What is functional medicine?
It is a systems biology-based model that empowers us (as clients and practitioners) to work together to achieve your highest expression of health by addressing the underlying causes of your disease.
Functional medicine utilizes a unique operating system and personalized therapeutic interventions to support you in achieving optimal wellness.
For every chronic condition, there are usually imbalances in two or three different areas of the functional medicine matrix, which are described as follows:
Chronic Imbalances
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Blood Sugar Imbalances
All of the processes in our body require energy. This energy is provided by the mitochondria within each of our cells and needs antioxidants to function properly/efficiently.
Without proper energy production, we may begin to suffer issues related to blood sugar imbalance. Some signs of this imbalance include:
- Extra Belly Fat
- Cravings for Carbs and Sugar
- A “Buffalo Hump”
- a large hump just below the neck at the top of the back
- Gynecomastia (man boobs)
- Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
- Female Hormone Imbalances
- Moodiness and Irritability
How to holistically treat:
- Regular urinalysis testing
- Practitioner-monitored program
- Plenty of proteins
- Address lack of specific nutrition via both food intake and supplementation
Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular health is generally thought of as anything having to do with the heart. However, cardiovascular health is equally related to the function of our veins and blood flow.
Varicose veins, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and spider veins are indicative of potential cardiovascular issues.
Regarding the heart itself, nutrition and supplementation may go a long way in what is traditionally seen as a biomechanical problem:
- Magnesium supplementation can change the shape and condition of heart valves.
- B vitamins can help rebuild the heart.
- CoQ10 can reenergize every single cell in the heart and can literally remold the size and shape of the heart after the onset of congestive heart failure.
- The use of Omega-3 fatty acids can help in reversing heart damage caused by NEFAs.
Detoxification
Like stress, toxins are unavoidable but the body has a built-in, self-regulating detoxification system. This said, we can become overloaded by toxins and suffer from negative symptoms and potential disease. It’s not really a matter of if we need to detox; it’s a matter of when and how despesrtely we need it.
Signs That It’s Time to Detox:
- Your tongue has a white coating
- You have bags or puffiness under your eyes
- Waking up fatigues from a full night’s sleep
- Needing “uppers” such as caffeine, sugar, or anything that pumps the adrenals)
- Skin issues such as acne, dryness, rosacea, psoriasis, redness, itchiness, eczema, etc.
- Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, IBS, constipation or diarrhea
Digestion & Absorption
Over 70% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. The digestive system is responsible for assimilating food and deciding if the body will use it as fuel, discard it as waste or store it as fat or inflammation.
Stress plays a huge role in digestion. When we maladapt to stress, it can decrease hydrocholoric acid production in the stomach and cause:
- Indigestion
- Gas
- Bloating
- Hiatal Hernia
- Food sensitivities
- IBS
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
People with these types of complaints are generally on prescription or over-the-counter medication.
Are your symptoms associated with food/eating?
Are you taking medications that may impair digestion and/or absorption?
Are your food choices deficient or insufficient?
Depression & Anxiety
It is common for anxiety and depression to co-occur or happen at the same time. In fact, almost 45 percent of people with one mental health disorder also struggle with another mental health disorder.
Depression Symptoms
- Lack of interest in hobbies and fun activities
- Constant sadness, anxiety, and emptiness
- Feeling hopeless
- Irritability, anger
- Feeling guilty, worthless, and helpless
- Suicidal thoughts
- Suicide attempts
- Lack of energy and chronic fatigue
- Trouble concentrating and making decisions
- Pain, aches, and stomach issues
- Changes in appetite and weight
- Trouble sleeping or oversleeping
Anxiety Symptoms
- Easily fatigued
- Trouble concentrating
- Muscle tension
- Racing heartbeat
- Teeth grinding
- Sleep issues – restlessness
- Irritability, restlessness
- Trouble controlling worry or fear
- Dread
- Panic
A holistic approach to depression and anxiety treatment refers to the whole person (body, mind, and spirit).
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Hormone Imbalance
Hormones and neurotransmitters are essential in regulating our body’s functions, including sleep and our response to emotions/stress.
Do you have a family or personal history of cardiometabolic or cardiovascular disease? Do you have insulin dysregulation? How about a history or suspicion of sleep apnea or sleep disturbance? Or maybe depression, anxiety, irritability or fatigue?
Immune System & Chronic Fatigue
All of the processes in our body require energy. This energy is provided by the mitochondria within each of our cells and needs antioxidants to function properly/efficiently.
Are you eating foods rich in antioxidants? Or supplementing with proper antioxidant support for your body?
Stress
All of the processes in our body require energy. This energy is provided by the mitochondria within each of our cells and needs antioxidants to function properly/efficiently.
Are you eating foods rich in antioxidants? Or supplementing with proper antioxidant support for your body?
Thyroid Conditions
All of the processes in our body require energy. This energy is provided by the mitochondria within each of our cells and needs antioxidants to function properly/efficiently.
Are you eating foods rich in antioxidants? Or supplementing with proper antioxidant support for your body?
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Hormone Imbalance
It is important to improve communication between the hypothothalamus and pituitary as this balanced the endocrine system and enhanced the proper release of hormones. If we are dealing with any of the following, our hormones may be out of balance:
- Abdominal weight gain
- Benign prostatic hypertrophy / hyperplasia
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Hair Loss
- Hyper- or hypo-thyroidism
- Hyper- or- hypo-glycemia
- Impotence
- Infertility
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Loss of libido
- Loss of muscle tone and strength
- Menstrual irregularities
- Obesity
- PMS
- Uncomfortable menopause / andropause
Inflammation
Inflammation is not always a bad thing; the body (so ong as it remains healthy) knows exactly what it is doing.
However, inflammation becomes chronic due to maladaptation to stress and poor diet. When we experience any of the following (and the list is not all-inclusive), we are dealing with inflammation:
- Acne
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bronchitis
- COPD
- Celia Disease
- Diabetes
- Diverticulitis
- Eczema / Psorasis
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuropathy
- Obesity
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Sinusitis
Immune System
We can’t get through life with never a cold or flu, but eliminating sugar and other inflammatory foods which suppress the immune system strengthens the immune system. When the immune system is strong, we have more energy, are less susceptible to disease and are better able to adapt to stress.
Our immune system may be at risk if we suffer from any of the following:
- Consumption of excess sugar
- Eating foods to which we are allergic
- Consuming excessive alcohol
- Suffer from dietary deficies
- Have experienced trauma (injury or surgery)
- Are frequently exposed to infectious agents
- Common in teachers, daycare workers, doctors, nurses, etc.)
- Have history of repeated ear infections as a child
- Have a history of excessive antibiotic use as a child
Stress
If you’re overweight, stress plays a major role in your inability to lose weight. Stress regulates hormones that tell you to stop eating or eat more, regulate your blood glucose, inhibits neural transmission which leads to overeating.
When we’re stressed, the hypothalamus and pituitary aren’t communicating with each other very well. This lack of signaling can cause the body to maladapt to stress and our adrenals suffer.
Common symptoms of adrenal fatigue include:
- Fatigue or Sleepiness mid-afternoon
- Inability to fall asleep between 8pm and midnight
- Photosensivity
- Dizziness upon standing
- Fatigue after exercising as opposed to feeling energized and invigorated
- Weight gain especially in the abdomen and hips in women and the belly in men
Thyroid Conditions
The thyroid and hormones are placed under separate headings because of their complexity. The thyroid typically requires a three-point approach including addressing inflammation, immunity, and detoxification. These can have a very positive impact on the thyroid function.
Thyroid Related Issues:
- Hypothyroid
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Slowed heartbeat
- Non-tender swelling around neck
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle weakness
- Weight gain
- Dry, coarse, itchy skin
- Dry, coarse thinning hair
- Intolerance to cold (especially in hands and feet)
- Increased menstrual flow
- Miscarriages
- Infertility
- Irregular periods
- Constipation
- Hyperthyroid
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Increased perspiration
- Panic
- Insomnia
- Raing heart
- Non-tender swelling around the neck
- Muscular weakness and tremors, especially in upper arms and thighs
- Weight loss
- Thinning hair
- Fine and brittle hair
- Intolerance to heat
- Infrequent periods with lighter flow
- Frequent bowel movements
It’s Time to Address Health From A Different Perspective