Functional, Integrative, Naturopath, Oh My!

Exploring various medical philosophies

When I was a little girl, my mom was interested in all sorts of alternative medicines and treatments. Mind you, this was in the late 60s and into the 70s—a wee bit before the New Age craze took hold. Thinking back, I’m pretty proud that she was so ahead of her time, especially considering her very traditional personality. Though we still saw conventional doctors, she was not averse to trying a handful of unconventional modalities such as reflexology, iridology, and chiropractics; nor indulging in their accompanying innumerable bottles of supplements and vitamins. None of which was embraced nor endorsed by traditional medicine at the time.

Somewhere in the late 70s or early 80s (it’s a bit fuzzy), she started subscribing to Dr. Andrew Weil’s newsletter, Self-healing, which I continued to read religiously for years. Dr. Weil is perhaps best known for founding the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where I was raised…which may explain how my mom found Dr. Weil in those early years. I believe that reading about the emerging concepts of integrative medicine and then experiencing the efficacy of holistic, alternative practices (it was mind-blowing that a reflexologist knew all my physical ails because of the correlating points on the soles of my feet) convinced me that traditional, allopathic healthcare isn’t the only viable path to good health.

Time to zig
Over these last several years, I’ve found myself trying to wrap my mind around a huge problem in current healthcare. Here we are with more credentialed practitioners than ever before spread across over 130 specialties (which has spelled the demise of the general practitioner), there is more money invested in healthcare which is one of the fastest-growing business sectors, and yet we have skyrocketing rates of disease and it is estimated that only one in eight adults have optimal metabolic health. This is astonishing. Think about that for just a second. Poor metabolic health results in nearly all that ail us, from diabetes to heart disease and everything in between, yet 88% of the adult population are considered metabolically “unfit.”

An even more staggering figure from the NIH, estimates: “Of the population 50 years and older, the number with at least one chronic disease is estimated to increase by 99.5% from 71.522 million in 2020 to 142.66 million by 2050. At the same time, those with multimorbidity are projected to increase 91.16% from 7.8304 million in 2020 to 14.968 million in 2050.”

This makes no sense. Something isn’t lining up; the conventional approach to medicine is no longer resulting in a long healthspan. I think it’s time to zig.

Choices worth considering
From what I’m seeing in the health and wellness landscape, I’m not alone in my thinking.

All of the expert voices are echoing the sentiment that the healthcare system is broken. It has gotten disconnected and disjointed…and it doesn’t reflect the interconnected and interdependent systems of our bodies.

There is a rebellion brewing against conventional medical practices that ignore the root causes of disease and the impact of diet and lifestyle choices on our overall wellness. In search of enduring health, people are instead turning to holistic healthcare philosophies that have been emerging over the last 30 years. Interestingly, this is something my mom knew intuitively and thanks to the seeds she planted, I’ve been gravitating to them as well.

I am currently reading How Not to Age by Dr. Michael Greger (who has a great website NutritionFacts), and I noticed some unfamiliar letters after his name on the book cover. Following the traditional “MD” is “FACLM.” That’s a new one for me, what the heck is that? It’s a board certification in lifestyle medicine from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. This got me wondering what the differences are between the various subsets of the out-of-the-mainstream healthcare options, as there has to be a better way to live well as we age and to avoid the disastrous numbers being projected.

In my estimation, a holistic philosophy is the key to longevity, so I’m diving in deeper to understand the nuanced differences in the methodologies at our disposal to take better control of our health.

Here’s what I see in four of the most popular…

Lifestyle Medicine
From the American College of Lifestyle Medicine: “Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.  Lifestyle medicine certified clinicians are trained to apply evidence-based, whole-person, prescriptive lifestyle change to treat and, when used intensively, often reverse such conditions. Applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connections—also provides effective prevention for these conditions.” The website hosts an extensive directory for physicians, clinicians and other professionals.

From what I see, the evidence-based six pillars of lifestyle provide the foundation for physicians and other professionals. Food—primarily a plant-based diet—is at the heart of the philosophy that employees a therapeutic use of lifestyle choices for optimum health. https://lifestylemedicine.org/

Functional Medicine
From the Institute of Functional Medicine: “Functional medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual’s illness.” “Functional medicine takes a comprehensive approach to prevention, health, and well-being. It treats root causes of disease and restores healthy function through a personalized patient experience—all while being a vital partner to conventional medicine.”

IFM’s website is very comprehensive and has a robust database of practitioners by state and regions if you’re interested in delving deeper.

From what I see, functional medicine is rooted (pun intended) in the root causes of ailments to treat the cause, not the symptom. An underpinning is to focus on epigenetics, such as diet and lifestyle, to mitigate what is genetic. It is also open to incorporating a variety of modalities that enhance function—including hot and cold therapies, red light modulation, hyperbaric oxygen, etc.—that are predicated on solid science and research.

Integrative Medicine
Generally, integrative medicine selectively incorporates elements of alternative medicine into solidly orthodox methods of diagnosis and treatment.

From the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, “Integrative Medicine (IM) is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies.” The University’s site has a practitioner locater for across the United States.

From what I see, the notion of integrative medicine has been around for over three decades and casts a very wide net, combining traditional allopathic protocols with alternative therapies such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic methods, and many more. Depending on the practitioner, diet and lifestyle choices are integral to the overall philosophy, as well as the use of herbs, supplements, and various modalities.

Naturopathic Medicine
From the American Association of Naturopathic Medicine College: “Naturopathic medicine is a distinct health care profession that combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained as primary care providers who diagnose, treat, and manage patients with acute and chronic conditions while addressing disease and dysfunction at the level of body, mind, and spirit.”

“NDs concentrate on whole patient wellness through health promotion and disease prevention, while addressing the underlying cause of the patient’s condition. Naturopathic physicians care for patients of all ages and genders, and practice in settings ranging from private clinics to integrative medical centers, urgent care clinics, and hospitals. NDs are clinicians, authors, scholars, researchers and entrepreneurs, and are increasingly in demand across numerous industries.”

From what I see, Naturopathic doctors combine a natural approach to treating illnesses with the science of medicine. The approaches could be quite varied, depending on the practitioner and there tends to be a lot of crossover with other approaches. Perhaps the most common thread is the patient-centric focus, which oftentimes means the time spent with patients is very generous comparatively speaking.

Still looking…
Have I found the perfect general doctor? No, not yet, but I’m looking. Although I’ve seen Naturopathic doctors, I like the integrative approach, and I’ve had great success with acupuncture and herbs, with what I know now, I’m leaning toward functional medicine as the foundation as it seems to make the most sense at this time in my life.

Thankfully—touch wood—I’m relatively healthy…but this is THE time to find a doctor that I can partner with going into the future. A future that is quite the opposite of the dire trajectory from the powers that be. A future where I live well, age great.

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