Functional Medicine Series

Welcome to Taking Control of Your Healthcare. I will introduce you to a series of functional medicine articles where we will discuss various health and wellness topics as well as describe the best ways you can work with your doctor and find a health coach to receive the health care you deserve. Functional medicine is an individualized, science-based strategy which intends to naturally deal with the underlying causes of disease. However, most individuals do not have access to a functional medicine doctor or health coach and they are often given treatments for their symptoms instead of long-lasting solutions for their well-being. This functional medicine series aims to enable individuals to work together with their current healthcare professional or encourages them to seek a useful functional medicine doctor or health coach to appraise their particular genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle variables in order to be able to leverage that information to guide a personalized treatment program.

The material in these articles was made available for educational and informational purposes. Always seek medical attention for a healthcare professional when making lifestyle modifications.

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Cardiometabolic disease
Cardiometabolic Risk: How to Manage it

Coronavirus definitely took us all by surprise. With an uncontrollable infection rate, the medical world seemed to forget about the chronic and metabolic diseases. Yes,…

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Mitochondrial Dysfunction: The Link Between Migraines & Fibromyalgia

Migraines and Fibromyalgia have one thing in common, they are both due to mitochondrial dysfunction. More often than not we see those with mitochondrial dysfunction suffering from more than one type of discomfort. The first thing we do is take a detailed history, to truly understand the patient’s history, environment, previous treatment plans, and symptoms. 

Mitochondrial function is a necessity for the body to perform properly. There have been studies that show that magnesium and malic acid is needed for mitochondrial function. In fact, giving magnesium malate 2 tabs, three times a day showed decreased pain in fibromyalgia patients. Magnesium also helps as a laxative and is often helpful in cleansing the gut and beginning to restore gut health. Another step we take to restore gut health is to perform a food sensitivity test to make sure they do not have any specific IgG reactions to foods consumed in their daily diet. We use the Food Sensitivity Test from Vibrant America. Genes

There is research supporting that individuals who have an MTHFR gene mutation are more susceptible to instability in the central neurovascular system. Those who have a MTHFR gene mutation can not convert folate to methylfolate. This is linked to migraines, mood problems, and increased susceptibility for fibromyalgia. For more information regarding MTHFR, please refer to GeneCards: MTHFR.

Nutrition / Supplements 

After analyzing lab work, and when implemented correctly, there are many foods and supplements that can help patients with symptoms associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. 

Some foods to eat include: 

almonds and other nuts and seeds
broccoli
beans
tofu
oatmeal
dark leafy greens
Avocado

The supplements we use are from Biotics Research and include:

Bio-Multi Plus
ProMulti Plus
Bio D Mulsion 
B12-2000
Optimal EFA caps
A.D.P

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Migraines: A Functional Perspective

When a migraine hits, it can take you out anywhere from 2-72 hours. Often times, individuals report their migraines consist of a pulsating feeling and sensitivity to light. In fact, many who suffer from migraines report an “aura” before the migraine begins. An “aura” is a visual change (lights, the shape or size of an object, or dark spots in line of vision), auditory changes, and something deja vu, tingling, or strange smells.  

Migraine Risks

Those with migraines typically make less nitric oxide. In women, that increases their chance of myocardial infarction, strokes, and angina two times more likely. In men, 42% of them who have migraines, had heart attacks. 

The inside coating of a blood vessel is referred to as vascular endothelium. It is made up of endothelial cells. The purpose of a healthy endothelium is to suppress inflammation, prevent clots, and keep blood flowing. If the endothelium becomes damaged, its function becomes compromised. Those with migraines showed a decreased number of endothelial functions.

Genetics 

One thing that sets functional medicine apart from traditional medicine is the lab work and genetic consideration. We work with many high tech diagnostic lab companies to determine the underlying cause of symptoms. In fact, there is a specific genetic mutation that leads to elevated homocysteine levels. It is MTHFR 677- the methylation gene. In fact, many patients who suffer from migraines have a family history of it.  

We can break down a migraine even further and look at how it affects the rest of the body. Oxidative stress is a free radical that floats around the body. Oxidative stress is normal and necessary but too much of it begins to cause issues. In migraine sufferers, there is an increase in superoxide dismutase and elevated levels of catalase. 

Nutrition 

The standard American diet has done nothing but increase migraine factors. The foods consumed negatively influence gene expression as well as contribute to obesity. Many individuals have success when they switch from the standard American diet to the paleo diet. This diet gets rid of gluten and grains and patients tend to see improvement quickly. On top of this, they are now providing their bodies with the proper nutrients and healthy fats for optimal function. Here is an article that provides more information on acute migraine strategies. 

InBody 

We are able to create personalized nutrition plans for your body as well as determine other predisposing factors with the help of the InBody 770 system. This advanced machine provides a great deal of information for us regarding the patient. We track patients Anthropometric measurements in order to determine their lean muscle mass, fat density, visceral fat (fat surrounding the organs- a key indication of disease risk), water percentage, and height and weight. We measure our patients every 8 weeks and keep a detailed record. These reports are great indicators for health and also assess inflammation and edema.

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mediterranean diet
Irregular Heartbeats: How Nutrition & Chiropractic Can Help

many people suffer from the occasional racing heart, pounding heart, skipping a beat, flipping, and irregular tones. More often than not, these symptoms have specifics that make them better or worse.
Dr. Heather Wolfson and Dr. Jack Wolfson found that when they combine appropriate nutrition, many of these symptoms disappear. Food is one of the best medicines there is. Properly fueling the body shows a dramatic difference in health. For example, vegetables are loaded with rich vitamins and minerals that replace many deficiencies that are a leading cause for these irregular heart rhythms. Free-range meats and fish have omega-3s while eggs contain choline and healthy fats. 

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