Functional Medicine is a new way of looking at health and disease. Instead of thinking in terms of diseased organs, like heart disease, kidney disease, or eye disease, we think in terms of systems and the interconnections among them. The human body is like any organism in nature. It interacts with its surroundings, is deeply affected by its environment and also affects the environment it lives in. These mutual interactions sustain life and any evaluation of health or disease must take all these interconnections into account.
A tree produces the best fruit when it receives adequate sun, pure water, room to grow, nourishing soil free from toxins, and a community of other interdependent organisms. These conditions are best nurtured by the loving care of a knowledgable and dedicated gardener. Like everything in nature, we thrive when our systems are in balance. Instead of treating symptoms of disease, we search for root causes and address those, initially through lifestyle and food. Functional Medicine offers a systematic science-based framework to identify and treat causes of disease and promote optimal health. This approach does not supplant the prevalent models, but enhances them by addressing root causes.
Learn more about my journey to Functional Medicine.
