HNFM Winter 2020

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing rapidly worldwide and, as with other health ailments such as hypertension and diabetes, these conditions are becoming particularly more common in westernized societies. Rapid changes in disease prevalence point to a change in the patient’s “environment” rather than to genetic causes, to which these conditions have traditionally been described in so-called conventional medicine. Likewise, these conditions that were once considered “idiopathic” have now been described and researched to such an extent that we are able to decipher the illusions and phenomenalistic perspectives that previously guided therapeutic intervention. This course will review the major autoimmune diseases, their unique and common ideologies, laboratory assessments, physical exam findings, and nutritional and integrative interventions, including pharmacologic drugs.

This course is an introduction to the principles of epidemiology and their application to nutrition. This course addresses the role of nutrition in investigating the epidemiology of many chronic diseases. The course also stresses clinical research design methods utilized in nutrition research as well as general clinical research designs such as clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and other pragmatic designs.

Preceptorships are designed to provide practical experiences to help students explore various career opportunities and/or improve practical knowledge and skills within the field of nutrition. During a preceptorship, students work under the supervision of a credentialed nutritionist or other health care professional in a nutritional practice environment. The university strives to maintain a list of credentialed supervisors throughout the United States. However, students are ultimately responsible for making their own work arrangements. The supervised experience must total at least 66 hours and include experience in each of the following categories: nutritional assessment, intervention, education, counseling or management, and monitoring or evaluation. Optionally, students may extend the preceptorship to 335 hours with a minimum of 70 hours in each of the categories listed above. Only 2 credits will be awarded, no matter how many additional hours above the minimum 66 hours are involved.

This course examines the metabolic pathways involved in the conversion of exogenous and endogenous toxins and waste compounds and molecules into excreted substances, placing them in context within the functional medicine model. Regulation of detoxification pathways, genetic variations, and functional assessment of these mechanisms are detailed. Nutritional support and the effect of drugs on detoxification pathways are reviewed, as well as the disturbed physiology and eventual pathology that results from imbalances in detoxification and biotransformation. Clinical methods, including dietary patterns, targeted nutrients, and lifestyle strategies to alleviate toxin burden are explained and applied in case studies.