To follow a Nutrivore approach is to eat for nutrient density. Focusing on what we are including, rather than what we are excluding. Making it a way of life rather than a diet.
Doctor Sarah Ballantyne, previously a medical researcher, has been blogging, speaking and writing books educating people about the connection between food and health for many years.
She was first known for her autoimmune paleo protocol. Which is a strict protocol that has helped many with autoimmune conditions. But the more she was researching, the more her work pointed toward nutrient density.
In the increasingly loud nutritional research world, she is a voice of evidence and common sense.
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The Launch of the Nutrivore Approach
Nutrivore.com was launched in 2022 and is packed full of resources to support their vision of a world without diet-preventable chronic illness. If you sign up to the newsletter list you get five free Nutrivore guides immediately.
There is a lot of research suggesting that fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are associated with certain deficiencies.
“Multiple studies have found therapeutic value for CoQ10 in fibromyalgia. In a 2013 randomized controlled trial of 20 fibromyalgia patients, supplementation with 300 mg daily of CoQ10, for a period of 40 days, led to significant clinical improvements in pain, fatigue, morning tiredness, tender points, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scores (a measure of overall disease impact” CoQ10 article
“A 2021 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that among patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), 12 weeks of supplementing with 200 mg CoQ10 each day (combined with 20 mg daily of NADH, the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) led to significant improvements in cognitive fatigue perception, fatigue impact scale scores, health-related quality of life, and sleep duration.” CoQ10 article
There’s also a lot of evidence that our soil is generally becoming less nutrient dense because of exploitative farming practices (not regenerating the soil appropriately). In addition, some of the processed foods and medications we consume deplete many nutrients. So many people will be lacking nutrients needed.
Using Nutrivore to Guide Health
Last year I shared that I had purchased their Nutrivore 101 bundle. This included the Nutrivore Quickstart Guide and the Nutrivore Serving Matrix – where you can track your servings of nutrient dense foods in a handy daily worksheet. If you’re interested in getting started yourself you can get the On Ramp Bundle which includes the Nutrivore Quickstart Guide, Serving Matrix, Salad a Day Challenge and the (brand new) Nutrivore Cookbook
At first I followed the Serving Matrix checklist religiously. But I’ve since relaxed a lot.
I simply ask myself, “what is the best choice I can make right now?” Add some broccoli to a dish? Throw some peas on as a side dish? When was the last time I had liver?
When I get my annual bloods, I ask for as many nutrient profiles as possible. The most pertinent one has been ferritin for me. And my ferritin has been perfect since increasing the amount of meat I eat and my operation (hysterectomy and endometriosis excision). If one of my tests were low, I’d find the food that is rich in that nutrient and incorporate it purposefully.
Having to balance my stomach issues with life as a mama of four and chronic illness, food cannot be a battleground. So I simply avoid what doesn’t work for me (MSG, aspartame, high levels of caffeine, dairy and refined carbohydrates). And eat as much of what is good for me as possible.
For example, if Zinc was an issue, I would go to this page on the website and read (the in-depth) information on this nutrient, conditions it’s associated with/supports and the best food sources for it.
The Whole Nutrivore Approach
If you’re interested in the whole Nutrivore book, it’s now available on Amazon. It’s packed full of evidence and explanations. If you’re curious about the science of food, then it will be abundantly interesting to you.
Where Am I At With My Dietary Pattern?
I am priroritising protein because it is supportive for muscle health and I want to increase my strength. It’s also satiating and full of important nutrients. In the past few months I’ve had to experiment carefully to get the irritable bowel syndrome under control. In the morning I start with homemade sourdough bread, peanut butter and 1/4 caffeinated coffee. The next thing I eat is some kind of protein.
For lunch and dinner I will have meat of some kind and vegetables. Our family often has rice with our evening meal and I soak it and prepare it with coconut oil to support the glycemic load.
Afternoon tea is an area of contention for me. I get so hungry but can never think of what to eat. I should just find a good protein filled snack and eat it, but being dairy free makes that trickier.
It’s freeing to consider what works for me and how to get my nutrients from food. It’s also a bit like a game to see what choices you can make that have the most nutrient bang for your buck.
Do you follow any dietary plan?
