Where Do Supplements Fit Into A Healing Diet?

With nutrient density and a balanced diet as the priority of the AIP, you might be confused about whether you should also be taking supplements or not.

I’ve had many people tell me they MUST supplement because they’re cutting eggs and dairy and what ever else out of their diet while on the AIP … but in reality this doesn’t have to be the case!

If you’re concerned about a certain deficiency, I encourage you to do a quick Google search (search: “What foods are rich in X…”) to find out what foods are rich in that vitamin/nutrient, or better yet, check out my post – “Eat the Rainbow“ and consider delving into “Guide to Nutrivore” or “Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat” by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, one of the pioneers of the Autoimmune Protocol. I think you’ll be shocked by how much you can get just from eating the RIGHT fruits, vegetables and proteins!

That said, I’m not saying that supplements are a no-no on the AIP, that’s not the case at all. Many people may be in nutritional crisis due to their medical condition and they may need to supplement in addition to using the AIP to heal (this was and is the case for me). Most IMPORTANTLY, always follow the guidelines of your doctor, functional medicine practitioner, AIP coach or nutritional consultant – click here for where to find help.

Don’t miss these articles by Autoimmune Wellness :

5 Reasons You Should Get Your Nutrients from Real Food Before Supplements – learn about affordability, the power of real food over supplements, when supplements make sense and so much more!

Supplements & The AIP – learn how to evaluate supplements, whether you need them and which supplements might be of benefit to you

Hidden Gluten, Grains and Nightshades in Meds and Supplements – this is an important topic to consider if you’re taking supplements or medications on the AIP

AIP Trouble Shooting

Before we head into more on supplementation, I want to offer this one thought … if you feel your AIP elimination diet isn’t working for you, and reintroductions just aren’t going well, resist the urge to eliminate more and more foods. Our goal is to be adding foods back into our diet, not removing more and potentially creating disordered eating.

If you’ve given the AIP elimination diet a serious go an are struggling, please check out my resource on “Digging Deeper & Trouble Shooting the AIP.”

What Should I Take?

The “I” in that question is THE most important word … supplements are completely unique to each individual. There is NO one-size fits all approach to supplementation, just like there’s no one-size fits all AIP.

My Favorite Supplement Organizer! Large enough for fish oils and more.

There is NO one regime that works for every person with Hashimoto’s or Graves, no guaranteed standard set of supplements someone should take if they suffer from Chrons, Fibromyalgia, MS, RA, etc., and so on. Resist the urge to be a copycat – unfortunately, it’s not as easy as copying from one person’s regime to your own. This can be especially true with things like probiotics (folks with SIBO and digestive disease have special needs – sometimes you don’t even know what your underlying issues are and that makes it trickier again!), and then there’s B vitamins which can be challenging for folks with methylation / detoxification issues, and don’t get me started about anyone dealing with mold exposure issues – things I thought were safe for me are not … and the list goes on and on and on!

Honestly – save yourself some time and stop wasting money on supplements that might not be right for you! If you’re aimlessly taking supplements, or jumping on the latest fad supplement for belly fat, bloating or autoimmune disease, you might simply be creating really expensive urine! That’s right, you heard me … if the supplements aren’t right for you, or your body isn’t absorbing nutrients efficiently, you could just be flushing them and your hard earned cash down the toilet … literally!

That said, supplementation is really something you should work through with an expert, such as a Functional Medicine Practitioner. Seriously consider this – it could save you money AND months or years on your journey to health.

Where Should I Buy My Supplements?

I just mentioned wasting money, none of us want to do that, but more importantly, you want to be sure you’re getting quality supplements. There’s a lot of hubbub lately about fraudulent supplements being sold online from sources like Amazon, so please, buyer beware! If the price is cheap and it seems to good to be true, it likely is.

Beyond that, supplements are scary confusing! There are so many things to watch for when it comes to nutritional ingredients and quality, never mind all the tricky inactive ingredients that may be hiding in your supplements (did you catch that article link above?)! So if you’re feeling confused, whenever possible, enlist a professional who is knowledgeable about the AIP and your diagnosis to assist you with determining the right supplements and best brands for your personal situation.

While I’m not about to recommend any particular product for anyone’s personal situation (DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor), I will point you in the right direction to a trusted company that has been recommended by many autoimmune experts. I have personally used Perfect Supplements desiccated liver and organ capsules, collagen and more. I trust their quality offerings so much that I decided to become an affiliate. You can find them here, and you can save money when you use this link and CODE: “AIP10”
Save 20% when you purchase 3 or more Perfect Brand products
Save 25% when you purchase 6 or more Perfect Brand products
Save 10% off EVERY order of ANY brand

(NOTE: Not all products offered by this partner are necessarily AIP – you will still need to do your own research and consult a professional for advice.)

LOOKING for other options? Since I know many people are looking for quality supplements at affordable prices, I’ll share one of my favorite shops – iHerb, and you can save 10% as a new customer or 5% as a returning customer with my referral code “HAN855” (NOTE: I still do a lot of research before purchases – you’ll need to evaluate brands and ingredients on everything you choose). One of the best things about shopping for my supplements online is that it allows me to dig in, compare prices, brands and ingredients before buying. I simply can’t do that buying in a physical store – there’s too much pressure!

FAQ

Spices on the AIP

Looking for ways to spice up your life on the AIP?

Check out these great resources on what to include, what to avoid, and how to spice things up .. AIP need not be boring!
You really don’t need to mourn the loss of black pepper and hot sauce – simply get creative with ingredients like fresh ginger (or very fresh ginger powder), fresh garlic, fresh radishes, fresh grated horseradish or wasabi powder!

Below are a couple of the best articles about spices and the AIP, but if you’re looking for some good herb and spice blends you can make at home, try searching our Facebook Group, there are lots of spice suggestions there as well! Try searching “spice” or “seasoning” or even #seasoningsaturday .. from time to time I do a bit of a running theme, so I try to use hashtags to make future searches easy-peasy! Look also for search terms like “condiment” “sauce” or “dip” or search for exactly what you’re looking for like “ketchup” “BBQ Sauce” and even “curry” – the inspiration is endless!

Even Better… You can grab your AIP compliant spices in my AIP Storefronts on Amazon.

Spices on the Autoimmune Protocol – a list of what’s in and what’s out from Dr. Ballantyne. If you want to understand the “whys” behind some of the eliminations, I will refer you to Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s book, The Autoimmune Protocol, where you’ll find some interesting details.

Spices on the AIP (this one links you to some products that you can find in our affiliate shop – grab your coupon here)

How to Find Flavor in AIP Spices – LOTS of amazing suggestions from Real Plans – the amazing meal planning app for the AIP!

For the most up-to-date list of AIP spices and foods and their order of reintroduction, my #1 recommendation will ALWAYS be Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s The Autoimmune Protocol book, as it’s the most comprehensive I’ve seen. Grab your copy here or download a food list, just follow this link.

FAQ

Kombucha & Fermented Foods

Are fermented foods allowed on the AIP?

This question causes a lot of confusion and debate for those on the AIP, but the simple answer is “Yes!” You will find fermented foods recommended as part of a healthy AIP Diet in Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s handbook – The Autoimmune Protocol (if you haven’t picked it up yet, I recommend it for EVERY person on the AIP – click here.)

Adding fermented food and drinks can be a very healing addition to your AIP menu, however, I can tell you from experience that they may not be for everyone, at least in the beginning.

Caution and care should be exercised choosing products and adding things like kombucha, sauerkraut and other ferments to your diet. I encourage you to follow the advice of your nutritional consultant and/or Functional Medicine Practitioner to ensure that ferments are right for your personal medical condition and nutritional needs. If you’re not seeing a professional, at the VERY least be sure to keep very careful track of symptoms and reactions after consuming them, and start out with very small quantities.

Why would ferments cause problems? They’re supposed to be the bees-knees for adding more of the “good guys” to our gastrointestinal arsenal, strengthening our microbiome! Here are a couple of quick reasons to ponder – 1) Kombucha contain compounds called FODMAPS which are specific types of carbohydrates that can cause digestive distress in many people (especially those with Gastrointestinal Issues/IBS and SIBO), 2) Because it’s unpasturized it can contain different types of bacteria and yeasts that actually promote growth of opportunistic bad bacteria that can lead to more problems! A bitter beginner option when it comes to fermented foods would be sauerkraut or kimchi.

Still think you might want to jump on the ferment wagon? Feeling a little overwhelmed? I’m not surprised!

There are a lot of fermented products on the market – are any acceptable for AIP? What ingredients should I look for? Should I try making my own instead? Is that even safe? How much and how often should I consume ferments?

Learn more below from the experts:

A Practical Guide to Fermented Foods for Autoimmune Disease

Everything you need to know about Kombucha – a whole series of articles to dive into!

If you’re looking for Recipes to make your own AIP compliant ferments, try using the search feature in our Facebook Group … try searching “ferment” “pickle” “sauerkraut” “kombucha” or what ever you’re trying to make.

FAQ

Arrowroot vs. Tapioca vs. Cassava

Arrowroot & Tapioca – Why They’re Not The Same

Can I substitute arrowroot flour/starch for tapioca flour/starch? That’s a VERY frequently asked question. Unfortunately it’s really not a yes or no answer .. It’s largely dependent upon what you’re cooking or baking, the accompanying ingredients and the quantity the recipe calls for.

The first thing I suggest you consider is my post on Substitutions in AIP Cooking and Baking, this will help explain why it’s rarely a good idea.

Then you can read up on the differences between arrowroot and tapioca in the resources below.

Arrowroot vs. Tapioca Starch: SPICEography Showdown

Arrowroot vs. Tapioca: What’s the Difference?

Tapioca & Cassava & Gari – Why They’re Not The Same

Then there’s the BIG question about whether tapioca flour/starch is the same as cassava flour and can we not just swap these out? And what about the lesser known Gari Flour? The short answer whether they’re interchangeable is a FIRM NO!

Tapioca flour/starch is more processed than cassava flour and the fiber has been removed, so you can NOT use them interchangeably.

Gari on the other hand is the left-over fiber from making tapioca flour/starch and it therefore is all fiber and contains very very little starch. Noteworthy too, Gari is a fermented product, so the flavor is sour.

When it comes to Cassava flour, it’s typically used for baking and you’ve got the Goldie locks scenario going on here – it has to be JUST RIGHT! That means you need to use Cassava flour when it’s called for in baking if you want your baked goods to turn out right! If you try using tapioca flour/starch instead, it’s likely to come out too gooey or very dense. Gari would change things again – the baked goods would be sour and very likely not hold together properly. This too is why you need to ensure you’re buying quality Cassava flour, and if a recipe creator recommends one brand over another – TRUST THEM – they’ve likely dabbled with more than one Cassava Flour brand and want to ensure your cooking or baking produces results when it comes to taste and texture.

You can read more cassava vs. tapioca and debunk some myths about cassava flour at the same time (no it’s not poisonous folks!) – check out the articles below.

Is Cassava Flour Tapioca Flour?

Five Things You Should Know About Cassava Flour

FAQ

Substitutions in AIP Cooking & Baking

Substitutions in AIP Cooking & Baking Can Be Tricky …
Caution is Required!

Can I substitute this for that, or that for this? This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions I get from folks that either can’t find ingredients or have allergies or sensitivities.

In traditional cooking and baking substitutions can be pretty straightforward and usually a minor tweak here and there to a recipe won’t cause a problem … HOWEVER, this is the AIP and many of the ingredients (especially in baking) simply do not react the same way.

Not only are some of the ingredients you’ll run into unfamiliar and difficult to access, they can also be a bit more expensive. That said, I don’t want you risking your precious supplies when there are better options.

So, what should you do?

If you’re looking to substitute an ingredient in an AIP recipe (e.g. tapioca – arrowroot, plantains – green bananas, cassava flour – tigernut flour, palm shortening, coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut cream… etc… etc…….) I recommend trying to do a little digging in the recipe itself. To me the authority on each recipe is the recipe creator. Folks creating AIP recipes do a LOT of trial and error before they settle on their final masterpiece and present it to the world. That said, who better to tell us if a substitution can be made. They want you to recreate their dish with success and experience the same taste and texture that they did – they’re proud of their work and don’t want folks leaving bad reviews about it based on some random substitution gone wrong.

Suggestions:

Try looking at the entire recipe post. Many food bloggers prelude the recipe with a lengthy article about how they came up with the recipe and why they choose the ingredients they did. This will OFTEN give you a clue as to whether substitutions are a good idea.
Read comments that other people have left on the recipe at the bottom of the blog post. OFTEN you will find the answers you seek are there. Sometimes there are a LOT of comments on a recipe, so you can try using the computer search function inside the recipe (ctrl-F brings up the search box) this will help expedite your search. Simply try entering the ingredient you wish to use .. it might take you directly to the answer you need.
Quantity is another factor to consider. If the substitution you’re considering involves the main ingredient or a relatively main ingredient of substantial quantity, I typically recommend searching for an alternate instead of considering substitutions. Find a similar recipe that contains ingredients you can use or access. It may take a little digging, but from experience I’ve found that you’re likely NOT the only one that’s required a substitution and someone’s usually filled the void with a new recipe creation that’s been tried and tested. Try using the search feature in our Facebook Group where there are literally thousands of recipes posted.
If it’s a matter of not being able to find certain ingredients in your area I would recommend you check out our Food Sourcing page for links to products and online stores that carry AIP items. Barring that you can try Amazon, they are a great resource for unusual items.
It seems that many starting out are sensitive to coconut products, and I get asked a lot about a blanket substitution for coconut milk and coconut aminos since these are quite commonly used in AIP recipes. First let me start by saying that in AIP baking there is no standard substitute for coconut milk – you will need to assess the suitability on a recipe by recipe basis. If you’re simply looking for an alternate AIP milk, you can try making your own tigernut milk, avocado milk or banana milk (recipes for all of these can be found in the Facebook Group) – but remember – you have to assess the recipe – the properties of each of these AIP milks are different and they will not react or produce the same results as coconut milk. AIP cooking is a little more forgiving, and you can find a couple of recipes to make your own coconut aminos replacement in the Facebook Group. Also, once you’re in the group, you’ll see that I tag a lot of recipes #coconutfree – this will make your life easier and help you find recipes that you don’t need to worry about substitutions.
Once you’ve exhausted all the options above, you could try posting a question on the original recipe – that way the creator of the recipe can advise you directly, or post a question on the recipe you’re having trouble with in our Facebook group.

A Final Note:

Substitutions in AIP BAKING are far more risky than AIP COOKING, so be aware that you may be risking your ingredients to recipe failure if you do decide to make substitutions (especially substitutions of vital binding and starch ingredients). Looking to learn more about things like cassava flour, tapioca and arrowroot starch? Some folks think you can interchange these items, but that’s not always the case – read my dedicated post about that here – Arrowroot vs. Tapioca vs. Cassava.

I personally chatted with Mickey Trescott of Autoimmune Wellness about this subject during a Live Q&A that we did in our Facebook Group – you can watch the Q&A session here if you wish, but the gist of it is this – Recipe creators do their very best to create AIP recipes that are going to taste like the “real deal” – not some strange AIP/Gluten Free knock off – TRUST their EXPERTISE!!

More from Mickey Trescott on Substitutions:

This is taken from Mickey’s Instagram feed – follow Mickey here – she’s awesome!

AIP BAKING SUBSTITUTIONS // Have you left a comment on my baking recipes saying “I can’t tolerate X do you have any recommendations?” or “Will this recipe work with X instead of Z?” You may have been disappointed in my answer (usually something along the lines of a simple “no, sorry”). Nothing makes a recipe developer more frustrated to hear feedback that a recipe didn’t work only to hear that substitutions were made or they didn’t follow the directions.

Today, I’m going to explain…

1. When I develop an AIP treat recipe my #1 goal is to come up with something that is palatable enough to serve to your non-AIP friends and family. I test my recipes carefully to make sure they TASTE GOOD. I choose ingredients based on how they perform – I’m looking for the right texture and ease of repeatable success in YOUR kitchen.
2. Specialty ingredients are EXPENSIVE and FUSSY. I don’t want you to waste time and money on bad results. There are no perfect 1 to 1 swaps of these baking ingredients – each one is unique, and I do not spend time discovering what type of disaster you are going to end up with if you use coconut instead of arrowroot (I can tell you right now though, it isn’t going to work).
3. I understand that certain AIP baking ingredients (hello cassava and coconut) are not tolerable to a lot of folks in our community. My recommendation is NOT to try and adapt AIP recipes to fit your additional restrictions – look for recipes that are specifically written without those things. You’ll find cassava-free, coconut-free, and added sweetener-free dessert recipes in all of my books and in the @autoimmunepaleo blog archives. Go find them!
While I don’t advise eating them on a regular basis, a yummy AIP treat recipe can be a fun indulgence or a way to celebrate with friends or family. Do yourself a favor and set yourself up for success by selecting a recipe that calls for ingredients you tolerate and using tools you have on hand.

FAQ

What About Palm Oil?

This post contains affiliate links. Click here to see what that means.

So what’s the deal with palm oil?

Is it AIP compliant? Yes.
Is it a controversial ingredient? Yes.
Should we use it? The answer to that question is up to you.

Since there’s much controversy about palm oil, sustainability and the endangerment of orangutangs in the rain-forests where it’s harvested, you might wonder why there are so many AIP dessert recipes call for it. With it’s creamy consistency it becomes an obvious substitute for butter .. and sometimes there’s no other alternative. You’ll find it in recipes for AIP frostings, fudges and other decadent treats, but since these are only to be consumed in moderation you may be able to avoid palm oil all together.

That said, there are some arguments that palm oil is a very nutritious cooking oil option, and that it can be grown and harvested sustainably. Not wanting to open up a debate however, I’ll simply stick to the facts and you can find some valuable resources below.

As a huge animal lover I will encourage you to consider sustainability when making buying decisions – for suggested brands vist my AIP Amazon Storefronts in the AIP Cooking Fats & Oils section (USA / Canada / UK) and read more below.

Palm Oil .. Red Palm Oil .. Coconut Oil .. What’s the difference?

Palm Done Right

What is the Difference Between Palm Oil and Coconut Oil?

Red Palm Oil Benefits over Other Cooking Oils

Red Palm Oil Benefits the Heart & Brain But Is It Bad for the Environment?

FAQ

Nutritional Yeast

This post contains affiliate links. Click here to see what that means.

What is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast has a flavor that has been described as cheesy, nutty and savory. Just a tablespoon or two can add richness to soups and casseroles and larger amounts can make “cheese” sauces taste cheesy. It comes in flakes or power, both which blend nicely into hot foods.

“Nutritional yeast is a food additive made from a single-celled organism, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, which is grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to kill or “deactivate” it. Because it’s inactive, it doesn’t froth or grow like baking yeast does so it has no leavening ability. Don’t worry; no animals are harmed in this process because yeasts are members of the fungi family, like mushrooms, not animals.” (Source: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)

AIP Compliant or Not?

Here’s an often hotly debated topic – Are Yeast & Nutritional Yeast actually AIP compliant?

One of the first AIP food lists published by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne included these items in the YES category, but as with everything, further scientific research started raising red-flags and claimed these ingredients to be gluten cross-reactors .. oh my! So, should we use them or not?

In her most recent book, The Autoimmune Protocol, Dr. Ballantyne lists baker’s yeast and nutritional yeast as potentially gluten cross-reactive foods – but specifies this is due to gluten cross-contamination in production facilities and not the product itself.

Dr. Ballantyne states :

“...brewer’s/baker’s/nutritional yeast have been identified as gluten cross-reactors in one study but it is postulated that this is attributable to common gluten contamination of these foods rather than inherent cross-reactive proteins. Look for options that specify gluten-free.“

Bottom Line? You need to make sure the product you choose is gluten free and NON-fortified. Why is this important? Because it is typically fortified with synthetic B Vitamins and synthetic folate/folic acid … and when fortified it is often grown on corn or corn syrup – a no-no for the AIP!

Notes from a trusted brand – Sari Foods :

“Why choose natural, non-fortified nutritional yeast? Most nutritional yeast products are fortified with excessive amounts of synthetic vitamins to increase the nutritional count. At Sari Foods Company, we believe that synthetic, man-made vitamins are not only unnecessary , but that they can be harmful and toxic to our bodies, causing nutrients imbalances and forcing our kidneys and liver to work overtime while our bodies struggle to absorb them.”

My Best Advice:

It’s important to note that as with everything, AIP compliant or not, not every food or ingredient agrees with everyone or each medical condition, so use common sense and avoid using nutritional yeast if you’re dealing with conditions like Candida (yeast overgrowth), mold exposure, or feel unwell when incorporating it in your diet (it’s not uncommon for people not to feel well with this less common ingredient but it’s certainly worth a try if you’re missing the flavor of cheese – but – listen to your body! If you don’t feel well after using it, discontinue use).

You can find AIP compliant nutritional yeast in my AIP Storefronts on Amazon (click here) – always be sure to check ingredient labels to be sure.

Looking for Recipes?

If you’re looking for recipes that incorporate the cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast (including AIP cheese sauce, queso, AIP mac n cheese and more) be sure to visit our Facebook Group and try the group search, lots will come up!

FAQ, News

Finding Your Root Cause

Ever feel like efforts to manage your illness are a bit like putting a band-aid on a battleship? That you’re just masking the symptoms and not getting to the bottom of things? I think we’ve all been there at one point or another, and that’s why I want to share this with you today.

While it’s amazing to receive an actual diagnosis and know what you’re dealing with – that’s just the beginning! Finding the root cause of your disease(s) is imperative if you’re ever truly going to achieve healing.

After watching the docuseries “Betrayal – The Autoimmune Disease Solution They’re Not Telling You” (CLICK to watch for FREE), Dr. Tom O’Bryan generously shared a FREE online resource that sadly has been discontinued.

Since the online tool disappeared, I’ve been searching feverishly to find something equivalent to share with you, because it was a HUGE help to me on my healing journey.

Fortunately, I’ve managed to cobble together some information that will help you gather important information you can share with your Functional Medicine Practitioner. Trust me … they’ll be very impressed that you’ve taken the time to put the effort into this.

The process will help you to understand where your health issues started, and in turn you’ll help your health-care team to start finding solutions faster!

When I say “effort,” I really do mean it, you’ll need to dig deep and gather every stitch of information you can – I could save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and shave months or years off of your quest for better health!

While the Living Matrix program no longer exists, Functional Medicine Practitioners still use the same process of establishing your health timeline, so keep reading, it’s a powerful process!

The original program presented questions about various life events, health issues, family history and more. PLUS you were able to add your own life events that you feel may have bearing like stressful events, antibiotic use, food poisoning episodes or major flu that may have emptied your gut of all the good bacteria.

MyTimeline^TM was a powerful tool that enabled you to easily document the unfolding phenomena that lead to ill health – a process that often occurs over many years, perhaps even a lifetime. It gave you and your practitioner the “Big Picture” so you could take the necessary steps to build back your health.

What is the importance of MyTimeline^TM?

Illness and disease do not appear overnight. They develop over time. Yet our healthcare system is not set up to accommodate this obvious fact. We pool together a pattern of symptoms, put a name on it, and call it a disease. Then, a one-size fits-all protocol is applied. When you come in with breathing problems and get a diagnosis of asthma, you get a prescription for an inhaler to help you breathe better. But what about the answers to questions “Why did I develop asthma?” or “What do I do to reduce my need for the medication?” It is the equivalent of focusing on and treating the exhaust pipe when your car begins spewing black smoke. Of course we want to feel better and need our symptoms addressed. But the bigger picture – the accumulation of all the small events that have occurred – facilitates the understanding of where the disease has come from.

Documenting the actions, events, and environmental influences that have occurred in your life allows for the construction of meaning and a “Big Picture” view of how your body got to where it is today. This opens up a conversation between you and your practitioner. MyTimeline^TM helps you and your practitioner work together, evaluate holistically, look for patterns, and find correlations/triggers/mediators. Each of us has a unique history that accumulates over time and holds the clues that can contribute significantly to creating a personalized plan to get you back to the health you want.

Create Your Own Timeline!

In the original Living Matrix program plotted everything for you – it was amazing! It’s terribly unfortunate that it’s not available, but there’s no point crying over spilled coconut milk, so we’re going to kick it up old school and keep going!

Overall, it was designed to help you think not only about your symptoms and issues – but just as importantly – when they may have occurred. It asked about key events in your life so that you could begin to recognize the patterns and see the “Big Picture” of the relationships between life events, symptoms, and diagnoses.

Since the process is rather in-depth, I’ve created a separate post so things don’t get messy or confusing here. Follow this link to create your own timeline, but keep reading to learn what to do with that information once you have it compiled.

What’s Next?

If you’re not finding your traditional doc to be of much help on your journey of discovery and healing, I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. Traditional medicine is really “sick care,” not “health care” and their training involves very little actual instruction about the holistic care of the human body – they assess, diagnose and prescribe – yes, the old band-aid on a battleship approach, sadly.

So, what’s next then? Well, if you watch the docuseries/talks that I mentioned above, you’ll no doubt be interested to learn more about Functional Medicine and their approach to treatment. One phrase that sticks with me that I read about Functional Medicine is this, “Find the cause, fix the cause, feel normal again.”

What is Functional Medicine?

It’s a combination of holistic care and conventional medicine – to me a perfect collaboration! My Functional Medicine Doctor includes conventional medical testing with her practice but takes the time to search for the root of the problem so we can fix that – not just put a band-aid on the symptoms.

The Institute for For Functional Medicine describes it this way:

Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
– See more at: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/

So – if you or a loved one is dealing with a chronic illness and you’re struggling to find answers, I’d highly recommend seeking out a Functional Medicine Practitioner (click here to find one).