Craig Fear, Nutritional Therapist

This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to speak with Craig Fear, Nutritional Therapist and founder of Pioneer Valley Nutritional Therapy.  Craig’s office is located at 94 King Street in Northampton.  However, he spoke to me via phone from his childhood home on Long Island during a visit there.   My first inquiry into the nature of Craig’s work was to ask about the difference between a nutritionist and a Nutritional Therapist.  “A nutritionist,” Craig explained, “looks at diet through the context of fat content, carbohydrates, and proteins,” as well as through the traditional food pyramid that most of us are familiar with.  The food pyramid, a diet adage that is indiscriminately applied and was originally created by the food industries that it supports, does not address nutrition as it relates to health.   “This type of conventional discussion about diet does not go deep enough,” says Craig.  Nutritional Therapists believe that “the root cause of our escalating health problems in America are primarily diet related.”

As a Nutritional Therapist, Craig sees many types of clients with a variety of needs ranging from obesity to cancer to depression and mood disorders.   Many clients come to him wanting to try a natural method of addressing their health issues before they turn to synthetic drugs.  Other clients “have become frustrated with the allopathic approach (of Western medicine) because their health problems have not improved”, says Craig.

Where Western medicine focuses on treating symptoms, Nutritional Therapy stresses a foundational, or root cause, approach to health.   According to Nutritional Therapists, there are 5 foundations of health.  These foundations, which are common to everyone, must be in place in order to be healthy.   “The standard American diet will destroy these foundations”, explains Craig.   The 2 major foudations that “almost every American has some degree of malfunction in”, are digestion and blood sugar.  “Millions of people have some kind of digestive malfunction”, says Craig.   “You can have the healthiest diet in the world but if you’re not digesting it properly you’re not going to be healthy.  The body will not absorb enough nutrients no matter how good the food is that you’re eating.”

Craig also believes strongly in education as a means to effect changes in his client’s behaviors that will ultimately impact their health.  “I can’t force anyone to change their eating and shopping habits; all I can do is educate and inform them”.  Mainstream nutritionists and doctors do not discuss how food is produced.  “When we look at food production methods, it’s there we find the essence of nutrition,” say Craig.  “The nutrient content,” he explains, “is directly related to food production methods.”  There is a difference between industrially produced food and locally, sustainably produced food.  “Industrially produced vegetables for instance are grown in nutrient deficient soils that have no appreciable mineral content, and are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. Then they are shipped by truck or plane (to the consumer),” Craig continues.  “They’re not raised sustainably so we pay a heavy toll environmentally.”  Conventional food growers, distributors and grocery stores are motivated by profits.  The methods they use to produce (food) as quickly and efficiently as possible, “dramatically alter the natural design and (the food) becomes nutrient deficient.”

With regards to blood sugar Craig asserts “that we have almost an emergency need to collectively lower (it).”  High blood sugar, “is the root cause of diabetes, cardio vascular disease, and our obesity epidemic; and there is a strong connection between some cancers and blood sugar.”  The conventional paradigm regarding diet espouses a diet low in fat and high in carbohydrates as the key to good health.   Consider, the archetypal breakfast of cereal and milk, toast, and juice.   “Although low in fat and high in carbohydrates, it’s a blood sugar nightmare,” says Craig.   “A glass of orange juice is basically just sugar—it’s like taking the sugar from 60 or 70 oranges and leaving the rest out.  A spike in blood sugar has health consequences,” including in the short term vis-à-vis an “energy rush followed by fatigue, which then leads to more sugar cravings,” points out Craig.

In addition to blood sugar and digestion, the foundations of health that are the focus of Nutritional Therapy are mineral balance, fatty acids (such as Omega 3’s and 6’s), and hydration.   Craig’s clients receive a hands-on functional evaluation that utilizes pressure and reflex points in the body.  In addition to what the client is telling him, Craig’s diagnostic allows him to pinpoint organ systems and areas of the body that are stressed and need support.  Supplements may be used to correct certain conditions and deficiencies.  Craig emphasizes that supplements shouldn’t be used as a forever measure to fix poor health, but in the short-term to re-balance the body.   Nutritionally based treatment of health issues utilizes homeopathic and holistic methodologies and can be very affective with no caustic side effects.  For more information or to schedule an appointment with Craig visit his website at www.pvnutritionaltherapy.com or call him directly at 413-559-7770.