Functional Medicine
Functional medicine is a patient-centred approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of health issues, rather than treating the symptom and calling it a day.
As a personalized nutritionist, I view the body as an interconnected system where all aspects of your health and wellbeing are intertwined. Instead of looking at individual symptoms in isolation, I strive to understand the underlying imbalances and dysfunctions that might be contributing to your health concerns.
This holistic approach allows me to create personalized treatment plans that address the unique needs of your body and all its systems. This includes considering factors you might not have thought of, such as your genetics, lifestyle, environment, microbiome, epigenetics and emotional wellbeing.
I am committed to empowering you to take control of your health journey. By combining the principles of functional medicine with my expertise as a personalized nutritionist, I can guide you towards sustainable lifestyle changes and provide you with the tools you need to thrive.
As part of my three-year BSc in Nutritional Therapy, I was intensively and extensively trained in Functional Medicine.
There are a variety of advanced functional medicine tests that I offer, including comprehensive GI assessments, hormonal testing (e.g. adrenal, thyroid, sex hormone tests), toxin exposure assessments, essential fatty acid measurements (e.g. omega 6 and omega 3), all types of nutritional status testing, and immune function evaluations.
This video provides an overview of the Principles of Functional Medicine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHuipy4xa6s
How does Functional Medicine work?
In practice, functional medicine means undertaking a comprehensive and individualized assessment of a person's health, with a focus on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease or dysfunction.
By focusing on the cause rather than the condition, a whole plethora of factors need to be accounted for an examined as the potential root of whatever condition or illness you are suffering from. This can include:
Activity levels
Stress levels
Environmental pollutants
Sleep and relaxation levels
Nutrition and hydration
Microbiome/s
This is why my personalized nutritionist process starts with both a questionnaire and an in-depth discussion, giving me an initial glimpse into the environmental and lifestyle factors that might be responsible for your condition or that may well lead to health issues in the future.
You may have realized that Functional Medicine and Naturopathy are based on the same principles of precision medicine and personalized nutrition as they attempt to prevent diseases by identifying the causes and treating them appropriately. While the tools may differ, from natural remedies to cutting-edge tests and treatments, the core values remain the same!
