Functional Medicine - What is It?

I hope you were able to reflect on the many breakthroughs you have had even in the past couple months. Remember that with every breakthrough there is new learning, new skills, new attitudes, new actions etc.  If you’re truly one of the 5%, you realize the clouds of excuses, rationalizing, blame, life without gratitude are only temporary.  Though you can’t see the sun, you know it’s there. What are you doing on a daily basis to breakthrough old habits and change your location to see the sun once again?

I’m struggling a little with my thoughts for this week’s reflections.  I must admit that part of my struggle is on a topic I’m not sure everyone will at least be willing to think about. Yet, I must also take my own advice…is my struggle due to a need for control or a need for acceptance?  Admittedly, it’s my need for acceptance.  As my weekly thoughts are just that, my thoughts, I will proceed and as with each week’s blog, I will let you take what works and leave the rest behind.

Over the past few years I have become more and more convinced that Western medicine has its own place and is a definite must in our health care, however, it is not the only way to solve health problems. I do my yearly physical with my physician, due to a history of breast cancer with my mom I do a mammogram once a year, I do take synthroid on a daily basis due to low thyroid, and I do give myself a shot once a week of a low dose of methotrexate for my rheumatoid arthritis. So yes, I know these things are important to my overall health.

With that being said, I am also more and more convinced there is a need for more.  More solutions to reoccurring health problems, more solutions that do not involve one more pharmaceutical drug, more answers to how our nutrition can be part of the solution, more information on what else is available and other alternatives to deal with both mental and physical health issues. “We don’t know what we don’t know,” so isn’t it important to share information which could change someone else’s life?

For Jon and myself, we were introduced to a functional medicine chiropractor/kinesiologist a few years ago.  Let me first define “functional” medicine.  Basically, it comes down to solving health issues by “getting to the bottom” of the problem…WHY is something happening?  Western medicine takes more of a pathology approach – disease oriented – with pharmaceuticals primarily the “answer” to what is wrong. 

In my humble opinion, how do we get to the cause if we’re covering things up with medicines? How many people do you know who are not just taking one medicine but 2,3,4 etc? Each has its own side effects and then is one medicine counter acting the others or are they effectively working together?  I don’t know about you, but when you listen to commercials about a certain drug, I just shake my head when they go through the litany of side effects.  YIKES!  From my list of personal medications listed above, I am not opposed to some meds.  I depend on synthroid for my life function as I have a thyroid but it is no longer working.  It was permanently shut down 32 years ago. I know the side effects of the methotrexate which is why I get regular lab work done to watch my liver function.  In 17 years, I have never had issues, so at this point in time, the medicine is doing what it’s suppose to do – support my immune system.

I’m bringing up this topic because I continue to hear various health issues people are experiencing, and, to a person, they are frustrated with the lack of answers.  Doctors prescribe yet another drug that may work for a period of time but symptoms resurface, or they are sent to another doctor who has a different approach and now it’s back to “trying something new.”  Sometimes the answers are that they don’t have an answer or there’s the response, “You’re getting older and it’s a part of old age.”  None of those actions or responses are acceptable to me. Are you willing to take time and investigate other alternatives and not settle? 

Our daughter lives in a small community that does not have the same opportunities to learn about other alternatives like I have here in Boulder.  At 29, diagnosed with gall stones, she was told she had to have her gallbladder out.  She was told there was no way to pass gall stones.  WRONG!  Our functional medicine doctor who is a highly educated and trained chiropractor/kinesiologist had her take some “clean” pills to soften the gallbladder and bile duct for two weeks.  The next step was to have a one day cleanse which also entailed taking more pills.  On that day, she was able to easily pass a lot of the stones, not all, but was feeling much better.  The original problem of pain and discomfort was being addressed but the next question was key…WHY was she producing gallstones? Gallstones occur when there’s a build up of calcium forming the “stones.”  After some blood work, Dr. Jared found she was deficient in zinc. By taking the zinc, her body was able to be more efficient in utilizing the calcium.  BINGO!  We had an answer to help avoid reoccurring problems.

From menopause issues, to leaky gut syndrome, ADD, emotional issues which are often the underlying  reasons for the physical problems, to thyroid difficulties, to sleep conditions, poor digestion, to inflammation, allergies, head and back trauma from car accidents etc. etc. there are people who are able to give another viewpoint.  We absolutely DO NOT need to settle.  When you become frustrated enough with the “same old – same old” responses your primary care physician is giving you, are you willing to look in another direction?  I’ve always had the mindset that it's important to get as much information as possible to have a complete picture.  It doesn’t mean I have to do everything, but how can I make the best decision with only a small piece of the puzzle?  I need that bigger picture to make the best decision.  After all, it is my life.

If I’m not physically and emotionally at my best, how can I be my best at home, at work, with my colleagues, friends, and most important with my family?  I spent a year, 1997-98, being in crisis mode with my arthritis.  I continued to teach full time, had two children in high school, along with all the other daily demands.  The emotional side of it was exhausting let alone the pain and exhaustion that comes with the rheumatoid itself. I tried my best to work through it on my own until I finally came to the conclusion that I needed help.  And guess what?  People were more than willing to help me, but I had to ask.  I couldn’t assume people “would know” what I needed. 

When the summer came I dedicated myself to doing whatever I needed to do to get out of crisis mode and back into a healthier frame of mind and healthier body.  With that experience came my drive to pursue not ever going back to that crisis state ever again.  I found answers, I tried various foods and nutritional supplements, I had to admit methotrexate was a part of the answer, but I also was willing to try acupuncture.  Exercise was THE best thing I could do especially weight bearing exercises as well as reading and talking to others with similar experiences.

My point this week is in order to Be the Best You that You Can Be, to have that strong "fertile soil" you must have a healthy mind and body.  If you are not feeling your best, if you are not getting answers that make a difference in your health, I encourage you to look at all your options.  If you are interested in knowing more about what Dr. Jared is doing, please feel free to give me a call.  I am NOT promoting him.  I AM promoting the functional medicine approach of learning WHY something is happening, I am promoting getting to the base of the problem and finding answers. 

Here’s to a mindset that enhances your overall physical and emotional health.

   

Next Step - Breakthroughs

I hope you had a week of reflection and a chance to "analyze your soil" in at least one area of your life.  Granted this is probably one of the hardest times of the year to even take 20 minutes for one’s own reflection. The “to do” list seems endless with little time left before it’s crunch time.  Teachers are preparing their classroom for another school year, coaches are getting ready to welcome their student/athletes back for another football season, some of you are preparing for your child’s kindergarten experience or your oldest is getting ready to head off to college for their first year which also translates into the entire family beginning something new as well.  Needless to say, it’s critical YOU do take the opportunity, if you haven't already, to reflect and analyze where you are and where you want to go before moving on.

The past couple months I’ve talked about where you are in various parts of your life: starting something new, being in the middle, or an ending of some kind. Then there have been the life lessons you can learn from our farmers.  Lots to think about, but once again, no matter how much you learn unless there’s ACTION nothing will CHANGE. As I said last week, the word change may be a word you embrace and it’s a part of your daily thinking. Others, however, are still fearful as it means things will be different.  Yes, exactly, that’s the point.  How boring would life be if nothing ever changed?  Even listing the various examples above, change is all around us whether we like it or not.  The difference is our mindset – embrace the change or fight it.

Two young women I have met are currently dealing with change on a deep, personal level.  Both have had to face the death of their husband in the past year and both have a son.  They are truly an inspiration for me as I read their FB reflections.  Each has been on a journey of change.  Not one they have chosen, obviously, but a change in every aspect of their life and the life of their son.  Neither woman knows the other, however, their journey has taken on similar experiences, feelings, with the path being a difficult one.  Their posts share those times of being scared, the emotional roller coaster of sadness, positive reflections and memories of their spouse, their celebrations of their spouse’s life, their life together and their life as parents. Part of their journey means daily challenges and changes. There is that first year of “firsts.”  How do you deal with the first birthday with the person gone?  The first Father’s Day?  The first Christmas, Valentines Day? The first anniversary with the person gone?  It’s been my observation these two women have a mindset of overcoming, a mindset of being present with whatever is happening at the moment, but then also a mindset of moving forward.

What I have also observed, from afar, is both women (1) take care of themselves so their mind and body can face each day, (2) they don’t apologize for their feelings rather those feelings are embraced for a time, (3) they involve and honor their child’s needs and support them on their journey without their dad, (4) they have a strong support group of friends and family who they are not afraid to call on for help, and (5) since this is a process there have also been breakthroughs. 

Tony Robbins defines breakthrough as “a moment in time when the impossible becomes possible…you make a move to truly change and improve your world.”  John Maxwell describes breakthrough as “handling adversity long enough, having stamina long enough that there will be a breakthrough.” The analogy is when you’re flying through thick, dense clouds and visibility is almost zero.  Feelings of anxiety, fear, loneliness, begin to take over.  In the middle of these clouds, it’s hard to see that there will ever be an end.  Often times just when it seems to be a never ending gloominess, change happens. Your mindset changes to one of persistence, a willingness to never give up, a belief rises.  With this new mindset, your “plane” also begins to rise, and you breakout into the sunshine. But, guess what? The sun was always there, you just couldn’t see it through the clouds. YOU took control over what you could control…your mindset. Maybe it was as simple as your support system gave you a boost and you were ready to breakthrough.  Things happen that are totally out of our control, but what is in our control is to not stay in the dense, dark clouds but to rise to reach the sunshine once again.  Both young women who find themselves as a widow at a very young age, have had many times in the dark clouds, but I also read about their reflections of hope and passion resurfacing – their breakthroughs.

What about you?  As you begin this fall with new beginnings, change, I hope you can reflect on the many breakthroughs you have had just in this past year. With the breakthrough there is new learning, new skills, new attitudes, new actions etc.  The sun is shining and the future looks bright.  If you’re truly one of the 5%, you realize the clouds of excuses, rationalizing, blame, guilt, and life without gratitude are only temporary.  Though you can’t see the sun, you know it’s there.  What will you do TODAY to rise above and change your location? Even when we're in the sunshine, there is always a higher place to strive to reach.  

I look forward to your comments, and I wish you a mindset of creating breakthroughs in your life.

Life Lessons from our Farmers Part 4

I hope you’ve taken time to think about and put into action at least one thing that’s in your control to move ahead in your life.  If you’ve been “doing your homework” you have a clearer understanding of your “soil” which is the basis of all you’re doing in your life.  If you need more “nutrients” have you identified specifically what you need to add, and at the same time have you identified the toxic “weeds” in your life?  Some you can pull out, some you will have to stay away from as much as possible, and some you will have to learn to work around.  As you know, weeds are everywhere and even those we think we have gotten rid of may appear once again.  That’s just life.  What’s in your control is to know what you’re going to do so YOU are NOT changing your goals, your focus, your desires because of the negativity you may face.

Each day is a day to learn, grow, and move forward.  Seeds are planted and depending on many factors the gestation time will vary.  As I mentioned previously, timing is variable, and each of us has our own “clock.”  Numerous variables play a role in that timing including: our past, our parents, role models or lack thereof, age, maturity level, where we are in our careers, being a spouse/partner, a parent, education, mindset, faith, and the list goes on and on. 

Until we have more life experiences to compare things too, we often don’t know what we don’t know.  If I’ve never experienced lack, how will I ever know abundance?  If I’ve never felt valued how will I ever know what that feeling is like?  The contrasts or opposites are what give us a comparison.  If someone doesn’t tell me about leadership skills and helps me learn to define them, how will I ever know if I have leadership skills or not?  If I don’t read about people who have successfully learned skills to deal with toxic people, how will I never know that I too can learn the skills and take control of my life?  If I always feel as though I have to do things on my own and know everything because I’m a boss, how will I ever learn the value of a team and the beauty of pulling people together for the benefit of the overall good?  If I’m always looking behind me with regret, how will I ever know how to live each day and then look forward with anticipation?  If I’ve never experienced being coached, supported and encouraged, how will I ever be able to coach, support and encourage my spouse/partner, my children, my friends, my family members, my colleagues, or my teammates?

Ongoing personal growth and development is part of that “fertile soil” that’s critical to a “successful harvest.”  First and foremost, “put the oxygen mask” on you first.  Then you can be a leader, a person of influence, a listener, a true rock for yourself and others but not before you take a look at who you are at your core.  I remember an incident in my first couple years of teaching.  I was very excited about a certain project (specifics escape me right now), I had the best of intentions, but I was pushing for my idea on three other more experienced teachers on our team.  Finally, one of them who had more experience and was a wonderful teacher said, “Nancy, there are many more ways to get to our goal than just your way.”  OUCH!  I was embarrassed; I felt hurt, and yes, a little angry.  But guess what?  She was exactly right.  Though I felt awful at the time, I realized several VERY important lessons that I have never forgotten. First, I was willing to listen and take the learning from this other teacher because she was someone I admired, skilled in teaching, and I hoped to be like her after teaching for 10 years versus my three.  I respected her as a good role model who walked her talk.  Second, there is always a little bit of truth in everything, so I needed to dig deeper to find that truth.  Third, egos get attached to a specific approach or way of doing things, and that’s not usually a good thing, so egos must be “left at the door.”  Fourth, a team or partnership working efficiently together will come up with a much better answer than working solo.

 

Keep in mind, farmers never “coast.”  There is always something that needs to be tended to, adjusted, modified, and/or eventually changed.  There are always new innovations to consider, inefficient ways to be discarded, and there’s always a time to be open to enhancing the good and throwing out the old. There’s a constant vigil of paying attention to details and never settling.  There’s always data to be collecting and quiet time of reflection and thinking.  An attitude of fighting change is not going to be profitable for the farmer, yet how often do we hear, “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years, and there’s no need to change. I don’t need to look at things in a different way.  I don’t understand technology nor do I care to learn. My way or the highway or “pulling rank” are also two attitudes that will not improve anyone or anything.  Whether we like it or not, 2015 is a different world, and we have to adjust in order to be profitable and better at what we’re doing.  If that doesn’t happen, nothing grows; businesses fail, marriages fail, bank accounts are depleted, health problems increase etc.

If you want your football team to get better, if you want your university to expand and impact more young people’s lives, if you want your marriage to be stronger or your relationship with your children be life impacting, if you want to be healthy well into your 80’s and 90’s+, if you want to grow your faith, if you want to improve your skills in a particular area you must be willing to LEARN, GROW, and OPEN to new and different ways. Change is a part of life.  Do you fear the new and different or do you embrace it?  After all, we are in control of our mindset. 

As with our farmers, there is also a time of celebration.  Don’t forget to celebrate your growth and accomplishments.  What can you do for yourself, along the way, to celebrate even those baby steps?

I wish you a week of growth and learning.  I wish you time to reflect on how you handle change.

Life Lessons from a Farmer Part 3

I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4^th of July.  It is a time for social gatherings, bbq’s, and the American flag being displayed.  I LOVE the patriotic music, the magnificent firework displays, and the pride of our country that people openly show during this time. Despite the controversy with the race related turmoil, the rights for all relationships being deemed Constitutional, do not lose sight of the fact that because we live in the United States of America, we CAN and DO have a voice, and we CAN make a difference - change can happen!  Also don’t lose sight of the fact that there is an awful lot RIGHT about our democratic society.  I choose to focus on what’s going right, how I can make a difference in my own world, and that many people/organizations etc. are making a difference in many ways in our country! 

Last week, I challenged you to identify the type of “soil” you are working with and what weeds are a part of your life. I asked you to be as specific and detailed as possible.  “Yes, some of those weeds may be a family member, even a spouse, or a boss.  That’s ok.  You’re not judging.  You are only gathering your own data in order to analyze what YOU need to do to move forward.”  So what did you come up with? 

In order to move forward, you need a clear picture of where you are right now – good, bad, or indifferent.  What are you “feeding” your mind and body on a daily basis? (What seeds are you planting?)  Are you listening to positive music?  Are you listening to CD’s with a focus on learning something new about yourself, your relationships, your career, your spiritual life, your nutrition, your health etc.? Are you surrounding yourself with as many positive, encouraging people as possible and limiting the interactions with toxic people as much as you can?  We all have times when we can’t control the  toxic people we have to deal with on a regular basis.  What IS in our control is to either deal with the situation and then walk away without carrying the toxicity with us or deciding the relationship is worth working on and creating time to focus on making a change for the better. 

If you’re already finding yourself thinking…that’s well and good for you to say, you aren’t working, you’re retired and have all the “time in the world,” STOP! Be “real” and recognize you have just moved into making excuses and rationalizing your behavior once again. NOTHING will ever change if YOU don’t change.  What is in your control is to:  turn off the TV for 30 minutes and read something of value, make a phone call rather than texting someone when you have something you want to talk about, find time (whatever that may be) for your own quiet time in order to process your day, end each day with at least 10 things you’re grateful for that happened that day, begin each day with what you are looking forward to that day, each day find a way to make a difference in someone’s life that’s tangible.  That may be a thank you, a hug, words of encouragement, stating specifically what you appreciated about what someone did for you or someone you love, and the list can go on and on.  Notice it doesn’t take a lot of time and it will pay many more dividends in the long run. 

A big one for me is respect.  I sometimes find we are far more respectful to strangers or people we don't know well than we are to our own spouse, significant other, children, family members, close friends and even co-workers.  Others may not treat you with respect, but that’s not the point.  YOU’RE the one creating fertile, healthy soil.  YOU are in control of treating others with respect.

Now the question is, “What does respect ‘look like and sound like” to you?”  Body language is an incredible communicator both positively and negatively.  Avoiding the rolled eyes, the “I told you so’s,” needing something to get done but not being clear on what that is and when you’d like to see it done then getting upset when it hasn’t happened, demeaning someone in front of others, making fun of someone or something then saying you were just kidding or can’t the other person take a joke. Those are just a few of those zingers that push people into corners and they become defensive or withdrawn.  It’s amazing what a please and thank you can do.  They truly are “magic words.”  If you pay attention to the body language of others, you will be able to tell if your words and actions are uplifting or deflating.  If you focus on your own body language you can tell a great deal on what makes you feel respected and what doesn’t. 

Our farmers are very careful when they need to add nutrients to their fields and yes, maybe even add something to get rid of the weeds.  In order to make the right decisions, they have to read, investigate, take note of changes both good and bad, ask for feedback from someone with more information, ask questions to someone who is skilled in the particular area of concern, and sometimes they have to change their “same old, same old” way of doing things.  The situation isn’t working or at least getting the results they are wanting.  Doing nothing isn’t an option unless they don’t care about the crops and final yield. 

That word “change” means there’s a point of being uncomfortable, out of the usual “comfort zone,” and even reaching “out of the box” to do something that’s new and different.  The focus, however, needs to be on the outcome. When YOU change, your focus should be on having a healthy, fulfilling life in all areas of your life.  It means you have to be willing to let go of the past, you have to let go of grudges, you have to let go of “evening the score,” you have to let go of all the hurt feelings…How have those actions served you so far?  The answer is probably, “Not so much.”  Interestingly enough, we often times find ourselves more open to change in the work environment, but it’s much more difficult being open and honest with our spouse or a family member.

Why is it the people we love the most are the ones we have the hardest time being honest with, treating with respect, and celebrating life with each day?  In order to love, we also make ourselves vulnerable.  If we’ve been hurt, if trust has been broken, or we feel we’re not valued, then our tendency is to be defensive, suspicious, condescending (we think that’s protecting ourselves – NOT), and we avoid a conversation that allows for truth, apologies, and a rebuilding of trust to begin.  It takes “guts” to being open and vulnerable because we “could be hurt” again.  I come back to, “Are you living the life you want to live?”  I believe God has great plans for each and every one of us, and it’s our responsibility to pursue a path of learning and growing, trusting, and loving, in all areas of our lives especially with the people we love the most.  I can only control me.  (As a disclaimer, when you’re in a relationship with someone who has an addiction, it is more important to get yourself in the right place and to get the support you need.  That is a whole different situation needing different types of support and communication.)

I use to think, “If I could only go back and change x,y, and z, then everything would be better.”  Now I know the past is the past, things happened for a reason, what did I learn so I can apply that learning going forward, and I don’t want to waste any more time.  I want to move forward taking one step at a time.  Plant new seeds in your mind and body by changing one small area of your life.  Is it to read 10 pages in a positive book each day?  Maybe it’s to remember the magic words. Whatever it is JUST DO IT!

Be vigilant and observe your progress, access the differences in yourself, and never quit moving forward!  Like the lessons from our farmers:  (1) there’s no cutting corners, (2) do whatever it takes even if no one is watching (YOU ARE!), (3) it’s easier to do it right this time versus going back to fix adjust, mend, (4) be accountable to your own success and well being with NO excuses!

Here’s to a week of successful planting.  YOU are worth it!