Integrative, Functional And Lifestyle Medicine

What is Integrative, Functional, and Lifestyle Medicine?

Innovative Health takes a “systems approach,” recognizing that problems in one area ripple through the entire system. This approach gives deep insight into how genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors interact, enabling us to fully understand the patient. By applying the principles of Functional Medicine, we prioritize healthy living, encourage nutrition through food, and use nutraceuticals to support health and prevent disease.

Our Approach

Balancing Hormones

The body makes over 100 hormones. At Innovative Health, we take hormone management to a new and higher level of understanding. We use the latest testing methods, including saliva, urine, blood spot, and serum. We provide comprehensive balancing of sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, but we understand that hormone balance is not just about balancing sex hormones, but understanding the effect of these hormones on metabolism, as well as the interplay with other hormones such as DHEA, cortisol, pregnenolone, neurotransmitters, and growth hormone.

Managing Stress and Reducing Fatigue

Research shows that chronic stress negatively impacts health by weakening the immune system, causing inflammation, increasing cortisol levels, and disrupting the gastrointestinal microbiome. The effects of stress can contribute to conditions such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal symptoms, low libido, insomnia, mood changes, weight gain, and more.

Weight Loss Utilizing a Functional Approach

Weight loss is often explained as 'Calories in vs calories out.' At Innovative Health, we approach weight management from a Functional Medicine perspective, recognizing that sustained weight loss requires addressing imbalances across body systems. Our plans include strategies for stress management, which can help reduce abdominal fat, and for optimized gastrointestinal health, given that research links gut health to weight-loss challenges. We provide nutrition and exercise plans to support lasting results.

We incorporate bioregulators (substances that help regulate body functions), peptides (small proteins that can affect health), and hunger suppressants to optimize our patients' overall success. We are certified in Peptide therapies, ensuring quality plans and links to quality peptides. Plans that include GLP-1s (a type of medication that helps control blood sugar and appetite) and newer formulations are only prescribed with close monitoring. Monitoring at Innovative Health includes planned, slow weight loss and diet education to optimize protein intake for muscle preservation. We surround patients with natural support such as bioregulators and natural appetite suppressants.

Optimized Digestive Health

At Innovative Health, we work to balance the gastrointestinal tract. Heartburn, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are all signs that our digestive system is not in balance. Between 70-80% of our immune system lies within an inch of our GI tract, making GI health imperative to immune function. Gi health also plays a major role in detoxification and mood disorders such as depression, as the majority of the hormone serotonin is made in the GI tract. Our goal is to promote a healthy immune system, optimize detoxification, support nutrient uptake, and support the natural production of hormones by balancing the GI system.

Reducing inflammation

The latest research supports inflammation as a major contributing factor to the development of many diseases, including autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, hypertension, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. We use advanced testing to identify the sources of inflammation and develop treatment plans to reduce and manage it. Our comprehensive and supportive plan aims to improve health and quality of life, reducing or eliminating the need for many prescription medications.

Naturally Detoxifying the Body

We live in a toxic world where we are continuously exposed to toxins (harmful substances) through household and lawn chemicals, personal care products, and even our drinking water. Foods are sprayed with fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and today's food supply has dramatically less nutritional value due to soil depletion from chemicals. Just eating the "Standard American Diet" (a diet high in processed foods, fast foods, sweets, and alcohol) can lead to toxic overload. We inhale toxins from cigarette smoke and air pollution. The FDA says that the top 15 personal care products contain over 120 toxic chemicals that were never found in our environment until 50 years ago. At Innovative Health, we understand that these everyday toxins cause major imbalances, disease, and even cancer. Using state-of-the-art testing, we are trained to uncover unhealthy toxic burdens and to develop plans to support and correct these imbalances.

Emphasis on Prevention and Education

Transforming a patient's path to a healthy, sustainable life requires time and education. At Innovative Health, we know change is difficult and gradual. We remain dedicated to guiding patients along their journeys. Our team values education because it helps patients understand the reasons behind treatment plans and equips them with ongoing resources.

Education is targeted at answering questions like:

• What foods should I eat?
• Which foods should I avoid?
• What type of exercise do I need, and how often?
• How can I get a good night's sleep?
• Are my hormones safe?
• Can I get off some of my prescription medications?

Innovative Health delivers individualized nutrition and weight-loss plans, custom-fit exercise routines, and a personal resource library to help patients increase their knowledge and remain on track.

Advanced Functional Medicine Testing

There are hundreds of tests available to help us understand our patients' unique biology. For example, there are tests for mold exposure (which can be linked to chronic fatigue and a weakened immune system), heavy metal testing (used to detect metals like lead or mercury linked to neurological symptoms and cardiovascular disease), hormone pathway testing (checks not just levels of hormones but what they actually do within the body), and advanced cardiometabolic testing (looks deeply into risk for heart disease and metabolism problems), just to name a few. At Innovative Health, we understand that being "in the normal reference range" on lab tests does not guarantee optimal health.

Research supports inflammation as a key factor in the development of many diseases, including autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes. At Innovative Health, we assess and address inflammation and its symptoms—such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint pain, digestive issues, insomnia, and fatigue. We use advanced testing to identify sources of inflammation and develop treatment plans to effectively manage them. Our comprehensive, supportive approach aims to improve health and quality of life and reduce or eliminate the need for prescription medications.