What is Functional Integrative Nutrition and Herbology?

Functional Nutrition emphasizes an integrative, holistic, personalized approach to health, considering the underlying causes of illness and using a variety of interventions, including diet, lifestyle changes, and supplements, to restore health. Functional Integrative nutrition practitioners at Holistic Health Care Centers aim to uncover the underlying causes of health issues and treatments are tailored to the individual’s unique needs and circumstances, considering their genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environment. Finally, Functional Integrative Nutrition promotes proactive measures to maintain health and prevent future problems.

Contact now

Interventions used in Functional Nutrition may include the following:

Dietary Changes: Focusing on whole, unprocessed foods, addressing nutrient deficiencies, and identifying food sensitivities.
Lifestyle Modifications: Prioritizing sleep, stress management, exercise, and social connections.
Supplementation: Using targeted supplements to address specific deficiencies or imbalances.
Herbology: At HHCC, a combination of Eastern and Western forms of herbal interventions are used.
Advanced Testing: Using specialized tests to assess gut health, hormones, and other
factors that may be contributing to health problems.

What to expect at a Functional Integrative Nutrition appointment / care

The doctor will review your health history and assess the way your body is working together as a whole. She will then discuss with you how your health goals can be supported with medicinal foods and herbal interventions. She may make recommendations on further testing, which is optional, or may review previous labs you have done with other practitioners.

What Type of Lab Tests or Imaging Might be Ordered

Lab tests are recommended based on health goals and symptoms. Some examples include:

Comprehensive Stool Analysis (CDSA): Evaluates gut health, looking at bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, inflammation, and malabsorption.
Hormone Testing: Assesses hormone levels, including sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and cortisol, to identify imbalances.
Nutrient Testing: Evaluates nutrient levels, including vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, to identify deficiencies or imbalances.
Food Sensitivity/Allergy Testing: Identifies food sensitivities or allergies Thyroid Panel: Assesses thyroid function, including TSH, Free T4, Total T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and antibodies.
Lipid Panel: Evaluates cholesterol levels, looking beyond standard cholesterol levels to assess additional factors.
Inflammatory Markers: Measures markers of inflammation, such as hs-CRP and homocysteine.
Metabolic Markers: Assesses blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and other metabolic markers.

Imaging Could Include:

How does this work with other care such as acupuncture and chiropractic?

Functional Integrative Nutrition can be an excellent adjunct to other holistic treatments and conventional care. Naturopathic Doctors, Chiropractic Physicians, and Doctors of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are collectively trained in interactions between pharmaceuticals and natural therapies, reading labs, using herbs, nutritional and botanical options, and dietary and lifestyle adjustments that will provide the greatest benefit and least harm. Holistic Health Care Centers’ providers practice integrative care. The providers are trained to work with a patient’s conventional healthcare treatment plan or refer to more allopathic interventions when deemed beneficial for the patient.

What is a Naturopathic Doctor?

Similar to a Chiropractic Physician or Chinese Medicine Doctor, a Naturopathic Doctor (ND)is a holistic practitioner that seeks to address the underlying imbalances that led someone to the state of health they are in today. Addressing imbalances may include correcting lifestyle or dietary factors that may have been contributing factors, addressing underlying nutritional deficiencies, and prescribing natural therapeutics such as herbal medicine to facilitate the self-healing process. Dr. Sarah Hung is Holistic Health Care Centers’ Naturopathic Physician. Schedule your Functional Integrative Nutrition appointment with her here.

Dr. Sarah Hung

The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine is as Follows

First Do No Harm
NDs typically approach care by utilizing the most natural, least invasive and least toxic therapies. NDs will refer when the patient’s presentation is outside their scope or level of skill.
The Healing Power of Nature
ND’s prioritize substances that originate in nature.
Identify and Treat the Causes
ND’s view symptoms as being a reflection of underlying imbalances in the body and seek to correct these imbalances through nutritional approaches, botanical approaches and other gentle approaches.
Treat the Whole Person
Naturopathic doctors understand the interconnectedness of our body, our environment and our lifestyle on total health.
Prevention
Naturopathic medicine affirms that it is better to prevent illness and suffering whenever possible.