Functional Medicine Vs Conventional Medicine

 

Ever noticed how your conventional medicine practitioner’s appointments are generally brief and intended to classify symptoms into a diagnosis? Symptoms are targeted and then suppressed through medicine. Right? Unfortunately, this kind of approach leaves out a wide gap – that of restoring your overall health.

Unlike in conventional medicine, the primary focus in functional medicine is to find out what is causing the symptoms and therefore the problem. By finding out why you got sick, the functional medicine doctor seeks to rebalance the body and address the root cause that caused your symptoms to manifest in the first place.

Let’s see how exactly does conventional medicine differ from functional medicine:

• What is the philosophy: When a patient has experienced long-lasting or recurring symptoms, conventional medicine does not tend to address the underlying cause. Its philosophy is to find a quick solution, not delve deeper. The focus is on the symptoms, and treatment is often geared toward turning those symptoms off. Functional medicine looks away from the symptoms and focuses on the person instead.
• Looking at the body as a whole: Functional medicine follows the holistic approach to view the body as an interconnected matrix rather than a collection of separate systems. It is critical to look at all the body systems and how they work together.  A systems-based approach is extremely important to treat patients suffering from chronic illness.
• Doctor is a partner: Unlike in conventional medicine where the doctor’s diagnosis is the last word, in functional medicine, the doctor and patient are equal partners in medical care. Two-way communication is hard to accomplish in the average 10-minute conventional office visit, functional doctors talk at length to their patients and most importantly, they listen!
• Looking for the root cause: Functional medicine doctors look for cues by paying close attention to their patients’ histories and environmental and lifestyle factors that could be influencing their health. Where does the patient work and live? How is the air they breathe? What genetic issues might be present? To even begin treating chronic illness, a functional approach is essential! How can you possibly treat a patient if you don’t understand the “root cause” of their problems?

Rethink your Weight Loss Plan

Every year new diet books crowd the bookstores and new superfoods get branded as “miracle cures” to melt away fat. Yet, obesity rates continue to skyrocket. It is obvious that taking a one-size-fits-all approach focused on calories-in-calories-out, reducing dietary fat and prescribing drugs, actually overlooks the underlying condition. The conventional approach to weight loss is not working and we need to fix some common mistakes we make when it comes to weight loss.

Overeating might be a problem with obese people but we need to factor in a lot more. For example, we eat fewer whole foods and more processed foods, more inflammatory foods, and we’re taking in more environmental toxins. Many of us work sedentary jobs and don’t get enough exercise. We’re not eating enough probiotics and prebiotics that support gut health. Assessing a person’s metabolic, hormonal, environmental and mental health could help in taking a more whole body approach in tackling obesity.

Here are some ways you could tweak your weight loss strategy:

1.   Eat a diverse diet: Your body needs many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to function to keep you healthy. Nutritional deficiencies are at the core of most weight gain stories. Low nutritional status equals poor metabolism. If you eat the same 3-5 foods day in and day out, you will eventually cause an underlying nutritional imbalance.

2.   Eat real, unprocessed foods: Do not fall for exotic sounding ‘superfoods’. Instead, eat foods your great-grandmother would recognize and eat regularly. Cut out on sugar and refined carbs.

3.   Eat regularly: Blood sugar regulation issues are common in those who find it difficult to lose weight. Try to eat within (at least) a 12-hour window during the day. This will give your digestive system time to reboot for the following day.

4.   Eat for your gut: When your gut microbiome—which consists of trillions of bacteria—becomes imbalanced, all sorts of problems including obesity and metabolic syndrome can occur. So tank up on probiotic foods, fermented and cultured foods and even high fiber foods.

5.   Identify food sensitivities: Don’t throw out entire food groups long term. It takes a little time, but it is worth experimenting to figure out what forms of each food group you can handle and can’t handle. Try an elimination & reintroduction diet method.

6.   Manage your stress: If you are having difficulty losing weight, take an honest look at your daily stress levels. Are you constantly feeling overrun and overworked? Are you doing anything to reduce stress? When you experience stress, your body releases a flood of cortisol that can actually cause you to gain weight and prevent you from losing weight.

7.   Manage inflammation: Chronic, low-grade inflammation contributes to obesity and other metabolic disease. Dial up your consumption of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like wild-caught fish, freshly ground flaxseed, and walnuts.

8. Go for a detox: The modern world is filled with dangerous chemicals, heavy metals, and other toxins that can mimic the activity of hormones such as estrogen. This disruption in your natural hormonal cycle can cause an inability to lose weight, as well as other more serious issues, including autoimmune diseases.