FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
Functional medicine treats the individual, not the disease.
Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. Functional Medicine is a personalized, systems-oriented model that empowers patients and practitioners to achieve the highest expression of health by working in collaboration to address the underlying causes of disease.
5 BASIC PRINCIPLES
1
Functional Medicine views us all as being different; genetically and biochemically unique. This personalized health care treats the individual, not the disease. It supports the normal healing mechanisms of the body, naturally, rather than attacking disease directly.
2
Functional Medicine is deeply science based. The latest research shows us that what happens within us is connected in a complicated network or web of relationships. Understanding those relationships allows us to see deep into the functioning of the body.
3
Your body is intelligent and has the capacity for self-regulation, which expresses itself through a dynamic balance of all your body systems.
4
Your body has the ability to heal and prevent nearly all the diseases of aging.
5
Health is not just the absence of disease, but a state of immense vitality.
BRAIN DISFUNCTION, LEAKY GUT & AUTO IMMUNITY
Most autoimmune diseases are official conditions “of unknown etiology” according to conventional medical science. Genetic factors appear to predispose individuals to autoimmune diseases, yet factors in the modern lifestyle must contribute to the conditions — autoimmune diseases are rare or nonexistent in primitive humans following a traditional diet and lifestyle.
The cutting edge of research into the cause or trigger for these diseases focuses on loss of the integrity of natural barriers within the organism. The most important of these is the gut barrier, which, when it becomes pathologically permeable, becomes the key to the development of “leaky gut syndrome.” Factors in the modern environment that damage the gut and other physiological barriers, such as vitamin and mineral malnutrition and injurious pharmaceutical drugs, may be responsible for the onset of autoimmunity.
SMALL INTESTINE BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition that is characterized by too many microorganisms in the small intestine. Unlike the large intestine or colon, which is extraordinarily rich in bacteria, the small intestine usually has much less bacterial organisms.
The small intestine typically has less than 104 organisms per millilitre. Anything above this level is classically considered to be SIBO. This bacterial overgrowth can be a combination of both good (progenic) and bad (pathogenic) microorganisms.
SIBO damages the intestinal lining and creates a state of mild-severe leaky gut syndrome and resulting food allergies, sensitivities and chronic inflammatory processes. It is imperative to get proper help through good nutrition and lifestyle and the help of a functional nutrition practitioner.
THE GUT-SKIN CONNECTION
Epidemiological evidence shows a clear association between gut problems and skin disorders. A recent report indicated that small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition involving inappropriate growth of bacteria in the small intestine, is 10 times more prevalent in people with acne rosacea than in healthy controls, and that correction of SIBO in these individuals led to marked clinical improvement. 14% of patients with ulcerative colitis and 24% of patients with Crohn’s disease have skin manifestations. (Interestingly enough, a study just came out showing that a drug normally used to treat psoriasis is also effective for Crohn’s disease.) Celiac disease also has cutaneous manifestations, such as dermatitis herpetiformis, which occurs in 1/4 of celiac sufferers. Celiacs also have increased frequency of oral mucosal lesions, alopecia and vitiligo.
KETOGENIC DIET
Obesity and top killers such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer have something significant in common — they’re all rooted in insulin and leptin resistance.
In other words, the underlying problem is metabolic dysfunction that develops as a result of consuming too many net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) and/or protein. Sugars found in processed foods and grains are the primary culprits, and the standard American diet is chockfull of both.
Once you develop insulin and leptin resistance, it triggers biochemical cascades that not only make your body hold on to fat, but produce inflammation and cellular damage as well.
Hence, whether you’re struggling with weight and/or chronic health issues, the treatment protocols are the same. This is good news, as it significantly simplifies your approach to improving your health. You won’t need a different set of strategies to address each condition.
In short, by optimizing your metabolic and mitochondrial function, you set yourself squarely on the path to better health. So how do you correct these metabolic imbalances? Your diet is key. The timing of your meals can also play an important role.