What is Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine is the future of what we refer to today as conventional medicine. The main goal of functional medicine is to identify and address the root causes of diseases. Functional medicine views the body as one integrated system; opposed to a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialities. Functional medicine aims to treat the entire body, not just specific symptoms of a disease or illness.

Functional medicine address the underlying causes of medical conditions and diseases. Using a systems-oriented approach, functional medicine engages the practitioner and patient in a therapeutic partnership. Functional medicine is an evolution in medical practices and better address the needs of patients more than another other approach to medicine in the 21st century. How is functional medicine so innovative? By switching the traditional disease-centered focus of medicine to a patient-centered approach, functional medicine is able to address the entire person. This form of medicine does not just isolate the symptoms and make a diagnosis. Upon visiting with a practitioner of functional medicine, you will notice that a functional medicine practitioner will spend time with patients, they will listen to their histories and look at the interactions amongst genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that may be impacting their current health and will likely impact the future health of a patient. Functional medicine supports lifelong health and vitality that is geared towards each individual patient.

How Functional Medicine Can Work for You?

• There has been a large increase in the number of individuals suffering from complex medical conditions. These complex medical conditions can include diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental illness and autoimmune disorders — such as rheumatoid arthritis. Functional medicine can help to identify the root cause of these illnesses.


• The type of medicine practiced by a vast majority of physicians is geared towards acute care, trauma and illnesses that are short-term problems and urgent medicine — such as treatment for a broken leg or an appendicitis. Physicians use specific, prescribed treatments (such as medications or surgery). These treatments are standard for all patients and aim to treat the immediate problem or symptom.


• The acute-care approach to medicine, that we are all very used to, lacks the tools and methodology to help prevent as well as treatment complex and chronic diseases. In most cases, acute-care does not take into account the unique genetic makeup of an individual or factors such as environmental toxins. Our lifestyle have a huge impact on our health.


• There is a large gap between research and the way doctors practice medicine. This gap between emerging research in basic science and integration into standard medical treatment is very large; especially in areas of complex and chronic disease. Some practices that were being used 50 years ago are still put to use today.


• Most physicians are not adequately trained to access and determine the underlying causes of complex and chronic illnesses. Not all physicians are trained to apply strategies in diet, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes to help treat illness in their patients as well as prevent future illnesses.

What Makes Functional Medicine Different from Conventional Medicine?

• Functional medicine does more than just treat the symptoms of an illness. Functional medicine involves understanding the origins, prevention and treatment of complex and chronic illnesses.


• Patient-centered care plays a huge role in functional medicine. The focus of functional medicine is patient-centered care and promoting health as positive vitality. Functional medicine goes beyond just the treatment of disease. By listening to their patients, functional medicine practitioners learn the story of their patients. This allows functional medicine practitioners to address the issues that are specific to each individual patient. Remember, each individual patient has very unique needs when it comes to treating and preventing chronic and complex illnesses.


• With functional medicine, you can expect an integrative, science-based approach to healthcare. Functional medicine practitioners examine a patient’s history, physiology and lifestyle choices that can lead to illness. The unique genetic makeup of each patient is considered as well as internal (body, mind and spirit) and external (environmental and physical) factors that affect the entire function of a patient’s body.


• Functional medicine integrates the best medical practices. Functional medicine integrates conventional medical practices with what may be considered alternative or integrative medical practices. This creates a focus on prevention through exercise, nutrition and diet as well as the use of the latest diagnostic and laboratory techniques. Functional medicine may also use prescription medications, supplements, botanical medicines, therapeutic diets, stress-management programs and detoxification programs.

What is Functional Medicine?

LifeWorks Integrative Health 30 Day Detox Giveaway!

October is kicking off an exciting time for LifeWorks Integrative Health. We are kicking off an exciting new social media campaign. With regular tweets, posts, statuses and more, we want to make sure you do not miss out on any of the fun! To help kick off our social media campaign, we are giving away an amazing prize! LifeWorks Integrative Health is giving away a 30 Day Detox to the winner of our contest!

What is the 30-Day Detox? The purpose of the 30 day detox is to help enhance the pathways in the body. This is accomplished by inducing and releasing toxins from the tissues to be removed from the body; this helps the body to achieve optimal functioning. The 30-Day Detox removes toxins that have found their way into the body through chemicals, the environment, food additives, allergens, prescription medication and waste products created by our bodies.

Why Should You Want to Try the 30-Day Detox? When your organs are filled with toxins, it starts to show signs of distress. Signs of distress include pimples, rashes, body odor, dark urine, painful urination, gas, diarrhea, congestion, constipation and more. By eliminating toxins that interfere with healthy body function, one can assist in the body healing itself. When this happens, weight loss and healing will be faster and easier.

Typical Results: With the 30-day detox, weight loss for the average person is about 2-4 pounds per week. Other benefits include decreased cravings, more energy, decreased triglycerides and a brighter outlook!

How Can You Enter the Giveaway? It’s simple, entering the LifeWorks Integrative Health 30-day detox giveaway shouldn’t take you long at all. All you need to do is follow us on social media! Follow us on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• Pinterest

For each social media site you are following, you will automatically be entered into the giveaway. If you’d like additional entries:

• Leave a comment on on our Facebook wall.


• Visiting LifeWorks Integrative Health? Check-in on Facebook.


• Send us a tweet.

The rules are simple! Follow us on social media and interact with us, we want to know what you are thinking! The only thing that we ask if that you share this giveaway with your friends and family. If you know someone who could benefit from LifeWorks, be sure to share! Giveaway begins October 1, 2014 and ends October 15, 2014. A winner will be selected using a random number generator and announced on Friday, October 17, 2014. Good luck!

LifeWorks Integrative Health 30 Day Detox Giveaway!

Foods to Help You Sleep in Kansas City

Life is chaotic. A lot of times life becomes so chaotic that a lot of us put sleep on the backburner and when we get to sleep, we have so much on our minds that we lie awake at night thinking of what we need to get accomplished tomorrow. Instead of relying on sleeping pills or coming to terms with the fact that we are never going to sleep like we did when we were teenagers living under our parent’s roof, why not opt for a safe and natural way to be sure you are getting a good night’s rest. If you are not a sound sleeper, trying eating any of these foods to help you sleep in Kansas City within a few hours of bedtime. You will feel much more refreshed in the morning.

The Best Foods to Help You Sleep in Kansas City:

1.  Honey. Honey is a sweet treat and is one of those foods that can help you sleep in Kansas City. Add a little bit of honey to herbal tea or a glass of warm milk. Enjoy your beverage a few hours before you are planning on heading to bed. Why honey? The small amounts of glucose found in honey lower the levels of orexin found in your body. Orexin is a neurotransmitter that increases your level of alertness.

2. Whole Grains. Whole grains are a perfect evening snack for those who are on restless side right because bedtime. Before bed, enjoy a piece of whole grain bread or toast. Whole grains encourage the body’s production of insulin. Insulin helps neutral pathways receive tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that acts as a natural sedative to your brain. You’ve probably heard it at least around Thanksgiving time that tryptophan in turkey is what causes you to become so sleepy.

3. Bananas. Bananas are one of those foods to help you sleep in Kansas City and can serve as the perfect replacement for your sleeping pills. Bananas are packed full of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that is a much for a good night’s sleep. Bananas also contain magnesium and tryptophan, which helps to act as a natural sedative for your body.

4. Beans. You may not think as beans as a great food for your sleepless nights. However, beans contain a number of different B vitamins including B6, folate and niacin. B vitamins have been used for treating insomnia and stress for many, many years.

5. Dairy Products. Dairy products are included in the list of foods to help you sleep in Kansas City. A warm glass of milk before bed really does help you to sleep better. Like many of the foods found on this list, dairy products are a natural source of tryptophan — which is great for inducing sleep. Additionally, the calcium in dairy products helps boost the effects of tryptophan.

6.  Nuts. Nuts are a great snack before it’s time to go to bed. Why? A handful of nuts will help to boost serotonin levels in your brain. Nuts are also a great source of tryptophan and magnesium, which again act as natural sedatives. Flax seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds contain the highest levels of these natural sedatives.

7.  Oats. Oats are one of those great foods to help you sleep in Kansas City because they are a natural source of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps to control the sleep/wake cycle of your body. If you are searching a healthy snack before bed, a small bowl of oatmeal or a healthy oat cookie can help make it easier for you to get a good night’s rest.

8. Chicken. Turkey is not the only form of the meat that can make you tired. All poultry contains sleep-inducing tryptophan. If you are in need of a snack before bed, try a slice of chicken on a piece of whole wheat bread. These are both excellent foods to help ensure you get your rest.

9. Yogurt. If you need a sweet treat before bed, a small bowl of yogurt with a few of your favorite toppings is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and get a good night’s sleep. Why? Yogurt contains calcium. Calcium is a must for processing the sleep-inducing hormones known as melatonin and tryptophan.

10. Grapes. Grapes are another one of those foods to help you sleep in Kansas City. Research has found that popular grape varietals that are used to makes wines — such as Cabernet, Merlot and Sangiovese — contain high levels of melatonin. Keep in mind that this research tested the fruit, not the wine, but research has found that melatonin levels in wine may be possible. While this is not an excuse to drink before bed, try snacking on some grapes. Alcohol can actually make is harder for you to sleep all night long.

You don’t have to suffer through another sleepless night. Stock your fridge and cabinets with these foods to help you sleep in Kansas City and enjoy a good night’s rest and healthy night-time snacking.

 

Foods to Help You Sleep in Kansas City

Chiropractic Care and Aging in Kansas City: Is Chiropractic Care Key to the Aging Process?

Do you think that you just have to live with back aches and pain just because you are growing old? If so, you are not alone. Research indicates that older adults are much more likely to experience back pain. However, older adults are much less likely to seek care for their pain than those who are younger. Whether you are 29 or 99, there is no reason why back pain should limit your ability to live each and every day to the fullest. While there may not be a fountain of youth, research indicates that chiropractic care and aging in Kansas City may go hand-in-hand. More and more older adults are turning to chiropractic care in order to reduce pain during their golden years.

degeneration of the spine as you age

How Does the Spine Change as We Grow Older?

The spine goes through a degeneration process as each and every one of us ages. However, the rate of degeneration largely depends on your stress levels. The more stress you are under, the faster your spine is going to degenerate. This is why chiropractic care and aging in Kansas City is so important. It is very important to have your spine checked and adjusted on a regular basis.

Does Chiropractic Care and Aging in Kansas City Offer Any Special Benefits for Aging Women?

There are two major hormones that are directly associated with the female reproductive system. These hormones are estrogen and progesterone. Both of these hormones are drastically reduced during menopause. These hormones are also stimulated by the anterior pituitary gland, which is controlled by your hypothalamus. Think of your hypothalamus as the control center for your body. By maintaining proper spinal alignment, the central nervous system is going to function at its best. This is beneficial in helping to minimize the negative aspects that are so often associated with menopause.

Another large concern of women as they age is hunching of the back. Corrective care adjustments a well as therapies can help a woman’s body as it ages. Adjustments and therapy can slow down the hunching posture and help to keep the entire body in check. As a result, women are less likely to trip, fall or sustain hip fractures. Chiropractic care and aging in Kansas City can help prevent all too common hip fractures in women as they age.

Chiropractic Care and Aging in Kansas City: What the Research Says

A 2009 research study found that older patients, who received chiropractic adjustments experienced significantly less pain and disability in comparison to those older patients, who were not treated with chiropractic care.

Another study conducted on chiropractic care and aging found that chiropractic care is most effective when combined with regular exercise and proper nutrition. A recent study of older adults found that those involved in regular physical activity had substantially less pain-related disability than older adults who do not participate in physical activity. Physical activity helps to improve balance, gait and strength, which are all key in the prevention of falls.

Researchers also pointed out that adequate nutrition and supplementation can help to prevent falls. Chiropractors cannot only provide older adults with chiropractic adjustments, but they can also provide advice on exercise, dietary and vitamin choices. Chiropractic care and aging is about more than just treating pain. Chiropractic care and aging is about working with older adults to help ensure they are making healthy lifestyle choices.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care in an Aging Population:

• Chiropractic care and aging in Kansas City can be beneficial in helping older adults to maintain or increase their range of motion as they age. An increased range of motion can drastically improve the quality of one’s life. Benefits of an increased range of motion can include being able to enjoy activities and hobbies that were once prevented by pain and discomfort associated with spinal misalignment.


• Chiropractors can help with balance issues in older adults. As one ages, they may notice a decrease in balance and coordination. However, chiropractic patients have reported an increase in balance and coordination following chiropractic treatments. This is because there appears to be a direct link between balance/coordination problems and degenerative changes to the spine that occur over time. Chiropractic care and aging in Kansas City can help to prevent falls.


• Chiropractic care and aging in Kansas City is also beneficial for joint pain that is all too common in older adults. When your joints are out of alignment, they are much more likely to experience pain and generation. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help to decrease spinal degeneration as well as other arthritis changes throughout the body. This is completed by normalizing spinal alignment, which can help to prevent wear and tear over time.

Regular chiropractic care is a safe and effective means of treating pain and degeneration associated with the aging process. Chiropractic care provides seniors with a large number of benefits including increased balance, range of motion, mobility and flexibility as well as a decreased in aches and pains. Chiropractic care can help to improve quality of life in seniors; allowing them to enjoy independent living as well as their favorite activities.

 

Chiropractic Care and Aging in Kansas City: Is Chiropractic Care Key to the Aging Process?

Functional Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

Functional medicine is a science-based and natural way to bring people back to a healthier state. Functional medicine is patient-centered medical healing. However, instead of looking at and treating health problems as isolated illnesses and diseases, functional medicine treats individuals who have a number of bodily symptoms, imbalances and dysfunctions.

Diseases such as diabetes, cancer and fibromyalgia may appear to just be diseases. However, according to functional medicine, the causes of these disease lie in an altered physiology that is the result of imbalances and dysfunctions within the body. Almost always, the cause of a disease and it’s symptom are related to an underlying dysfunction or imbalance in the body’s systems.

If you were to visit with a doctor, conventional medicine is just going to treat the disease or illness. Rarely will treatment with conventional medicine lead to long-term relief and an improved and healthier lifestyle. With functional medicine, the underlying cause is identified and treated. Because of this, the patient has a much better chance of improving their health. By using scientific principles, functional medicine treatment is able to use advanced diagnostic testing and treatments other than prescription medications and surgery to restore balance to the body.

The overall goal of functional medicine? To help ensure a patient’s lifelong, optimal health.

How Functional Medicine is Filling the Gaps in Health Care

It probably comes as no surprise that today’s health care system has gaps. Today’s health care system is in trouble because it follows a medical management model. This medical management model works well when it comes to acute health problems. When it comes to chronic health problems, today’s conventional medicine is much less successful.

If you have a heart attack, pneumonia or need life-saving surgery, the quick-thinking used by doctors in modern medicine is something that we are all very thankful for. Life-saving technology, surgery and antibiotics are necessary in certain instances. We should all be very grateful for these interventions should we ever find ourselves in a serious medical emergency or in need of antibiotics to cure an infection.

However, conventional medicine often quickly reaches for medications, surgery and other acute treatment options when another approach is needed. When it comes to those with chronic, debilitating ailments — including heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, a different approach is needed. This is where functional medicine comes into play.

The Functional Medicine Approach to Healing:

To help alleviate chronic medical conditions, the functional medicine approach is grounded in two scientific principles.

• Add what is lacking in the body to help bring it’s physiology back to an optimal state of functioning.


• Remove anything that impedes the body from moving forward to a goal of optimal physiology.

In short, the goals of functional medicine is to find a natural approach to bringing the body back to a healthy state. In order for the body to be brought back to a healthy state, functional medicine identifies the reasons why the body is malfunctioning. Functional medicine addresses those issues in a way that is appropriate for each individual patient.

In many cases, functional medicine practitioners will use advanced laboratory testing to help identify the root causes (or multiple cases) of a patient’s health problems. Listening to a patient’s symptoms and asking questions of their food choices, activities and lifestyle can also be very helpful in helping a functional medicine practitioner to determine the cause(s) of a patient’s chronic pain.

As far as treatment goes, functional medicine practitioners use a combination of natural agents, nutrition changes, lifestyle changes, and counseling. Natural agents can include supplements, homeopathics, herbs and nutraceuticals. Education also plays an important role in returning a patient’s physiology back to an optimal state. Education helps to empower patients to take charge of their own health. When patients are in charge of their own health and well-being, there is likely going to be much greater success when it comes to treatment.

Functional Medicine and Treating Symptoms vs. Treating the Person

In today’s conventional medicine world, medication is used to get rid of patient’s symptoms. In many cases, the symptoms return when a patient stops using the medications. For example, think of medications used to treat arthritis. When a patient stops taking their medications, they are likely going to experience the pain of arthritis all over again.

This is where functional medicine is different. Instead of just masking the problem with medication, function medicine aims at restoring the body’s natural function. While functional medicine practitioners may prescribe pharmaceuticals, these medications are only prescribed to move the patient in the right direction. This is so the patient will not always be dependent on prescription medications. For instance, conventional medicine doctors would typically prescribe a medication like Prilosec for treatment of acid reflux or heartburn. As soon as the patient stops taking this medication, their symptoms will return. On the other hand, a functional medicine doctor may discover that the patient’s heartburn is actually caused by a bacteria. By treating the bacteria and removing it from the body, the heartburn could very well be put to a permanent end.

It is important to realize that with functional medicine, treatment may vary greatly from patient to patient. Another important thing to remember about functional medicine is that is it based in listening to the patient. By listening to the patient, functional medicine practitioners are able to make an accurate diagnosis.

 

Functional Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

Stella Bird, APRN, BC

Stella graduated form the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner in 1998.  After working in the area of Adolescent Health for several years, she accepted a position in 2004 with Skaggs Regional Medical Center in Branson, MO.  She worked Pediatrics and Urgent Care.  In April 2014, she and her husband relocated back to the Kansas City area.

Stella has had a life-long desire to be a registered nurse and help others.  Her interests include Pediatric and Adolescent Health as well as nutrition and weight loss.  Stella was introduced to chiropractic care as a child and it has been a part of her own health regimen since then.  She loves teaching and counseling others about how to take care of their bodies and maintain optimum health.

Outside the office, Stella enjoys kayaking.  Her major project currently is renovating an older home which she and her husband purchased when they moved back to the area.

“I believe in a positive approach to health management.  I believe it is important to find the root or cause of a problem instead of just covering the symptoms with medications.  I believe patients should be responsible for and able to manage their own health given proper and sound assistance.  I have been on my own weight loss journey and enjoy helping others who are struggling with this problem reach their goals and desires.  It is so thrilling to me to see positive outcomes.  However, I know there are discouragements along the journey and it is important to be able to give encouragement and positive re-enforcement.”  Stella Bird, APRN

Stella Bird, APRN, BC

Are Undiagnosed Food Allergies Causing Your Weight Gain?

Food allergies can be scary. They can lead to hives, difficulty breathing and anaphylactic shock. Whether a food allergy is mild or severe, it can still leave you feeling uneasy. While a severe food allergy is rare, there is a much more common low-grade food allergy, gluten, that is causing problems for adults around the world. Undiagnosed food allergies may even be causing your weight gain. Gluten allergies with symptoms including bloating, constipation and weight gain can go on for years without a diagnosis.

Undiagnosed Food Allergies and Inflammation:

Inflammation is one the biggest causes of weight gain as well as disease in America. While celiac disease only affects one percent of the population, roughly 30 percent may have a non-celiac gluten intolerance. The difference? In people with celiac’s disease, the body actually attacks the small intestine. For people with non-celiac gluten intolerance, the immune system attacks the gluten. An article found in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 different disease and conditions that can be traced to consumption of gluten. Regardless of what causes an individual’s gluten intolerance, inflammation in the stomach can lead to a wide-variety of unwanted health concerns.

When the lining of stomach becomes inflamed, small fissures open between tightly woven cells that make up the wall of the gut. This is known as leaky gut syndrome. These openings within the gut allow bacteria as well as food molecules that are not entirely digested to sneak into the bloodstream. While in the bloodstream, these food molecules and bacterias are considered to be foreign invaders.

It does not take the body long to spot a potential enemy within the body. The immune system begins attacking the invader to the best of it’s ability. White blood cells surround the unwanted food molecules and bacterias. This leads to a lot of inflammation. This inflammation is not a sore throat or a minor infection, it just may be the result of an undiagnosed food allergy creating havoc in the body.

Individuals, with undiagnosed food allergies, often consume foods that they are allergic to each day. In fact, many individuals consume foods that they are allergic to several times per day. As a result, the immune system is constantly acting to fight off these unwanted foods creating a lot of inflammation in body. Most of the time, it takes nearly three days for symptoms to make themselves known. As a result, undiagnosed food allergies are left at just that — undiagnosed food allergies. These low-grade food allergies can be extremely difficult to detect.

With a low-grade food allergy being hard to diagnosis, individuals are often harming their bodies by consuming the same damaging foods over and over again. Eventually this leads to inflammation that is present in the entire body; creating an environment that is unfortunately perfect for weight gain as well as chronic disease. For this reason, it is important to identify and treat unknown food allergies and sensitivities.

Ways to Help Identify Unidentified Food Allergies:

1. Ask your doctor for a blood test. A blood test for igG food allergens can be helpful in detecting unidentified food allergies. However, it is important to remember that these tests can have limitations and your doctor should also interpret this test as it relates to the rest of your health. A blood test can serve as guidelines for what is bothering you in particular. It is also a good idea to work with a nutritionist when it comes to dealing with food allergies in addition to your doctor.

2. Try going dairy and gluten-free for six weeks. Since dairy and gluten are the most common triggers for food allergies, going dairy and gluten-free can be a big indicator in what is bothering you. For individuals struggling with weight gain, dairy (butter,cheese, milk and yogurt) as well as gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats and kamut) are linked to insulin resistance; which also makes them related to weight gain. By temporarily cutting these foods from your diet, this allows inflammation to heal. Allowing inflammation to heal can be one of the most important things you can do to lose weight.

3. Avoid the top food allergens. If you do not experience relief from removing gluten and dairy from your diet, you may want to consider taking things one step further. You can do this by cutting out top food allergens. These top food allergens can include corn, eggs, nuts, soy, tomatoes, bell peppers, citrus, eggplants, potatoes and yeast. Try this for six weeks. Six weeks is enough time to determine if you are going to feel better and begin losing weight from eliminating these foods from your diet. When you begin to reintroduce these goods, eat it at least 2-3 times per day for three days. This will allow you to notice if you are having a reaction or not. If you do experience a reaction, eliminate this food from your diet for at least 90 days.

 

Are Undiagnosed Food Allergies Causing Your Weight Gain?