What is Functional Medicine?
You've tried everything. The restrictive diets. The expensive supplements. The workout plans that leave you more exhausted than energized. Your labs come back "normal," but you know something's off. You're not crazy—you're just looking for answers in a system that wasn't designed to find them.
Your fatigue, bloat, anxiety, and stubborn weight aren't separate problems. They're all connected. And the reason nothing's working? You've been treating symptoms, not systems.
Welcome to functional medicine, where we stop asking "what" and start asking "why."
Functional medicine is a science-based approach that identifies and addresses the root causes of disease by viewing the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided by medical specialties. It treats the whole person, not just the symptoms, using advanced testing, personalized protocols, and lifestyle medicine to restore optimal function at the cellular level.
Think of it this way: If conventional medicine is about putting out fires, functional medicine is about finding out who keeps lighting the matches and taking them away.
The Difference Between Western Medicine vs Functional Medicine
Western Medicine
Let’s break down key traits of Western Medicine vs Functional Medicine:
Focus: Disease management and symptom suppression. When you have high blood pressure, you get a pill. When you have depression, you get an antidepressant. When you have heartburn, you get a proton pump inhibitor.
Approach: Standardized protocols based on diagnosis. Every person with Type 2 diabetes gets essentially the same treatment plan. Your unique genetics, environment, and lifestyle? Not really part of the equation.
Treatment: Primarily pharmaceutical interventions and surgical procedures. Quick fixes that often require lifetime management. Band-aids that never quite stick.
Emphasis: Acute care excellence. Western medicine saves lives in emergencies. Think heart attacks, broken bones, infections. It's brilliant at crisis intervention. But chronic disease? That's where it falls short.
Timeline: 7-15 minute appointments focused on immediate complaints. There's no time to connect the dots between your decade of digestive issues and your recent anxiety diagnosis.
Functional Medicine
Now, let’s compare those traits to Functional Medicine:
Focus: Root cause resolution and optimal function. We don't just want to lower your inflammation markers, we want to know WHY they're high. Is it your gut? Hidden infections? Food sensitivities? Toxic burden? We investigate until we find the answer.
Approach: Personalized medicine based on YOUR specific biochemistry. Sarah's fatigue (low ferritin + high reverse T3) needs completely different support than Jennifer's fatigue (crashed cortisol + viral reactivation). You're not a template.
Treatment: Multi-faceted healing using nutrition, targeted supplementation, lifestyle modification, stress management, and when necessary, pharmaceutical support. We use every tool available, but food and lifestyle come first.
Emphasis: Prevention and reversal of chronic disease. We're not managing your Hashimoto's, we're putting it in remission. We're not controlling your IBS, we're healing your gut.
Timeline: Comprehensive appointments (often 60-90 minutes initially) that allow us to understand your full story. Because that rash you had at 25? It might explain your thyroid issues at 45.
Why Do We Need Functional Medicine?
Chronic Disease is Winning
Six in ten adults have a chronic disease. Four in ten have two or more, according to the CDC. These aren't genetic inevitabilities, they're largely preventable and often reversible conditions that our current system is failing to address. We're spending more on healthcare than ever before, yet we're sicker than ever. Something's not working.
The 17-Year Gap
It takes an average of 17 years for medical research to make it into clinical practice, according to research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Seventeen years. While you're being told your thyroid is "fine" because your TSH is 4.5, the research has already shown optimal levels should be under 2.5. While you're being prescribed antidepressants for your mood, studies have shown that correcting B12, iron, and thyroid function can completely resolve depression in many cases.
Your Symptoms Are Connected
That anxiety you're medicating? It might be your gut bacteria. The weight you can't lose? Could be your thyroid antibodies. The migraines that won't quit? Often it's hormones. But when you see different specialists for each symptom, nobody connects the dots. You end up with five prescriptions instead of one solution.
"Normal" Labs Don't Mean Optimal Health
Here's what drives me crazy: the reference ranges on your lab work? They're based on the average of whoever got tested at that lab including sick people. "Normal" just means you're as healthy as everyone else walking around exhausted, inflamed, and medicated. Functional medicine uses optimal ranges based on where your body actually thrives, not just survives.
Prevention Is Broken
We wait until you have diabetes to address your blood sugar. We wait until you have a heart attack to discuss inflammation. We wait until you have an autoimmune disease to look at your gut health. Functional medicine identifies and addresses dysfunction before it becomes disease. Because why wait for the diagnosis when we can prevent it?
Tired of being told you're "fine" when you know you're not? Learn how our practitioners actually listen.
What is a functional medicine practitioner?
A functional medicine practitioner is a healthcare professional who combines traditional or integrative medical training with specialized certification in functional and integrative medicine from certified institutions like the Institute for Functional Medicine, Functional Medicine University, or similar accredited programs. They typically invest hundreds of additional hours beyond their initial medical education learning systems biology, nutritional biochemistry, and how to interpret complex laboratory data that conventional training doesn't cover.
These practitioners serve as health detectives and strategic partners, trained to spend actual time with you because complex chronic conditions require deep investigation. They're skilled in reading between the lines of your health history, recognizing patterns in your health history that might be connected to your current issues.
What sets them apart is their lens: they view symptoms as clues, not endpoints. While a conventional doctor might see IBS and prescribe antispasmodics, a functional medicine practitioner sees IBS and investigates SIBO, parasites, enzyme deficiency, bile acid malabsorption, nervous system dysregulation, and food sensitivities because "IBS" isn't a diagnosis, it's a description.
They're also trained in therapeutic partnerships, meaning they educate and empower rather than dictate. They'll explain why they're recommending specific interventions, what to expect, and how to modify protocols based on your response. They see you as the expert on your body and themselves as the expert on translating what your body is trying to tell you.
At Higher Standard Wellness, our practitioners bring an additional layer: they're specifically trained in the unique ways women's bodies manifest dysfunction, understanding that what looks like a thyroid problem might actually be a gut issue, and what seems like depression might actually be something like mold toxicity.
Who Should See a Functional Medicine Practitioner?
Let me be clear: functional medicine isn't for everyone. If you want a quick fix, a magic pill, or someone to do the work for you, this isn't it. But if you're ready to partner in your healing, to understand your body's language, and to make changes that last? You're in the right place.
5 signs you’re ready to see a Functional Medicine Practitioner:
You're Done Being Dismissed
You've been to multiple doctors. You've been told your labs are "normal," it's "just stress," or worse, it's "all in your head." You know something's wrong, but nobody's listening. Functional medicine practitioners are trained to believe you, investigate deeper, and find answers where others stopped looking.
You Have Mystery Symptoms
Chronic fatigue that sleep doesn't fix. Digestive issues that elimination diets don't solve. Brain fog that caffeine can't cut through. Weight gain that defies calories in/calories out. Anxiety that meditation doesn't touch. When your symptoms don't fit in neat diagnostic boxes, functional medicine excels.
You're on Multiple Medications
If you're taking medication for your medication's side effects, we need to talk. If you're on year five of the same prescriptions with no plan to get off them, something's missing. Functional medicine works to address why you need those medications in the first place.
You Want to Prevent What Runs in Your Family
Your mom has Hashimoto's. Your dad has diabetes. Your sister has endometriosis. Genetics load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger. Functional medicine helps you understand your genetic vulnerabilities and create a plan to keep those genes turned off.
You're a High Performer Who's Hit a Wall
You've built the business, raised the family, conquered the goals but now your body's not cooperating. You can't out-hustle hormone imbalance. You can't out-work inflammation. High achievers often need functional medicine because their bodies have been running on stress hormones for so long, the tank is finally empty.
You're not alone in this journey. Join hundreds of women who are healing together in our community.
What Conditions Does a Functional Medicine Practitioner Help With?
I see several issues every single day in practice and more importantly, we're successfully resolving.
7 Common Conditions Functional Medicine Treats:
Digestive Disorders
IBS, SIBO, leaky gut, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation, acid reflux. Your gut is the foundation of health. When it's compromised, everything else falls apart. We don't just manage symptoms we rebuild your digestive system from the ground up.
Hormone Imbalances
Thyroid disorders (especially Hashimoto's), PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, perimenopause chaos, low testosterone, adrenal dysfunction. Hormones are messengers. When the message is wrong, your whole body suffers. We decode the message and restore communication.
Autoimmune Conditions
Hashimoto's, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, psoriasis, celiac disease. Autoimmunity means your immune system is confused, not broken. We identify what's confusing it (usually gut dysfunction, infections, or toxins) and restore immune intelligence.
Metabolic Dysfunction
Diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, stubborn weight gain, inability to lose weight. Your metabolism isn't slow, it's stuck. We unstick it by addressing the root causes: inflammation, hormones, toxins, and cellular dysfunction.
Mental Health Concerns
Anxiety, depression, ADHD, brain fog, memory issues. Your brain runs on nutrients, not just neurotransmitters. When we fix your gut, balance your hormones, and replete your nutrients, your mood often follows.
Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
These aren't "wastebasket diagnoses", they're real conditions with real causes. Mitochondrial dysfunction, viral reactivation, toxic burden, nutrient depletion. We systematically address each factor until your energy returns.
Skin Conditions
Acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, premature aging. Your skin is your body's billboard. It's showing you what's happening inside. Clear the inflammation, heal the gut, balance the hormones and watch your skin transform.
What Is the Functional Medicine Model?
The functional medicine model is built on several core principles that radically shift how we approach health:
Systems Biology Over Symptom Management
Your body isn't a collection of parts, it's an intricate web of connections. Your thyroid affects your gut. Your gut affects your brain. Your brain affects your hormones. We treat the web, not individual strands.
Biochemical Individuality
You are genetically and biochemically unique. What works for your sister might be poison for you. What depletes your friend might restore you. We honor this individuality with personalized protocols based on YOUR labs, YOUR genetics, YOUR story.
Patient-Centered, Not Disease-Centered
Traditional medicine asks, "What disease do you have and what drug treats it?" Functional medicine asks, "Why do YOU have this problem and what can we do to restore function?" It's personal, not protocol.
Health as Positive Vitality
Health isn't just the absence of disease, it's the presence of energy, clarity, joy, and resilience. We're not trying to get you to "not sick." We're trying to get you to VIBRANT.
Dynamic Balance
Your body is always seeking balance, but modern life keeps knocking it off course. Stress, toxins, processed food, lack of sleep, they all push you toward dysfunction. Functional medicine identifies what's pushing you out of balance and removes it, while adding what helps you rebalance.
The Healing Power of the Body
Given the right conditions, your body knows how to heal. We're not healing you, we're creating conditions for your body to heal itself. Remove what's harming, add what's missing, support what's struggling.
This is exactly how we approach healing at Higher Standard Wellness. Meet the team that will guide your transformation
6 Reasons to See a Functional Medicine Practitioner
If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to see a functional medicine practitioner, the answer might be yes. Functional medicine isn’t just for those who feel unwell—it’s for anyone who wants to understand their body, uncover root causes, and take a proactive approach to health. Here are six powerful reasons to consider working with a functional medicine practitioner to reach your next level of well-being.
You Want Answers, Not Band-Aids
You're tired of prescriptions that mask symptoms without addressing causes. You want to know WHY you have inflammation, not just take anti-inflammatories forever. You want to understand your body, not just medicate it.
You're Ready for a Partnership
Functional medicine is collaborative. You're not a passive recipient of care—you're an active participant in your healing. Your input matters. Your observations matter. Your intuition about your body matters.
You Want to Age Without Decline
You've seen what "normal" aging looks like, medications accumulating, energy declining, body breaking down. You want a different story. Functional medicine helps you age with vitality, not just survive getting older.
You Value Prevention
Why wait for the heart attack to address inflammation? Why wait for diabetes to balance blood sugar? Why wait for the autoimmune diagnosis to heal your gut? Functional medicine identifies and addresses dysfunction before it becomes disease.
You've Hit a Dead End with Conventional Care
Your doctor says your labs are normal. Your specialist says there's nothing more they can do. You're told to "just live with it." Functional medicine practitioners are trained to look deeper, test differently, and find solutions where others see dead ends.
You Want to Optimize, Not Just Survive
Maybe you're not "sick" but you know you could feel better. Your energy could be higher. Your thinking could be clearer. Your performance could improve. Functional medicine isn't just for the ill, it's for anyone who wants to thrive.
Ready to thrive, not just survive? Book your free discovery call today
How to Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner
Finding the right functional medicine practitioner is like dating, you need chemistry, credentials, and commitment.
Here's where Higher Standard Wellness enters the conversation. We've taken the guesswork out of finding quality functional medicine care. Our practitioners aren't just certified, they're artists at connecting dots others miss. We specialize in women's health because we understand the unique ways female bodies express dysfunction. We speak hormone. We speak gut. We speak the language of your symptoms.
What to Look for When Selecting a Functional Medicine Practitioner
Choosing the right functional medicine practitioner can make all the difference in your healing journey. It’s not just about credentials, it’s about finding someone who takes the time to understand your story, connects the dots others may have missed, and partners with you every step of the way. Here’s what to look for when selecting a practitioner who will truly support your long-term health and transformation.
Comprehensive Training
Look for practitioners certified by a reputable organization like Functional Medicine University, Institute of Integrative Nutrition, or The School of Applied Functional Medicine. But also look beyond letters after their name. How long have they been practicing? What's their success rate with conditions like yours?
Specialization That Matches Your Needs
Functional medicine is vast. Some practitioners excel at gut health, others at hormones, others at autoimmunity. Find someone whose expertise aligns with your primary concerns. At Higher Standard Wellness, we specialize in the trifecta: gut, hormones, and metabolism because they're usually all connected.
Testing Capabilities
True functional medicine requires comprehensive testing. If they're only running basic labs your regular doctor could order, that's not functional medicine. Look for practitioners who use specialty labs, comprehensive stool analysis, advanced hormone panels, organic acids, food sensitivity testing.
Time and Attention
If they're offering 15-minute appointments, run. Functional medicine requires time to understand your complete picture. Initial appointments should be at least 60 minutes. Follow-ups should be substantial enough to actually address your concerns.
Support Between Visits
Healing doesn't happen in appointments, it happens in your daily life. Look for practices that offer support between visits. At Higher Standard Wellness, our clients have access to us between sessions because questions don't wait for scheduled calls.
Red Flags When Looking for a Functional Medicine Practitioner
Just as there are signs of a great functional medicine practitioner, there are also red flags to watch for. The right doctor should combine science, compassion, and collaboration, not shortcuts or sales pitches. As you explore your options, keep an eye out for these common warning signs when choosing a functional medicine practitioner or clinic.
One-Size-Fits-All Protocols
If everyone gets the same supplement pack or diet plan, that's not personalized medicine. Your protocol should be as unique as your fingerprint.
No Testing, Just Guessing
Some practitioners skip testing to save money but end up costing you more in worthless supplements. Proper testing might seem expensive upfront, but it saves money and time by targeting exactly what you need.
Overwhelming Supplement Protocols
If you're leaving with 30 supplements on day one, something's wrong. Good practitioners prioritize addressing the most important issues first, then layering in support as your body is ready.
Promises of Quick Fixes
Anyone promising to "cure" your autoimmune disease in 30 days is selling snake oil. Real healing takes time. Expect 3 months for significant changes, sometimes longer for complex conditions.
Dismissing Conventional Medicine Entirely
Functional medicine works alongside conventional medicine, not against it. If your practitioner tells you to stop all medications immediately or refuses to work with your other doctors, that's dangerous.
What to Expect When You Work with a Functional Medicine Practitioner
If you’ve never worked with a functional medicine practitioner before, the process might feel refreshingly different from what you’ve experienced in conventional care. Expect time, curiosity, and partnership, because true healing starts with understanding your full story.
Here’s what to expect when you begin your journey with a qualified functional medicine practitioner.
The Deep Dive Discovery
Your first appointment isn't just about your current symptoms, it's about your entire health story. When did you last feel well? What changed? We're looking for triggers, mediators, and patterns that explain your current state.
Comprehensive Testing
Expect to do more testing than you've ever done but also more targeted testing. We're not running tests just to run them. Each test answers a specific question about your health. And unlike conventional medicine, we explain what we're looking for and why.
An "Aha" Moment
There's usually a moment when everything clicks. When you understand WHY you've been feeling this way. Why the weight won't budge. Why you're exhausted. Why your gut rebels. This moment changes everything because now you're not fighting in the dark.
The Healing Timeline
Functional medicine follows a specific order: remove what's harmful, replace what's missing, repair what's damaged, reinoculate with beneficial bacteria, rebalance your life. This isn't random, it's intentional and strategic. And it works.
Gradual but Profound Changes
You might not notice day-to-day changes, but suddenly you realize: you're sleeping through the night. Your pants fit better. You haven't had a headache in weeks. Your period wasn't painful. These "sudden" changes are actually gradual healing finally reaching a tipping point.
You don't have to navigate this alone. Join our community of women who understand exactly what you're going through
5 Examples of Functional Medicine Success Stories
Real healing speaks for itself. At Higher Standard Wellness, we’ve seen countless clients transform their health through personalized functional medicine, often after years of frustration with conventional care.
Here are a few examples of what’s possible when you uncover root causes and support the body’s natural ability to heal.
Sarah: From 5 Medications to Zero when Healing Gut Dysbiosis
The Problem: Hashimoto's, depression, anxiety, IBS, and chronic fatigue. Five different medications. Three different specialists. Zero improvement in 5 years.
The Root Cause: Severe gut dysbiosis triggering autoimmunity and inflammation. Gluten sensitivity. B12 deficiency. Crashed cortisol.
The Solution: Gut healing protocol, gluten elimination, targeted supplementation, stress management.
The Result: Thyroid antibodies dropped from 450 to 32. Off all medications within 8 months. Energy returned. Mood stabilized. "I forgot what it felt like to feel good."
Jennifer: The Weight That Finally Moved after a Root Cause Discovery
The Problem: 40 pounds that wouldn't budge despite eating 1200 calories and working out 6 days a week. Constant bloating. Afternoon crashes.
The Root Cause: Insulin resistance. Elevated cortisol. Estrogen dominance. Sluggish liver detoxification.
The Solution: Blood sugar balancing protocol, intermittent fasting, liver support, hormone balancing.
The Result: 35 pounds lost in 5 months eating MORE food. Energy stable all day. Bloating gone. "I'm eating carbs again and still losing weight!"
Monica: Reversing "Irreversible"Early Menopause Diagnosis
The Problem: Told she had "early menopause" at 38. Hot flashes, no period for 8 months, crushing fatigue.
The Root Cause: Not menopause but severe adrenal dysfunction from chronic stress. Nutrient depletion from years of restrictive dieting.
The Solution: Adrenal restoration protocol, nutrient repletion, nervous system support.
The Result: Period returned after 3 months. Hot flashes gone. Energy restored. Successfully conceived naturally at 40.
Lisa: From Surviving to Thriving with Autoimmunity
The Problem: Lupus diagnosis. Constant joint pain. Rashes. Fatigue. Told she'd need immunosuppressants for life.
The Root Cause: Intestinal permeability, multiple food sensitivities, chronic viral reactivation, heavy metal toxicity.
The Solution: Comprehensive gut healing, elimination diet, viral support, gentle detoxification.
The Result: Antibodies normalized. Pain-free for two years. No medications. Running half-marathons. "My rheumatologist said it's impossible, but here I am."
Amanda: The Executive Who Got Her Edge Back from Mold Exposure
The Problem: High-performing CEO suddenly couldn't focus. Brain fog, memory issues, crushing 3pm fatigue affecting business performance.
The Root Cause: Mold exposure from water damage. Mycotoxin accumulation. Mitochondrial dysfunction.
The Solution: Mold detoxification protocol, mitochondrial support, home remediation.
The Result: Mental clarity returned within 6 weeks. Energy sustained all day. Business revenue doubled within the year. "I feel sharper than I did in my 30s."
What Are Higher Standard Wellness Clients Saying?
"I still can’t believe how much you were able to help me through your program. Symptoms I was struggling with for so many years and that several doctors were not able to solve, YOU SOLVED. The fatigue is gone, the bloating is gone, the brain fog is gone”. - CM
"I feel like a human again, I have energy, a clear head and I’ve lost almost 40lbs. This has changed my life for the better." - CR
"Also my bloating decreased in a matter of like 2 weeks. I no longer feel tight in my stomach. I forgot what that feels like because it's been so long." - JG
"I have been told I am glowing and I feel the most clear headed I have ever felt." - AM
These transformations aren't miracles—they're what happens when you get the right support. Start your own success story with Higher Standard Wellness
How Higher Standard Wellness Can Help
Here's what makes us different: We don't just practice functional medicine—we've perfected it for women like you. High-performing women who don't have time for trial and error, who need strategies that work with their real lives, not against them.
Our Signature Mentorship Program: Finally get answers to why you're exhausted at 3pm, why your brain feels foggy despite sleeping 8 hours, and why your body seems to be working against you. Within weeks, you'll wake up with actual energy, think clearly through your afternoon meetings, and feel like yourself again, without giving up your career or living in restriction. You'll have direct access to our expertise, plus a vibrant community of women who actually get it when you say you're too tired to be tired. Explore our signature mentorship program
We've streamlined the process. No overwhelming protocols. No conflicting advice. No wondering if it's working. You get clear testing, targeted protocols, and constant support.
We're in your corner every step of the way adjusting, optimizing, celebrating your wins, and troubleshooting your challenges.
Our approach is both clinical and deeply personal.
Curious? Meet the practitioners who run the labs others won't and spot patterns others miss.
Ready to Raise Your Standard?
You've read the information. You've seen the possibilities. Now it's time to decide: Are you going to keep searching for answers in a system that wasn't designed to find them? Or are you ready to work with someone who gets it—who gets YOU—and knows exactly how to help you heal?
Your symptoms are not your destiny. Your diagnosis is not your identity. Your body is not broken—it's asking for help in the only language it knows.
We're here to translate. To investigate. To illuminate the path from where you are to where you want to be.
Book your free discovery call today and let's map out your transformation. You don't just deserve answers, you deserve to feel like yourself again. But better.
Final Thoughts
Functional medicine isn't alternative medicine, it's the medicine of the future. It's what healthcare becomes when we stop treating disease and start optimizing human potential. When we stop managing symptoms and start resolving root causes. When we stop seeing bodies as broken and start seeing them as brilliantly designed systems that just need the right support.
You didn't come this far to settle for feeling "fine." You came here because you know there's another level, a version of you that wakes up energized, thinks clearly, feels comfortable in her skin, and trusts her body completely.
That version isn't a fantasy. She's waiting. And functional medicine is how you become her.
Curious about what your transformation could look like? See how we're different →
Welcome to your Higher Standard.
Dr. Cleo Amelia
Founder of Higher Standard Wellness
The information contained in this site is not intended to diagnose, treat, or otherwise intervene in any medical condition. ALWAYS seek help from a licensed medical professional for any health condition.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency please call 911 and go to your nearest hospital.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drugs Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
ALL INFORMATION WITHIN THESE PRESENTATIONS IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY - THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE
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