Roadmap to Recovery © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link].

com PG 1
 Hi there,
I’m Amanda Malachesky, Certified
Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle
Practitioner, and I help you get beyond your
gut and allergy symptoms.

I know that you have likely had trouble getting

straight answers from your other practitioners,
or you’ve made yourself crazy trying the next-
best-thing, only to find it didn’t work. I’ll bet
you are tired of struggling, because your
symptoms still haven’t quit!

I want to let you know:

no matter how sick you are or how long you’ve

been trying to feel better, even if everyone around
you has given up on you, there is still hope!

I’ve not only walked the road of having confusing gut symptoms while being invalidated for
my experience personally (you can read about my journey here). I have been specially trained
to help you find what’s true for your body, so you can work in harmony with yourself again.

What I want to share with you today is a roadmap. You know, like the kind you used to keep
in your glove box, before Google Maps, when you wanted to travel somewhere you’d never
gone before?

I’m going to share the map that shows you how to minimize or say good-bye to your gut
and allergy symptoms, for real.

It’s my 7-step signature plan that shows you how to get real relief and results on your quest
to heal. Bye-bye band-aid, temporary solutions!

PG 2 © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] Roadmap to Recovery

 The purpose of this journey is to create your unshakable foundation of health, so that your
body can heal and thrive with natural and normal function, and so you can get on with
doing all the things that you may have had to put on hold because of your symptoms.

And let’s be straight: isn’t this what you really want out of life? To feel vibrantly alive and
able to do the things you’re passionate about? My client Andrea wanted to be a good role
model for her young son. My client Erika wanted to be able to serve the unwanted animals
she takes in. They did it and so can you.

No matter what kind of gut or allergy symptoms you are facing right now, your body needs
a unique set of supports. But the challenge is how do you figure out what you are missing,
and how do you move forward with the right solutions for your unique body?

These are the exact questions I help my clients answer and I hope to help YOU start answering
them today.

I invite you to read on to see what YOU can be doing right now to feel better.

Are you ready to see how it’s done?

Let’s step out onto the road together.

As Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins

with a single step.”

Roadmap to Recovery © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] PG 3

 The Healing Chronic
Illness Roadmap

5.
IDENTIFY SOURCE OF
DYSFUNCTION AND ADDRESS

6.
EVALUATE SUCCESS
AND FAILURES &
REFINE APPROACH

4.
PLUG NUTRIENT LEAKS

7.
DESTINATION: REMISSION
3. OR LONG-TERM
IDENTIFY YOUR RIGHT MANAGEMENT PLAN
DIET, YOUR TRIGGERS, &
YOURNON-NEGOTIABLES

Start
Here
2.
LAY A SOLID
HEALTH FOUNDATION
1.
ASSESS & GATHER
INFORMATION

PG 4 © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] Roadmap to Recovery

 STEP 1:
ASSESS & GATHER INFORMATION

You can’t begin to move toward a specific and how they lived their lives, to your signs
destination without knowing where you are to and symptoms, exposures, illnesses, current
begin with. This first step of the journey involves lab indicators and more can be important for
understanding exactly where you are, and how understanding your case. You also need to
you got there. identify what information is missing and connect
some dots.
You may have wished that someone would dive
into your details at this level and been frustrated To create a full picture, all you need to do is tell
by their seeming lack of interest in your quirky your story, and create a timeline and map of your
symptoms and odd timings of flares. Not me! symptoms and current information to inform the
approach you will take.
You know that you’re not just like everyone else,
and your story isn’t either. Everything from the Has anyone ever sat down and mapped this out
health issues of your grandparents and parents, with you? If not, this is always the place to begin.

ACTION STEP

Take out a sheet of paper, or fresh digital document, and write

down a chronology of your illness. When did you first notice
something wasn’t right? What else was happening at that time
in your life? What were the significant events in your life,
either positive or negative? Just note them down, either with
dates, or the age you were when you experienced them. What
do you notice?

Roadmap to Recovery ©©2018

2018Confluence
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Nutrition [Link]
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 STEP 2:
LAY A SOLID HEALTH FOUNDATION

It’s estimated that 85% of our health is determined by your diet and lifestyle habits.
Though you likely intuitively know this, and understand that you need to make
good choices consistently, you might struggle to do it. You’re not alone!

But the truth is that you must lay these foundations in a way that works for you
if you are to be successful in restoring your health:

• A real-food diet, free of processed, artificial foods, customized for YOU.

• Healthy digestive function.
• Good, regular, restful sleep.
• Daily physical movement or exercise.
• Regular stress management practices.
• Adequate hydration.
• Balanced blood sugar.
• A nurturing social and spiritual life.

There are a lot of moving parts here! If you know there are a lot of these areas
that need support, it can feel overwhelming and impossible to imagine making
changes. This is normal, too, which is why you may need support to follow
through.

The point is NOT to be perfect. The point is to strive to do better. If all you can
handle is increasing water intake, then that is better than doing nothing at all. If
you create new routines and habits as non-negotiables in your life, you will see
results. This part of the path can be easier with the support of a good coach.

ACTION STEP

Rate each of these areas on a scale of 1-10. Which area is most

out of balance for you? Consider one action you could take to
support yourself in improving it today. Write this action into
your calendar and commit to doing this for yourself!

PG
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to to
Recovery
Recovery
 STEP 3:
IDENTIFY YOUR RIGHT DIET, YOUR TRIGGERS,
& YOUR NON-NEGOTIABLES

Though you have likely already tried specialty foods, correctly identifying your unique culprits,
diets in an attempt to fix your digestion, I called “triggers”, and removing them from
wouldn’t be surprised to hear from you that they your diet is a very important part of shifting
didn’t work. This is because people with complex symptoms.
gut and allergy symptoms often require highly To continue including foods that trigger
individualized dietary support, rather than rote symptoms means your body will struggle to
protocols. catch up and work on deeper healing.

It turns out, there is no one right diet for everyone. Correctly identifying your best diet requires
some detective work, food and symptom
Protocols are a good place to start, but often tracking, and often elimination diets. This can
need tweaking to meet your specific needs. This be one of the most challenging steps because
is likely the reason a special diet like paleo, keto, it often involves removing foods we enjoy, and
or AIP didn’t give you the results you expected creating a new relationship with food and food
or were promised. preparation. But with some support, recipes, and
resources, it can be a fun opportunity to try new
Because many symptoms are caused by food things, not to mention it can lead to significant
sensitivities, or the actions of inflammatory symptom relief.

ACTION STEP

Get tracking: Download my Food-Symptom journal here, and

start keeping track of what you’re eating when, alongside your
signs and symptoms. See if you can notice any correlations.
When do you feel your most bothersome symptoms? Is there
any pattern? Get curious!

Roadmap
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Recovery ©©2018
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 STEP 4:
PLUG NUTRIENT LEAKS

Nutrient deficiencies have become quite common, partly due to declining soil health
and poor farming practices, but also because of the low quality and low nutrient
density of the standard American diet.

I have yet to work with a client who didn’t have some kind of nutrient deficiency.

If you have a complex gut or allergy challenge, not only are you faced with these
realities, but your body is likely burning through your reserves as it tries to balance.

Or, your body may be having trouble absorbing nutrients, especially if you have a
compromised gut.

Clues about which extra nutrients your body may need are visible in your case
history and in a basic Complete Blood Count and Metabolic panel. Getting support
from someone who can read these tests with an eye toward a “functional” or optimal
range can help you unlock this puzzle.

Once you know which nutrients your body needs, providing them supports optimal
function and increases your healing potential.

ACTION STEP

Most people with chronic health issues need stomach acid

support. A simple step you can take to optimize your digestion
is to consume a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar with
water before meals to support stomach acid. This one simple
intervention can improve absorption of iron and vitamin B12,
decrease constipation, and support fat and protein digestion.

PG 8 © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] Roadmap to Recovery

 STEP 5:
IDENTIFY SOURCE OF DYSFUNCTION AND ADDRESS

With all these previous steps taken care of, At this stage of the process, you may need to
you can now dig for the deepest source of involve additional team members or specialists,
dysfunction, if you haven’t already uncovered it. targeted prescriptions, therapies, or supplement
protocols.
With the symptoms that remain, you can
begin to ask more questions: Is there an organ As an example, I had a client who worked through
in distress, like the thyroid gland? Are there all the previous steps, but they still had hives
hidden infections disrupting your gut function? and food sensitivities. Stool testing revealed
Are there genetics slowing down normal and an overgrowth of several types of histamine
necessary immune processes? Could there be producing bacteria. Having this information
structural problems affecting your digestion? allowed him to properly address his root causes.
What else am I missing? Where do I need more
information or testing?

All your earlier work can now help you pinpoint

where you may need to look.

ACTION STEP

If you have already thoroughly laid the foundation from

steps 1-4, and you still have symptoms, enlist a practitioner
or specialist who can help you investigate deeper, using
functional or standard lab tests and diagnostics, and help
you create a plan. Create a multidisciplinary care team.

If you truly feel that something is wrong, something probably

is. Don’t stop digging until you find satisfactory answers.

Roadmap to Recovery © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] PG 9

 STEP 6:
EVALUATE SUCCESSES and FAILURES
& REFINE APPROACH

With complex digestive and allergy challenges, the likelihood that you will get
it all right on the first try is low. It may take some experimentation to find the
right combination of approaches, techniques, diet, habits, supportive nutrients,
treatments, and more to arrive at a plan that you feel TRULY addresses your
challenges and helps you move toward improvement.

Though there will likely be mistakes on the way, it’s important to view each
mistake or less-than-ideal outcome as information that will continue to guide
your success. “Failures” become your opportunity to learn something new about
your body, how it is unique, and to move forward with greater self-knowledge. In
the Roadmap system, you are always moving toward a better, more accurate, more
personalized and refined action plan, and building on your successes.

ACTION STEP

How are your earlier interventions working? Are they helping

or hurting? Do more of what is working, and do less of what
isn’t. Keep a running list of which things work and which
ones don’t. These are called “mediators”.

With these additional clues to add to your health history, you

can refine your approach as you move ever closer to your
destination, which I call…..

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10 10 ©© 2018
2018 Confluence
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Nutrition [Link]
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Roadmap to Recovery
Recovery
 STEP 7:
DESTINATION REMISSION or
LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT PLAN

By this point in your journey, you intimately what’s true for the one and only YOU.
understand the interacting players of your
history, diet, habits, lifestyle choices, nutrient In some cases, a full “cure” or “remission” isn’t
deficiencies, and sources of dysfunction, possible. But knowing how to work with what
and have fundamentally transformed your you have, to minimize symptoms as much as
relationship with your body, your self, and your possible is the biggest power you have. Own it!
specific health challenges.
Can you imagine how your life would be different
You have created a unique and personalized if you reached this place of resolution?
health maintenance plan designed to work with

ACTION STEP

Continue working on and refining steps 1-6, to increase your

health, and enjoy life to the fullest.

Take some time today to write in your journal or on a blank

piece of paper: How would my life be different or more how
I want it if I successfully resolved my symptoms?

Roadmap to Recovery © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] PG 11

 MISTAKES TO AVOID:

MISTAKE #1: QUICK FIX-MAGIC PILL

It’s so tempting to think that the awesome thing that turned up in your newsfeed is FINALLY going to fix
everything. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if all we had to do was take one pill, or supplement, or eat that
one fancy food?

The truth about root-cause resolution of complex gut and allergy issues, as I hope you can see from reading
this guide, is that getting to true health requires a sweeping, whole-body, whole-life approach. This
includes diet, habits, lifestyle modifications, and investigation.

We fall for the magic fix because it seems so easy, but it really is too good to be true. What I’m proposing
for you seems like a lot, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Instead, you commit to working on it, bit
by bit. With some support and dedication, before you know it, you’ll be eating, sleeping, and exercising
like a pro.

MISTAKE #2: IGNORING the FOUNDATION

This one goes hand-in-hand with Mistake #1. It’s equally tempting to go straight to the thyroid imbalance, or
the gut dysbiosis, rather than taking a look at how our life is set up, and fixing the parts that are contributing
to our health challenges.

If you ignore the foundation and go straight to the deeper level stuff, you likely won’t be able to maintain
your results, because you’ll still be doing the behaviors that created the problem in the first place.

MISTAKE #3: GOING CRAZY WITH PROTOCOLS & SUPPLEMENTS

Protocol hopping and garbage-mouthing supplements can really muddy up your health situation. When
you jump around to all these solutions, unless you happen to hit pay dirt, you don’t know which intervention
really made the difference.

This is really common with supplements. People add 4 or many more supplements, and start them all at
once. Then they have symptoms, like headaches, but they don’t know what is causing them because they
added too much at once.

When adopting a new protocol or supplement, it’s a good idea to add things one at a time, so you can
clearly see whether it’s helping or not.

MISTAKE #4: TRYING TO USE SUPPLEMENTS LIKE MEDICATIONS

It’s common for many health practitioners, even in the Functional Nutrition or Medicine space to try to use
supplements like medications. They might ask, “Hey, what’s a good supplement to lower blood sugar?”, or
“What can I take to stop diarrhea?”

While relief care is valuable, and should be used in some situations, as a long-term solution, I’m more
interested in understanding why your blood sugar is elevated, or why you have diarrhea in the first place.

A true Functional Nutrition approach works to understand what is going on inside your body, and
unraveling signs and symptoms at their SOURCE, rather than just throwing symptom-relieving supplements
at the problem. We are working on root-cause resolution!

PG 12 © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] Roadmap to Recovery

 Let me help you walk your Road to
Recovery...
I’ve shared the 7 steps it takes to resolve your
chronic gut and allergy challenges and feel better.
I’ve also given you some simple Action Steps you
can take right now to begin.

I invite you to explore those Action Steps and see

what comes up. Great results are possible when
you trust your own body! I’d love to hear about

what you learned in that process.

When you’re ready for a highly personalized,

compassionate, and precision level of
professional investigative support solving your
digestive and allergy mysteries,

Schedule a Free Assessment Session With Me

Together, we will determine where you currently are on YOUR road to recovery,
and we’ll determine what your next best steps are. If I can’t directly help you, I will
do my best to refer you to someone who can.

I look forward to meeting you and helping you along

YOUR Road to Recovery…
In health,

Amanda

Roadmap to Recovery © 2018 Confluence Nutrition [Link] PG 13