The goal is to restore your health through nourishing food, healthy movement, lifestyle changes, and specific supplements, and thus minimize your reliance on pharmaceutical prescriptions.  

 

This empowers YOU to take an active role in your own health.

 

Generally, there are a series of steps involved:

• a comprehensive evaluation looking at your individual health and illness history

• a review of your current medications and supplements

• a review of your diet, lifestyle, exercise, and sleep habits

• a review of previous conventional lab tests

• If necessary, further lab tests that are functional in order to determine your nutrient levels, genetic markers, risk factors, and any ongoing hidden issues that have not yet surfaced

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What are some conditions or symptoms that can be helped by functional medicine?

 

• gastrointestinal issues, such as pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea etc.

• heartburn or GERD or gastritis

• fatigue or low energy

• a weak immune system, evidenced by catching colds or flu frequently

• brain fog and mood disorders

• sleep disorders

• insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and diabetes

• food allergies or sensitivities

• high cholesterol or unbalanced HDL, LDL, and triglycerides

• high or low blood pressure

• asthma or allergies

• inflammation “everywhere”, or in many parts of the body

• overweight or underweight

• menopausal symptoms

• arthritic pain

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How is functional medicine different than conventional medicine?

 

Conventional medicine is focused on treating disease once it has already appeared.  There is certainly a place for conventional medicine, but it does not adequately address chronic disease, other than by prescribing medication or procedures.

 

Functional medicine is a personalized and integrative approach to healthcare which involves searching for the root causes as well as understanding the prevention and management of complex chronic disease.

 

It shifts the traditional disease and symptom-oriented approach to a more patient-centered approach, recognizing that everyone is unique and everyone has their own “story”.

 

The emphasis is on nourishing the basic foundational aspects of your health.  These include nutrition, sleep, exercise and movement, stress management, and community.  When any of these are out of balance, there is an impact on your health.

 

Functional medicine practitioners spend time with you, listening to your history, your “story”. We look at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. We support the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

 

Patients are armed with information and encouraged to take an active role in reclaiming their health.  Questions are welcomed.

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Why choose a functional medicine approach?

 

1. It keeps you healthy.

Functional medicine is focused on striving for optimal health, not just an absence of disease.

 

2. It improves the quality of your life.

Imagine not being tired, overwhelmed, and irritable, and not having symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.  Imagine your body not hurting so much.  Imagine getting a good night’s sleep.  Functional medicine helps with all that.  It supports your body’s functioning with nourishing food and vitamins, minerals, and botanicals so that you need fewer medications, and so that you feel better.

 

3. It’s personalized for you. 

Functional medicine looks at your “story”, your personal history, background, lifestyle, and genetics to develop a plan that’s right for YOU.

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How do we start?

 

STEP 1:

Schedule a free 15 minute phone consult where we discuss your health concerns and goals.  If you want to go forward, we will schedule your first appointment, which can be either virtual or in person.  Before that first appointment, you will fill out a comprehensive health questionnaire and email or mail it to the office.

 

STEP 2:

At your first appointment (virtual or in person) we will go through your entire

health history and “story” and decide whether further lab tests are warranted.  If so, the lab kits can be shipped directly to you to be completed in the privacy

of your own home.  This appointment is typically 75 minutes.

 

STEP 3:

Once your test results are in (within 2-3 weeks) , we will schedule an appointment to interpret your results so you know what’s going on with your gut, hormones, metabolism, detoxification pathways etc.  Then we decide together what steps to take with diet, lifestyle, and supplements to resolve the problems.  This appointment is typically 60 minutes.

 

STEP 4:

We schedule a shorter follow up appointment every 2 weeks to month, depending on your needs and progress.  We will continue on that schedule until you feel better.  This appointment is typically 30-45 minutes. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please email the office.

 

STEP 5:

Depending on your progress, we may redo some of the lab tests to make sure the imbalances or deficiencies have been addressed and are resolving.  This is usually at the 3 to 6 month time period.  At that point, your nutrition and supplement protocol will likely change.  We will have a good idea of what works for you.

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Can I come for a consultation to determine if I can be helped with functional nutrition?

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Yes, you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation with Dr. Goldstein for assessment of your symptoms and condition.

Please call or text 310-567-7977 or email info@dranitagoldstein.com.