Functional Medicine

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The functional medicine approach

Functional Medicine combines traditional medicine with lifestyle and integrative medicine. Treatment modalities include therapeutic diets, supplementation, stress management techniques and tailored exercise plans.

Functional medicine goes beyond assessing symptoms.  It means looking more closely at how the systems of your body are working at a cellular level, and how your genes are influenced by your environment and experiences.

Imagine your symptoms as leaves on a tree. The roots of a tree need quality soil, nutrients, water, and space. In the same way, we need to pay attention to our roots, environment, nutrition, and hydration.

When a plant’s leaves are turning brown, you don’t paint the leaves green. You look at the cause of the problem. If only we treated our bodies the same way.”

-Dr Frank Lipman MD

What is functional medicine?

An integrative, holistic approach to chronic disease

Addresses the whole person, not just the symptoms

Designed to optimise physiological & functional wellness

Focused on patient empowerment and health promotion

Considers epigenetics – lifestyle, nutrition, and environment

All RJ Health & Wellbeing Programmes make use of the 5R protocol, developed by the Institute of Functional Medicine

R

Remove

Address the antecedents, triggers and mediators

R

Replace

Replace the micronutrients and phytonutrients needed for health

R

Re-innoculate

Encourage the production and survival of good bacteria in the gut

R

Repair

Optimise nutrition to support gut mucosa regeneration & repair

R

Rebalance

Focus on lifestyle medicine measures to restore wellness and harmony

5R

Protocol

Dr Rebecca Healey

Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients. They look at interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease.

With attention to nutrition, lifestyle, genetics, and environment, the root causes of many chronic conditions can be identified and addressed.

Providing a functional medicine approach to nutritional therapy, Dr Healey takes the time to listen to your concerns, understand your unique history and apply tailored management strategies. The goal is long term empowerment with all the knowledge and resources you need to optimise your health.

The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)

The functional medicine approach focuses on addressing the underlying causes of complex, chronic disease, with the application of strategies to help manage / prevent these illnesses.

To learn more about functional medicine, click on the video to hear IFM Certified Tom Suit MD and his colleagues at the IFM explaining the functional medicine approach.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Book an initial call to discuss your health issues. Our chat will allow me to confirm if I am the right person to help you, and provide you with some preliminary advice. 

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