The functional medicine approach
Functional Medicine combines traditional medicine with integrative medicine. Treatment modalities include therapeutic diets, supplementation, stress management techniques and tailored exercise plans.
Imagine your symptoms as leaves on a tree. The roots of a tree need continuous access to quality soil, nutrients, water, and space, so that the leaves may flourish. In the same way, we need to pay attention to our roots, environment, nutrition, and hydration, in order to get well and stay well.
“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
The essence of the functional medicine approach is to dig deeper and ask ‘why’? It 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.
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
Remove
Address the antecedents, triggers and mediators responsible for a condition
Replace
Replace the micronutrients and phytonutrients needed for health
Re-innoculate
Encourage the production and survival of good bacteria in the gut
Repair
Optimise nutrition to support gut mucosa regeneration & repair
Rebalance
Focus on lifestyle medicine measures to restore wellness and harmony
5R
Protocol
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 IFM believes health and vitality are essential to the human spirit. Our society is suffering from a sharp increase in people with complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, digestive issues, and autoimmune disorders. 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.
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Book an enquiry 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.
