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Dr. Oz’s Fantastic Four of Functional Medicine |
Have you ever wondered what doctors Dr. Oz and his family see when they get sick or have any health concerns? Today, Dr. Oz puts together his own personalized panel of Fantastic Four doctors of functional medicine: Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Wendy Warner, Dr. David Perlmutter, and Dr. Susan Blum.
Functional medicine, as opposed to traditional medicine, focuses on more than just the symptoms and treatments of a health problem; it considers the whole “you” and the environment(s) where you live. For example, Dr. Hyman discusses how traditional medicine tends to treat diabetes and obesity as two separate entities while functional medicine combines them into “diabesity” and treats the condition as only one illness. The following below are Functional Medicine’s approach to 3 major health concerns:
Functional Medicine on Diabetes:
There are two integral tests to diagnose for “diabesity”: 1) the Insulin Response Test, and 2) the NMR Cholesterol Test. These are the latest ways to test for both high blood pressure and diabetes. Be extra weary of your cholesterol levels as it can tear tiny holes in our arteries which then lead to eventual plaque buildup, and finally, a heart attack.
In regards to diet, these are some of the common foods that tend to cause even more inflammation: sugar (check out our 60 Minutes story about the health hazards of sugar here), soy, gluten, flour, and dairy. Fiber would be one of the best ways to combat “diabesity” and keep our insulin levels normal. Dr. Oz prescribes PGX Daily- a product that his wife has used, as well.
Functional Medicine on Exhaustion and Fatigue:
When dealing with patients who complain about exhaustion and fatigue, Dr. Blum takes a different approach from traditional medicine and focuses on a patient’s thyroid and T3 hormone levels. These two are responsible for helping your body burn calories. Now if your thyroid gland is malfunctioning and your T3 levels are low, you’ll have a greater sense of exhaustion and fatigue. Stress and diet could be a cause for these lowered level. Dr. Oz prescribes taking 15mg of zinc, 150mcg of iodine, and 200mg of selenium. What does all of this look like? A salad. Just toss together the following ingredients:
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- Kale
- Sea Salt
- 1/2 tablespoon Kelp Flakes
- 1/4 cup Carrots
- 1/4 cup Tahini
- 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
Functional Medicine on Alzheimer’s Disease:
Eat fat, Dr. Perlmutter says, the good kind of fat. Of course. In fact, the brain is actually made up of 70% fat. Alzheimer’s disease, according to our good doctor, is in large part caused by inflammation of our arteries that feed the brain. So to keep it in tip-top shape, we also have to feed it fat from healthy sources like fish, avocados, and coconuts.
Beyond diet, Dr. Perlmutter offers another treatment called hyperbaric oxygen therapy which shoots high doses of oxygen to the brain. On the flip side, it might take few dozen treatments for the benefits to become evident, and without insurance covering it, the procedure checks in at $250 a pop.
More of Dr. Oz coming tomorrow as Nerdles continues its mission to give you the best of the best of Dr. Oz news daily. Want more Dr. Oz? Check out our archives here.
Image Courtesy of Dr. Oz.
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About Kyle Nofuente
Kyle, a U.S. Navy brat who’s travelled the world on planes and ships, is a Philosophy graduate who eventually discovered there weren’t too many job postings for “Philosophers." Fortunately, Lady Luck gave him a sweet gig as a radio DJ and TV host for a nationally syndicated tech show. When he isn’t on-air playing music and spreading the “Nerd Word” on TV, Kyle spends his waking and sleeping hours making Nerdles a dream come true for him and fellow nerds worldwide. Find out more about Kyle on our Staff page, or connect with him via the links provided below.
thnx much for the info, I love watching Dr Oz show too, it is always providing great health helpful tips and i’m always learning something new