Nutrition For People 2024: Live Your Best Life

Molly Ostrander, the driving force behind Nutrition For People, draws upon her own journey with Crohn's Disease as the catalyst for her passion in the field. Diagnosed at the age of 14, Molly navigated through numerous steroid treatments, fueling her desire for comprehensive and personalized healthcare. With a background of over 15 years as a professional chef, she pursued a master's degree and earned board certification as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Molly's diverse experience includes working in clinical settings, notably on an inpatient oncology unit. Certified by the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy, she employs a whole systems approach to address root causes. Currently pursuing her Doctorate at the Maryland University of Integrative Health, Molly combines cutting-edge research with her expertise in nutrition and functional medicine. Clients benefit from her personalized, evidence-based support tailored to address acute symptoms, lifelong conditions, new diagnoses, or general wellness guidance. DeliveryRank finds out more.

Molly, your journey with Crohn’s Disease led you towards integrative and functional medicine. How has this personal experience shaped your approach to treating individuals with chronic gut-related conditions, and what unique perspective does it bring to your practice?

I did not have the support of the internet when I was diagnosed, so things were much harder. There really is not a roadmap available today about what to eat when you have a new IBD diagnosis, or with any kind of GI symptom. It was a scary and lonely time for myself and my family seeking out people who could advise us or help with what to eat to feel better. I certainly wouldn’t be doing this work if I had not had that experience! 

Having Crohn’s and then having IBS as a result of a compromised digestive system gives me the unique perspective of knowing exactly what my clients are going through. I am never going to discount any symptoms and I will also dig around and do research and speak with others until we figure out how to improve your quality of life if what you experience is more unusual or complex. I also know what my clients need in terms of emotional support, and I have been through so many elimination diets that I am great at helping you figure out triggers, removing them, and making sure there is plenty to add back in so your diet isn’t limited or depressing. 

The Gut Breakthrough Program you offer seems comprehensive and personalized. Could you walk us through how this program’s structure and elements aid individuals in identifying the root cause of their symptoms and navigating their way towards healing?

Yes, I am getting my doctorate in Integrative Functional nutrition, am a Certified Integrative and Functional Nutrition Practitioner, and use the IFM 5R protocol for gut healing. 

We remove triggers- food, mold, toxins, stress, bad relationships, bacteria to stop the exposure of what is causing symptoms. 

Replace enzymes and nutrients that your body needs for optimal digestion, brain function, and energy production. 

Repair the gut lining- any chronic GI condition is going to weaken the brush boarder and intestinal cells of the outside of our intestines (leaky gut) and it is important to support this and heal it for optimal absorption of nutrients and so no inflammatory or immune responses are triggered by things going in and out the side door that shouldn’t. 

Reinocculate with specific probiotics tailored to your condition to build up those good bacteria.

Rebalance your life! Where can we get outside more? What is the strategy for Mom to take care of herself ONLY a few hours per week? How’s mindful movement? 

This is a 3-4 month process that ensures we are really looking at all the systems, not just giving you a pill and expecting it to be this magic bullet because gut health is also mental health and physical health and emotional health, and there is not a handout that knows YOUR bodies dietary triggers or suboptimal nutrients. I use detailed health history and targeted questionnaires to make sure we know as well as we can how this started and why-and get rid of that thing so the symptoms do not return. 

You mentioned a variety of diagnostic testing used in your practice, such as MRT/LEAP, Vibrant America Wheat Zoomer, Diagnostic Solutions GI MAP, and Organic Acids Testing. How do these tests complement each other, and how crucial are they in determining a patient’s customized nutrition plan?

Diagnostic testing is optional in my practice, but encouraged. Each of these functional labs set their own reference range, so it is not any kind of diagnosis, but it gives us insight into your root cause and how to treat it without guessing. Most often I do stool testing like the GI MAP to see how you digest, how your immune system is functioning, if there is yeast or overgrowth bacteria or parasites to get rid of, and how your detoxification and inflammation systems in the gut are functioning. It really does give us a road map. Organic acids testing looks at the metabolites and systems of metabolism to give us insights about how your body eliminates toxins and even what is hanging out in there to a degree-a huge help with root cause treatment. 

Wheat zoomer and MRT are two food sensitivity tests that I use under more specific conditions, such as severe skin issues like eczema or issues with so many foods that it is harder to nail them down. The LEAP protocol includes only foods we know for sure do not trigger 8 markers of inflammation, so even though no test looks at every food and chemical, we bring down systemic inflammation and diversify a really restricted diet by focusing on what we do know first and re-introducing from there. 

Traditional healthcare often faces time constraints in providing comprehensive care.How does your approach in Nutrition for People address this limitation, ensuring a thorough understanding of a patient’s health history and needs?

This is why I am unable to take insurance and practice in a concierge style. This is also why people need practitioners like me with these complex GI conditions once the doctor has told them every thing is fine. We don’t expect a physician to spend hours going over your diet and lifestyle with you, that is not their job and to make lasting change, 15 minutes of Q and A is not sufficient. We want to make sure that the plan formed for you fits into your lifestyle- how much time do you have to plan and prep? What kind of exercise do you like? What foods do you like and dislike? How did it go when you tries XYZ? How can we modify that for success? That is why I spend so much time with my clients, because to win we really need to personalize and streamline. 

With the abundance of information available online, patients might encounter conflicting advice. How do you guide individuals in navigating this overwhelming information landscape and help them discern trustworthy guidance from the noise when it comes to their nutritional choices and gut health?

That’s tough. There is no regulation of the word ‘nutritionist’ so everyone with a loud voice or a trendy video gets attention, regardless of the message. First, we’ve got to remember that. Make sure you vet the accounts you follow and the people you listen to, and that they are using scientific evidence to form recommendations. Dietitians are bound to a code of ethics and will lose licensure if they do not provide only recommendations based on scientific evidence. Also-is the person who, like Dr Gundry for example, selling something that ties with a sensational claim like lectins ruin your health? Then, we trust them less, because one of the only lectin-free protein powders is by Dr Gundry (PS: lectins are good for you 98% of the time). 

Also, you will find conflicting information because that is the nature of nutrition research. It is how food interacts with the body, and hate to say it, every body is different! So every study will be slightly different and if you try the results of those studies on yourself you may see some different results. Fiber for example- if you have h pylori bacteria you may be able to eat more than if you have candida. Both microbial overgrowth issues, both different. Fiber has different types (fermentable, soluble, insoluble) but when we hear ‘eat less fiber’ we don’t know what THAT person has in their gut, which fiber they ate less of to feel better, or if they tried every fiber and continued to re-try those fibers until they could diversify the diet. 

Know who your information is coming from. Make sure they are not biased, especially because they are selling something. Never attempt any elimination for longer than 3 months before Reintroducing foods one at a time, because starving yourself of a variety of nutrients will always lead to more health problems. And, if you need help, get help. Just because the information is out there doesn’t mean I can re-wire my house or put in a sprinkler system-that would be a waste of my time and energy, and there are experts who can help me get that done quickly and safely. Don’t go taking a bunch of supplements and eliminating tons of foods and expect that you will get results that a professional can give you based on your unique situation. 

If you would like to find out more about Molly Ostrander, please visit https://www.nutritionforpeople.com/

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