Instead of dipping my toes, I’m diving in head first into functional medicine. One of the top priorities I write down every single day is:

Embody the healthiest version of me, today.

Then, I list in my top 3 daily tasks to align with that. When it came to my health, I needed this year to be different.

Part of showing up and being my truest, healthiest, most abundant, authentic self meant that I needed to optimize my ENERGY levels in ways I’ve never done before. And if I’m being honest,

I needed to stop feeling like crap.

So I’m sharing my leap into alternative paths that people swear by. Why? Because sharing is caring, and maybe (just maybe) someone out there frustrated by the way they’ve been feeling, will be inspired and open to take charge of their health using alternative methods too.

The Turning Point

Life’s been a bit of a whirlwind lately (tell me you relate!), and after a few too many of those life curveballs – including a gallbladder removal I totally regret doing – I noticed a major shift in my health.

The kind of shift that makes you pause and think, “Hmm, something’s not quite right here.” Despite the all-clear from my doctor, I knew I needed to listen to my body. It was whispering (okay, maybe shouting) for a change.

The Hunt for Answers

I went to several different physicians.

My doctors ran all the tests and said everything looked great. You could use more vitamin D but otherwise, keep doing what you’re doing.

Also side note, the surgeon that removed my gallbladder also told me I could go back to eating whatever I wanted (insert mind blown emoji).

But I’m the one living in this body and I just knew something was off.

Let’s be clear. This is not my area of expertise.

So I started looking for alternative ways I could get better answers. I’ve heard of functional medicine doctors, practitioners, and nutritionists before from various books and podcasts, so I thought I would check one out in my area.

Everyone had some sort of waitlist. I thought, okay maybe I am actually on to something here if every office was that busy.

I did my research, found one that suited my needs, and got on the waitlist. A year later, I got the call and was in. And just in time to kick off the new year. Talk about divine timing!

My first step? A consultation.

I went in for my consult, asked a million questions about the program, and next thing I knew I was signing up and scheduling all my initial appointments to really understand what’s going on under the hood.

First Steps and Tests

My initial steps included various tests:

• EEG brain mapping
• Comprehensive blood work
• Consultations with dietitians and exercise physiologists
• VO2 max
• Microbiome testing
• And more as we go…

These tests provide insights far beyond conventional methods, targeting how my body functions as a whole.

Why Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual (IFM.org).

The way my doctor explained it to me was simply supply and demand – there are a lot of demands on our bodies as we age, so they look a lot deeper to figure out if we have enough supply to handle all the demands.

Conventional medicine typically focuses on treating symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery.

You walk in with a problem, you walk out with a prescription.

While I am confident there is an increasing focus on preventative care, traditional medicine (in my experience) has always been more reactive, dealing with health problems after they arise.

I had an interesting conversation with my primary care physician recently who seemed equally as frustrated about the rapid decline he was seeing in the health of his patients, old and young. I’ll share more about that in a future post. I’m mentioning it because there was an undertone of hopelessness I will never forget and was a catalyst to search for alternative answers.

I know starting this program will be a commitment that will require consistency and total ownership on my part except this time I’m enlisting an entire health team to support me that work closely together. That is what I think is really cool about it. They all talk to each other and tag team each patient using a holistic approach. The practice is a small but mighty team.

If I was really going to be in integrity with who I said I wanted to be this year, THIS was my next bold aligned move.

Brain mapping with EEG Test

Brain mapping. Wait, what? To know me is to know I am not a science-y person.

I tried to pretend I was back in college when I thought I would major in biology or chemistry and go to med school. Let’s just say I quickly learned why they called them “weeder classes”.

EEG brain mapping is the most easily accessible cutting-edge technology to assess what is happening in your most important organ: your brain.

During the assessment, an EEG cap was placed on my head. It records brainwave activity for 5 minutes however, I did it for 10 minutes. It was a quick in-office visit that recorded anywhere from 300-600 pages of data about my brain.

Once they get the results, the clinician will analyze and review my comprehensive report with me that summarizes how my brain activity is contributing to my symptoms. They’ll let me know of any supplement recommendations that are most appropriate for my unique brain wave pattern, medication, and lifestyle suggestions based on my results.

The QEEG brain map can identify several brainwave patterns that are associated with anxiety/panic, addictions, sleep issues, concussions, learning challenges, PTSD, depression and mood disturbances. It also helps them identify areas of brain with too little and too much activity, mental health symptoms that may not be due to abnormal brain patterns, personal strengths and unique learning styles.

Elite Performance Athletes

After I did my test I wanted to learn more so I started researching how other people use this technology to improve their quality lives and personal performance.

Elite athletes and high achievers use functional medicine to increase their performance.

Using tests like the EEG in sports helps athletes learn how they can control or alter their brainwave activity in order to achieve peak performances under pressure.

By understanding how their brains function during training and competition, athletes can optimize their performance by making adjustments and actually train the brain to produce specific brainwave patterns, which can lead to improved focus, concentration, mental clarity and quality of sleep! So cool, right?

When you repeat the test over time, it enables you to track changes to your brain function as the result of lifestyle changes and other interventions. I can’t wait to go over my results!

The clinician who performed the test mentioned that people often struggle after 4 minutes of sitting still with their eyes closed and have to start the test over. Surprisingly 10 minutes in stillness went by fast (maybe I have my daily meditation practice to thank for that).

Here’s a little snapshot from my EEG testing session.

Notes from Dr. Daniel Amen

A few months into turning 40, became a pivotal turning point. Health and wellness means more to me now than just looking good in my clothes. If you’ve been paying attention to some of the recent documentaries on Netflix, like this and this, you already know about the decline in our food quality in America.

Sometime last year, I took an eye opening masterclass from Dr. Daniel Amen who is a local celebrity physician and brain disorder specialist here in Southern California and I wanted to share a few of my notes:

Make no mistake, we are at war with our mind and our body. The real weapons of mass destruction are:

• highly processed
• pesticide sprayed
• high glycemic
• low fiber
• food like substances stored in plastic containers or wrappers

It’s no secret the food industry uses neuroscience tricks to hook your pleasure centers and addict you to bad food. As the food industry target our stomachs, media and social apps are going after our minds.

We’re losing the war for our brain. Alzheimers disease is expected to quadruple by 2050 with no cure on the horizon. It affects 50% of people ages 85 and older but it starts in the brain decades before it’s even diagnosed.

I watched my grandmother battle Alzheimers disease and dementia daily for years. It was an incredibly challenging and heart-wrenching experience.

Fight for your health

When you get to an age where you start to witness the people you love slipping away due to various types of cancers and diseases, it truly changes your perspective. It has forced me to evaluate and advocate for my health, differently than I typically would have in the past.

I like the phrase advocate for your health more than I do fight for your health but when you open your eyes to the reality of what is happening around us, the word “fight” is the energy we need to embody if we’re going to win the war against what Dr. Amen mentions as the real weapons of mass destruction (IMO).

So whether you’re curious about functional medicine, skeptical, or just here for the ride, thanks for tuning in. Because, at the end of the day, it’s not just my journey. It’s about all of us. Hopefully together we’ll uncover more of what it means to embody our healthiest, happiest selves.

Remember, your journey to health is just that – yours. Embrace it, advocate for it, celebrate it, and let’s make wellness a joy, not a chore.