What is Functional Medicine

•Focuses on preventive health care.

•Utilizes diagnostic testing(something that is used to determine the cause of an illness or disorder).

•Combines whole body wellness with modern healthcare, conventional and alternative therapies.

•Nutrition consultation, diet and lifestyle guidelines.

•Addresses underlying causes of symptoms.

In my practice I use the following Dunamis Model to take my clients symptoms and health concerns and correspond them to the three body systems below. This will allow me to address the underlying cause of your symptoms.

Did you know that almost all chronic health complaints can be traced back to dysfunction in the three major body systems – the hormonal, digestive and detoxification systems?

Click on each symptom to find out some of the common root causes of each symptom:

•Female hormone imbalances
•Menopausal symptoms
•Weight problems
•Insomnia & sleeping problems
•Headaches
•Depression
•Heartburn & acid reflux
•Osteoporosis

By testing these systems using clinical laboratory testing, it is possible to identify the root cause of the problem and design a therapeutic program that will alleviate your symptoms over time.

If you are not testing, then you are just guessing! I use the following lab tests for preventative health care and to find the cause of your health complaint. Call/email me now and we can discuss what lab test you need to get started on the road back to wellness.

Natural therapies have advanced to the point where we can now use the perfect blend of science and nature to create lab guided, doctor recommended supplement programs. This can be done by using advanced clinical laboratory testing to create individualized nutrient programs. Lab testing results can be applied to a wide range of health concerns, from weight loss to hormone balancing. Using the latest technology, we can now accurately assess specific nutrient deficiencies, measure hormone levels and determine the best therapeutic protocol for correcting many chronic health conditions. This technology can also be used on a preventive basis, to maintain healthy functioning in those without any current health problems.

**Lab tests are non-refundable

There are 3 Body Systems I test on each of my clients. Please read below.

Body System 1: Hormonal System

Hormones act as the command and control system of the body and regulates energy production and mood, fat burning(metabolism) and inflammation. Hormonal imbalances are common among people suffering from weight issues, fatigue and depression.

Functional Adrenal Stress Profile #201(cortisol, DHEA)
Functional Adrenal Stress Profile #205(cortisol, DHEA, estradiol, estriol, testosterone, melatonin, progesterone)

The Value of Adrenal Stress Testing

Why run Functional Adrenal Stress Profiles?

Symptoms

• Exhaustion • Weight Gain/Loss • Food Intolerances
• Alcohol Intolerance • Allergies • Sinus Problems
• Anxiety • Blood Sugar Imbalances • Depression
• Digestive Disorders • Diminished Sex Drive • Dizziness upon Standing
• Dry and Thin Skin • Excessive Hunger • Craving for Sweets
• Hair Loss • Headaches • Immune Deficiency
• Inability to Concentrate • Parasite Infections • Bacterial Infections
• Fungal Infections • General Pain • Inflammation
• Chronic illness • Irritability • Liver Disorders
• Thyroid Disorders • Pancreatic Disorders • Low blood pressure
• Low Body Temperature • Mood Swings • Pain in the Neck
• Pain in the Shoulders • Low Back Pain • Heart Palpitations
• Poor memory • PMS • Sleep Disorders
• Weakness • Difficulty Building Muscle

If you have any of the above symptoms, this is an indication that you may be suffering from adrenal insufficiency typically driven by one or more chronic stressors.

Common Sources of Chronic Stress

• Anger • Fear • Worry
• Anxiety • Depression • Guilt
• Overwork • Excessive Exercise • Sleep Deprivation
• Lifecycle Disruption • Late hours • Surgery
• Gluten Intolerance • Injury • Whiplash
• Inflammation • Pain • Temperature Extremes
• Toxic Exposures • Infections (chronic/acute ) • Chemicals
• Heavy Metals • Electromagnetic Fields • Radiation
• Geo-Physical Stressors • Mal-absorption • Low Blood Sugar
• Poor Diet • Nutritional Deficiencies • Sucrose Intolerance
• Food Allergies • Inhalant Allergies • Molds
• Noise Pollution • Mal-digestion • Lactose Intolerance
• Traumas
(mental/emotional/physical)

Cortisol promotes burning of body fat, maintains mood and emotional stability and counters inflammation and allergies, and maintains resistance to stress.

Elevated levels of cortisol for extended periods negatively affects virtually every aspect of physiology. For example, it becomes more difficult to maintain proper blood sugar levels, to slow down for rest, recovery, and repair, to get good quality sleep, to balance other hormones, to maintain mucosal immune integrity, to maintain bone mass, produce effective general immune function, to effectively regulate inflammatory processes or to detoxify the body.

Without proper intervention, continued high adrenal stimulation can lead to adrenal stimulation can lead to adrenal exhaustion and lowered cortisol levels. Eventually adrenal or cardiac failure can occur.

Program Design- once your results come back, I will design a custom supplement/herbal protocol along with diet and lifestyle changes to treat the underlying causes of your symptoms. After 3-6 months, re-testing will be done to see progress made.

Body System 2: Digestive System

The digestive tract is responsible for our vitality via the breakdown and absorption of every nutrient that fuels our trillions of cells. Problems with the digestive system are typically experienced as bloating, indigestion, gas, constipation or diarrhea. Many people have experienced gastrointestinal discomfort for so long that they have adjusted to it and think that their system’s poor function is normal. With healthy digestive function a person will feel energized and revitalized after a meal for 4-6 hours and will not experience any cravings for sweets.

One of the most commonly unidentified causes of many health complaints is pathogenic invasion of the GI tract. Irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, crohns, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation, bloating, intestinal gas, food cravings, heartburn are frequently linked to pathogens

Even patients with absolutely no digestive complaints can have chronic unresolved health problems and develop degenerative disease, due to pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract. That is why I recommend taking the BioHealth Diagnostics 401H, GI Pathogen Screen with H. Pylori Antigen and the Metametrix Gastrointestinal Function Profile.

Metametrix Gastrointestinal Function Profile
Tests for:
• Inflammation
• Immune function and gluten sensitivity
• Yeast
• Parasites
• Bacteria
• Pathogens
• Pharmaceutical and botanical sensitivities
• Cancer-preventative short chain fatty acids
• Pancreatic function
• Markers for digestion and absorption

BioHealth Diagnostics 401 H, GI Pathogen Screen with H. Pylori Antigen
Tests for:
Parasites(giardia, cryptosporidium, entamoeba histolytica(dysentery), blastocystis hominis, ascaris(roundworm)

Bacteria(helicobacter pylori, clostridium difficile)

Yeast(candida albicans)

Warning signs that you might have a parasite infection
constipation, gas, bloating, IBS, joint/muscle aches and pains, anemia, increase in allergies resulting from leaky gut, skin conditions, chronic fatigue, immune dysfunction, teeth grinding, or no symptoms whatsoever

Helicobacter Pylori(bacteria)
Symptoms
heartburn/reflux, upper abdominal pain, indigestion, belching, gastritis, duodenal/peptic ulcers, carcinoma, headaches especially migraine, constipation, nausea, acne, halitosis, undigested food in stool, need for digestive enzymes

Yeast: Candida Albicans
Symptoms
thrush, cystitis, PMS, menstrul irregularities, joint pains, asthma, hay fever, sinusitis, fungal infections of the nails/skin, ear infections, food allergies and intolerances, migraines, foggy brain, muscle aches, bloating, flatulence, alternating diarrhea and constipation, chronic tiredness, allergies, sensitivity to smoke, weight gain/loss

Program Design- once your results come back, I will design a custom supplement/herbal protocol along with diet and lifestyle changes to treat the underlying causes of your symptoms. After 3-6 months, re-testing will be done to see progress made.

Body System 3: Detoxification System

The detoxification system refers to the body’s pathways for eliminating harmful toxins such as mercury, various chemicals and the products that result from the breakdown of alcohol or medications. Our modern world is creating a level of chemical and heavy metal exposure that is taxing our detoxification system.

Organix Comprehensive
Many chronic health problems can be difficult to diagnose, especially when they involve nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, foggy thinking, malaise, gastrointestinal upset, joint aches,or sleep cycle disturbances.

Standard medical tests are designed to identify disease states. Organic acid testing does not diagnose disease; it helps to give insight into the causes of disease. This profile helps us assess specific metabolic dysfunctions. Then we can customize a nutritional program for you that manages those areas in need of support. This allows an approach that is beyond symptom management. My goal is to identify dysfunctions related to nutritional deficiencies and correct them before disease is allowed to develop.

Organic acids are metabolic intermediates produced in pathways of central energy production, detoxification, neurotransmitter breakdown, or intestinal microbial activity. Accumulation of specific organic acids in urine often signals a metabolic inhibition or block. This may be due to a nutrient deficiency, an inherited enzyme deficit, toxic build-up, or drug effect.

Organix Comprehensive tests for
-fat burning
-blood sugar
-energy production
-anti-oxidant protecting
-vitamin and mineral levels
-neurotransmitter balance
-liver detoxification
-digestive health

Program Design- once your results come back, I will design a custom supplement/herbal protocol along with diet and lifestyle changes to treat the underlying causes of your symptoms. After 3-6 months, re-testing will be done to see progress made.

Other Tests
Mediator Release Test(MRT)Is Your Food Making You Sick?
Migraine and other headaches
Irritable bowel syndrome
Chronic diarrhea
Heartburn/GERD
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Joint pain
Muscle pain
Weight imbalances
Chronic fatigue
Chronic sinusitis
Insomnia
Skin eruptions
Autism/ADD

If you suffer from any of the conditions listed above, then your food could very well be making you sick.

Medical research has shown that sensitivities to foods and food chemicals can be involved in a wide array of painful symptoms and chronic health problems.
If foods and additives in your diet are causing your illness, whatever medications you take will ultimately fail because they only mask the symptoms. They don’t treat the underlying cause of the symptoms. And as is too often the case, many medications have side effects that can lead to other health problems.

If food sensitivities are causing your illness and you don’t properly address them, you could easily end up suffering for many years, spending thousands of dollars for treatments that will never work the way you want.

Introducing MRT: The solution for food sensitivity based illness. The first thing a food sensitivity sufferer needs to do is identify their trigger foods and food chemicals.

Your MRT results in combination with your Metabolic Type Diet (MT-MRT) provides a complete roadmap for food sensitivity sufferers. Not only will it tell you which foods to avoid, but more importantly MT-MRT tells you which foods you should eat to maximize your health.

Q and A’s
Q. How will this benefit me?
A. This approach works by eliminating those foods and food components which trigger nonallergic immune system reactions. This provides a truly healthy diet plan for each individual. TheMetabolic Typing analysis determined which foods would specifically balance body chemistry and which foods would imbalance body chemistry in terms of the Autonomic, Oxidative and Endocrine factors. MRT identifies those foods and food components regardless of the Metabolic Type® which are immune reactive and thereby harmful to the body.

Q. How will this diet make me feel better?
A. Food sensitivities have been specifically implicated in over 35 different health conditions. However, a strong case can be made for them acting as indirect causal factors in any degenerative condition. These disorders and their accompanying symptoms are caused (or made worse) by the numerous toxic chemicals (mediators), such as histamine and prostaglandins that are released when your immune system begins to react adversely to the foods you eat. By identifying and eliminating the foods and food substances which are triggering immune system reactions, you can experience a tremendous improvement in the way you feel. Many report improved energy, improved digestion, loss of weight, less food cravings, less aches and pains, clearer thinking, and a better sense of well-being in a fairly short time.
Q. How long will it take before I notice results?
A. Most see a noticeable difference within the first one to two weeks on the program; however, in some cases it can take as long as four to six weeks. Your particular response may vary depending on certain factors:

1. How closely you follow recommendations. If you follow it by the letter you will have the greatest chance of success in the shortest time frame possible. If you follow it loosely or carelessly, your results will be compromised to the extent of your neglect.

2. How long-standing your condition has been. Sometimes it takes a bit more time to reverse the damage caused by years of sensitivity reactions, improper eating, and inadequate nutrition. The vast majority experience great results within two weeks to one month of following their program closely.

3. The degree to which food sensitivity plays a role in your condition. Some experience total symptom relief from their condition as long as they maintain their diet. Others will experience a decrease in symptoms but not complete remission. This is because food sensitivity can either be the direct cause OR a contributing factor to your health problem. All of these factors will affect your progress and response to your program. However, out of all of these factors, your compliance has the highest bearing on the benefits you’ll experience.

Q. How long do I have to stay on this diet?
A. The recommendations in your MT-MRT diet are not the same as those found in fad diets. MTMRT is an individually tailored dietary wellness program which can be used for your whole life. Most find that after a few weeks of sticking to their program, the MT-MRT diet becomes a habit and becomes a natural part of their day-to-day living. In addition, people usually feel so much better that they don’t want to return to their old eating habits.

Reference:
*information was taken from the Signet Diagnostic Corporation LEAP-MRT brochure
*MRT guide pdf

Metametrix Allergix IgG4 Food Antibody 90 Food Test

Metabolic Assessment Profile: BHD #101
Overview
The Metabolic Assessment Profile measures the levels of indican, lipid peroxides, and urinary bile acid sulfates (UBAS). It involves the analysis of two urine samples easily collected by the patient at home. This profile provides an index of general digestive metabolism by assessing protein digestion, oxidative damage caused by free radical activity, and bile acid sulfates, a direct measurement of liver function.
Indican

Eventually, the inability to digest protein can compromise glycemic control, and can lead to serious hormone imbalances. This can be a prelude to chronic degenerative disorder including gastrointestinal disease and cancer. Without proper digestion, it is impossible to have optimal health

Lipid Peroxides
Oxidative stress can result from exposure to toxins or pathogens; especially chemicals; inappropriate lifestyle factors; such as excessive exercise; or byproducts of normal metabolism. Monitoring the level of antioxidants is important, because while low levels can result in an excess of free radicals, high levels may be associated with fatigue and weakness. Proper free radical control is essential to good health.

Urinary Bile Acid Sulfates (UBAS)
Compromised liver function leads to a build up of toxic substances that can damage liver cells and lead to increased risk for cancer and a variety of other degenerative diseases.

Clinical Use
This profile provides data relevant to a multitude of health disorders. Its findings are applicable in treating existing health concerns and in counseling for nutritionally based wellness and anti-aging programs. The three lab tests assess protein digestion, oxidative stress, and liver function. The Metabolic Assessment Profile is designed as a foundational element in a comprehensive health evaluation.

Conditions Assessed
Conditions assessed include a wide variety of GI symptoms, persistent or recurring infection, low energy, and vague, generalized symptoms.

Program Design- once your results come back, I will design a custom supplement/herbal protocol along with diet and lifestyle changes to treat the underlying causes of your symptoms. After 3-6 months, re-testing will be done to see progress made.

Immunology
BHD #304 Intestinal Barrier Function Test
Lab testing to assess: the integrity of the gut’s mucosal barrier; antigen penetration; dysbiosis; leaky gut; malabsorption; dietary protein sensitivity; secretory IgA production; intestinal permeability; crypt hyperplasia; antibody response to: Candida, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and dietary proteins.
Optimal health is not possible without proper Intestinal Barrier Function. Being on the front lines in defending the body, the mucosal layer, the extrinsic barrier, of the GI tract is exposed to a multitude of stressors, antigens, pathogens, imbalances of neurotransmitters, toxins and medications, and sometimes this barrage can weaken and break down the protective barrier. What follows the loss of mucosal immune tolerance is a cascade beginning with the formation of immune complexes and inflammatory cytokine responses. These abnormal levels of regulatory cytokine production such as in IL-10 and TGF-beta lead to enhanced intestinal permeability in which the tight junctions in the intrinsic barrier open and allow the passage of dietary proteins and peptides into the blood stream. Commonly known as leaky gut, enhanced gut permeability is the precursor to autoimmune disorders such as Type I Diabetes, RA, Lupus, MS and autoimmune hypothyroidism. It is also the pathway to neurologic dysfunction associated with gluten intolerance, Celiac disease, Autism and ADHD.

Your First-Line Immune Defense
The mucosal barrier—your first-line immune defense—refers to all of the mucous membranes that comprise the primary interface between the external environment and the internal environment of the body. This mucosal barrier lets beneficial things into your general circulation and keeps harmful ones out.

To clarify this, an analogy can be made between the earth’s ozone layer and your body’s mucosal barriers. The ozone layer lets the right amount of sunlight through, sustaining life on earth; your mucosal barriers allow nutrients through, sustaining your health. The ozone layer prevents harmful radiation from getting through; the mucosal barriers prevent infectious agents and allergens from invading your body. But just as our planet has a damaged ozone layer, many of us have damaged mucosal barriers. Consequently, we are not protected from harmful substances such as parasites, viruses, and bacteria.

No disease or symptom needs to be present to warrant protecting the mucosal barrier of the intestines; keeping it healthy helps to keep us strong and disease-resistant. Strengthening the gut lining is applicable to relieving and avoiding the impacts of asthma, arthritis, food allergies, ulcers, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, autoimmune diseases, alcoholism, chronic fatigue, joint pain, migraines, diarrhea, parasitic infections, dysbiosis, candidiasis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes, all of which can have their origin in harmful substances penetrating through the intestines.

Reference:BioHealth Diagnostics

Metametrix Toxic Elements TestSome elements can accumulate in tissues causing toxic effects. Metal toxicity is a significant environmental health concern. A toxic load of lead, cadmium, mercury, or arsenic is capable of rendering considerable damage to the brain and nervous system, particularly in children. Toxic elements produce their many negative effects through various mechanisms.
Tests for: arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, aluminum