3-Day Functional Nutrition Certification

Credit

Handouts/Brochure

Speaker

Cindi Lockhart, RDN, LD, IFNCP Related seminars and products

Lockhart Wellness Solutions, LLC

---

Cindi Lockhart, RDN, LD, IFNCP, is board-certified as an integrative and functional nutrition practitioner with over 30 years in professional practice. She has trained nutrition, fitness, and medical practitioners throughout most of her career, yet maintains a personal practice with clients as she believes that the only way she can effectively educate and inspire other practitioners is through her own practical experience with clients. In addition to educating on how Food is Medicine, Cindi also specializes in coaching clients and practitioners on the importance of managing stress, optimizing sleep, proper exercise and movement, and reducing exposure to environmental toxins. Cindi has extensive expertise in women’s health issues including perimenopause/menopause and thyroid dysfunction as well as autoimmunity, gut health, weight management, cardiometabolic health (insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease), fasting, histamine intolerance, mold detox, and long COVID.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Cindi Lockhart is the owner and founder of Lockhart Wellness Solutions, LLC. and is a contributing author for Experience Life Magazine. She receives compensation from Fullscript. Cindi Lockhart receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. All relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations have been mitigated.
Non-financial: Cindi Lockhart is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians in Integrative & Functional Medicine, the Institute for Functional Medicine, and the Integrative & Functional Nutrition Academy.

Vanessa Ruiz, ND, RN-BSN Related seminars and products

---

Vanessa Ruiz, ND, RN-BSN is a dedicated Naturopathic Physician and Registered Nurse, renowned for her holistic approach to mental health and chronic diseases. With a doctorate from Sonoran University in Tempe, AZ, and honors in nursing from Stony Brook University in NY, Dr. Ruiz blends evidence-based practices with natural treatments to provide comprehensive care for her patients. Her multifaceted background includes clinical research and extensive training in therapeutic modalities such as Homeopathy, Neurofeedback, and Mayan Medicine.

Dr. Ruiz utilizes her expertise in functional nutrition to address chronic illness and the impact of toxic stress on aging. She is deeply committed to improving the quality of life for older adults by tailoring nutrition and lifestyle strategies to enhance longevity and well-being. Her personalized approach to healthcare empowers patients to take control of their health and thrive as they age.

A national speaker on integrative health and resiliency, Dr. Ruiz has trained thousands of healthcare professionals on integrative and functional medicine, known for her ability to distill complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand concepts for her audience. In this talk, she will share insights into the transformative power of nutrition in promoting healthy aging and managing chronic conditions.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Vanessa Ruiz maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with AZ Trauma Institute, Essential Therapy Training, and Nurses for Natural Health. She is the president of Integrative Wellness Strategies and a consultant with Integrative Mental Health. Dr. Ruiz receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She serves on the advisory board for Evergreen Certifications. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Vanessa Ruiz has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Additional Info

Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info

Objectives

1. Assess the general function of the gut via digestion, intestinal permeability, and microbiome and its impact on weight, immunity, and metabolic health. 
2. Determine how to assess a patient’s nutritional status and when to refer out to a nutrition professional. 
3. Determine the prevalence of and what entails disrupted sleep, stress management, and alignment to circadian rhythms. 
4. Investigate the health benefits and risks of adequate sleep and mindfulness, as well as the importance of aligning one’s lifestyle habits to natural circadian rhythms. 
5. Determine the criteria and role of functional foods in nutrition.  
6. Determine how the lifestyle factors affect hormone balance – standard American diet, obesity, too much or too little exercise, chronic stress, inadequate sleep, and environmental toxins. 
7. Investigate the myriad of food reactions: allergies, sensitivities and reactions as well as how to manage them.  
8. Determine how oxidative stress and inflammation drive dysfunction and chronic disease. 
9. Determine how one's nutrition and lifestyle habits impact overall health and wellness via driving or lowering inflammation and oxidative stress. 
10. Differentiate the pros and cons of various popular diets and when best to utilize them. 
11. Inspect how food acts as medicine with specific medical conditions.  
12. Determine common nutritional risks and articulate action steps to help optimize a patient’s nutritional state. 
13. Determine a holistic approach to optimizing hormones such as thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, insulin, testosterone and cortisol. 
14. Assess the general function of the gut via digestion, intestinal permeability, and microbiome as well as the estrogen specific estrabalome. 
15. Differentiate the components of a SAD (standard american diet) compared to an anti-inflammatory diet and the benefits of food quality over quantity. 
16. Evaluate the role of food and nutrition in mood disorders such as Anxiety and Depression. 
17. Determine a prioritized approach to optimizing gut function and hormone balance via the 5R gut repair protocol.

Outline

• Food as medicine
• Foundations: oxidative stress & inflammation & blood sugar regulation
• Stress, the Autonomic Nervous System & the impact of nutritional status
• Mindful Eating
• Diet recalls – diary vs 24 hour
• Macros and micros
  • What’s the skinny on fats?
  • To carb or not to carb?
  • Protein – high or low?
• Nutrient balance and easy visuals for portions
• Quality of food – processed, whole, organic
• Navigating food labels, nutrition facts & ingredients
• Beverages & sweeteners
• Food reactions- allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances – N of 1
  • Elimination diet process
• Functional and superfoods
• Supplements
• Q&A

• Digestion, absorption and impact of enzymes
• Acidity & hypochlorhydria – abuse of PPI’s and antacids
• Healthy elimination – Bristol scale
  • What is constipation these days??
• Cravings – what the body is saying
• Health of tongue as reflection of gut health
• Intestinal barrier and leaky gut
  • Zonulin & wheat/gluten sensitivity to celiac
• Microbiome – the power of bacteria – estrabalome – impact of antibiotics
  • Modulator of inflammation
• 5R protocol to heal the gut
• Prebiotics & probiotics
• Case Study with open discussion
• Q&A

• SAD – components vs Anti-Inflammatory diet – comparison chart
• Nutrigenomics
• Mediterranean – the gold standard
• Paleo / DASH
• Keto
• Vegan + different types of vegetarian diets
• Elimination diets
• Intermittent fasting, time restricted eating & fasting mimicking diets
• Case Study with open discussion
• Q&A

• Diabetes & metabolic syndrome
• Adrenal function – physiologic stress & recovery
• Hypothyroidism
• Sex hormone imbalances
• Anxiety & depression
• Food & mood
  • Blood/brain barrier & inflammation
• Insomnia & fatigue
• Chronic pain & fibromyalgia
• Autoimmunity & IBD
• Osteoarthritis

• Case reviews with guided nutrition and lifestyle plan
• Red flags, limitations and when to refer out
• Q&A

Target Audience

• Physical Therapists
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Therapy Directors
• Chiropractors
• Physician Assistants
• Nurse Practitioners
• Nurses
• Athletic Trainers
• Physicians
• Dietitians
• Exercise Physiologists
• Personal Trainers
• Other Rehab and Healthcare Professionals