When it comes to health and nutrition, individual needs can be as different as fingerprints. That’s what prompted Bob Miller, a traditional naturopath who founded Tree of Life Health Ministries in November 1996, to begin researching genetic variants to help detect what nutrients the body needs to achieve optimal wellness. He has since made great strides in genetic research and has grown Tree of Life into a comprehensive holistic wellness center.

Several years ago, Miller began researching genetic variants, and he is the primary developer of sophisticated software called MethylGenetic Nutrition Analysis. Beginning with a saliva test, Miller uses the program to download clients’ DNA data to generate a detailed report to help identify nutritional imbalances.

Once Miller learns of the client’s genetic variants, lab results and presenting symptoms, he can create a nutritional protocol based upon that person’s needs. He has also worked with Professional Health Products, a company that clinically formulates nutritional supplements designed exclusively for health care professionals to meet their client’s individualized nutritional needs based upon genetic variations, symptoms and lab results that may be causing imbalances.

“The future of healthcare has changed, as we now have access to inexpensive genetic testing,” Miller says. “A simple saliva test can give us a wealth of information as to how our body produces antioxidants, uses many needed nutrients and also assess its ability to detoxify. We now have the ability to take proactive, rather than reactive, action in supporting our health.”

New this year, Miller created the Nutrigenetic Research Institute, located inside Tree of Life Health Ministries, to help further his mission of using genetics to help people achieve wellness. He shares his expertise about genetic variants and nutritional supplementation at seminars and workshops nationwide.

Tree of Life Health Ministries’ team also offers individualized nutritional education, food allergy testing, fertility optimization, weight management and detoxification, natural hormone balancing, personal training, therapeutic massage and other complementary services. Holistic nutritional consultants create programs for clients’ individualized lifestyles. Their Purification Program, which emphasizes pure, whole foods, is designed for detoxification and weight loss. They also offer Venice Nutrition, a plan which, unlike fad diets, is a permanent lifestyle change that allows people to eat foods they enjoy, which are accessible at any grocery store.

Tree of Life Health Ministries also offers testing for food allergies and sensitivities, for children and adults. The nutritional consultants educate people on how genetically modified foods can affect the body, and they provide holistic approaches to prenatal nutrition.

Exercise is another strong component in holistic health. Like nutrition, each person is different and has varying stamina when it comes to working out, so a personal trainer designs programs for individual needs and capabilities. The small gym inside Tree of Life includes a TurboSonic vibrational therapy machine, in which clients stand on a vibrating platform and as the body shakes, cells are exercised.

Decreasing stress and detoxification support is the naturopathic model, so Tree of Life also includes services such as massage therapy; frequency specific microcurrent—a newer innovation that rebalances the body through tiny electrical currents; CranioSacral therapy; lymphatic drainage; reflexology; herbal wraps; ionic footbath, which infuses water with negative and positive ions to cleanse and detox; and an infrared sauna, also aiding in detoxification.

Education is a key factor in Tree of Life’s mission, and one can find a vast selection of literature in the office and on their website, that holds valuable information about natural ways to help prevent illness and assist the body in self-healing.

Tree of Life Health Ministries is located at 15 Pleasure Rd., in Ephrata. For more information, call 717-733-2003 or visit TOLHealth.com.

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.