What does it look like to be the "Best Version of You"?
We know what it's like to not be thriving and feel like you can't get better.
.....Or to wonder if you are just getting old.
Nonsense!
Soooo many patients come to us with a wide array of health issues and symptoms, many of which are all too readily just accepted as "THE WAY IT IS".
Nonsense again!
These symptoms are RED flags of unaddressed problems and imbalances in the body that can turn into major health concerns. When corrected, and typically they can be, you can finally see the best version of you emerge!
The BIG question is, WHEN and WHAT are YOU going to do about those underlying issues?
Our IFM Certified team at at Mint Health has the experience and knowledge to work with you along the path of Functional Medicine to address those problems and imbalances so that you discover your best version.
It is possible and that's no nonsense!
To get an idea of what Functional Medicine and working with Mint Health is like, please find below a snapshot of one of our recent patient's journey with us.
Meet Sarah
ο»ΏSarah is a 48 year old mom and wife who came to Mint Health with Hashimotos thyroiditis, hot flashes, weight gain, low libido, irritable bowels, depression, poor libido, family history of dementia, high cholesterol, and fatigue. Her Medical Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) score was 126 which is considered very high and correlates with feeling undeniably crummy! Sarah works in a very stressful, high-demand job, and while she was trying to do the right things for her health on her own --let's face it, none of us know it all-- sometimes, we need someone else to guide us. So, thankfully, Sarah started working with us to get on the road to recovery. The first thing we did was to guide her on implementing an anti-inflammatory food plan specific to her presenting health issues, and we also collected lab work (a lot of lab work π).
FYI. Typically, initial labs will include the following:
Typical labs will include the following:
Β· vitamin and mineral levels
Β· stress hormones
Β· sex hormones
Β· thyroid hormones
Β· immune system markers (infection markers &
autoimmune markers)
Β· inflammatory markers
Β· detailed insulin and blood glucose evaluation
Β· detailed cholesterol screening looking at lipid particle size and oxidized LDLs
Β· stool testing
Β· And sometimes screening for toxins like mold or heavy metals
Some people feel tremendously better just with the nutrition changes, but for others, feeling better is more complicated. Either way, nutrition is the first step and essential before moving on to the next steps.
Sarah was one of those who didnβt notice much improvement in how she felt with her nutrition changes, but thankfully she stuck with it. Based on her lab results, we added specific nutrient support with supplements. Sarahβs mitochondrial function was βtankedβ (ie- not making energy well on the cellular level), so we gave a little extra support in that area as well.
After 4 months, Sarahβs MSQ DROPPED from 126 to 65! This is big improvement but still doesnβt leave Sarah feeling like her amazing potential, but she (we!) stayed the course!
Next steps- more tweaking of lifestyle issues (mostly stress and sleep) and then screening for toxins. Toxin levels for Sarah were quite high, so with all of the foundational work Sarah had already done, we were able to move forward with a detox plan. Sarah was committed to the detox and did very well with it; this took about 3 months, and resulted in an additional DROP in her MSQ of around 20 points! Whoo hoo!
When someoneβs MSQ score is in the 40s or below like Sarah's now worked so hard to achieve, this is when they really start noticing the improvements in their health! And as Sarah reported, "I feel better than I have in years!"
Sarah still had more she wanted to accomplish with her health, and we still have a lot more to offer. Given her family history and some of the things within her own medical history, Sarah is choosing to be more aggressive with addressing other known imbalances that may not be causing an obvious problem currently but are still βred flagsβ and could be more of an issue in the future.
ο»ΏWe are so very happy for Sarah and feel honored to be with her on her wellness journey!
For a lot of us, optimizing your health can be pretty straight forward and easily (used loosely) attainable when you work with us. Other times, things are more complicated, and getting well can take years of moving through different problem areas in the body. Fighting infections and detoxing can sometimes be a challenge, but by working with qualified and experienced practitioners, we can help you improve your health and resiliency, and feel a lot better!
If you are excited about the Functional Wellness approach that we use at Mint Health, visit our website to learn more here and then βGet Startedβ.
For even more information about this cutting-edge approach to meaningful wellness, and how we, as Functional Medicine practitioners, help people where the conventional system fails, visit Institute of Functional Medicine.
To see more stories like Sarahβs, you can take a look HERE at what some of our patients have to say about their Functional Medicine experience!
If you are scheduled to see us on a Tuesday or Thursday, but feel you are really looking for what we do in Functional Wellness on Monday and Wednesday, please contact us right away to schedule the appointment for the kind of approach you really want!
We hope to see you soon!
Renee NP and the Mint Health team
Certified Through the Institute of Functional Medicine!
Did you know that Dr Buchert and Renee Boudreaux NP are both certified Functional Medicine providers thru the prestigious Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM)?!
IFM certified health care providers are consistently recognized as the most thoroughly trained and tested Functional Medicine clinicians in their fields and the most sought-after by patients. IFM is continually developing content for clinicians to stay up-to-date on the latest scientific advancements in Functional Medicine and to continue to develop skills and competencies to provide the best treatments for their patients with complex, chronic illnesses.
Cassava Flour Pizza Crust
Ingredients:
*1.5 c cassava flour
*1 c arrowroot
*2 tsp sea salt
*1 tsp onion powder
*1 tsp garlic powder
*2 eggs
*1/2 c olive oil
*1 c water
Instructions:
-preheat oven to 425 and place 2 baking stones inside.
-Combine dry ingredients.
-Add wet ingredients and mix well.
-Let dough sit for 5 minutes.
-Coat hands with oil, divide dough in half, and form into a ball. Place on parchment paper and press into 10 inch crust. Slide parchment paper onto stone.
-Bake for 12-15 minutes, then remove, add toppings, and bake until toppings are ready (just a couple more minutes).