I’ve recently begun working in a functional medicine practice, a couple days a week, as a health coach. As I’ve been discussing this new opportunity with friends and family, I’ve often gotten the question “What exactly is functional medicine?” “How is it different?”

I love these quotes by Hippocrates (the father of medicine) which can serve as a quick introduction!

“The natural healing force within each of us, is the greatest force for getting well”

“If someone wishes to get well, one must ask himself if he is willing to do away with the reasons for his illness. Only then is it possible to heal him”

Hippocrates is impressing on us that in many circumstances, we have the power to create our own healing, if we’re willing to do what it takes. Functional medicine gives us the tools to do that.

Everything in the body is interconnected, working together. When everything is in balance and running smoothly, there is vitality. But when something gets off and upsets the balance between the systems, symptoms result, ranging from mild to full blown disease. However, our bodies were created with the ability to heal themselves, as long as you can get everything back in working order (almost always starting with the gut!). This means addressing the underlying issues, not just the symptoms! And it takes some detective work.

Functional medicine is a personalized approach to healing and wellness, in which the patient and practitioner work together, in partnership, to achieve healing and vitality. It addresses the root causes of disease, or whatever is not functioning and preventing the person from feeling his or her best. It considers the whole person, rather than just treating isolated symptoms.

A functional approach understands that we each have a unique journey to wellness. While everything in the body is interconnected, our bodies may make these connections differently based on our life experiences, mindset, lifestyle habits, diet and so on. Functional medicine explores all of these aspects. It connects the dots between our body systems, unique personal histories, methods of self-care, diet and lifestyle choices, and it honors both the individual and the whole person. It teaches the patient to understand themselves better and to be in dialogue with their body’s signs and symptoms and makes them an active participant in their own healthcare, both for healing and prevention.

This approach seeks to heal and restore balance in the body through detoxification, therapeutic diet, supplementation, stress management and self-care practices. It understands the connection between mind, body and spirit and doesn’t exclude any of these parts of the whole.

Obviously, this is way up my alley! Where I come in as a health coach is to offer support, guidance, nutrition and lifestyle suggestions based on the plan designed between the doctor and patient. This is the answer to many prayers as I have sought to grow personally, pursue my calling and increase my knowledge and ability to help people live their most vital, healthy lives. It’s the next step on the path. Functional medicine is the way of the future and I’m excited to be a part of it! I’ve also known in my heart for a while that functional medicine was in my future somehow, I just wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like. Well for now, it looks like this, and I feel so blessed to be on this path!

I look forward to sharing more with you, as I grow through this process. Do you have any experience with functional medicine? I’d love to hear your story!

Loving this journey,

Heather

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