One More Why!

Have you ever had the experience of a inquisitive child, wondering endlessly why everything is the way it is…?

“Momma, why is the grass green?” You come up with something amazing about chlorophyll causing the green color.

“Why?” You remember the term photosynthesis, and half make up how chlorophyll makes energy from light…

“Why?” Getting a little frustrated, you explain that that is just the way it works.

One more… “Why?” Why is that the way that it works?

I have been thinking about the distinction between what I do, and call Functional Medicine…and what you are accustomed to, what I call Mainstream Medicine.

The effective difference is that Functional Medicine CAN locate the underlying cause of chronic conditions, where Mainstream Medicine admits that it lacks the understanding of why most chronic diseases occur in the first place.

Is the diagnostic process so much different? I have contended that it is…and I may be wrong. The difference truly lies in the “One More Why.”

For instance…both sciences agree that Diabetes is low insulin production due to damage of the pancreas, or a “resistance” to the insulin that you produce. Mainstream Medicine says, “that is just the way it works.” Functional Medicine simply asks (one more) “Why?” And then digs deeper into how insulin is produced and interacts with muscle cells and other cells to produce energy.

What we find, in asking that one more why, is a multitude of possibilities. Perhaps the patient is stressed out, and surges of the hormone cortisol have caused insulin resistance. Perhaps the patient is infected with a bacteria, yeast, or even parasite, that has caused an immune imbalance resulting in an autoimmune destruction of the pancreas. Perhaps the little glucose converting energy factories, called mitochondria have been damaged as a result of mercury or lead exposure. Perhaps the patient is slightly deficient in the trace mineral chromium, or vanadium, or magnesium. Perhaps the patient suffers from heartburn, also known as reflux, and has been prescribed an antacid, which prevents absorption of zinc, which is another essential trace mineral for blood glucose control…and the heartburn is caused from an erosion in the stomach from taking pain pills to treat knee pain, and the knee pain is caused by a fallen arch in the foot, and the fallen arch is caused by overtraining in cross country running.

Is the patient’s diabetes then a compensation for the need for rest and treatment of the muscles of the foot? I would say so, at least in an indirect fashion.

And, of course, the diabetes could be a result of eating too many trans fats and processed carbohydrates, along with a lack of nutritionally sound food such as protein and vegetables.

The exciting prospect of this “One More Why,” is that the next answer is the solution to the problem. We can correct and imbalanced diet and nutrient deficiencies, as long as the patient is willing. We can correct stress hormones, infections, toxicity, even stomach erosions and foot muscle imbalances.

We can actually find and correct the underlying dysfunctions for chronic disease, leading to a resolution and an end of treatment.

If we stop at, “That is just the way it works,” we are stuck…not completely…you can still take the medications that help control blood glucose, but you will always be a diabetic, and you will always depend on the medications.

I realize that some people will take charge themselves and change their diet, possibly even to the point of no longer “qualifying” for diabetes…they asked the “one more why” themselves. I also know of people who eat and exercise “perfectly” and continue to struggle with blood glucose control, along with low energy and other symptoms…they asked the “one more why,” but didn’t have the diagnostic know how to really get to the bottom of it.

This can be expanded to nearly every condition: High blood pressure is caused by fluid retention and/or narrowed or constricted blood vessels…WHY? Neuropathy is caused by damage to the nerves in the feet and hands…WHY (are they damaged)? Heart attacks are caused by clogged arteries…WHY (are they clogged)? Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune system attacking your tissues…WHY (does the immune system attack)?

Functional Medicine asks and answers that “one more why” for many chronic conditions such as these. Functional Medicine doesn’t accept that “that is just the way it works (let’s manage the problem with medication).” Functional Medicine has the unique tools (natural medicine) that work on the “one more why,” so we are eager to ask, eager to correct the underlying problem, and open minded enough to consider your immune system, your foot, your medications you take, your diet, your nutritional intake, your stress levels, and your digestion, circulation, hormones, and even your brain.

If you have read my book, this is just another aspect of the process I describe…Starting with asking how we can move toward health…diagnosing the process (one more why), observing the interactions of different systems and functions of the body, and honoring adaptations, such as the foot example. Which all results in a new expectation…not “owning” a disease or condition…rather, expecting that you CAN heal, that you can move past this problem, just like any other. Perhaps freedom…or independence.

That is the result of “One More Why!”