have, the better overall health you are going to have.” In addition to the aforementioned treatments, Infuse provides food sensitivity tests and nutritional deficiency tests to help target possible issues in the gut caused by foods.

Brittany’s closing statement, “Be mindful! Educate yourself, and do your research on foods and how it affects your body… You do have to take some sort of accountability. And that’s the part of wellness that I like. A lot of people that are interested in their own health and wellness are willing to put the effort in and have some sort of accountability for themselves, to invest the time and effort into trying new suggestions.”

Nutrition, perhaps the most important aspect of one’s overall health and wellness, undoubtedly requires effort to maintain healthy habits. A quick Google search can provide an ample amount of education on different types of foods, nutritional facts, serving sizes and portions, nutritional balance, and more, and although the sources should be research-based and clinically proven, any type of education on the matter exceeds none at all. Bainbridge houses multiple businesses - Infuse, Health Products and Yogurt Too, KGD Produce, grocery stores with fresh fruits and veggies, nutrition and wellness coaches, and more - to help keep optimal nutrition a priority in the lives of the community.