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Functional Nutrition Alliance is for you if…

• you are looking to increase client compliance so that your work as a practitioner helps more people
• you want to grow your business by referral (doing great work will get people talking!)
• you are either a professional who has a wealth of information but hasn’t been taught the art of working with people, OR you are a coach with great people skills who hasn’t been taught the nitty-gritty of physiology (this is the only program that combines both!)
• you are looking for an in-depth Functional Nutrition program with 100% support and mentorship
• you want to feel more confident helping clients with complicated health challenges and complex nutrition concerns
• you know (or suspect) one-size-fits-all protocols don’t work, and you want advanced training in individualized patient and client care
• you are craving an intelligent community who is passionate about health and wellness and likes to geek out on getting great results, just like you

We have students that are healthcare providers of all levels: nutritionists, health coaches, MDs, acupuncturists, chiropractors, RDs, NP’s, RNs, PAs, students, and aspiring nutrition counselors… there are no prerequisites to starting your deep dive into Functional Nutrition with FNL.
However, the coursework is not intended for the patient to work on their own health issues. Some prior professional training or interest working as a nutrition counselor is recommended to get the most out of the program.

Functional Nutrition Alliance is a school that offers an in-depth functional nutrition training program for health providers of all levels. Full Body Systems skillfully blends the art of practice with the science of nutrition, giving you the tools you need to get to the root causes of your clients’ issues, and the skills to inspire and empower even the most resistant ones to make positive changes. Functional Nutrition Alliance was created by Functional Medicine Nutritionist Andrea Nakayama to help practitioners achieve the same clinical and business success that she has had, becoming the last, best stop for patients who have tried everything.

FNL is the only training program that teaches the following 4 key skills in building a thriving Functional Nutrition practice:

1. The art of inquiry: Learn the key questions you need to ask your clients (and how to skillfully ask them!) so that you can make connections other practitioners have missed, unearth the root causes of your clients’ issues, and tap into their motivations. Both your client compliance and clinical success will skyrocket.

2. In-depth anatomy and physiology through the lens of food and nutrition: How does the food your client is eating interact with her unique body? Food meets physiology differently in each of us, and understanding this is your key to being able to help any client who walks in your door. FNL is the only school that teaches you this unique and pivotal way of looking at “food as medicine”.

3. Understanding individualized nutrition plans that WORK: Learn to connect the dots between your client’s symptoms, her unique biology, and her diet and lifestyle, while educating her in a way that inspires her to make changes. This is what it means to practice Functionally, because it works!

4. How to gain the respect of your client’s medical team: Work in tandem with physicians and other medical professionals, and become a true partner and advocate for your client.

Above all else, the support and mentorship provided by Andrea and her team are one of a kind. They guide you through case studies and answer your toughest questions so you can practice with confidence.

To truly practice Functional Nutrition, you need to know about all of the body systems. Food meets physiology in the digestive system, and from there it affects every system in the body. Full Body Systems is your opportunity to dive deep into 7 key body systems (digestive, immune, urinary, cardiometabolic, endocrine, nervous, and reproductive,) so you have the information you need to help clients and patients with complex issues in any part of their physiology.

Every Intensive covers the anatomy, function, and physiology of that system as well as its interconnections with the other body systems and the pivotal place where food meets physiology. This course is oriented specifically toward practitioners of any scope who are interested in practicing Functionally. The training consists of weekly classes with Andrea (that you can listen to when it’s convenient for you), Done-For-You protocols highlighting Andrea’s favorites from her years in practice, and dedicated Message Board support from Andrea and her team where you can ask questions and receive individualized help. Functional Nutrition Alliance: Full Body Systems will give you the tools you need to create lasting results for your clients, boost your confidence, and transform your practice!

A background in science is not needed to participate in Functional Nutrition Alliance programs. Full Body Systems has been completed by practitioners at various stages, from those just completing health coaching school who may have little-to-no science background, to those with nursing, acupuncture, or medical degrees.

Andrea has a way of teaching that allows both novice and professional to participate. She’s an expert at breaking down the hard-to-understand information so that you can actually comprehend what you might have previously found out of reach and expand upon what you may already know in ways that you have not contemplated.

The truth is, Andrea struggled with science all through high school and never took another course until she needed it for her nutrition degree. Once it had a purpose, it all made sense. She’s the one to put it into context so it can make sense for you (or make sense in a whole new way!).

The online classes (audio only) are each 90 minutes long. During class, Andrea teaches, shares videos, points out diagrams and illustrations custom-made for her teachings, and asks questions of the students that can be answered on the Message Board. She also provides quizzes so that you can test your knowledge at incremental points throughout the course. You can listen at any time and the Message Board is available 24-7.

Each week, there is also a live 60-minute workshop session where you’ll meet with 1-2 of your peers in our virtual classroom to practice what you’re learning in class and have time for Q&A with a Functional Nutrition Alliance nutritionist.

Absolutely!

Each Intensive delivers comprehensive print materials including:

• Diagrams, illustrations, articles, videos and quizzes to support your understanding of the system and where imbalances may occur
• Done-for-You Protocols based on Andrea’s clinical experience with hundreds of clients and thousands of course participants to guide your nutritional approaches with clients with the particular health concerns that you will see most
• Course transcripts so you don’t have to take feverish notes during class
• Glossary of important terms so that you can communicate with health and medical colleagues with ease
• ‘What’s on My Shelf’ — a bibliography of Andrea’s favorite go-to books on digestive health
• There’s also a robust library of Guest Health & Medical Expert interviews Andrea has conducted with her colleagues, stand-out stars in the field of healthcare, to support the conversations in class

Andrea and her team are available on the Message Board to answer any and all questions you might have regarding class material and client cases. You are not alone. We take great care in answering your questions about both the art and science of Functional Nutrition, and we provide support for the entire 10 months of Full Body Systems and beyond. You can return to the Message Board at any time, even when you’re no longer a student. Many students consider the Functional Nutrition Alliance Message Board their ‘search engine’ for all things health and nutrition.

In addition to the Message Board, each Intensive includes one 90-minute Q&A call with two FxNA Nutritionists (‘Study Hall’) and one 2-hour Q&A call with Andrea (‘Power Hours’).

• As a graduate of FBS, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion, CEUs (if you’re in a licensing body that requires and acknowledges our CEUs), and the FBS badge to use on your website or marketing materials.
• By completing FBS, you can earn 60 category 1 continuing education units with the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) (30 for the first module alone and 30 for the remainder of the curriculum) by passing an online test at the completion of class.
• As a next step after Full Body Systems, we offer a certification program for people who want to take their practice to the next level. Upon completion of Full Body Systems, you’ll be eligible to apply for admission into that program to become a Certified Functional Nutritionist and Lifestyle Practitioner (FNLP). (Note: FNLP is a separate program available only to FBS graduates who apply and are accepted to the program.)

• FNL is not a licensing body, and licensing laws vary by state and country. If you can legally practice as a health coach or other health practitioner, FNL is the best next step for learning how to practice confidently and effectively. Andrea is a stand for putting this information into practice because she knows the best practitioners are created that way. We encourage you to get started, even if it’s just with one test client.
• We continue to see graduates of Functional Nutrition Alliance create successful practices based on what they’ve learned here. FNL has given them the tools and the confidence to fulfill their dreams of really helping people.

And if you’re located in the United States, here’s a resource that will help you figure out the laws where you live.

While we do discuss various types of assessments that may be utilized in practice in Full Body Systems, Andrea’s focus is more on arming each practitioner—no matter their scope of practice—with the skills and understanding to approach each case with an investigative eye.

With this deeper understanding of how to practice, clinicians know which lab assessments might be necessary and when they can be avoided (to best support a client’s budget.) They also fully grasp the role of labs among other assessments such as signs, symptoms, and a detailed client history.

Andrea has found that many practitioners feel that without a deeper understanding of what’s happening in the body, that it’s challenging to apply practices of Functional testing in practice with integrity and follow-through. Testing options can fall short if clinicians are unable to identify and address the roots of a client’s symptoms, motivate them to make changes, or answer tough questions because of a lack of understanding of anatomy, function and physiology in the context of holistic health and nutrition.

Functional Nutrition Alliance has been the pivotal training for many practitioners who want to grow their nutrition businesses. Upon completion of Full Body Systems, you will have the clinical and people skills to grow your business by referral.

People want to get better, and when you’re able to solve cases that others found unsolvable, the referrals will likely begin to pour in.

Functional Nutrition Alliance is not a business school per se, but we teach practitioners to grow their business the old fashioned way: by doing great work that gets people talking.

In Andrea’s clinic at the Functional Nutrition Alliance, her team attracts clients who have health conditions that have been left unresolved by many doctors. She has been able to build a thriving practice, with a two-month wait list, because clients trust that she is able to dig deeper and help them get to the root cause of what ails them.

This training will help you build a thriving business—one where your clients become raving fans and you become known as the go-to practitioner who can get results.