Most men don't go to doctors. Sure, in cases of an emergency, injury or maybe a very bad flu they'll go, but what about all the other times? Women are overwhelmingly more likely to take advantage of preventative medicine and wellness visits than men. They're also the ones who get checked out if something is off, while their male counterparts generally grin and bear it.
There are a lot of theories flying around about why this is. Some say men are raised to be tough, or men are too busy to worry about every little ache and pain. From my perspective, men don't go to doctors because the old way of practicing medicine is outdated and a downer. It's a pessimistic exercise in searching for a disease. Either you have one or you don't. If you do, it gets medicated to reduce symptoms, usually not all of them resolve and the underlying cause is left unchecked – allowing illness to progress.
If your test numbers aren't bad enough to say there is disease, any symptoms you're experiencing are chalked up to getting old, depression, stress and too much work. The doctor may even offer antidepressants to help you "get though" this.
No wonder men don't show up – it's disheartening. Instead they push through, learning to live with issues that are disruptive and uncomfortable. Common symptoms such as brain-fog, fatigue, problems with focus and thinking, loss of executive function and even decreasing sex drive all get swept under the rug and ignored.
As a man, I understand why many refrain from making that trip to see your physician. As a medical doctor who practices not only allopathic medicine but also extremely comprehensive and holistic functional medicine, I know that there is a radically different and better way.
This is the new standard of health.
In my office, health is not simply measured by the presence or absence of disease. We are looking for levels of dysfunction and areas to optimize. Long before a disease is present, there are subtle changes in metabolism along the path to getting that condition. Metabolic processes may slow down, speed up, cease working or become overwhelmed by toxins, poor diet, poor lifestyle choices, alcohol, smoking, stress and lack of sleep.
Through in-depth and cutting edge testing approaches, it's possible to zero in on areas of the body that need to be bolstered, as well as processes that need to be suppressed.
Improving health through improved function.
The most important area to start with is the microbiome. This is the collection of trillions of bacteria that live on and in our bodies – 100 trillion, to be exact. They outnumber our own cells by 10:1 and influence everything within us, including the immune system, digestive health, mental status, ability to think, mood and anxiety levels, and even play a huge role in the amount of inflammation our bodies create. The types of bacteria and quantities can be the difference between eating and burning fuel efficiently or eating and gaining weight with every forkful. Microbiome medicine works to restore populations that are beneficial. Through gut bacteria, we can lay the foundation for healthy immune function and bring about balance in all areas of the body.
Genetics give clues about weaknesses the body may naturally have and areas we can support through the practice of nutrigenomics. In this way, gene expression can be influenced through dietary and lifestyle modification using targeted nutrients to affect change on a molecular level. At the same time, nutrients are regulated, absorbed and metabolized based on one's genes. Nutrigenomics allows accurate pairing of optimal nutrition based on genetic predisposition.
Detoxification pathways are vital for the maintenance of good health. Very often patients who have symptoms also have an impaired ability to detox. Support of these processes can greatly improve the way the body works, creating a more solid foundation for health.
Use of advanced testing methods allows for discovery of subclinical conditions that don't show up on routine blood panels. Low thyroid function is one that is quite often missed on standard testing. Through the highly specialized TRH test and full blood panels, we are often able to pick up on these cases and correct them, sometimes years before they would ever show up with other testing methods.
Additionally, deeper understanding of reference ranges allows for more accurate reading of testing. Reference ranges often change and can be inconsistent between labs. They also don't take into consideration the specific needs of the individual. Not everyone who tests "normal" will be functioning at optimal levels. Even with testing that falls within the accepted reference range, patients could still be in need of intervention.
This is not old time medicine. This is hopeful health care.
These are just some of the ways we work to improve genetic expression, reverse and alleviate symptoms and optimize health while also preventing full-blown disease. This is not old-time medicine; this is the modern medical checkup geared toward improving each individual's baseline. It's a different experience, feeling and outcome.
I believe the emphasis should be on health and optimism instead of the pessimistic and depressing view health care has had in the past. In this new paradigm, there's a shift in perception from seeing the body as a mechanical thing that breaks down to an optimistic view of its great potential for a better future. In this way, we work to improve total body function, the brain, focus and executive function. It's a deeper way of preventing disease and reaching the true health.
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