by Carrie Gross We live in a world of customization – no longer, is life one-size fits all. A trend that epitomizes American life, we customize our world to fit our individual needs and preferences. From choosing the toppings we want on our pizzas and frozen yogurts to selecting which features best fit our requirements in our cars and on our cell phones, companies understand the growing popularity and need for individual customization. The health and wellness industry has caught up, finally realizing everybody and every BODY is biochemically different. “Men have different nutrient needs than women and older people have increased needs compared to younger people,” Dr. J. Alexander Bralley, Ph.D expressed in a recent article. Even more complex than gender and age, every individual processes nutrients and vitamins differently. A multi-vitamin is not enough anymore, but a vitamin regimen, which is geared towards the individualization of nutrient needs, is the trend of the future. Disease levels are rising in America at astonishing rates: 1 out 8 people is diabetic has diabetes; over 50% of deaths are related to heart disease and cancer; 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetime. Most diseases are related to nutrition. Many believe they are eating a well-balanced diet, eschewing fat-saturated foods and looking past fad diets for long-term healthy eating plans. Wouldn’t they be shocked to learn even eating their fruits and vegetables, they most likely are not getting the right nutrition. Over the last 50 years the nutrient values in our fresh produce has declined significantly due to modern manufacturing, fertilizers and soil depletion. Additionally, our bodies are constantly being affected by stress, toxins and a variety of unhealthy environmental stimuli. Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Consultant, Pam Darby, has dedicated her career and practice to helping people discover their own nutritional path and assisting them in developing a customized and unique solutions to their health-related problems. Her practice, located on the Upper East Side on East 74th Street, is thriving as the public finally has access to tools that were once only available to professional athletes and the elite. “This is a revolutionary approach to wellness,” Ms. Darby boasts at a recent seminar where she explains the benefits of tailor-made nutrition. It’s actually quite simple. Partnering with Metametrix Laboratory, a top nutritional testing lab that has been in existence for over 20 years, Ms. Darby offers the PrivaTest to her clients. This test, an at-home urine collection kit, comes with a pre-paid FedEx package and a questionnaire that is sent overnight to Metametrix’s lab. The urine sample is then analyzed, testing the specimen for specific markers as determined by a team of doctors, Ph.D.’s, biochemists and clinical nutritionists. After this metabolic test is complete, clients will receive a complete and detailed personalized report outlining their deficiencies and the current state of their health. In conjunction with HVL Douglas, one the nation’s top nutraceutical companies, a custom formula is created specifically to address that one person’s needs. A 30-day supply is delivered to the customer’s door each month saving them time and money trying to figure out the complicated and endless array of vitamins at their local drugstore or health food store. Instead, it is laid out for them in a user-friendly pouch that comes with clear and specific directions. Custom Essentials, a targeted formula of pharmaceutical-grade nutrients includes – essential vitamins, antioxidants, chelated minerals, phytonutrients, anti-aging ingredients and amino acids. Results have been astounding. In a nine-year study based on 77,700 metabolic tests, results were analyzed before and after a custom nutritional supplement formula was added. Subjects were tested again after taking the supplements for between 90 days and one year with a follow-up for a smaller group who was tested a third time. The case studies proved supplemental nutrition to be highly effective both with anecdotal evidence and scientific fact. First time testers who showed a high oxidative stress achieved 61.5% improvement on their 2nd test. First time testers who revealed a detoxification risk achieved an 80% improvement after the supplements were introduced to their daily living. But more importantly, people who began the supplement program felt better – having more energy, healthier skin and nails, enhanced immune system function, better sleep patterns, better memory functions and overall improved health. A five-year adult Diabetic type II patient reported, “After starting on customized supplements for three month, my blood sugar was almost normal, my blood pressure normal and my cholesterol normal. I was off all meds except for my Thyroid meds.” Success stories like this are common; from migraine suffers who experience life-altering relief to allergy sufferers who can breathe a sigh of relief to those who live with chronic pain – Custom Essentials has transformed their daily existence. Ms. Darby has seen the great potential first in hand of Custom Essential vitamins and individual testing. Literally, peoples’ health and lives are transformed, giving them the freedom and ability to enjoy life after years of being afflicted by health ailments. “It is truly amazing the results which can come when someone balances their health with the proper nutrients and supplements – custom ones which are designed and suited for one person,” Ms. Darby explains. Custom suits are a regular purchase for many Upper East Side residents – having a tailor measure your body, your inseam, your arms – you know that you will get a suit which is suited for you. The same thought should apply to your nutrition and health and Pam Darby is the tailor for you. About Pam Darby Pam Darby brings fourteen years of experience working in the nutrition field and over ten years of experience in community nutrition program management including primary care provider training. Pam is the past Chairperson of the Steering and Envisioning Committee of New York City Nutrition Education Network, a network of over 80 organizations that serve the NYC community through food, nutrition and agriculture education. For more than seven years, Pam served as Director of Nutrition Services for the Community Pediatrics Programs at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and The Children’s Health Fund. In this position, she directed all aspects of nutrition component of primary care medical program serving medically under served children and families, both homeless and housed. Prior to that, Pam worked as an adjunct instructor at New York University and Hunter College, Breastfeeding Coordinator for the Brooklyn Hospital Center WIC Program and as an HIV/AIDS Nutritionist at Harlem Hospital Center. Pam is a Registered Dietitian who holds a MPH in Sociomedical Sciences and an MS in Nutrition both from Columbia University and is currently a doctoral student at New York University working on her dissertation proposal. |
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