What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine addresses the root causes of disease. It delves into the intricate web of interactions in an individual’s history, physiology, diet, lifestyle, genetics and other internal and external factors (mind, spirit, physical and social environment) that influence health.
Functional Medicine recognizes that disease occurs in a continuum, not a simple point in time in an individual’s history of health. It aims to promote health as a positive vitality, beyond just the absence of disease.
The therapeutic process is a partnership between the client and practitioner. The practitioner spends time listening to the history of the client, integral to piecing together the myriad of contributing factors to his health condition.
What is Personalised Nutrition based on Functional Medicine?
Nutrition is at the core of Functional Medicine. It emphasises the importance of high quality foods and phytonutrient diversity to address clinical imbalances and move individuals toward the highest expression of health. Following the principles of Functional Medicine, it incorporates lifestyle and other practices that address the individual’s unique set of requirements to restore health and vitality.
Why do we need Functional Medicine?
Modern society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, Grave’s and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
These chronic diseases are often the results of the accumulation of diet, lifestyle and environmental challenges over a span of the lives of individuals, interacting with their unique genetics. Functional Medicine offers a powerful system for assessing, resolving and preventing such chronic conditions and addressing the healthcare needs of the 21st century.
Functional Medicine enables health professionals to practise proactive and personalized healthcare and empowers individuals to take an active role in their own health
To learn more about Functional Medicine, please see www.ifm.org
