Back Clinic Functional Medicine Team. Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
By changing the disease-centered focus of medical practice to this patient-centered approach, our physicians are able to support the healing process by viewing health and illness as part of a cycle in which all components of the human biological system interact dynamically with the environment. This process helps to seek and identify genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that may shift a person’s health from illness to well-being.
Using antibiotics very early in life may lead to developing inflammatory diseases later in life, says a new report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Using antibiotics in infancy disrupts the normal development and growth of gut bacteria, and in addition to contributing to gut problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the altered environment may contribute to other inflammatory diseases such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.
The study also indicates that altering gut bacteria may be a way to treat or prevent some inflammatory diseases.
“Our study demonstrates that gut bacteria in early life do affect disease development in adulthood, but this response can be changed,” said Colby Zaph �of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University, Australia.
The study has important ramifications for using pre- and probiotics, in the administration of antibiotics to newborns, and to the understanding of how gut bacteria play a critical role in the development of �inflammatory diseases such as IBD.
For the study, scientists used two groups of mice. The first group included pregnant females treated with broad spectrum antibiotics during pregnancy and pups treated with broad spectrum antibiotics for the first three weeks of life.
The second group was a control group that consisted of untreated pregnant mothers and pups. The pups in the treated group were weaned at three weeks of age and antibiotic treatment was stopped at the same time. These pups had reduced levels of gut bacteria and were allowed to age normally.
At eight weeks of age, immune cells (CD4 T cells) from both the treated and untreated pups were examined for their ability to induce irritable bowel disease in other mice. The immune cells from antibiotic-treated mice induced a more rapid and more severe disease than those from the untreated mice.
Another recent study connected Gulf War Illness (GWI) to changes in gut bacteria. Researchers found that the chemicals, etc. that veterans were exposed to altered the microbiome � the bacteria that inhabit the gut. The affected microbiota then produce endotoxins, which pass through a thinned lining of the gut (called a leaky gut) and into the blood where they circulate throughout the body.
These compounds trigger an inflammatory response that, in turn, initiates several neurological abnormalities commonly observed in GWI, such as cognitive difficulties, widespread pain, and debilitating fatigue.
The ability of turmeric to fight cancer has been extensively researched. In fact, over 1,500 published studies show that curcumin, turmeric�s active ingredient, is an effective treatment for over 100 different types of cancer.
The fact that mainstream medicine hasn�t embraced turmeric as a non-toxic cancer therapy is nothing short of outrageous. But a new study, in which curcumin outperformed conventional chemotherapy drugs, may finally bring turmeric the recognition it deserves.
Turmeric Gains Popularity From Growing Awareness Of Chemotherapy & Side Effects
Chemotherapy targets cancer cells as foreign invaders to be eliminated � an approach that ignores the root causes of the disease, and doesn�t help to create an �anticancer� environment in the body. Toxic chemotherapy drugs � which kill healthy cells and cause debilitating side effects � are not very effective against cancer stem cells, the �mother cells� that regulate the growth of tumors.
In fact, the result of these toxic drugs is to make the body even more susceptible to the cancer stem cells � spurring them to create even more treatment-resistant cells.
However, chemotherapy does succeed in killing significant amounts of cancer cells, and this is not to say it should never be used. But, the opinion of many integrative healthcare professionals is that it should be used as a last resort, not a first line of defense � especially when safer, non-toxic options are available.
Curcumin Makes Chemotherapy Safer & More Effective
In a 2015 study published in Cancer Letters, curcumin was tested in conjunction with the chemotherapy drugs 5-fluoroucil and oxaliplatin against colorectal cancer. Adding curcumin to the regimen improved the efficacy of the drugs � the curcumin inhibited cancer cell growth and even increased apoptosis, or cancer cell suicide.
Even more impressive, the curcumin appeared to help the chemo drugs specifically target cancer stem cells, reinforcing the drugs� cancer-fighting abilities while lessening the side effects � including the neuropathies that can be caused by oxaliplatin. Side effects from curcumin � on the other hand � were minimal, involving mild gastrointestinal upset and dry mouth. Researchers concluded that curcumin is a �safe and tolerable adjunct� treatment.
But this wasn�t even the most significant result of the study.
In a small subset of patients, curcumin alone was found to be more effective in reducing overall cancer cells and cancer stem cells than the pair of chemo drugs alone. In other words, curcumin went head-to-head with chemo drugs and outperformed them � a truly astonishing result.
Researchers credited curcumin�s multiple methods of action with its success. Curcumin not only directly killed cancer cells, but also induced apoptosis, inhibited the growth of new cancer cells on a genetic level, and prevented blood supply from reaching new tumors.
All this, while promoting health with beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hormone-balancing properties.
Extensive Studies Attest To Curcumin�s Ability To Fight Many Types Of Cancer
As the researchers noted, clinical trials of curcumin in an oncology setting have targeted many types of cancer, including colorectal, pancreatic, breast and blood cancers.
In one study, colorectal cancer patients who were given 1,080 mgs of curcumin daily showed an increase in the amount of dying cancer cells, a reduction of inflammation, improved body weight, and higher gene expression indicating suppression of cancer.
In another study published in Nutrition Research, curcumin-supplemented lab animals showed a 40 percent decrease in the development of colon tumors. These results are supported by an animal model of colon cancer in which curcumin improved survival rate and colon health by completely eliminating cancerous tumors.
In yet another study, patients with pancreatic cancer who were given 8,000 mgs of curcumin a day showed increased survival time along with significant reductions in tumor size � in one case, up to 73 percent.
And, finally, in a study involving prostate cancer, curcumin was shown to cut in half the growth rate of prostate-specific androgen, a marker of tumor progression.
Turmeric Is Still Unapproved & Unacknowledged By Conventional Medicine
In spite of its proven results, turmeric is not approved by the FDA for cancer treatment � and does not enjoy mainstream acceptance in the conventional medical community. The reason, many say, is financial � with hundreds of millions of dollars invested in clinical trials, and massive profits to be made, big pharma doesn�t have much incentive to develop a treatment from a common kitchen spice.
In fact, the industry lobbies to make treatment of cancer by alternative means a criminal offense.
Having said that, we naturally suggest you talk to a trusted medical professional before using turmeric � for any reason � and, don�t stop taking prescribed medication unless advised by your physician.
It should be noted that in the past, turmeric�s therapeutic potential has been limited by its poor bioavailability � the fact that the body doesn�t absorb or use it effectively. But, the development of liposomalized turmeric extract has changed all that, increasing the bioavailability 10 to 20-fold and allowing the curcumin to begin its health-promoting and cancer-fighting work.
Hopefully, the research � presented in this article � will shine a light on the amazing healing potential of turmeric. We encourage every caring physician to do their own research � for the sake of their patients.
Editor�s note: I, personally, use a wonderful liposomal form of turmeric � which you can purchase here and, yes, your purchase does support our operations � at no extra cost to you.
Using antibiotics very early in life may lead to developing inflammatory diseases later in life, says a new report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. Using antibiotics in infancy disrupts the normal development and growth of gut bacteria, and in addition to contributing to gut problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the altered environment may contribute to other inflammatory diseases such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.
The study also indicates that altering gut bacteria may be a way to treat or prevent some inflammatory diseases.
“Our study demonstrates that gut bacteria in early life do affect disease development in adulthood, but this response can be changed,” said Colby Zaph of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University, Australia.
The study has important ramifications for using pre- and probiotics, in the administration of antibiotics to newborns, and to the understanding of how gut bacteria play a critical role in the development of inflammatory diseases such as IBD.
For the study, scientists used two groups of mice. The first group included pregnant females treated with broad spectrum antibiotics during pregnancy and pups treated with broad spectrum antibiotics for the first three weeks of life.
The second group was a control group that consisted of untreated pregnant mothers and pups. The pups in the treated group were weaned at three weeks of age and antibiotic treatment was stopped at the same time. These pups had reduced levels of gut bacteria and were allowed to age normally.
At eight weeks of age, immune cells (CD4 T cells) from both the treated and untreated pups were examined for their ability to induce irritable bowel disease in other mice. The immune cells from antibiotic-treated mice induced a more rapid and more severe disease than those from the untreated mice.
Another recent study connected Gulf War Illness (GWI) to changes in gut bacteria. Researchers found that the chemicals, etc. that veterans were exposed to altered the microbiome — the bacteria that inhabit the gut. The affected microbiota then produce endotoxins, which pass through a thinned lining of the gut (called a leaky gut) and into the blood where they circulate throughout the body.
These compounds trigger an inflammatory response that, in turn, initiates several neurological abnormalities commonly observed in GWI, such as cognitive difficulties, widespread pain, and debilitating fatigue.
Cancer isn’t inevitable, but many Americans don’t know that several lifestyle factors affect their risk of developing the disease, a new survey finds.
Only one in two Americans is aware that obesity can raise the risk of cancer. And fewer than half understand that alcohol, inactivity, processed meat, eating lots of red meat and low consumption of fruits and vegetables are linked to cancer risk, the researchers said.
“There is a clear crisis in cancer prevention awareness,” said Alice Bender, head of nutrition programs at the American Institute for Cancer Research.
A larger percentage of Americans mistakenly believe that stress, fatty diets and other unproven factors are linked with cancer, according to the institute’s 2017 Cancer Risk Awareness Survey.
“It’s troubling that people don’t recognize alcohol and processed meats increase cancer risk,” Bender said in an institute news release. “This suggests the established factors that do affect cancer risk are getting muddled with headlines where the research is unclear or inconclusive.”
Factors Affecting the Risk of Cancer
Highlights of the survey findings include:
Fewer than 40 percent of Americans know that alcohol affects cancer risk.
Only 40 percent know that processed meats are also associated with cancer risk.
Fifty percent of Americans are aware that being overweight spurs cancer risk, up from 35 percent in 2001.
Nearly one-third of common cancers in the United States could be prevented through diet, weight management and physical activity. That increases to half when factors such as not smoking and avoiding sun damage are added, according to the institute.
Research has linked alcohol to at least six cancers, including colon, breast, liver and esophageal. Studies have also shown that bacon, hot dogs and other processed meats may raise the risk of colon and stomach cancers.
Only half of Americans know that obesity increases the risk of several cancers and that a healthy weight is the second most important way — after not smoking — to reduce cancer risk, the researchers said.
“We know a lot of healthy people do get cancer and sometimes it’s easier to worry about genes or uncontrollable things rather than your everyday choices,” said Bender. “But the research says that being physically active, staying a healthy weight, and eating a plant-based diet has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of cancer cases each year,” Bender aded. “It’s a powerful message.”
SOURCE: American Institute for Cancer Research, news release, Feb. 1, 2017
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Following a balanced nutrition as well as engaging in regular physical activity and sleeping properly are all proper lifestyle habits which can help increase and maintain overall health and wellness. Many common complications associated with improper lifestyle habits, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, however, the risk of developing these can be prevented with a few lifestyle changes. In addition, visiting a chiropractor and receiving chiropractic care can help maintain and improve the overall health of the spine as well as its surrounding structures.
In honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this March, the Against Colorectal Cancer in Our Neighborhoods (ACCION) program is teaming up with community partners to raise awareness about colorectal cancer and to encourage El Pasoans to get tested for the disease.
ACCION is a cancer prevention program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) that offers no-cost screenings to qualifying El Paso residents.
Even though colon cancer is easily prevented with a simple screening test, this cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S. Doctors encourage adults age 50 and older to be regularly tested for colon cancer, but many El Pasoans do not follow these guidelines.
In fact, El Paso has one of the lowest colon cancer screening rates in Texas. According to theTexas Department of State Health Services, only 54 percent of qualifying residents get tested for the cancer, compared to 66 percent of the rest of the U.S.
On March 15, TTUHSC El Paso will join efforts with El Pasoan’s Fighting Hunger and New Mexico State University to conduct colorectal cancer education at Guillen Middle School. The event will include a food pantry distribution and NMSU’s giant, inflatable colon for families to tour.
On March 23, TTUHSC El Paso’s ACCION team will visit the San Jacinto Adult Learning Center to educate some 150 adult students about colorectal cancer. Those who are eligible for colon cancer testing will be offered a free screening through the program.
A former ACCION participant will be on-hand to discuss the program and to encourage students to get screened, thereby lowering their risk of colon cancer. NMSU will assist with cancer education and have their giant colon on display.
What: Colon Cancer Awareness Month Events
When:3 to 5 p.m.Tuesday, March 15 and 8 to 11 a.m.Wednesday, March 23
Where: Guillen Middle School, located at 900 S. Cotton Street, and the San Jacinto Adult Learning Center, located at 1216 Olive Avenue
Whether from the disease itself or the treatment, cancer can be exhausting, but a new review says there are ways to beat back cancer-related fatigue.
The review included a look at 113 past studies that included more than 11,000 adult cancer patients. The researchers found that exercise and/or behavioral and educational therapy seemed to be more effective than prescription drugs for dealing with fatigue.
“Exercise and psychological treatment, and the combination of these two interventions, work the best for treating cancer-related fatigue — better than any pharmaceuticals we have tested,” noted study lead author Karen Mustian. She’s an associate professor with the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Wilmot Cancer Institute in Rochester, N.Y.
The upshot, said Mustian, is that doctors should consider exercise and psychological interventions as the “first-line therapy” instead of more medications when it comes to tackling cancer-related fatigue. The study team noted that cancer-related fatigue is a very common problem among cancer patients, both during and following treatment. The American Cancer Society describes the phenomenon as distinct from routine tiredness. Even if you get rest, you’re still tired. Your arms and legs may feel heavy. You may feel too tired to do even the simplest tasks, such as eating a meal, according to the ACS.
Beyond affecting overall quality of life, cancer-related fatigue can also interfere with a patient’s ability to continue cancer treatment itself. That may result in a poorer prognosis and, in some cases, a reduced chance for long-term survival, the study authors said.
For the study, Mustian and colleagues looked at cancer-related fatigue triggered by the onset of cancer itself, rather than as a side effect of treatment.
Almost half of the patients included in the review were women battling breast cancer. Ten studies focused solely on male patients. In all, almost 80 percent of study participants were women. Their average age was 54. The analysis excluded studies that looked at so-called complementary therapies, with an exception made for alternative exercise treatments, such as yoga or tai chi.
In addition, the research team didn’t include studies that had assessed drug treatments involving erythropoietin medications (such as epoetin alpha, brand names Procrit and Epogen). These drugs are designed to stimulate red blood cell production, and are “used primarily for treating anemia and are not recommended as a stand-alone treatment for [cancer-related fatigue] due to adverse effects,” the study authors stated.
Studies included looked at the impact of four different treatment approaches: exercise alone (including aerobic, such as walking or swimming or anaerobic, such as weight-lifting); mental health interventions aimed at providing information and/or helping patients understand and adapt to their current situation; a combination of both exercise and psychological treatment; and prescription drugs, including stimulant medications (such as modafinil, brand name Provigil) and ADHD meds (such as methylphenidate, brand name Ritalin).
All four interventions led to improvement in fatigue. But the researchers found that exercise therapy led to the best outcomes. But psychological therapies produced similarly positive results, as did treatments that integrated exercise with mental health efforts.
The team concluded that when it came to controlling cancer-related fatigue, the exercise and/or psychological therapy approaches appeared to outperform prescription drugs. Colleen Doyle is managing director of nutrition and physical activity for the ACS. She said exercise has many benefits, not just helping to ease fatigue.
“But because many people undergoing treatment do experience fatigue, it’s nice to know that there is something an individual can do to help reduce that fatigue and gain some of the many other benefits of exercise [both during and after treatment]: reduced stress, less anxiety, [and] benefits to physical functioning,” Doyle said.
But can the typical cancer patient actually handle an exercise regime? Mustian says yes.
“These are not your elite athletes or fitness buffs,” she said. Almost all of the studies focused on people who had been sedentary and were placed on a low-to-moderate intensity exercise regimen, involving activities such as yoga or resistance training. “So they are normal people who were not regular exercisers, and who were able to complete these interventions and have relief from their fatigue,” Mustian said.
Doyle said that for patients who weren’t previously active, it’s important to start slowly.
“Our recommendation for survivors is essentially avoid inactivity as best you can. There will be days when you feel like not doing much of anything, and that’s okay, but strive to do something. Even if it is gentle stretching exercises, or a five-minute walk down the block,” she advised.
Mustian stressed that relatively few studies looked at combining exercise and psychological therapy.
“So it is not as clear what the best way to combine them would be,” she noted. The researchers said more studies need to be done to explore the ideal way to integrate exercise and psychological interventions.
The study was published March 2 in JAMA Oncology.
SOURCES: Karen M. Mustian, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor, Wilmot Cancer Institute, department of surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, N.Y.; Colleen Doyle, M.S., R.D., managing director, Nutrition and Physical Activity, American Cancer Society; March 2, 2017, JAMA Oncology
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is an well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient�s strength, mobility and flexibility.
If you are concerned that you may have, or could develop, a leaky gut, then changing your diet to one that protects the gut is a natural next step for you.� If you are already battling health conditions related to having a leaky gut, then you will have to be more strict with your dietary choices and also address other lifestyle factors like getting good quality sleep, managing stress, finding time for low-strain exercise, and getting outside.
The first and most important thing to do to heal a leaky gut is to stop eating foods that damage and inflame the gut lining!� It can take six months or more for the gut to fully heal depending on the extent of the damage, the health of the gut microflora and your individual genetics (for people with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, recovery can take up to two years!).� Until the gut is completely healthy, it is important to abstain from all grains, all legumes, and all dairy products (some people may tolerate ghee and/or butter from grass-fed sources, but I recommend leaving it out for at least a month before trying it).� It is also important to avoid additives in processed foods (many of which irritate the gut) and refined sugars (which promote inflammation).� Some people will also need to eliminate vegetables from the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers of all kinds, and especially potatoes), eliminate egg whites (I actually rinse my egg yolks before eating them), and limit nut consumption (other than coconut and macadamias).� Changing your diet to avoid gut-irritating foods is critical.� But, it is also important to include foods that can reduce inflammation and help heal the damaged gut.
Eat foods that reduce inflammation.� It�s very important to be mindful of both your omega-6 and your omega-3 polyunsaturatedfatty acid intake.� Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which are found in large quantities in modern vegetable oils, meat from grain-fed animals, and many nuts and seeds, increase inflammation.� Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in large quantities in wild-caught fish, pastured/free-range eggs, and meat from pastured animals, decrease inflammation.� To help reduce overall inflammation and heal the gut, aim for a 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid intake in your diet.� There are several ways of doing this:� you can make sure that all of the meat in your diet is exclusively from grass-fed animals (beef, bison, goat or lamb); you can eat plenty of wild-caught seafood; and/or you can supplement with a good quality fish oil.
Vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals which help control inflammation (and help with just about every other normal function of the body!).� Eating a variety of differently colored vegetables, a variety of dark green leafy vegetables, and a variety cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.) every day will provide all of the essential vitamins and minerals in a way that is easy for the body to absorb (no more need for a multivitamin!).� Fruits, especially berries, are also a good source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.� However, most people will need to exercise some portion control with fruits due to the high sugar content.� I recommend eating vegetables at every meal (it can be a bit strange getting used to eating vegetables at breakfast, but it�s amazing what a difference it makes to how you feel for the whole rest of the day!).
It is also important to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D.� You can achieve this by simply spending some time outside in the sun every day, or from eating liver once or twice per week, or from supplementing with Cod Liver Oil or Vitamin D3 supplements.
Eat foods that restore gut microflora.� If you have a leaky and inflamed gut, chances are very good that your resident good bacteria are having trouble too.� To help restore their numbers and their diversity, eat as many different good sources of probiotics as possible.� You can do this by taking Probiotic supplements and changing brands every time you buy a bottle (the different brands all have different proprietary strains, which helps with increasing your gut microflora diversity).� Even better, you can consume probiotic rich foods, like unpasteurized Sauerkraut and other unpasteurized fermented vegetables, Kombucha Tea (my personal favorite), and coconut milk Yogurt or Kefir (which can be a little harder to find in stores but very easy to make at home).� All of these can be found at alternative grocery stores (like Whole Foods), and some can be found online, but all can also be made easily and inexpensively at home.
Eat foods that promote healing:� As the body tries to heal itself, it�s important to provide it with plenty of good quality protein (needed to make all those new cells and connective tissues) as well as vitamins, minerals and good fats.� In this way, the best way to promote healing is to eat a paleo diet that includes wild-caught fish, meat from grass-fed sources, organ meat (preferably from pastured sources), and plenty of vegetables.� There are two other healing foods that are very important to include: coconut�and bone broth.� Antimicrobial short- and medium-chain saturated fats, like those found in coconut oil�and other coconut products, help to reduce overgrowth of bad yeast, fungus and bacteria in the small intestine.� Medium chain saturated fats are very gentle on the cells that line the gut since they can be passively absorbed without being broken down by digestive enzymes and used for energy without any modification.� This source of easy energy is very helpful for healing the lining of the gut.�Broth made from the bones of chicken, turkey, duck, beef, lamb pork and/or fish are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and contain nutrients which help rebuild the integrity of the digestive tract.� Most importantly, broth is rich in the amino acids proline and glycine, which help regulate digestion, reduce inflammation, and promote healing in every part of the body.
While these dietary changes may seem overwhelming, it is important to remember that making them will keep you healthy, put many diseases into remission, and prevent dozens of other diseases from developing.� For the vast majority of people, using diet to prioritize gut health will mean a lifetime of good health.
Bloating, gas and inflammation are some of the most common symptoms signaling the presence of leaky gut syndrome and it could have been caused due to improper nutritional habits. Digestive health is essential towards the overall health of the body. When a balanced diet is not being followed, the gut can struggle to absorb nutrients and water from food. For people with a leaky gut, a proper diet can help heal them from the disorder.
Trending Topic: Vaccines Revealed Episode 2
Dr. Gentempo and others are bringing great awareness to our community regarding vaccinations and their dangers.
Posted: 01-12-2017
Vaccines Revealed and Exposed on Episode #2
As a healthcare provider, Dr. Patrick Gentempo has been searching for the truth behind the effects of vaccines on the general population. When making critical decisions about you and your children�s health, it�s essential to have the correct knowledge of all medical procedures you�re being involved in, including the administration of mandatory vaccines, among others.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
or Vitamin D3
supplements.
supplements and changing brands every time you buy a bottle (the different brands all have different proprietary strains, which helps with increasing your gut microflora diversity).� Even better, you can consume probiotic rich foods, like unpasteurized Sauerkraut
and other unpasteurized fermented vegetables, Kombucha Tea
(my personal favorite), and coconut milk Yogurt
or Kefir
(which can be a little harder to find in stores but very easy to make at home).� All of these can be found at alternative grocery stores (like Whole Foods), and some can be found online, but all can also be made easily and inexpensively at home.
