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Functional Medicine & Whole Foods Nutrition
Do you remember when "health food stores" came into nearly every neighborhood? Almost everyone had their turn with an alfalfa-carrot-spinach-apple-dirt-flavored green juice drink. Neither the horrible taste nor the $7 price tag (higher than a designer coffee at the time) deterred them from their venture to health. This doesn't seem like a sustainable trend. And for most, it wasn't. As a mental health clinician, I have to wonder if the trend became more about the idea of doing something good for your body/self rather than really shifting gears to treat the cause of the issue.
So often I meet with people who don't know why they don't feel well. This is usually because they don't know the cause of their discomfort. Sometimes they have symptoms narrowed down and that's helpful. But until we work together to find out why an unanswered phone call or unmet need is cause for a sleepless night, we can't really get to the root of effective treatment. It feels good to talk about because at least they're not alone in their suffering. However, this, too, isn't going to yield a long-term result. Treating our minds, spirits, and our bodies together seems to be the most effective method.
Because the body, spirit and mind are so closely intertwined, it seems only natural that the people I work with are also looking at how they can heal themselves physically to achieve true happiness in their lives. This is where a community partner, Melissa Altman has become invaluable to the holistic element of wellbeing!
Melissa Altman is a registered nurse (RN) with a passion for holistic care. She lives as we do in this lowcountry community, but with knowledge and skill to support her clients find wellness in addition to "feeling better" and that takes her one giant step above routine nursing care.
Melissa is certified in the practice of functional medicine (CFMP) and Certified Clinician of Whole Food Nutrition (CCWFN), with a feather in her cap as a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Functional Medicine Practitioner/Nutritionist as well! She helps people with the following struggles:
Gut imbalances
Autoimmune Disorders
Metabolic Dysfunction
Weight Loss
Nutritional Deficiencies
Mood Disorders
Blood sugar Dysregulation
Toxic Burden Overload
Food Allergies/Sensitivities
Leaky Gut
Before you take a mental image in your mind of what this all means, be sure you're not replacing an image of a crunchy health food store and the sting of incense and compost through the nose. We're also not talking walls of floor-to-ceiling displays of vitamins and supplements under flashy lighting with giant orange price stickers. Instead, Melissa shares that she makes recommendations for dietary and lifestyle changes, supplements , and other interventions that support the body’s natural healing processes.
The assumption here is that the body knows that to do to heal itself. It just needs the right balance to create a rehabilitative environment. This is a near perfect overlay of what mental health clinicians believe about the mind. Given the right environment, set up for success, the brain will heal itself. It knows what to do. It just needs support!
Melissa's approach is simple and straight forward so you can focus on your care and you can select one of the 3 options that fits your needs best through a variety of packages.
She offers:
Problem-focused visits
Access by phone and email that don't require a visit
Initial consults
Lab reviews
Nutrition Consulting
Grocery Store Meetings
Detox Prep calls
How it all works:
Step 1: Once you schedule your first appointment, you’ll receive an invitation by email to complete your new patient forms & questionnaires in Practice Better.
Step 2: At the first appointment, we will review the areas in need of support and determine what testing is necessary.
Step 3: If you agree that labs would be helpful, Melissa places an order for them and you go to a mobile lab drawing station
Step 4: About three weeks later, Melissa receives the lab results and will meet with you to review and build recommendations to help you meet your goals.
This is all based on science, measured results, and sustainable changes with support! Just as Greek physician, Hippocrates, said: "Let thy food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be thy food."
If you're interested in speaking with Melissa, or learning more about the process, you can check out her website at www.melissaaltman.com, by email at melissa.altman63@gmail.com or by phone at (843) 478-4660.