According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. Rather than simply looking to a pill to bandage a symptom, functional medicine looks at your whole body, determines from where the symptom derives, and seeks to heal {or better yet, prevent!} from the root up. We are really beginning to be able to study and understand that our bodies are made up of intricately connected and co-dependent systems, and accounting for those connections is a crucial component of true healthcare.
 
Do you ever wonder why it seems like we're seeing so much more chronic disease, like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and even cancer? Modern, traditional medicine does an incredible job treating acute health disparities (trauma / injuries / infections, etc), but by and large, chronic diseases are best addressed with a different approach. Functional Medicine looks at you as a whole person, one with a completely unique combination of genetics, lifestyle, relationships, environment, and many other factors specific to you. And ultimately, Functional Medicine looks to restore health to your life in every capacity, by looking as much as possible to food as medicine, as well as exercise, quality sleep, stress management, supplements, and even relationships and community. ​

 

Functional Medicine also acknowledges that your physical health, mental / emotional health, and spiritual health are all deeply connected. Acknowledging that you cannot neglect one aspect of your health without the detriment of the others is incredibly powerful when put into practice because it  also means that when you begin the process of improving one, the others benefit as well!