Summer Newsletter
Institute of Functional Medicine Conference Update
As many of you know I was at the annual Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) conference earlier this month. The topic was on Pain, Addiction and Stress. I will be sharing much of what I have learned with Sparkle members in the upcoming months. I was fascinated by the biology of stress and attended several lectures on stress management tools.
I am still sorting through what I feel is important to share and implement. There was a lot of discussion about the opiate crisis and addictions of all kinds (from alcohol to food) and about what we can do in the functional medicine community to help. My takeaway is the approach must be holistic, personalized and that the biology driving the behavior goes well beyond what willpower can do. In functional medicine we address underlying causes of those biological drives- sometimes it is relating to Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs), sometimes it is genetic predispositions relating to micronutrients, neurotransmitters or the gut microbiota under the “perfect storm” circumstances. In functional medicine we empower and equip patients to influence those tendencies.
Reference:
J Nerv Ment Dis. 2016 May;204(5):388-95. Emotional Freedom Techniques for Anxiety: A Systematic review With Meta-analysis
Genetic Testing for Nutrition and Exercise
Everyone should have had our body composition measured (unless you have a pacemaker) at least once while visiting Sparkle and hopefully is working on their own personalized wellness goals. We make our best-educated judgement as to what food plan will help us best achieve that goal. However, what if there were a test that could give you some insights into your dietary choices, your exercise and the best macronutrient balance for your body? There is!
I have long been searching for the right genetic test to offer to help guide nutrition and exercise advice in a personalized way. Check out this testing that we have made available called Pathway Fit – www.pathwayfit.com. I was able to negotiate a discounted rate on this test for my members. I will host a group information and offer the testing in August or “portal us” if you have questions or are interested in this testing sooner.
Office News
Please welcome Brittany Aldrich to Sparkle Health. Brittany has training in health coaching and will be learning more about functional medicine in the months to come. She is a good resource for recipes as she loves culinary medicine!
Heather will have more availability for health coaching, food plan support, and herbal consultation. You are able to book time with her right on the portal.
