Why You Should Consider Functional Medicine
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I first started gaining knowledge about the functional medicine world when I went away to college and realized I couldn’t just eat pasta for every meal. I really started to hone in on what I was eating and kept a very consistent workout schedule. Although I felt better at times, I still felt “off”. It was when I got strep throat that my body completely freaked out and I knew deep down there was a root cause and I became determined to find out. There was no way my constant fatigue, itchiness, irritability, leg numbness, brain fog etc. was normal. That’s when my functional medicine journey started.
What is Functional Medicine
Cleveland Clinic defines functional medicine as a patient-centered model of care that identifies and treats the root causes of chronic illness, such as nutrition, stress, toxins and genetics. To compare, conventional medicine is what most people are used to which treats the symptoms rather than root causes.
Why Choose Functional Medicine?
Personally, I was tired of feeling the way I was. My husband made a comment to me one day about how I was constantly irritated and that was really eye opening to me. I was typically a very happy person who loved all the small, simple joys in life. I am happy to report I regained that same energy back because of functional medicine.
Key Changes I made to Improve My Labs
Here are the main steps I took that really transformed my results:
1. Nutrition Overhaul
- Switched to gluten free and started limiting dairy
- Focused on healing my gut by getting a food allergy test and including more anti-inflammatory foods and eating 2-3 brazil nuts for thyroid health
2. Focused Supplementation
- Worked with a functional medicine practitioner to identify deficiencies
- Added high-quality supplements like vitamin D-3 with K-2.
3. Stress Management
- Began to prioritize low impact exercises like walking
- Prioritized sleep by reducing screen time and truly just going to bed when it’s time and using blue light glasses when on devices
- Decreased the amount of caffeine I was taking in
- Completely cut out social media at times if needed
- Switched from night shift to day shift at work
4. Lab Testing and Data Tracking
- Regular blood work to track inflammation, hormone balance, and nutrient levels
- Lab tests for gut health, cortisol, and insulin sensitivity
The Results of My Functional Medicine Approach
Overall, I found out I had some gut issues along with Hashimotos (an autoimmune disorder involving the thyroid gland). Within six months of these lifestyle changes:
- My vitamin D levels increased significantly
- My energy and mood improved, and brain fog disappeared
- I lost excess weight (inflammation!) I didn’t know I had
- My thyroid labs improved
Within three years I have the best looking thyroid labs yet per my functional medicine practitioner, my cortisol (stress) level is the lowest it’s ever been, and I have the best energy yet.
Final Thoughts
So is functional medicine for you? It isn’t a quick fix—it’s a commitment to understanding your body and healing from the inside out. Obviously in my opinion it’s worth it as it completely turned my health around and I’m able to live my best life and be the best version of myself. Now that I have a daughter, I’m extra thankful I did this as I want to be the best for her and show her the importance of taking care of yourself. If you’re curious about more and you’re ready to get to the root cause of your symptoms rather than just masking them on the daily, I encourage you to consult a certified functional medicine practitioner and begin your own healing journey.
I know so many family and friends who have used functional medicine to either heal their bodies or improve their and their family’s health. Thank you for sharing!
Wow! This was amazing to read your results. I’ve always wanted to try functional medicine. I feel like cutting out social media is huge. I feel myself getting stressed the longer I scroll. Great read!
Very interesting blog as I’ve wondering about functional medicine myself. Thanks for sharing your story as I found it very helpful personally.
I’m into this! I am a huge fan of homeopathic remedies and herbalism! I love this post, thank you!
This is the first time that I am hearing about the functional medicine. Thanks a lot for sharing its value!
This is very interesting, definitely something I am keen to try. I found this article very helpful.
I was appreciating myself as I read this post. I have been making changes, especially with my diet (food and hydration) to address an health issue. Gut health test caught my interest. Need to read more on it.