Functional medicine approach to metabolic disease management
Metabolism is a chemical reaction which drives our body, it processes the food with the help of oxygen and provides energy.
It is a highly complex chemical reaction and requires many macro and micro nutrients to stay at optimum healthy levels.
If our metabolism is good and healthy we feel full of energy and enthusiastic about life.
Metabolic diseases are a global epidemic of 21st century
Unbalanced metabolism can lead to various metabolic disease, these are a group of disorders arising due to poor metabolism.
Underlying causes could be:
- Nutritional deficiencies of various minerals and vitamins
- Toxic overload of pesticides chemicals, preservatives and heavy metals such as lead arsenic mercury etc…
- Falling level of hormones, hormones have huge impact on metabolism optimum levels are required to keep metabolism healthy. Hormone receptors are present on every cell f our body, age related decline
- Highly stressful lifestyle
- Poor eating habits, like erratic binge eating, long periods of starvation and then eating too many sugary foods to suddenly feel better.
- Chemicals and pesticides in the food consumed, fast food, canned food, frozen precooked food which are stored with preservatives.
- Physical inactivity.
- Environmental toxins, such as electromagnetic radiations, BPA from plastics etc…
- Inflammatory food products rich in trans fats etc…
Metabolic disorders can have multifold effects on our health and can manifest in many different ways
- Lack of stamina
- dull flaky skin
- pigmentations
- dark circles
- dry hair
- excessive hair fall
- constant indigestion
- need to take regular antacids
- excessive weight gain
- water retention
- allergic rashes
- mood swings
- extreme irritability
- lack of sexual desire
These could lead to diseases like:
- Cancer
- Myocardial infarction
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Alzhemers
- Depression
- Heart disease
- Bowel disease
- Autoimmune disease
- Neurological disorders
- Endocrinal disorders
Research over the past few decades has shown that sugar and insulin, not cholesterol is the real problem.
Excessive intake of carbohydrates, sugar, insulin resistance, raised levels of inflammatory markers, oxidation stress, leaky gut, increased toxins are the major detriments.
The way forward:
When a patient is sick, treat the diet first-if that doesn’t work then use medications”
If you make a few minor changes in your lifestyle and eating habits you will see a stunning result.
Identifying the insults and addressing each of them is the only way to treat these disorders.
- Switch to non-inflammatory paleo meals which are rich in nutrients and low in sugar and carbohydrates.
- A paleo diet avoids all wheat products as wheat has been so genetically modified in last 50 years that it has become quiet toxic.
- Avoid all inflammatory oils which are all kind of vegetable oils , switch to ghee, butter& coconut oil for cooking and use olive oil, flax oil , hemp, pumpkin oil for dressings
- Detox with the help of diet and Nutraceuticals ,Intravenous detox and supplementation works stunningly under supervision of a qualified practitioner
- Supplement with adequate essential nutrients, deficiencies identified based on the blood results
- Balancing the hormones with all natural bio identical hormone therapy (BHRT)
- A high carbohydrate diet and diet rich in inflammatory oils will increase insulin levels and increases the cellular inflammation.
“It’s more important to understand the imbalances in your body’s basic systems and restore the balance, rather than name the disease and match the pill to the ill”
Dr Kalpana Gupta Shekhawat-M.D
Functional & Regenerative Medicine Specialist.