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Functional Medicine
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine is an integrative approach to health care that is patient-centered and addresses the whole body, not just a set of symptoms or disease. In this way, functional medicine seeks to identify and treat the underlying causes of disease.
Why nutrition?
As Registered Dietitians, we use a "food-first” approach. We also recognize patients need more than "just" food for optimal health so we take a whole- person centered approach to your care. Functional nutrition emphasizes healthful eating personalized to YOUR genetics, lifestyle, environment and health concerns. We use nutrients to maximize the potential for health and reverse dysfunction or disease. There is no single "right diet" or single nutrient supplement that applies to all of us. This is why we use an individualized approach.
What are some root causes your functional medicine practice uncovers?
Keep in mind, there are many root causes of your symptoms and conditions. There are several factors that can contribute to your health status today. These may include:
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Chronic antibiotic, steroid, PPI (acid blockers), medications usage
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Viruses, bacterial infections
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Stress/trauma
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Sedentary lifestyle
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Micronutrient deficiencies and food sensitivities
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Injuries
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Genetics
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Leaky Gut
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SIBO (Small Bacterial Intestinal Overgrowth)
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Environmental: Allergens | Mold | Toxins | Heavy Metal Exposure
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Dental surgery/work
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Genetic expressions
1:1
Nutritional
Counseling
Let us help you create a personalized nutrition/wellness approach to prevent and manage diet and lifestyle-related challenges, develop a healthier relationship with food and focus on behavior change rather than a quick fix diet approach.
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Initial Session
A 90 minute, 1 to 1 consultation with one of our functional medicine RD's. During your first visit, we take a root- cause approach by digging deep into your medical history, reviewing past labs/test results, family history, symptoms and a through nutrition focused physical examination. We assess hair, skin, nails, oral cavity and take vitals- blood pressure, pulse, blood sugar and body composition analysis. We ask LOTS of questions- from preconception to how you are feeling today. We take the time to listen to YOUR story and what is most important in your journey when working together. From there- we decide together where to start! Testing instead of guessing, nutrition suggestions, meal planning, cooking, lifestyle changes- You decide where to start!
Follow-Up appointments
After 1-2 weeks, you will meet again with your RD for 45 minutes- 1 hr. During this appointment you and your RD will focus on your goals. Nutritional counseling is much like therapy- it is not just about food. Taking steps toward wellness can be challenging, exhausting and overwhelming. We help you navigate the barriers that come up and find solutions by working with you on your goals. We support you with meal/snack ideas specific to YOUR needs, nutritional psychiatry, supplement/herbal remedies, building a healthier relationship with food/ body, digestive and immune support and more. Our membership includes In- between appointment chat support which allows us to help you navigate challenges/share victories as they come up, make changes to protocols as needed, support you or your family when they are sick and more!
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Every 2-3 weeks following and/or as needed, you will meet with your RD establishing accountability and progressive change. These follow-ups are patient-centered to goals, challenges and nutrition education the patient may need more assistance with.
Group classes and programs
As part of our monthly membership, patients can attend workshops on various health topics. We love bringing community together for a hands on approach to learning about how to improve our health! We believe hands on experience is the most powerful way to make changes. Especially with the support of friends, family and community. Examples of workshops include meditation, yoga, stretching, cooking and education sessions on nutrition interventions for immunity, gut and brain health, hormones, heart health, kids nutrition, selective eating and more! We also bring other health care providers in to some workshops to increase awareness of all avenues to improve your health and wellness journey!
Rainbow Roots
Kids Nutrition classes/workshops/sessions​
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Part of our membership includes 1 to 1 hands on experience in the kitchen and discounts on kids classes/workshops! Trying new foods can be challenging and frustrating for both children and parents. Sounds, smells, taste, texture can all be a factor in why we choose different foods. We help kids to increase acceptance of new foods by assessing the causes AND coming up with solutions with a hands on approach.
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What you can expect:
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Hands on culinary experience ​
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Nutrition lessons
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Kid - friendly recipes
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Confidence boosting activities & engagement around food
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Encouragement to try new foods
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Exploration of taste, texture and sensory challenges in the kitchen
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Education on lifestyle skills at a young age
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Eating
Disorders
Eating disorders affect mental health with physical and potentially life-threatening complications. Recovery from an eating disorder is a process. It is intense at times, rewarding and impacts ALL members of the family.
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We are committed to helping you/your child develop a healthy relationship with food while finding solutions together to meet your nutritional needs. We understand this is challenging. A commitment to your care must be mutual as it is essential for treatment.
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Please complete our patient application to schedule your free 15 minute call to determine how we can help and if our practice is the best fit for you or your loved ones needs. If UNDER the age of 18, a parent or guardian MUST SCHEDULE. IF OVER 18, the patient must schedule. You may be added to our waitlist once scheduled for a sooner appointment.
Commitment
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Our RD's provide meal support, collaboration with family members and providers to help navigate challenging day to day situations that impact recovery in-between scheduled sessions.
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All patients have a required monthly fee membership that is seperate from scheduled visits. We accept health insurance plans for individual sessions which may significantly decrease your expenses. We believe in between session support is crucial to recovery and this service improves our ability to provide the most effective care. The monthly fee is a necessary service which is not covered by insurance benefits.
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Newly diagnosed patients are required to be seen in-person for all sessions, some exceptions may apply. Weekly sessions with your practitioner are required until your treatment team deems appropriate.
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Patients must be under the care of a physician and a therapist (we can provide referrals if needed). If under the age of 18, both parents are required to be present at the first session.
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Blood work from your doctor is required, an EKG may also be needed: frequency of blood work and specific labs will be discussed at your first visit.
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Ongoing collaboration with your practitioner and interdisciplinary team (therapist, MD, etc.) is required between sessions.
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Patients seen for eating disorders must bring a snack or meal every session.
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Note: At any time in your treatment, it may be necessary to refer you to a higher level of care if deemed appropriate by your team (RD, MD, therapist).
Sessions
​Initial Session:
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Vitals will be taken (blood pressure, blood sugar, and oral exam)
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Blind weigh-in on InBody machine
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Assessment of past medical history, medication/supplement use, bowel movements, food/fluid intake, eating behaviors and social history, and labs
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Review of where you are in terms of your treatment journey
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Discussion of nutritional goals and plan for treatment moving forward
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Discussion of support at home and/or from loved ones
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Nutrition education will be provided to family members/loved ones to support the recovery process
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Follow Ups:
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Review of goals
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Vitals and weigh-in
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In-session eating
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Cooking/prep exposures
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Discussion of challenges and accomplishments
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Challenging fear foods, social eating
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Meal planning
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Family collaboration sessions
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Meal exposure:
When struggling with disordered eating, the joy and pleasure of eating foods that were once loved can become difficult. We understand that it becomes a challenge to eat out, eat socially, cook or prep foods with certain ingredients, eat baked foods, etc. These sessioms will encourage patients to increase confidence in the kitchen, learn about food facts, challenge foods once loved, try new foods and bring back the excitement to eating.
Specialized
Testing
Testing takes the guesswork out so we can get right to a targeted approach. Elimination diets can be tiring, unnecessary and difficult to follow. Symptoms are not always related to food alone. Let us help you get to the root problems without wasting months or years of your life. Test, don't guess!
Micronutrient Testing
What is the importance of micronutrients?
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Micronutrients are essential for every function in the body, especially the brain- they are often depleted by a lack of variety and quality in the diet, genetics, environmental toxins, infections, stress and more. Deficiencies can be a root cause of many symptoms and drivers of disease.
What does this test for?
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Vibrant America's micronutrient testing measures over 31 vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids within the white blood cells.
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Rather than looking at micronutrients from an average measure of normal vs. deficient, this speciality testing provides measurements of deficient, sub-optimal and optimal.
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How do we use Micronutrient Testing?​​
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There is no single food/single nutrient that contains all of the vitamins and minerals we need for optimal function, and, therefore, a balanced/varied diet is necessary for an adequate intake of all micronutrients. We use testing to determine nutrient deficiencies to develop an individualized approach to you or your child's care.​
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Gut Microbiome Testing (stool testing)
What is gut health?
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Gut health lays the foundation of our overall health in many ways. Being able to identify your personal gut microbiome through comprehensive testing is one advantage we use in our practice when working with digestive compromised patients.
What does this testing provide?
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Gut microbiome testing takes a look into normal bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungal overgrowth.
Who is this best for?
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Patients that benefit most from this testing are those suffering from chronic digestive conditions such as constipation, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, SIBO, food poisoning, and GERD, as well as patients suffering from mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and mood disorders.
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Wheat/Gluten Sensitivity & Leaky Gut Testing
Vibrant America’s Wheat Zoomer + Intestinal Permeability is a speciality test that identifies leaky gut condition, celiac or developing celiac disease, and gluten and non-gluten wheat sensitivity.
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Who would benefit from this test? Those who experience:
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Non celiac gluten sensitivity
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Gluten / wheat containing food intolerances / sensitivities
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Symptoms of leaky gut: IBS, poor GI health, poor immune system, skin rashes, brain fog, poor mental health, anxiety & depression
What is Leaky Gut?
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Leaky gut condition is the gapping and damage of the intestinal cells that line the digestive tract. With leaky gut condition, nutrient absorption is compromised and symptoms such as inflammation, skin rashes, brain fog, fatigue or constipation and diarrhea are common.
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How is this test different from others?
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Tests over 33,000 peptides of gluten and wheat; results are highly specific and sensitive
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Identifies if a gluten-free diet would best suit the patient's dietary needs or conditions
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Should I get a Wheat Zoomer test even if I don’t have Celiac Disease?
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You do not have to be diagnosed with Celiac’s disease or a wheat allergy to get this panel completed. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat sensitivity may be a cause of your IBS, total body inflammation and nutrient malabsorption.
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If you have already been diagnosed with Celiac’s disease or a wheat allergy, the Wheat Zoomer panel will not be necessary to complete. However, the intestinal permeability panel can be done for anyone.
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Organic Acid Testing
Great Plains offers urine organic acid testing that assesses your body’s overall metabolism.
What are organic acids?
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Organic acids are by products of our cell’s metabolism.
What does this testing provide?
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Helps identify gut dysfunction (an imbalance of bacteria, yeast, mold), neurotransmitter dysfunction, (brain health) amino acids deficiency, toxicology, abnormal protein, fat, carbohydrate metabolism, nutritional markers. Genetics may also alter the composition or metabolism of organic acids in the body. With an extensive look into each individual’s organic acids make-up proper nutritional support is provided.
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Who's this test best for?
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Organic Acid Testing is great test for patients suffering with mental health disorders, digestive tract dysfunction, Lyme Disease. It is the most popular test for children with ADHD, Autism, and learning disabilities.
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Food Zoomers/Sensitivities Package
What are food sensitivities?
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IgG & IgA immune reactions to food are chronically inflammatory vs. IgE (allergy) immune responses to foods. High levels of food IgGs and IgAs may trigger symptoms such as: GI complications (bloating, diarrhea, constipation), brain fog, fatigue, lack of focus, sinus congestion, post-nasal drip and skin conditions such as rosacea, psoriasis and eczema.
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How many foods does this test?
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Food Zoomers measure food sensitivities using IgA and IgG antibody reactions to over 200 foods. This test eliminates the guessing game of which foods work for you individually, allow for inflammation to decrease and nutrients to heal the body.
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Who is this best for?
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Someone experiencing those symptoms above, has constantly tried elimination diets and has found no relief.
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Toxin Exposure (Heavy Metals
Heavy metals can accumulate within the body after exposure, attaching to cells preventing them from performing their functions, causing symptoms that could impair quality of life.
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Sign and symptoms vary for each type of metal and range in severity based on an individual’s exposure, symptoms could include:
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Alopecia
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Anemia
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Arrhythmia
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Chills
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Low Body Temperature
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Dehydration
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Dental Amalgams
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Difficulty breathing
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Fatigue
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Gastrointestinal Symptoms
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Hypertension
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Impaired Kidney Function
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Inflammation
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Memory loss
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Nausea or Vomiting
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Numbness or Prickly Sensation in Hands and Feet
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Parkinson's-like Symptoms
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Risk of Developing Certain Types of Cancer
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Vision problems
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Weakness
Nutritional Psychiatry testing for- ADHD, AUTISM, Depression, anxiety and other mental health diagnoses
The following tests are considered to use for evaluation/interventions: (this is not an exhaustive list)
Blood work: Full iron panel, B vitamins, Celiac panel, food allergies/sensitivities, cholesterol and more
Kryptopyrrole test- urine analysis- When high levels of kryptopyrrole a neurotoxin circulate in the body, it binds with Vitamin B6 and zinc causing them to be depleted faster and preventing their use in the brain and body
Organic Acid testing- Helps identify gut dysfunction (an imbalance of bacteria, yeast, mold), neurotransmitter dysfunction, (brain health) amino acids deficiency, toxicology, abnormal protein, fat, carbohydrate metabolism, nutritional markers. Genetics may also alter the composition or metabolism of organic acids in the body
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Stool testing-The Comprehensive Stool Analysis + Parasitology assesses the status of beneficial and imbalanced commensal bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, yeast/fungus, and parasites. The identification of pathogenic species and susceptibility testing assists in the selection of the most suitable pharmaceutical or natural treatment agents
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Hair minerals testing- The Hair Elements analysis is a screening test that can provide information on recent and ongoing exposure to potentially toxic metals, such as methylmercury and arsenic, as well as the time-averaged status of specific nutrient elements like lithium, calcium, iron and more
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