Category: Functional Health

Posted on

3 Reasons to Consider Restore Health When Searching for a “Functional Medical Physician Near Me”

Functional medical physician near me

Have you been looking for a way to achieve overall health and wellness in your life? You’ve come to the right place! When you search for a “functional medical physician near me,” you will find Restore Health Center. We use advanced Functional Medicine practices to identify what is holding you back from improving your quality of life, addressing the root causes of your health concerns so you can feel your best. We believe in treating more than just symptoms to help you find optimal health. Here are 3 reasons you should consider Restore Health Center when searching for a functional medical physician:

  1. We have the expertise – Dr. James Howton, our founder, started out training in family medicine but over time transitioned to Functional and Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Howton designed Restore Health Center to focus on issues currently not being addressed by a traditional medicine model and to emphasize health optimization rather than simply disease care. His diverse background in conventional medicine, combined with his passion and expertise in Functional Medicine, make him uniquely qualified to help people who are not finding good answers in traditional medicine. He has the expertise of both worlds to be able to adequately diagnose your health concerns and find lasting treatment options that will have you feeling better overall. 

    Dr. Rachel Fischer is a graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine and is trained in both internal and preventive medicine. Dr. Fischer maintains a healthy and active lifestyle and has witnessed firsthand the benefits of preventive medicine in her own life. She is passionate about helping others to achieve the healthy life they desire and deserve, and to experience the positive effects that come from such lifestyle changes and maintenance.

    Dr. Howton and Dr. Fischer are experienced in both Functional Medicine and traditional medicine allowing them to choose the best from both worlds in order to help you achieve your health goals. They are here to help when you are looking for “Functional Medicine physicians near me.”
  2. Your “functional medical physician near me” and the services we offer – At Restore Health Center, we offer you the best treatments, ranging from traditional medical interventions to innovative modalities. We provide nutritional supplementation through IV therapy, ultraviolet light therapies, detoxification, bioidentical hormone restoration, lifestyle consultations, and so much more. 

    We offer treatments for gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, and thyroid dysfunction. We also offer specialized services for women and men. 

    At Restore Health Center, we’re committed to your overall wellbeing. We’re your partner in solving and effectively treating disorders and health concerns. We have the tools to diagnose your health concerns and the necessary treatments to address the root causes of your ailments. We’re not here just to treat your symptoms or prescribe another pill, but rather to find the underlying causes of your pain and discomfort and stop them from happening. 
  3. We truly focus on Functional Medicine – Functional Medicine is a methodology that addresses the underlying causes of chronic disease rather than simply managing symptoms. The tools and philosophy that we use as your Fort Collins Functional Medicine physicians help us to identify how patients become ill and any patterns involved that cause the disease or ailment. A Functional Medicine approach allows us to be more efficient and effective when treating patients, because we look at the body as a whole and work to understand how your unique system functions. 

    We also understand that diagnoses are not always simple – sometimes it requires out of the box thinking and a willingness to keep digging. We also know that a diagnosis for our patients often involves looking for more than one cause. For example, depression can be caused by many different factors – sometimes it has to do with one’s brain chemistry, but other things like gut health and inflammation can also certainly play a role in your mental health. Each cause can manifest itself differently depending on the individual’s environment, lifestyle, and genes. Only treatments that address all of the causes will have lasting benefits on your overall health.

    Restore Health Center is an innovative medical practice focused on helping you get your systems back to optimal function. With our complete wellness approach, you can live your healthiest life.

Ready to get started and take control of your health? Restore Health Center is your “functional medical physician near me,” and we’re here to help you. We are focused on identifying and removing the things that push you toward disease to help you fill your life with things that create overall wellness. Click here to learn more about our services, and contact us to set up a consultation. You can be on your way to optimal health today!

Posted on

Meet Restore Health: the Loveland Functional Medicine Doctor You’ve Been Looking For!

Loveland functional medicine doctor

Taking control of your health is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself. Functional Medicine involves healing the body as a whole – not just addressing your symptoms – to help you attain optimal wellness. Drs. James Howton and Rachel Fischer are Restore Health Center’s two top Functional Medicine physicians located in Loveland, CO. We’re conveniently located for individuals living in Loveland, Fort Collins, and Northern Colorado, however, we offer services to people living throughout Colorado and surrounding states. We provide a preventative approach to traditional medical practices. If you’re on the lookout for a Functional Medicine doctor, taking a look at Restore Health Center will be worth your time. 

Functional Medicine is relatively new. It is an area of medicine that still relies on the traditional medical practices you’re used to, including utilizing lab tests and studies, but Functional Medicine addresses the root cause of problems instead of just treating the presenting symptoms. Optimal health and wellness are our top priority. As Functional Medicine doctors in Loveland, we’re here to provide life-style based and natural solutions for your complete wellness.

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional Medicine is when doctors look into their patient’s histories, genetics, and environmental and lifestyle factors to see how they could influence long term health or lead to chronic disease. It focuses on treating the body as a whole organism, not just a collection of organs. It is more effective in the management and prevention of chronic diseases. 

When a patient-centered approach is used, physicians can support the healing process better. Health and illness are components that are affected by their environment. The goal of Functional Medicine is to change a person’s health from illness to overall well-being through shifting lifestyle and environmental factors.

What Do We Do At Restore Health – A Loveland Functional Medicine Doctor?

At Restore Health, we approach health challenges by addressing underlying issues first and focusing on disease prevention, not just treating symptoms with medication. We will take a close look at how your body interacts with food, environmental exposures, stress, and more. We serve patients living throughout Colorado and neighboring states, but we’re conveniently located for patients living in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Northern CO.

We offer treatments for autoimmune disease, thyroid dysfunction, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, and more. We also offer specialized services and treatment options specific to men, like GAINSWave, as well as specific treatments for women, like Geneveve.

As functional medicine physicians, we strive to offer the best that medicine has to offer, ranging from traditional medical interventions to innovative treatments like bio-identical hormone restoration, targeted nutritional supplementation, detoxing therapies, and more. 

How Do We Address Common Chronic Medical Conditions? 

We start by identifying and removing the things that push you toward disease. Then we help you fill your life with practices that create wellness to prevent disease and keep you healthy. When you work with us, we help you achieve optimal function.

At Restore Health, we believe in using food, nutritional supplements, exercise as well as meditation and stress reduction methods to address the underlying causes of your health problems. We work with you to find how best to help you achieve complete and lasting wellness. Restore Health Center is your destination for a Loveland Functional Medicine doctor. We are dedicated to helping you achieve overall wellness, identifying and removing the things that push you toward disease, and filling your life with practices that keep you healthy. Contact us today at 970-278-0900 to schedule your consultation and learn more about how we can help you achieve the quality of life you’ve always wanted!

Posted on

3 Things to Look for When Searching for a Functional Medicine Doctor Near Me

Functional Medicine doctor near me

If you’ve been searching for a “Functional Medicine doctor near me,” then you’ve come to the right place. At Restore Health Center, we are dedicated to a new model of health care that is focused on achieving optimal health rather than just treating disease. We focus on disease prevention, as well, to avoid any future health issues. We work with you to help get your body’s functions working properly to remove the things that are causing your symptoms. When choosing your Northern Colorado Functional Medicine doctor, it’s important to do your research. We’ve come up with three key things to look for when searching for a Functional Medicine doctor. 

1. What experience does the Functional Medicine doctor near me have?

Finding a Functional Medicine doctor with the appropriate experience and knowledge is important. Functional Medicine is a relatively new area of medicine, so it’s best if you can find a doctor who has been practicing it for a while. 

Our founder, Dr. James Howton, originally trained in family medicine. Over time, Dr. Howton transitioned his practice to a Functional Medicine/Regenerative Medicine model. His desire to address the root causes of problems, rather than covering up symptoms, has made him a leader and innovator in the field.

Dr. Rachel Fischer is a graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine and is trained in both preventive and internal medicine. She received her fellowship training at the University of Washington in Seattle and is board-certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. She completed her Functional Medicine training through the Institute for Functional Medicine. Prior to joining Restore Health, she practiced in Portland, Oregon, where she was named one of Portland’s “Top Docs” by the Portland Monthly.

Dr. Howton and Dr. Fischer are highly proficient in numerous forms of Functional Medicine and are dedicated to helping you live your best and healthiest life. 

2. What services does the Functional Medicine doctor near me offer?

When you are looking for the right Fort Collins Functional Medicine clinic, you should always look at the array of services they offer. In addition to lab tests and treatments, they should also offer an evaluation of your overall lifestyle. Rather than just making a diagnosis and determining which drugs will best treat a condition, Functional Medicine should look into the patient’s history and biochemistry to figure out the root cause of their condition. 

At Restore Health Center, we avail ourselves of the best that medicine has to offer, ranging from traditional medical interventions to innovative modalities, such as targeted nutritional supplementation through IV therapy, bioidentical hormone restoration, ultraviolet light therapies, detoxification, lifestyle consultations, and so much more. 

3. Is Functional Medicine right for you? 

You should also decide if Functional Medicine is right for you. There is tremendous value in modern medicine – particularly when it comes to acute injury and illness. Primary care doctors are perfect for acute illnesses and injuries. But for everything else, there is usually a lifestyle solution that can address inflammation, nutritional status, and hormonal balance. This is where Functional Medicine comes in. Functional Medicine can address the root cause of the problem rather than trying to prescribe more medications. Medications can help with issues like back pain, high cholesterol, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and skin problems, but they cannot fix the root cause.

Functional Medicine doctors work to address the underlying causes of problems, with a wide range of treatments at their disposal. These treatments include everything that traditional medicine offers, as well as non-traditional remedies such as meditation, diet, stress reduction, exercise, and nutritional supplements. At Restore Health Center, we work intimately with you to find what works best for your body. We’re here to help provide you with natural solutions to achieve complete wellness.

Restore Health Center is your premier destination for advanced wellness services for a “Functional Medicine doctor near me.” Our team is dedicated to identifying and removing the things that push you toward disease, and to filling your life with the things that create wellness, so you can get healthy and stay healthy. Contact us today at 970-278-0900 to schedule your consultation and learn more about how we can improve your quality of life.

Posted on

Food Allergies: Adverse Food Reactions and Allergy Evaluation with Restore Health Center

Restore Health Center

Have you ever experienced dizziness, recurrent headaches, hives, and/or a swollen or itchy tongue after eating a certain food? Do you have consistent joint pain or tummy troubles? Have you experienced bloating, constipation, gas, cramping, or nausea repeatedly after eating? These symptoms could mean that you have a food allergy sensitivity or an intolerance to certain foods.  Negative reactions to food are more common than you might think, and if you suspect that you have adverse food reactions, you might be right. Here at Restore Health Center, we offer food sensitivity and allergy testing to help you discover which foods your body reacts to poorly and help you find ways to avoid them to live a healthy, symptom-free life. Additionally, we offer guided Elimination Diets, which can often be just as — if not more — helpful.

Adverse food reactions can be broken down into three basic categories: allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. Food intolerances and sensitivities are more common than allergies. When you have a food allergy the reaction usually occurs within seconds to hours and symptoms result from your immune system increasing levels of a compound called IgE.  You might get hives, rash, or itchy feeling on your tongue or airways. This type of immune reaction has the potential to be quite severe, like with peanut allergies. When you have a food sensitivity, the reaction is still immune-mediated (by IgG and IgA) but can be slower than an IgE reaction and can occur within a few to 72 hours. That’s what makes identifying the source of these reactions so difficult! Unlike the potential danger of a food allergy, food sensitivities are not life-threatening but can lead to several uncomfortable or painful symptoms including belly pain, bloating, heartburn, headaches, joint pain, worsening skin issues like acne and eczema, as well as increased fatigue or sleep disturbances. Food intolerances are not an immune reaction and tend to result from poor digestion such as lactose intolerance because of the low production of the lactase enzyme that breaks down lactose.

Sometimes people don’t realize that they are experiencing adverse reactions to a specific food because of a delayed response and/or a reaction to multiple foods. Ongoing food reactions can also be a contributor to chronic health problems, such as digestive disturbances, chronic sinus congestion/drainage, mood swings, low energy, joint aches, and more. But this is often overlooked as a result of other health issues. Symptoms that have failed to respond to conventional medicine may often resolve by following an Elimination Diet, like the one used by the physicians at Restore Health.

Food Sensitivity Testing at Restore Health Center

Food allergy testing can be reliably helpful when you are trying to detect true food allergies. Food sensitivity testing is not always as dependable as allergy testing but it can definitely help reduce the guesswork in determining which foods your body may be struggling with. Doing a guided 21-30 day Elimination Diet is the gold standard for determining food sensitivities; however, testing takes less time and can be easier for some patients. 

At Restore Health Center, we prefer to use food sensitivity tests that examine your body’s reaction to the multiple peptides (the building blocks for protein) within specific foods that are common “offenders” such as eggs, dairy, wheat/gluten, corn, soy, and nuts. When you chew, digest and prepare/cook food many of the proteins are degraded or changed. General food sensitivity panels that test multiple foods are not examining how you react if the proteins change form. We have found that “peptide-level” tests better correlate clinically with the patient’s symptoms. 

As mentioned above, a great option for detecting food sensitivities, intolerances, or allergies is with the Institute for Functional Medicine Elimination Diet. An elimination diet removes certain foods that are known to cause uncomfortable symptoms. Then you reintroduce them one at a time no less than 21 days later while observing for symptoms. Once you have identified a food your body can’t tolerate, you can remove it from your diet to prevent any future uncomfortable symptoms. Unlike IgE allergies, foods you are only sensitive to can usually be reintroduced on a rotating basis after 9-12 months. 

During the three-week elimination diet, chronic symptoms should noticeably improve. After the three-week period, the food reintroduction process begins. You will add one food at a time back into your diet and observe if there are any negative symptoms associated with it. If a specific food continues to result in any negative symptoms, it is avoided for a longer period of time. Doing an elimination diet can seem daunting at first. At Restore Health Center, we provide patients with a comprehensive guide, weekly planner, and a shopping list to make it as easy as possible. Our health coach, Julie Michelson, can be a great resource to help patients through the whole process.

If you think you might have an adverse food reaction or sensitivity to a certain food, come to Restore Health Center for our food sensitivity testing. Our team of experts is dedicated to providing you with all of the tools and treatments to help you live your best and healthiest life. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and learn more about food sensitivity testing at Restore Health Center!

Posted on

Top 3 Reasons to Visit Restore Health Center, Your Fort Collins Hormone Specialist

Fort Collins Hormone Specialist

Hormones are incredibly important for the overall function and health of our bodies. They are the messengers that tell other parts of our body when and how to work. When our hormones are out of balance, negative health symptoms can occur and impact:

  • Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
  • Sexual function – including libido, erectile function and vaginal dryness
  • Menstrual cycle irregularities – including heavy, painful periods
  • Perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms – including hot flashes, night sweats and weight gain
  • Reproduction
  • Energy and repair 
  • Mood

The physicians at Restore Health Center, your Fort Collins hormone specialist, can help with hormone imbalances through the use of bioidentical hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are man-made hormones but who’s chemical structure is exactly like the ones produced by our bodies, unlike synthetic hormones found in birth control pills and other hormone replacement drugs such as Premarin. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA are matched and used for the treatment of men and women who have hormones that are low or out of balance. If you are experiencing weight gain or bloating, depression or anxiety, low libido, or chronic fatigue, it might be time to get your hormones checked. Restore Health Center’s Fort Collins bioidentical hormones can help!

  1. Personalized treatment plan – Our complete hormone replacement therapy starts with a consultation with one of our medical professionals. Then we do specialized testing and analyze your hormone levels. From this testing, our physician can determine and implement a treatment plan that is personalized to you and your needs. Additionally, we take into account other factors that might be influencing your symptoms such as how you eat, exercise and sleep. We never look at your hormones in isolation and take into consideration other systems that both impact and are impacted by hormone health, including cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal and immune health. Among other recommendations, your treatment plan could include bioidentical hormone injections, subcutaneous pellets, or topical creams to help your body regain balance. 
  2. Expert doctors –  Both our doctors provide in-depth hormone evaluation and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Dr. Fischer is a 2006 graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine and is trained in both internal medicine and preventive medicine. Dr. Howton completed his residency in Family Medicine in 1996 and practiced emergency medicine in Oklahoma until moving to Estes Park, Colorado. He has been using bioidentical hormones since the mid-1990s. With our Restore Health Center team, you are in the best hands. We have access to the latest technologies and devices, which allows us to meet the needs of our patients.
  3. Great results – We want to help you achieve your individual health goals to live your healthiest life. With everything we do, we strive to give you the best results possible. Restore Health Center, your Northern Colorado hormone replacement therapy clinic, uses only your body’s natural bioidentical hormones. We never replace hormones with synthetic chemicals. After the treatment, your hormones will be stabilized and your body will be better able to function at optimal health. 

If you are experiencing chronic fatigue, weight gain or bloating, depression or anxiety, or low libido, come see us at Restore Health Center, your Fort Collins hormone specialist. We can do a full hormone evaluation and help you bring your body back to optimal function. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and learn more about how bioidentical hormone therapy can help!

Posted on

Restore Health Center, Your Northern Colorado Optimal Health Center

Northern Colorado Optimal Health

Have you been looking for a way to achieve overall wellness in your life? Restore Health Center is your best option for Northern Colorado optimal health care. We use advanced Functional Medicine practices to identify what is holding you back from improving your quality of life. Finding optimal health is more than just treating symptoms. It involves identifying and treating the root causes of disease in order to correct problems but it also allows us to address areas that are functioning well in order to optimize performance. 

Restore Health Center is truly an optimal health clinic where we help you bring physiological systems back to optimal function. We think in terms of how your body works within its genetic predispositions and how it interacts with food, environmental toxins, and stress. When needed, we use conventional medications and testing. We also use food as medical therapy, combined with targeted clinical approaches. With our complete wellness approach, our goal is to identify the root causes of your symptoms and get you on a path to feeling your best. Restore Health Center is your Northern Colorado optimal health care provider, and we will work with you to identify the root causes of your health challenges to treat them at their core.

For your convenience, we are a one-stop-shop, Northern Colorado optimal health clinic that offers services for healing the mind and body.  Rather than fixating on a single group of symptoms, we look at improving the body as a whole. Our aim is to use comprehensive care that works towards one goal. As a result, our patients see better health outcomes.

At the Restore Health Center optimal health clinic, we want to help you with your thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, and more. We also have treatments tailored specifically to men and women.

We offer total body services such as bioidentical hormone therapy, stem cell therapy, and IV nutrient therapies. We also look at adrenal issues, brain disorders, and chronic stress to see how they might be affecting your overall quality of life. People suffering from fatigue, anxiety, depression, and stress could all benefit from our services. We help you make simple changes to your lifestyle, provide your body with valuable nutrients, balance your hormones, and restore your energy levels back to normal to get you back to living your life to the fullest. Many of these issues can be improved and possibly even reversed if the underlying problems are addressed. At Restore Health Center, your Northern Colorado optimal health center, we will always look deeper than the surface symptoms to give you the best treatment possible.

Restore Health Center is your premier destination in Northern Colorado for optimal health. Our team of experts is dedicated to providing you with all of the tools and treatments to help you live your best life. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and learn more about how we can get your mind and body to optimal health.

Posted on

Traditional Medicine vs. Functional Medicine Colorado

Functional Medicine Colorado

At Restore Health Center, we are dedicated to a new model of health care that is focused on achieving optimal health rather than just treating disease. This is the crux of our Functional Medicine Colorado practice. We choose to approach health challenges in a systematic manner, addressing the underlying issues and looking at the body’s systems, rather than merely chasing symptoms with medications. And we are proactive – not just reactive – as we also focus on disease prevention. 

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional Medicine is a relatively new area of medicine that relies on the traditional tenets of science-based medicine( including lab-based analysis, tests, and studies), but instead of just treating the presenting issue, Functional medical practitioners work to address the underlying causes of problems with a wide range of treatments at their disposal. These treatments include everything that traditional medicine offers, as well as non-traditional remedies such as diet, meditation, stress reduction, exercise, and oftentimes nutritional supplements and herbal treatments, all based on the studies doctors have come to rely on. We work intimately with you to find what works best for your body and needs. Health and wellness is your top priority, and as your Functional Medicine Colorado providers, we’re here to help provide you with natural solutions for your complete wellness.

Functional Medicine vs. Traditional Medicine

Functional Medicine differs from more traditional medicine in that traditional medicine often has a focus on the symptoms and “turning those symptoms off.” As explained by the Morrison Center, the conventional medicine model is exceptional at addressing acute and urgent medical conditions like heart attacks and broken bones. However, the philosophy that guides the Functional Medicine approach to health shines particularly in its approach to chronic symptoms. “When a patient has experienced long-lasting or recurring symptoms, conventional medicine does not tend to address the underlying cause. The focus is instead on the symptoms, and treatment is often geared toward turning those symptoms off.” 

As Functional Medicine doctors at Restore Health Loveland, we avail ourselves to the best that medicine has to offer, ranging from traditional medical interventions to innovative modalities such as bioidentical hormone restoration (including sex hormones, thyroid and more), targeted nutritional supplementation (including intravenous nutrients), detoxification, oxidative therapies, and so much more. Despite the fact that to many people, being healthy is defined as not being diagnosed with an ailment or other condition that compromises your ability to live your life, we believe in approaching your life and health in a more elevated sense. 

Your loftiest health goals and your loftiest life are there for the taking. Let us help you achieve it. Your Functional Medicine Colorado doctors, Dr. James Howton and Dr. Rachel Fischer, are highly proficient in numerous forms of Functional Medicine and are dedicated to helping you live your best life, happily. We encourage you to schedule a consultation at Restore Health Center today by calling us at 970-278-0900 or by visiting us online at www.Restorehealthcenter.net. 

Posted on

Why Are Probiotic and Prebiotic Foods Important? Your Questions Answered by Our Colorado Functional Medicine Specialists

Colorado Functional Medicine

At Restore Health Center Loveland, your Colorado Functional Medicine specialists, we are dedicated to a new model of health care that is focused on achieving optimal health, rather than treating disease. We look at the body’s systems rather than just symptoms. This largely includes what foods we’re putting into our body’s systems and the effects that those foods have on our health. 

When it comes to eating foods that are instrumental in creating health and wellness, one of the most important considerations is the inclusion of probiotic and prebiotic foods in your diet. According to Medical News Today, “Prebiotics and probiotics both support the body in building and maintaining a healthy colony of bacteria and other microorganisms, which supports the gut and aids in digestion. These food components help promote beneficial bacteria by providing food and creating an environment where microorganisms can flourish.” 

This environment where microorganisms can flourish is also called our microbiome. As the Mayo Clinic describes it, “the lining of your gut, like every surface of your body, is covered in microscopic creatures, mostly bacteria. These organisms create a micro-ecosystem called the microbiome. And though we don’t really notice it’s there, it plays an oversized role in your health and can even affect your mood and behavior.”

Check out our previous blog post talking to your Fort Collins GI Doctor about eating for your microbiome for tips on what foods to eat. But one of the most important ways to eat for your microbiome is by including prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet. The key to a healthy microbiome is creating a balance between all the different species of beneficial bacteria found in the gut. To maintain this balance, we must help the microbes already living thereby giving them the food they need (prebiotics) and adding living microbes directly to your system (probiotics).  As a matter of fact, the better the ratio of beneficial bacteria present, the less likely the “non-beneficial” bacteria, fungi and yeast are to overgrow–potentially creating or contributing to poor health.

Prebiotics are mostly present in fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, and especially those that contain complex carbohydrates. As the Mayo Clinic explains, “These carbs aren’t digestible by your body, so they pass through the digestive system to become food for bacteria and other microbes.” 

Probiotics, on the other hand, contain live organisms that add directly to the population of healthy microbes already living in your microbiome. You can make sure you’re getting enough probiotics with foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, or kombucha, or with supplements. Keep in mind, that every food or spice creates its own unique probiotic when fermented, so variety is key. If you’re not sure what type of supplements to take or foods to eat to ensure you’re getting enough quality probiotics, you can ask the Functional Medicine specialists at Restore Health. 

All in all, the ecosystem in your gut must be healthy for you to be healthy. Normalizing gut function and flora through improved diet, increased fiber intake, daily probiotic supplementation, enzyme therapy, the use of nutrients that repair the gut lining, and the direct treatment of bad bugs in the gut with herbs or medications can be remarkable. Our patients find relief from allergies, acne, arthritis, headaches, autoimmune disease, depression, ADD/ADHD, and more – simply by restoring their delicate gut system.

Please call your Colorado Functional Medicine specialists at Restore Health at 970-278-0900 or visit us online at www.restorehealthcenter.net, so that we can help restore the symbiotic relationship between you and your gut. 

Posted on

Factors That Affect Thyroid Function: An Overview With the Top Functional Medicine Specialist Fort Collins Has to Offer

Thyroid Specialist Fort Collins

Have you ever noticed that you’re frequently tired, have cold hands, or have excess body fat? If so, you may be suffering from a thyroid disorder. If this is the case, then you’ll want to visit the top functional medicine specialist Fort Collins has to offer.  We suggest that you consider getting a functional medicine approach to a thyroid evaluation. And while these are only a few of the symptoms associated with thyroid disorder, they are some of the more common symptoms.

According to the American Thyroid Association, more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. Those statistics are fairly staggering.

Not even sure what or where your thyroid is? That’s okay. It’s our job to keep you informed on such things. The thyroid gland is located in the middle of the lower neck and is relatively small but crucial to a healthy and thriving body.

The thyroid is a hormone-producing gland that regulates the body’s metabolism. Thyroid hormones convert oxygen and calories into energy. This process is known as metabolism. Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for their metabolism. Essentially, hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Hyperthyroidism, another type of thyroid disease, is a condition causing the gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. So basically, when dysfunction occurs, people either produce too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroid) or too little (hypothyroid). Additional symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, fuzzy thinking, low blood pressure, fluid retention, depression, body pain, slow reflexes, and much more. Additional symptoms of hyperthyroidism tend to reflect the rapid metabolism that results from an oversupply of thyroid hormone. Common symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, rapid weight loss, diarrhea, high heart rate, high blood pressure, eye sensitivity/bulging and vision disturbances, and many other concerns.

Oftentimes, people who experience these symptoms will go to the doctor only to be told that their thyroid is normal, but then continue feeling lousy and completely at a loss for what to do next. This is why you may need further investigation than what is typically performed. Restore Health Center, your Functional Medicine Colorado provider, offers additional testing that can help you pinpoint exactly what thyroid complications you may be suffering from.

What sets us apart from other doctors or thyroid specialists in the area is our thyroid panels? The classic thyroid panel ordered by most physicians consists of only two tests: Total T4 and TSH. At Restore Health Center, we believe that these two tests alone do not give adequate insight into your current level of thyroid function. We prefer a more comprehensive panel, which includes: TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, anti-Thyrioglobulin and anti-TPO. Many practitioners are simply not familiar with those parameters and will not test for them. Here are the labs that we offer:

  • Free Thyroxine (T4) – Evaluates the amount of unbound T4 available to the cells and tissues for use; this is distinct from total T4 which includes both bound (unavailable) and unbound hormone.
  • Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) – This is secreted by the pituitary gland and stimulates the thyroid to make primarily T4.
  • Free Tri-iodothyronine (T3) – Measures the amount of T3 (the active form of the hormone) available to the cells and tissues.
  • Anti-thyroperoxidase (Anti-TPO) Measures the levels of antibodies against this thyroid enzyme
  • Anti-Thyroglobulin (Anti-TG) Measures the levels of antibodies against this thyroid protein
  • Reverse T3 – Reverse T3 is an inactive form of thyroid that locks energy out of the cells. If there is too much Reverse T3, it doesn’t matter if the rest of the thyroid panel appears to be normal: the patient will be suffering from a form of hypothyroid. In cases of chronic stress (acute illness, trauma, infection, physical stress) and starvation (yo-yo dieting) too much T4 is converted to Reverse T3.

Additionally, check out this graphic below via the Institute for Functional Medicine. It explains the different factors that affect thyroid function including which vitamins and nutrients contribute to the proper production of thyroid hormones, increase the conversion of T4 to T3, and improve cellular sensitivity to thyroid hormones.

If you or anyone you know may be suffering from thyroid disorder, contact us today at 970-278-0900 or visit us at our website at www.restorehealthcenter.net. Your health and wellness, including your thyroid health, are our top priority. Ready to get started? Please click here to learn more about our services and contact us to set up a consultation.  

Posted on

Why You Should Use a Northern Colorado Functional Medical Doctor

Northern Colorado Functional Medicine Doctor

If you’re on the lookout for a Northern Colorado Functional Medicine doctor, then taking a close look at Restore Health Center is definitely worth your time. The future of conventional medicine, Functional Medicine focuses on treating the root causes of disease, rather than simply chasing symptoms with medications. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, Chair of the Institute for Functional Medicine, “Functional medicine seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease, and views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties. It treats the whole system, not just the symptoms.”

When it comes to the standard model of healthcare, the traditional roadmap to health includes diagnosing a disease and matching the disease with a corresponding drug. “The standard model of care works well for acute diseases, trauma, infection, and emergencies. Sadly, it fails miserably in the care of the chronic diseases that affect over 125 million Americans” (MBG).

Rather than masking symptoms, at Restore Health Center Loveland, we are dedicated to a new model of healthcare that is focused on achieving optimal health rather than treating disease. We approach health challenges in a systematic manner. By addressing underlying issues rather than chasing symptoms with medications, we are able to achieve your ultimate health goals. We look at the body’s systems and proactively focus on disease prevention.

As Functional Medicine doctors, we avail ourselves to the best that medicine has to offer, ranging from traditional medical interventions to innovative modalities such as bioidentical hormone restoration (including sex hormones, thyroid, adrenals, and more), targeted nutritional supplementation (including intravenous nutrients), detoxification, oxidative therapies, and so much more. Despite the fact that to many people, being healthy is defined as not being diagnosed with an ailment or other condition that compromises your ability to live your life, we believe in approaching your life and health in a more elevated sense. Your loftiest health goals and your loftiest life are there for the taking. Let us help you achieve it. Your Northern Colorado Functional Medicine doctors, Dr. James Howton and Dr. Rachel Fischer, are highly proficient in numerous forms of Functional Medicine and are dedicated to helping you live your best life, happily.

Restore Health Center Loveland is your premier destination for advanced wellness services to improve your quality of life. Our team is dedicated to providing you with an unparalleled and rejuvenating experience in a caring and comfortable environment. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and learn more about how we can improve your quality of life.