Well-being spans a spectrum, and seeking the guidance of a physician doesn't necessitate a disease diagnosis. Many individuals may consider themselves healthy and, therefore, believe they don't require medical attention. However, this perspective is outdated. Ideally, individuals should consult doctors with the goal of enhancing their overall well-being and maximizing their quality of life. Often, individuals discover that they can achieve a higher level of vitality and are pleasantly surprised by the positive impact on their health.

•  Improved Sleep
•  Improved Focus
•  Improved Ability To Handle  Stress
•  Increased Physical  Performance
•  Increased Mental Clarity
•  Weight Loss
•  Increased Energy

Hippocrates once stated, 'all disease begins in the gut,' a sentiment that holds true today. The significance of good gut health extends to various foundational systems, with approximately 80% of an individual's immune system residing in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and up to 90% of serotonin being produced there. Consequently, compromised gut health often exacerbates conditions such as mental health disorders, immune dysregulation, autoimmunity, metabolic dysfunction and hormone imbalances. The absorption of nutrients crucial for our well-being occurs in the gut. When the gut is inflamed or dysfunctional, the absorption and utilization of key minerals and vitamins are hindered, impacting basic biochemical processes in the body.

For this reason, just about all patients at The Heart of Wellness undergo a thorough GI evaluation. The tests that are commonly used to workup and treat gut health may include a stool analysis, breath test, and organic acid profile.  Due to the interactions of the GI tract with multiple other systems in the body, the foundation of functional/integrative evaluations and treatments are anchored in gut health.  If the gut is not functioning properly, it is more difficult to achieve wellness within other bodily systems.

•  GERD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease
•  Irritable Bowel Syndrome 
•  Food Allergies / Intolerances
•  Yeast Overgrowth
•  Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth

Hormone health is of paramount importance in integrative and functional medicine due to its central role in regulating physiological processes, its interconnectedness with other bodily systems, and its role in preventative health. Hormonal balance and optimization is crucial to maintain overall health and well-being. 

Hormonal imbalances can stem from various factors, including diet, lifestyle, stress, environmental toxins, genetics, and underlying health conditions. By addressing these root causes, functional medicine seeks to restore hormone balance and promote long-term health.

At The Heart of Wellness, we utilize advanced diagnostic testing to assess hormone levels, identify imbalances, and evaluate overall endocrine function. This may include hormone panels, adrenal function tests, thyroid tests, sex hormone assessments, and other relevant markers. Comprehensive assessment allows for a thorough understanding of the individual's hormone health status and guides targeted treatment interventions.

The key components of cardiovascular risk reduction include inflammation reduction and improving metabolic health. Key biomarkers are analyzed to stratify risk and assess for lipoprotein status as well as arterial wall inflammation (eg. ApoB, Lp(a)-P, hs CRP, Lp-PLA2, homocysteine and myeloperoxidase).

Treatment and risk reduction is centered around lifestyle changes to incorporate inflammation reducing eating plans, stress reduction, and resolution of root causes of inflammation. This may include evaluation of gut health, toxin exposure and hormone analysis.

•  Hypertension
•  Hyperlipidemia
•  Sleep Apnea
•  Metabolic Syndrome
•  Heart Disease
•  Diabetes

Almost every single patient we encounter complains of some degree of difficulty sleeping, anxiety or depression. This is not surprising, as about 1 in 5 adults suffer from at least one of these conditions.

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 nutrition, physical exercise, environmental toxins, spiritual health, genetic predispositions, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, gut health 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. It is a personal decision to start or wean off of an antidepressant; which needs to be discussed with your healthcare provider.

A functional approach includes an evaluation of gut health, adrenal function, thyroid disease and vitamin deficiencies. As well as lifestyle and dietary analysis to reduce inflammation and stabilize the mood and blood sugar. A truly multi-faceted approach is necessary to stabilize good brain health for the long term.

•  Insomnia
•  Anxiety
•  Depression
•  ADHD

Today, 1 in 12 suffer from an autoimmune disease in the United States. It represents one of the fastest growing groups of chronic disease in modern time. The immune system is closely linked to mental health, endocrine function, cardiovascular health and growth & repair. 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: dysbiosis, heavy metals, chronic infections, environmental toxins, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, neuro 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 Hypothyroidism
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Psoriasis