Functional medicine is leading medical science into the 21st century with open research, clinically proven therapeutic protocols and the most up to date lab testing available.
For any disease process to occur there has to be negative changes in one or many of the essential functions and systems in your body. Functional medicine focuses on finding the sources of dysfunction (SOD’s) in each individual and returning each system in dysfunction back to normal function. When there are systems in dysfunction there will be symptoms, and any group of symptoms will eventually be diagnosed as a fixed name disease. Modern allopathic medicine begins with diagnosing a disease and then focuses on alleviating the symptoms. I know of people who have gone to a regular doctor and be told that they are not sick enough to be diagnosed with anything, so they are told wait until they are sicker and then come back. In my experience focusing on reducing the symptoms of a disease is less effective in the long run than resolving the root cause of a disease. It is also my experience that focusing on optimal health is the best way to avoid disease.
Unlike allopathic, or Western medicine, Functional medicine does not focus on the diagnosis, but why in each individual the disease is occurring. Each individual will have a unique combination of these sources of dysfunction. Ten people with the same medical diagnosis may, as individuals, have a very different proportion of SODs. This tells us that each person requires individualized treatment strategies and that the length of treatment can vary greatly. It is always an amazing experience to review a patients lab tests and explain what is actually happening in their bodies. It is an incredible motivator for helping people change their diets and lifestyles as well as seek proper treatments and take their supplements every day.
This has been my experience after 22 years of practice. Each of us is unique and the process of healing is different for everyone. Regardless of a person’s diagnosis, the real investigation begins with discovering why it is occurring and what will work and what won’t.
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition is an approach to Functional Medicine that is elegantly streamlined for people who are looking for a clear process of investigation and some tried and true protocols to help patients stay on course. I took this course a few years ago to update my Functional Medicine certification for new lab tests and was absolutely thrilled with this organic and systematic approach to being an effective health detective. It is amazing how fast the world of functional lab testing evolves and changes. Honestly, this approach to Functional Medicine will change the world. Instead of going to university for 3 to 8 years, a person could begin their practice in about 6 months.
If you are interested in shifting your career towards helping others, then I encourage you to learn more about the Functional health movement by clicking below.

 

My Functional Medicine Practice

In my Functional Medicine practice, I focus on the gradual detective work of uncovering the root cause, or the ‘Why” a person is experiencing ill health. Mainstream medicine tends to focus on removing the ‘What’, or just the symptoms. After doing a thorough diagnostic process, including comprehensive and correlative questionnaires, a full medical history and review of medications, I almost always start my patients off on the most appropriate therapeutic protocol. In some cases, especially when a patient has to be careful with their money, we focus on diet, supplementation, sleep hygiene, meditation and an appropriate fitness program. If they get better, the protocol was a kind of test.
With other patients, I recommend a tiered approach to lab testing. If a patient is fairly healthy and just wants to improve their fitness or lose some weight, then I recommend my Metabolic Overview Panel (see below).
 

Metabolic Overview Panel

When things have been feeling off for a few months or years, but your doctor hasn’t found anything significant enough to find a diagnosis, you are like at the beginning stages of Metabolic Instability. That is not so much a diagnosis, as it is more like a weather report. And weather reports are rarely 100% accurate. As normal health gradually shifts towards chronic
The combination of stress, environmental toxins, stimulants and intoxicants, and the overuse of Antibiotics and other medications
 
Comprehensive Saliva Test – This test looks at the balance (or imbalance) of stress and reproductive hormones, your melatonin and the aggressiveness or exhaustion of your immune system. Specifically – Cortisol x 4, DHEA-S, Estradiol, Estriol, Estrone, Melatonin, Progesterone, Testosterone, and Secretory IgA.
Urine Metabolite Test – This test looks at how efficient your digestive system and liver are at breaking down proteins, clearing free radicals and maintaining health bile. Specifically – Lipid peroxides, and bile acids, indican
Approximate Fee for both Lab Tests:   $420 USD – This fee is for the lab alone. Neither myself nor my practice receive any of these funds.

Gut Health and Immunity Panel

Hippocrates, the father of western medicine once said. “All disease starts in the gut”.  stress, overuse of antibiotics, alcohol, sugar and starchy foods can create some very serious imbalance in the human microbiome. people who live ‘close to the earth’, or you travel extensively are more likely to have parasites. If there is enough wear and tear to your gut, you may end up with Intestinal Permeability, or a Leaky Gut.
The above Lab Tests are still a good idea, but if you need to be careful with your budget then just let myself or my team know that you only want the following Lab Tests run.
Intestinal Permeability Test: One of the biggest factors in the progression of chronic, inflammatory, degenerative and autoimmune diseases is a Leaky gut, or a permeable bowel membrane.
Bowel Pathogen and Immunity Test: At present, 80% of people living in the developed world have some form of intestinal pathogen or parasite and 99% of people living in the developing world has some form of parasitic infection. Identifying and resolving these infections is crucial to any person’s ability to heal.
Food Sensitivity Test: There is an immense difference between having an immune sensitivity or intolerance, and an actual clinical allergy is profound. This test is a great and inexpesive start to removing foods that are causing your immune system to be overly reactive.

Complex and Chronic Illness Panel

If you are a patient with many years of chronic health problems, then it may be time to go deeper than the above testing options. As you age or as your health and adaptability decline, you are going to experience more complex changes in your immune system. If you are feeling like your health is degenerating and your present mode of self-care is not working, then it is time to take a deep and thorough look at what is ACTUALLY going on inside of your body.
 
 
 
Dutch Metabolic Pathways Test: This is a urine test that evaluates a large number of metabolites that indicate the health of most of your hormones and how well your immune system and detox pathways are doing.
Intestinal Permeability Test: One of the biggest factors in the progression of chronic, inflammatory, degenerative and autoimmune diseases is a Leaky gut, or a permeable bowel membrane.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) Test: Almost 75% of your immune system
Organic Acid Test (OAT): An OAT test is a urine test that looks at over 70 unique metabolites. These metabolites are the waste products of biochemical processes that are inherent to good health. If your results demonstrate that one or several of these processes is going too fast or too slow, this test tells you what is out of balance and where to start regaining your health.
There are many other more precise lab tests, but they are specific to a medical condition or disease process. 
 

Clinical Fees for 2018

Functional medicine is a process. When I engage with patients in this way, we begin with that understanding that the first three appointments are dedicated to the same objective. Forward momentum with clarity and some trial and error.
This whole process involves:

• an initial assessment of medical history, review of medications, previous Lab Test results and an initial dietary, supplement recommendations and lifestyle protocol. (about 90 minutes)
• After three weeks, we will reconnect and review your symptoms and experience. Depending on your response to your initial protocol, we may choose to stay the course or invest in some leading-edge lab testing to explore the root cause of what is still happening. If you are doing profoundly better (as many people do), we will continue to use the protocol as our guidance. (45 min)
• After another 2 – 3 weeks, we will review your lab results and the specific dietary, supplement and lifestyle recommendations (45 min). If lab testing was not required, we will review your progress and determine if the protocol is going to work by itself or decide if we need to go ahead with some lab work.

This Initial series of appointments and support is $300.00
Review of Second Lab Results and changes in your protocol: (30 minutes) – $75.00
20 minute Follow Up Consultation – $50.00
This service is also available through Skype, Zoom or by phone.
To learn more about Functional Medicine, please enjoy the following articles:
Why I Recommend That All of My Patients Eat Bone Broth
Why Diets Don’t Work
Is Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Your New Career? <coming soon>
My Favorite Lab Tests and Why <coming soon>