Functional Medicine offers a patient-centered and holistic approach to healthcare, emphasizing personalized care and addressing root causes. If you resonate with the principles of empowerment, prevention, and comprehensive well-being, Functional Medicine may be the right path for your health journey. An integrative and holistic approach always produces the biggest changes patients are looking for, each and every time.
The number one thing to consider when thinking about whether you want to embark on a functional medicine journey is your willingness and commitment to making changes. These changes start with the very basics.
Willingness to Change your Diet & Hydation: The Standard American Diet (SAD) leads to standard American diseases. While there are certain "foods" that no human should ingest, diet can be highly individualized based on every persons needs. This practice does not take a dogmatic approach, but works with each person to slowly make necessary changes to improve mental and physical health based on that person. Understanding food is medicine and what you eat directly communicates with your cells is foundational when pursing a functional approach. If you are unwilling to change your diet, then functional medicine may not be the best route for you.
Changing Bad Habits: If you are unwilling to change bad habits, improve your sleep hygiene, use light to help balance your hormones, limit screen time, spend more time in nature, move your body/exercise, incorporate breath work, grow your spiritual health, heal trauma, limit exposure to toxins, etc. then functional medicine may not be the best fit.
Time & Commitment: We have heard the saying "If you don't take time for your wellness, you'll be forced to take time for your illness." Investing in your health takes commitment and time to build better systems. You must be willing to choose your hard. You can make small changes at a time, in an effort not to be overwhelmed, however, consistency is required.
*The above must be stated because these are the basics. While some supplements can absolutely help... as well as improve the way you feel, you CANNOT just supplement your way to health. There is no cheat code. Spending a lot of money on advanced lab work and supplements can be great for exploring root causes and correcting imbalances and deficiencies or clearing out underlying issues, but it will ultimately be a waste of your money, time, and resources, if you are unwilling to make foundational changes*
While functional medicine can be very in-depth, intricate, and holistic, it does NOT have to be incredibly complicated. Specific lifestyle changes can make a world of difference without breaking the bank. Additionally, functional providers can utilize some of the blood work your primary care doctor may have already completed, only using a different lens. However, there are times when more is needed. Having the guidance of a trained provider will yield the best results.
Moving Mountains - Mental Health & Recovery, PLLC recognizes that it is never a "one-size fits all approach to health." We meet our patients where they are and help them on their journey to the best of our ability. We seek to work as a partnership with each of our patients and want everyone to feel empowered and informed to make their own decisions, while we guide you on what we have seen give the best outcomes.
Functional medicine does not come with some of the long-term unwanted side-effects of pharmaceutical drugs. That being said, when needed, we do use medication as a tool to help patients in the interim, as many struggle with feeling so poorly making small changes can feel next to impossible. Band-aids can be still be helpful. Conventional and functional medicine can co-exist.
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