Hippocrates once said “all disease begins in the gut”,  and we have found that most patients with chronic illness has an imbalance in the gut.

There are many foundational systems that depend on good gut health to function well. For instance, 80% of an individual’s immune system is found in the GI tract, and up to 90% of serotonin is produced there as well. Therefore, we often see that poor gut health complicates and worsens other conditions including mental health disorders, immune dysregulation, hormone dysregulation, among others.  We also absorb nutrients in our gut. If our gut is inflamed or not functioning properly, key minerals and vitamins will not be absorbed and utilized.  We need these key cofactors for basic biochemical processes in our body.

• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
• GERD/ Acid Reflux
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Intestinal permeability
• Chronic infections or imbalances in microbiome

Skin is the largest organ in the body.  As physicians, we look for clues in the skin when evaluating internal disease.  Oftentimes treating the skin means uncovering and treating root causes of inflammation, imbalance and nutrient deficiencies.

 Evaluating gut health, hormone health, vitamin stores, lipid balance, food sensitivities, diet as well as stress management are foundational to the treatment plan.

• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Rosacea
• Allergies or Hives
• Acne
• Vitiligo

One in 12 people suffer from an autoimmune disease in the United States. Autoimmune disease represents one of the fastest growing group of chronic diseases in modern time.  The immune system is closely linked to the nervous system, gut health, nutrition, energy, and endocrine function.  Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks their own body.  The body loses the ability to differentiate self from non-self.  Some potential factors that have been shown to increase the body’s susceptibility to autoimmunity include: gut inflammation, heavy metal toxicity, chronic infections, environmental toxins, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, endocrine disruptors, among others.  

The approach to any autoimmune disease is individualized due to the multiple causes for immune system dysregulation.  The overall goal is to identify and remove the factor that is causing the immune system to become upregulated.  Oftentimes there are multiple factors, which is why a systems biology based approach is necessary.

• Hashimoto’s Disease
• Celiac disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Psoriasis
• Sjogren’s Syndrome

The key components of cardiovascular risk reduction include inflammation reduction and improving metabolic health.  In addition to the basic lipid panel and A1c, we follow key biomarkers (ApoB, Lp (a), hsCRP, homocysteine and fasting insulin) to stratify risk and guide treatment.  

Treatment and risk reduction is centered around lifestyle changes, use of tools to optimize glucose regulation such as a continuous glucose monitor and use of GLP1 agonists for the appropriate patient.    

• Hypertension
• Hyperlipidemia
• Insulin Resistance
• Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes
• Medical Weight Loss

Almost every single person we see reports some degree of difficulty with sleeping, anxiety or depression.  This is not surprising, as one in five adults suffer from at least one of these ailments.

Insomnia, depression and anxiety are disruptions in brain health.  This means that an evaluation of factors that affect brain health is at the foundation of the assessment.  This may include evaluations of gut health, nutrition, physical exercise, environmental toxins, spiritual health, genetic predispositions, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and interpersonal relationships.

Due to the many factors affecting mental health, it’s no surprise that many people are offered a medication to treat the symptom, as going through all the potential contributing factors are somewhat daunting. However, many people don’t always respond to antidepressant therapy (some say 30-40%). It is important to note, that some people greatly benefit from these medications and clearly thrive while on them, especially those with severe depression.  We use an approach to address your specific genetic profile to guide medication and supplementation management. It is a personal decision to start or wean off of an antidepressant, and we offer weaning protocols when indicated to avoid withdrawal. 

A functional approach includes an evaluation of gut health, adrenal function, thyroid disease and vitamin deficiencies.  Lifestyle and dietary approaches are also useful to reduce inflammation, stabilize the mood, and balance blood sugar. Insomnia

• Anxiety or Panic
• Depression
• Insomnia
• ADHD