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

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…