As we navigate the holiday season, our bodies are putting in overtime trying to accommodate. Whether it’s the added stress of family coming into town, a busy calendar clouding your time for personal wellness, or a fluctuating diet – it can be challenging.
The impacts are widely felt and often, people are left searching for answers on why their body is experiencing problems. Americans for centuries have turned to traditional medicine, prescribed pills to accommodate symptoms, but largely the problem stems further. Functional medicine looks at the person as a whole, examining how your habits and trends can negatively impact the body, diving deep into patterns and working to break them. The result is getting you better. Our holistic doctor in our Charlotte, NC clinic can help you accomplish this.
Navigating The Holidays Can Be Difficult, And Functional Medicine Can Be An Essential Tool
The holiday season can include new things into your daily routine. You’ve spent the entire year navigating on a specific system, and now gatherings, family visits and commitments can throw you off. Prior to the holiday time, it’s time to acknowledge and recognize the changes. It comes down to asking yourself the questions:
1. What can I limit to so I’m not throwing away a good diet?
2. What can I swap out within my diet to still meet my marks for good health?
3. Is there time now where I can map out a healthy sleeping plan?
Everything is a balance in life and please allow yourself grace. If you want the yummy desserts that you look forward to all year, eat the dessert but pair it with a healthier choice (like a good protein) or give yourself a quantity limit.
Most of the time, the way we feel is connected to our gut health. According to the Institute for Functional Medicine the gastrointestinal tract plays a central role in health and disease. Microorganisms in the gut influence various organs, including the brain, lungs and heart, as well as functions such as immunity, energy balance and both fat and sugar metabolism.
By understanding your gut health and putting the work in prior to holiday gatherings, you can help prevent illnesses during and after.
Identifying Stress And Anxiety Around The Holidays – How Functional Medicine And Traditional Medicine Can Work Together?
The holiday times can put you in stressful situations, bogging down your time with endless commitments, family relationships, less sleep and leaving little to no room for yourself. It can add anxiety and stress. It is all the more important to be mindful of these and prioritize your mental health.
Some who use prescription drugs to handle anxiety or stress might believe going up on dosage will help more, but through the functional medicine approach, there are tools to utilize so a patient doesn’t need to.
Functional medicine is about finding the root cause and moving the needle towards a healthier you. Traditional medicine often places bandaids on an issue, while functional medicine, through a holistic approach, targets the root cause. Functional medicine doctors say functional treatment is supposed to add to traditional treatment. Instead of upping a dosage of prescription drugs, doctors find that sleep or diet can contribute to stress and anxiety, which is amplified around the holidays.
Functional medicine doctors cite research that points to cortisol production, the stress hormone created and released by the adrenal gland. Functional medicine practitioners use cortisol testing to understand how stress affects the body and create a personalized treatment plan. According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, imbalances in this can lead to a variety of health issues including: fatigue, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Functional medicine doctors work to prevent spikes in cortisol which can often be seen during the holiday season.
Trust Your Gut During The Holidays
In functional medicine, doctors often find that the gut is the root cause of an issue. It can be the source of brain fog, fatigue and autoimmune diseases. Gut imbalances can manifest as bloating or abnormal bowel function, and the underlying cause could be infection or nutrient imbalances/deficiencies.
According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, 9% of the global population has irritable bowel syndrome, which only is heightened during the holiday season. Instead of just correcting the symptoms, a functional medicine doctor will work to find the root cause.
Gluten and sugar consumption could be difficult to navigate and many are unaware of their sensitivities. Functional medicine doctors will go into great detail with their patients during their first appointment, learning as much as possible about them. Tracking family history and asking questions many have never been asked before.
More research is coming out showing the connection between gut health and chronic illness. Two issues that many come to functional medicine doctors for are brain fog and fatigue, two topics that haven’t been answered using traditional medicine.
Can’t Get a Deep Sleep During the Winter Months? Is There Something Deeper?
Many patients will come in saying they can’t get over a cold or illness, utilizing over-the-counter sleep aids to get by. This practice can then throw off your sleep, your diet and routine. This creates a slippery slope and downstream effect.
Functional Medicine doctors will ask to take a step back and look at the root cause, asking questions:
1. What is inflamed?
2. What are your vitamins/micronutrients doing?
3. How do we get your immune system optimized?
4. Do you need more vitamin D or C than normal?
Are you getting enough zinc?
While many approaches offer support, functional medicine aims to optimize your entire immune system from the ground up. Remember the wisdom of Chinese medicine, which emphasizes warm foods, especially during winter. To truly thrive this season, schedule a visit with your functional medicine physician.
