EP 11: The Functional Medicine Approach

The Better Prescription

The diagnostic approach taken by a functional medicine doctor is multifaceted and can often be the determining factor in what sets a patient back onto a path of wellness. In today’s episode, Dr. Minni proves the truth of this statement by telling the story of a patient of hers who had been on a keto diet but bizarrely still had very high cholesterol levels. Dr. Minni explains the process of taking a deep dive into the patient’s history, looking at many factors that could be increasing his cholesterol or promoting his insulin resistance. The bulk of today’s episode is spent detailing the many different tests that were conducted on the patient, the imbalances they revealed, and the consequences of these for the patient as far as nutrition and wellness. Ultimately what it all points toward is that the patient had a body type that could not break down fat properly, meaning the keto diet, which usually does a good job of preventing insulin-resistant diseases, was in fact a poor fit for him. Hence the main lesson from today is that that the maintenance of good health cannot take a one-size-fits-all method, and this observation is all thanks to functional medicine. Tune in and hear the full story!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A medical case involving a man who had been fasting but could not alleviate his high cholesterol.
• The approach Dr. Minni took to diagnosing the patient by looking at his history.
• Three things that have to happen for a disease to progress.
• The results of the organic acid test conducted which found high fungal overgrowth in the gut.
• How the presence of high lactic acid quantities produces inflammation.
• The many different tests that were conducted and the imbalances they revealed.
• Finding that the keto diet the patient was on was causing more harm than benefit.
• While the keto diet does well to prevent insulin-resistant diseases, it does not work for everybody.
• The many different variables that a functional medicine approach takes into consideration.
• A new diet prescription given by Dr. Minni and the wondrous effects it had.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

Email Dr. Minni — [e-mail]