Integrative & Functional Medicine
Did you know that medical doctors are not required to take more than ONE nutrition class their entire time in medical school? Sometimes they aren’t even required to take one! When people go to their Dr for nutrition advice I cringe! This is not to say Drs are not amazing & there is no denying we need them, but they are there to fix us when something goes wrong, for example if we break a leg. RDs & Nutritionists are here for a reason, they are specifically trained to help you with your diet.
I also urge everyone in my life (& especially anyone who is suffering from chronic pain or chronic health issues where the standard medical system has failed to diagnose them) to seek out an Integrative / Functional medicine Dr.
This is a science-based, whole-body approach to addressing chronic disease. Integrative / functional medical Drs focus on the body system as a whole & try to get to the root of the cause rather than just throw drugs at you as a "solution”. They look at underlying causes of disease, while focusing on the whole person, rather than isolated symptoms.
If you are having an issue with your thyroid for example, instead of focusing on just your thyroid, they look at the whole body & what might be happening thats caused your thyroid to be under-active or overactive. Your body works in sync & a symptom you are experiencing could be a result of another issue in the body. It all works together. Functional medicine focuses on systems, rather than organs, & origins, rather than diseases. It’s about getting to the root cause of the issue & fixing it instead of throwing drugs at you to mask it.
Functional medicine Drs don’t shy away from prescription drugs when necessary, but they try everything else first (diet change, exercise, supplements) & use drugs as a last resort. The amazing thing is that if your Dr can spot the signs & symptoms of something such as an autoimmune disorder or Diabetes 1 ahead of time (these diseases never come about without showing symptoms ahead of time), w/ lifestyle changes such as diet & exercise you may be able to fend it off.
In a day in age where prescriptions are handed out like candy, it is incredibly important to see someone who is going to help you get to the root cause of the issue instead of simply handing you a prescription to mask the symptoms. Symptoms are your bodies way of telling you something is wrong and that you need to address the issue!
This is why I truly believe integrative and functional medicine is where our healthcare is headed and it’s why I am personally getting my masters in integrative nutrition. You can read more about my studies here.
If you are interested in finding an Integrative or Functional Medicine Dr in your area you can go to one of these sites and search for one.