Functional medicine - Dra. Paula Dall'Stella

WELCOME TO MY FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CHANNEL!

I will talk a little about my work in the area of Medicine that I chose to work with. When I started working with patients using medical cannabis, I realized that the disease was the tip of the iceberg. I realized that there were patterns, behaviors and lifestyles in those patients that were actually causing those diseases.

In traditional medicine, when we get sick, or have a chronic illness, most of the time we treat the symptoms, not the cause, the root of the problem. The big difference between these two approaches is that in functional medicine, we learn to understand and restore the body’s physiological functions, and for that, there are 7 main pillars:

THE FIRST IS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NUTRITION

We are what we eat.

Our biology, biochemistry and physiology need certain raw materials to function optimally. The correct balance and quality of proteins, fats and carbohydrates; the right vitamins and minerals (in the right dose) and all the colored pigments in plant foods, called phytonutrients, are fundamental to sustaining our health and well-being.

Almost all of us are nutritionally unbalanced in one way or another. I usually say in the office that food is not a calorie, it is information, they are codes that have the potential to activate and deactivate our genes,In science, we call this epigenetics.

THE SECOND PILLAR IS HORMONAL BALANCE

Our hormones are a symphonic orchestra. This includes thyroid hormones, sex and stress response hormones, insulin and more. They have to work in harmony for you to be healthy.

THE THIRD PILLAR IS ABOUT INFLAMMATION

Our immune system must protect us and defend us from invaders or abnormal cells. When it is hyperactive or depressed, we get sick. Inflammation of the brain, for example, is a central theme for almost all psychiatric and neurological conditions, as well as most chronic diseases. If you are overweight or have a chronic illness, you are probably inflamed.

THE FOURTH PILLAR IS ABOUT YOUR DIGESTION

Digesting, absorbing and assimilating all the food and nutrients we consume is fundamental to health. Our digestive system must also protect us from internal toxins, bacteria and potential allergens, and eliminate waste. The breakdown in any part of this process also causes disease. You have no idea how some simple changes in diet, the replacement of digestive enzymes and other changes in lifestyle, can bring more vitality, energy and well-being.

THE FIFTH PILLAR IS ABOUT DETOXICATION

The body must eliminate all of our metabolic waste and all the toxins that we absorb from the environment through food, air, water and medicines. The toxic burden in the 21st century is overwhelming, and often our bodies are unable to detoxify on their own. This also leads to disease.

THE SIXTH PILLAR IS ABOUT YOUR ENERGY PRODUCTION

Life is energy. When there is no more energy produced in your cells, you die. Extracting energy from the food you eat and the oxygen you breathe is the most essential process in life. Keeping the metabolic mechanism running smoothly and protecting it from damage is essential for health. Therefore, those who know me, know that in clinical practice I give a lot of attention to the mitochondrial function optimizers.

THE SEVENTH AND LAST PILLAR IS ABOUT YOUR MIND

A life with meaning and purpose, a life in balance, in community, with love, support and a sense of empowerment is essential for health. The overwhelming stress we experience today, including social isolation and overwork, creates huge disruptions in our nervous system, leading to exhaustion and depression.

It all changes our approach, the way we think about disease and the human body.

In short, we can start like this: first we remove everything that causes the imbalance, such as toxins, allergens, diets rich in carbohydrates and processed foods, infections and stress. Then we add what brings the balance back: food with high nutritional quality, water, oxygen, light, movement, sleep, relaxation, community, connection, love, meaning and purpose. And the body’s natural intelligence and healing system will take care of the rest.

HOW YOUR DIET CAN INFLUENCE YOUR GENES

Do you have a predisposition and feel that everything is predestined? The answer is no.

Epigenetics suggests that our behavior can influence which of our genes are turned on or off. Epigenetics is the impact of the environment in which you live in the expression of your genes. This was one of the greatest advances in medicine.

Most people tend to attribute a lot of power to their genes. I have seen several patients who blame genetics for their aflictions and diseases, but it is your lifestyle,expressed in your genes that determines who you are. And it happens all the time. What you eat, how you move, how you restore your body, regulate your genes, along with your thoughts, feelings and social connections. These genes end up creating the expression of who you are and how you are. You can activate genes that create health or illness, weight gain or weight loss.

Some genes may predispose to obesity, type 2 diabetes or heart disease, but predisposition is not predestination. Ninety percent of our current health is controlled by the environment in which we bathe our genes – the food we eat, our exercise regime, our resilience to stress and our exposure to environmental toxins. You don’t have to settle down and accept that you’re bound to be overweight and sick.