CFL Fundamentals

“Couture Fit Living is a lifestyle company that uses a concierge approach to wellness. We enhance people’s lives by utilizing the principles of functional medicine and nutrition, holistic lifestyle and behavioral practices and a mindful approach to movement.”

– Christine Shin, FNLP, CHHP

 Integrative and Functional Wellness Practitioner

At CFL, we believe the only true path to sustainable wellness is a holistic one. Knowing the critical importance to developing whole health, Christine created the concepts of The Lifestyle Team and The Lifestyle Matrix.

The Lifestyle Team consists of carefully selected holistic and integrative practitioners that enrich the whole – person approach by using specialized skills to adequately address each client’s unique challenges.

“What keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken.” – Harvard Study

The Lifestyle Matrix

The Lifestyle Matrix is our fundamental tool to guide every client through an extensive personal journey to healing and becoming your best self.

At the core of the matrix is “happiness and longevity.” The eight key elements of the matrix work synergistically to transform your personal lifestyle into one of vibrant health and well-being. The matrix allows you, as the client, to assess and prioritize your personal lifestyle values. We combine these core values with your functional medicine timeline and functional nutrition matrix to establish the foundation of your unique roadmap.

This extensive exploration of your physical well-being, mental, emotional and spiritual mindset is delved into during the discovery phase of our concierge process. 

What is Functional Medicine?

To understand functional nutrition, it is helpful to begin with the principles of functional medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey Bland, the founder of the Institute of Functional Medicine, describes it as follows: functional medicine is a “patient-centered approach, addressing the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms, listening to patients’ histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease.”  

As a Functional Nutrition Lifestyle Practitioner (FNLP), I use these principles for my clinical needs and scope of practice. I do not diagnose or treat medical conditions. Rather, I bridge the gap between your doctor’s diagnosis and how you live day to day. What happens in between your doctors appointments cultivates healing!

We will take a deeper dive into you, as a person, uncovering layers and asking questions like “Why is the environment in this individual perfect for this symptom or condition?” Once the environment is understood, it can be shifted. It can shift through food, environmental, lifestyle and behavior modifications. This is where the principles of functional medicine and nutrition can assist with root cause resolution.

“Christine helped to find adjunctive therapies that compliment traditional western medicine approaches. 

Today I am thinner, more flexible and mobile, and can report that my triglycerides, cholesterol, and Hg AIC are all normal. ”

–  Jeff, client 

What is Functional Nutrition?

Just as functional medicine approaches the body from the perspective of treating the root cause of disease, functional nutrition looks at anatomy and physiology through the lens of food and nutrition.

We teach you to use food as medicine, and show how it affects your body on a cellular level. When you change your diet, you change your microbiome and that can change your gene expressions. This is powerful when healing your root cause!

A functional medicine timeline and functional nutrition matrix are used to document your health history, signs and symptoms, current lifestyle practices and their impact on your body’s systems. This framework is a conceptual map showing how your health challenge manifests in your body and its interconnections to your whole health. 

As an FNLP, Christine honors the whole you – your individuality, your unique DNA, and your beautiful, messy story that goes with it!

“Functional nutrition is where food meets physiology.” 

– Andrea Nakayama, educator and leader in the field of Functional Nutrition, founder of the  Functional Nutrition Alliance, as featured in Oprah magazine. 

Ask yourself:

    • Have you ever been to numerous conventional doctors and no one can find the root cause of your condition?
    • Do you have allergies every year and think “it’s normal” because it’s recurring and “everyone gets it”?
    • Do your annual lab results appear in range, so your concerns aren’t taken seriously but you absolutely know you don’t feel like yourself?
    • Do you suffer from joint or muscle aches and believe “it’s normal” because you’re older than 50?
    • Has your doctor told you that you have IBS and “it’s normal” in today’s world, then hands you a prescription and sends you on your way?
    • Do you have brain fog or intermittent forgetfulness but think “it’s normal” because you’re in your 40’s?

The list of questions go on and on. Our holistic supplementation along with whole food choices can help prevent illness and assist in recovering from diseases, as well as increase your energy, vitality, and spirit!

Conditions of focus include chronic health challenges and chronic illnesses typically in the mental health, cancer or autoimmune spectrum, such as:

  • depression – anxiety – ADD – chronic pain 
  • brain fog  – dementia – alzheimer’s
  • sleep challenges – stress management – adrenal fatigue
  • sugar addiction – unhealthy relationship with food | eating
  • cancer – environmental toxicity 
  • hashimoto’s – lupus – diabetes
  • leaky gut, candida and other digestive disorders 
  • food sensitives – fibromyalgia – rheumatoid arthritis

Mindful Movement

We will focus on mindful movement that will resonate with your soul, honor your body, and make your heart shine!

Your personalized program is created through a progressive movement format utilizing a platform of:

  • Yoga for Health Conditions 

Traditional instruction that blends the philosophy of the Yoga Sutras with a meditative intention throughout the practice (hatha, fundamentals, vinyasa fusion, yin yoga and restorative)

Christine’s classes incorporate slow, exploratory somatic movements to ground your precious nervous system before progressing to a more dynamic, alignment-based hatha format. She fosters a nurturing space to explore and play by using props creatively, as well as settling into familiar poses in an unfamiliar way.

Her therapeutic approach is designed intently so you will experience what it feels like to be in your body and out of your head. 

Christine enjoys teaching the fundamentals of a pose, but also she loves having fun. So, be forewarned, mindfulness and laughter go hand-in-hand!

  • Meditation

Guided, focused attention meditation and mindfulness meditation. With continuous meditation you can bring about change in your body by using your mind, whether activating muscles, changing your biological state, and even changing the way the cells in your body work.

  • Functional Movement 

Plyometric, functional and core training; cardiovascular and strength training; flexibility, balance, mobility exercises and myofascial release.

Focus on physical injuries and mental, emotional, neurological and autoimmune health conditions. 

The information on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. Additionally, the information on this website is not intended to provide second opinions, or in any way attempt to alter the treatment plans or therapeutic goals/recommendations of your personal physician. For full disclosure, read here.