What Does a Functional Medicine Review Look Like?

Functional medicine is one of the best places to start when you’re looking to overcome stubborn symptoms and improve your health.

Have you thought about coming in for a functional medicine review but didn’t know what to expect? Here are some of the things we cover when creating your personalized functional medicine plan.

Fine Tuning Supplements

I just finished another functional medicine review of supplements, and it got me thinking about the challenges the modern patient faces when deciding which supplements to order.

Most patients want an “everything product” – they say, “just give me one pill!  I don’t want to take all that.” There’s a big problem with everything products though.

An “everything product” might have hormone herbs, excessive amounts of certain vitamins, digestive enzymes, and the kitchen sink. What happens when one of these products misses an important nutrient or provides too much of another?

Most of the time, an “everything product” does not solve everything, it might have large amounts of a wide range of needs but miss something. So, you might add another “everything product” to get that one nutrient while overdoing it on everything else.

Pretty soon, you don’t feel well because too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. So, you stop taking all your supplements, and then you don’t feel well because you needed some of those nutrients.

The problem isn’t the existence of “everything products” – there are a lot of great “everything products” out there. The problem is that most people are already doing some of what the “everything product” has in it, and they’re not focusing on taking what their body really needs. 

People already on hormone replacement therapy don’t need an “everything product” with herbs that change your hormones. Accumulating too many hormones will have a negative effect on your health and make you feel worse.

How We Decide Which Supplements You Need

Now we have a situation where you need help deciding what products to take – this is what we walk through when reviewing your supplements and choosing what you need instead.

·        Read the label. If you’re taking one product that has digestive enzymes, you don’t need a second. Make sure you’re not doubling up when taking more than one product.

·        Look at the percentage of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). This is the amount of nutrients the average person needs to be healthy, you want to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients! 

·        High concentration products can be great for certain conditions in the short term, but a big problem if we take them for a long time. Eventually, the condition you’re trying to treat will become corrected. In this case, the high concentrations will start to build up and cause new problems.

·        Vitamin A builds up in the body. High percentage vitamin A is a bad idea over the long term. We want to make sure you’re taking a product that has an appropriate amount of vitamin A.

·        B vitamins are energizing and should be taken in the day. Vitamin B is one of the most important nutrients that your body needs, make sure you’re getting enough of it!

 

Healing Through Food

Some patients really trust me to give them a protocol. However, most people need more products because their diet is weak. So, if you are on a budget, focus on a better diet.

Have diet confusion? I think about diet in terms of food groups. 

Carbohydrates give you energy. So, if you are feeling tired, get some whole grains going or stir fry! This is why athletes carb load before a big event.

We all need more veggies! Really work on it. If they do not agree with you, or if you have a condition that does not like high fiber, there are ways to work around this to get the nutrients you need. However, the average person just needs to eat more veggies.

Protein is an important building block for your body!  If you are exercising, you should have muscles – if you’re not developing muscles you’re eating too little protein. 

I think this is why the carnivore diet fixes so many problems for people. I do not like any fad diets for long term use, however, I base my opinion on your health needs during my exam. If your body is doing well, you will always get the benefit of the doubt with me around the diet that feels right for you.

Fruits have important nutrients… but be careful of eating too much sugar. Fruits have become increasingly sugary as they have become modified away from their original forms.  Apples, organic berries, and citrus if tolerated are always a good bet.

Your diet is a foundation that your entire treatment plan rests on. It’s the reason so many people are not getting better even though they take tons of vitamins, protein shakes, and protein bars.  At the end of the day, we are eating way too much sugar and not enough vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. 

Is it Time to Come in For a Review?

When I do a functional medicine review, I have patients bring in their supplements and we look at them together. For some of my patients, they will continue to change products as their needs change… and that’s okay. I am here to repeat the process and make sure that you are safe.

Remember my motto of good, better, best. Don’t aim to be perfect, aim to make your health a little better than it was yesterday.

Figure out what you can do a little better at and do a little better. Make sure to be proud of yourself!

If something in your supplement plan, diet, or lifestyle is hurting your health, or if you have symptoms you can’t explain, it’s time to come in for a functional medicine review. Now that you know what to expect, we can jump right into figuring out exactly what your body needs to feel better. Let’s get you scheduled, and we’ll figure it out together.