Functional Blood Analysis: What is it and what can it do for you?

Functional Medicine is now like a coined term that references a type of medicine that addresses optimal health versus disease states. Part of functional medicine includes a doctor viewing blood work with this same lens, so to speak. That the doctor doesn’t just see that a lab value is “within normal range”, but rather looks at the lab value and asks is this optimal, or is this heading in a pathological direction, i.e. on the brink of diabetes. This type of medicine really puts “health” back in “health care” vs “disease care.”

Part of the principles of functional medicine includes addressing what are referred to as the core clinical imbalances, which arise from malfunctions within this complex system and include[1]:

• Hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances
• Oxidation-reduction imbalances and mitochondropathy
• Detoxification and biotransformational imbalances
• Immune imbalances
• Inflammatory imbalances
• Digestive, absorptive, and microbiological imbalances
• Structural imbalances from cellular membrane function to the musculoskeletal system

 Functional Medical doctors include all types, DC’sMDs, NDs, and FNP. These practitioners educate their patients on healthy lifestyles that focus on prevention and changing physiology to promote healing and wellness. Most people get annual check ups, and part of that includes basic blood work to evaluate how your body is working. A functional lab interpretation can let you know if you are dysglycemic, B12 deficient, dehydrated, and more. The body gives you these signs and symptoms and it just takes a person educated at reading these to pick up the cues to evaluate if it is heading in the right direction, or if changes need to be made. This type of work can catch future problems before they become an actual disease states, and thus out of the normal lab ranges.

Remember, your health is ultimately up to you. You have the power to make changes and choose a doctor who listens to your concerns, educates you, and takes a proactive approach. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

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[1] http://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/whatis.asp

Not All Supplements Are Created Equal

5 Tips to pick out the best

Have you heard the saying, there is a pill for everything? Well, it seems to be somewhat true, whether it’s for a medical condition such as anemia or constipation, or for performance enhancement athletically. The purpose and definition of a supplement is “that completes or enhances something else when added to it.” What is that something else? It is a good diet that is based in whole foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. This also should be coupled with exercise, let’s also put in good sleep, and less stress. You have heard this probably a million times before!

Ok, so given that, you are doing your best to meet those criteria, but it still isn’t enough to meet your bodies’ needs, so now you are turning to a pill. That pill could be a pharmaceutical, but ideally try a nutriceutical first. Nutriceuticals include dietary supplements as well as other categories of products based from food. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said “let food be your medicine and medicine be food.” Here are a few things to consider when purchasing supplements.

 

1. The Delivery Method: Capsule, tablet, liquid or sublingual. Choosing the appropriate form is important as it can affect the results. For example, generally speaking, tablets are hard pills that may be difficult for your body to break down and absorb. An example maybe those multivitamins that are advertised by taking once per day. Sublingual means under the tongue, which is usually absorbed faster, Vitamin B12 is best in this form. Some form may also just be your preference.
2. The Brand: Generic or brand name? Seems to be a dilemma in many industries. This is your health we are talking about, and my favorite saying is if we don’t have health, what do we have? That being said, generally speaking, I recommend brand name. Occasionally generic maybe okay, and safer when it is a natural food store. The problem here can be that label and true contents may not match up. For example lets say you are looking a Probiotics, and label says you are getting 100 billion, but then 3^rd party testing shows that there are 50 billion.
3. Location: Typically the better brands that have better results are usually found at health food stores, or doctors’ offices (Naturopathic & Chiropractic). There are some other retailers that also may carry better supplements, such as The Vitamin Shoppe. For example a better fish oil brand is Nordic Naturals or Carlson’s and those are carried there.
4. Ingredients: We want supplements that are pure as possible, and it is best if the label says it is free of gluten, dairy, soy, egg, casein, and corn. Also stay away from food coloring, such as FD&C Yellow #6, or other similar additives or preservatives. If it is in capsule form this is usually made vegetarian.
5. Form: If you are supplementing a vitamin, it is important to get the best bioavailable form, meaning the form that is most useful to your body, and best absorbed. For example, the citrate form of both iron and calcium is usually a better option.

 

It is always a good idea to check in with a doctor before taking anything, especially if you are on prescriptions or other supplements, there can be interactions. A great resource is Herb, Nutrient, and Drug Interactions, published by Mosby Elsevier. As a reminder when reading information such as this, it isn’t intended to treat or cure any medical condition.

 

 

Myers’ Cocktail

The Miracle Cocktail? Must Be the Myers’ Cocktail!  

Have you ever heard that “the way to good health is paved with good intestines” as many of my Naturopathic Doctors say? Well, often there can be barriers to good digestion, thus leading to people of having low absorption of vitamins and minerals, which are an absolute necessity and reason to eat fruits and vegetables. Given any compromisation to our “guts”, one can utilize modern medicine’s I.V. therapy.

A Myers’ Cocktail is an infusion of nutrition that boots the immune system to fight of allergies or viruses, as well as combats fatigue with its support of aiding the production of energy. Low levels of energy are found in adrenal imbalance, mood disorders, and fibromyalgia. Athletes can also benefit pre/post event. The miracle of modern life is that each of us in running some sort of marathon; physically or metaphorically for some other aspect of our mental or emotional life.

In our society we our desperately deprived of energy due to our lifestyle, and in the process of going back to the basics, one can supplement with a healthy cocktail to restore optimal levels of Vitamin C, B complex, B5, B6, B12, as well as Magnesium and Calcium.

Cheers to giving your body the boost it needs to get your energy to its optimal level…