OH, STRESS!
Stress is a natural part of life. Some stress is useful - it keeps our faculties and brains sharp. Runaway and chronic stress, on the other hand, is problematic, leading to downstream toxic effects like chronic disease, chronic pain, mental health issues, and even death…
I really want you to navigate your stress better. Read on!
People often ask me, “hey Dr. S, what is integrative medicine really?”
I completely understand why I get asked this question. If you look around you, you’ll find the terms integrative medicine along with functional medicine and holistic medicine everywhere - from social media to the news to the wellness world. The terms integrative, functional, and holistic medicine mean different things to different people and this is why I thought definitions may be useful.
First and foremost, to be clear, this is not a “this or that” kind of discussion meant to polarize. I am merely defining and comparing terms. I believe that integrative, functional, and holistic medicine are not mutually exclusive and all have their place in the spectrum of whole healing.
WHOLE HEALING — Integrative medicine can be defined as an approach to healing that takes into consideration all factors that influence health, disease, and wellness including the body, mind, spirit, genetics, environmental factors, community, and even the health of the greater Earth.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR DISEASE — Integrative medicine views the body as one integrated system instead of a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialities (think of our current system: cardiologist for heart issues, gastroenterologist for gut issues, neurologist for brain issues, etc). Integrative medicine looks at the person who has the disease/medical issue, not the issue in isolation. Integrative medicine knows you are not your disease.
INTELLIGENT + INQUIRY-DRIVEN COMBINATIONS — Integrative medicine’s purpose is to foster whole health, vitality, and wellness while preventing chronic disease. It accomplishes this by approaching an individual through an intelligent and inquiry-driven combination of:
- Western/conventional medicine and science
- Functional medicine (see more below)
- Lifestyle interventions
- Whole-systems approaches such as Ayurveda, Western Herbalism, or Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Other supportive “alternative” approaches such as meditation, plant medicine, and energy healing.
PREVENTION-FOCUSED — Integrative medicine emphasizes lifestyles that support prevention of disease in the first place, such as high quality nutrition, regular movement, optimizing sleep, and stress management. Furthermore, integrative medicine emphasizes the therapeutic healing relationship between the patient and medical provider. The physician/provider is a support and guide to help you unlock the innate healing wisdom of your body and mind.
MY APPROACH — The integrative medicine approach I provide combines a discerning blend of modern Western medical science, high-touch ancient Eastern healing modalities, and nature-centered therapies like working with herbs and other plants.
MANY FLAVORS — Of course, there are numerous other healing modalities from all over the globe that I have not mentioned here -- for example, from the African continent, Indigenous medicine, and the like. I have not studied these healing systems in depth, and so do not include them in my personal definition of integrative medicine, though they certainly fit into this category.
From my perspective, functional medicine fits under the umbrella of integrative medicine. It’s a great lens for investigating and treating complex medical issues like autoimmune disorders, microbiome/gut issues, and chronic medical conditions like metabolic syndrome, PCOS, and hormonal dysfunction. It emphasizes approaching a person’s health problems through a biological, genetic, and environmental lens with the goal of identifying, understanding, and treating the root cause(s) of disease. Functional medicine most commonly utilizes laboratory-based analysis to determine what is occurring in the body.
From a treatment perspective, functional medicine overlaps in many ways with integrative medicine. Though functional medicine may focus more on supplements to correct problems than integrative medicine, the two equally prioritize the many lifestyle changes that are often necessary to achieve optimal health and vitality.
A NUMBER OF SIMILARITIES
Like integrative medicine, functional medicine views the body as one integrated system instead of a collection of independent organs. Functional medicine also engages the patient and the practitioner in a therapeutic relationship just like integrative medicine does. Both integrative and functional medicine focuses on treating the person as a whole who has the disease rather than focusing on the disease in isolation. Integrative medicine certainly may use supplements and standard Rx to approach illness, but often emphasizes these interventions less than functional medicine.
The term holistic medicine can be used for any whole systems approach to treating the human body and mind. Integrative medicine, functional medicine, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathy, and many other healing systems are all forms of holistic medicine. It’s that simple!
I practice integrative medicine because I see it as an extraordinary merging of the best of many worlds to help heal my patients and bring true and whole health to them.
Health, like life, is not static. It’s complex and it’s a path with many ups and downs. I believe integrative medicine can help everyone traverse life with a sense of vitality and agency. Taking care of the medical issues you’re facing while building a foundation of good healthy habits, cultivating awareness and clarity, and fostering healthy relationships is key to a robust and beautiful life.
Thanks for reading! Happy Monday, March 1!
I would love to hear from you! Feel free to add your comments below.
The next series of posts will address the Heal Better 7 - the seven foundational aspects of integrative health and healing. Sign up for the monthly newsletter so you won’t miss any!
Also, check out The Field - free 30 min mind-body explorations every Monday on the Clubhouse app. Check out the Learn tab for details!
After a long hiatus, it’s almost time to begin the process of writing again.
But before I begin laying out words, here’s a podcast interview that may be of interest to you.
Happy listening and see you soon!
As I shared recently shared in my Instagram stories this past week, I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for 21 days (a challenge to myself). The 21 days are up and I’ll be continuing this nightly ritual.
Why?
I knew intellectually that opening my mind to seeing the abundance in my life would help to lessen the “scarcity mindset,” which I am certain many of us possess. However, actually regularly doing this practice myself, I now know a true shift in my perspective is occurring. There’s a softening that I feel - in my mind, in my body, and in my spirit.
2. It’s made me a happier person. Yes - not kidding - 21 days and I’m seeing things with less bitterness, and fear, and concern. This is NOT to say what’s happening right now on the planet (#climatecrisis) and the injustices and atrocities occurring in our country aren’t on the forefront of my mind. I can both be happy - my “spirit well” can be full so to speak - and fiercely work on what matters. I think it’s actually making me fiercer and have more clarity to act.
3. It’s bred a whole new practice of following and logging my “generosities” each day. I’m tipping more robustly, giving money to the strangers who seem to need it, and overall finding ways to give more generously.
Do note this is not a bunch of fluff either. Science has shown gratitude rewires your brain in a positive way through neuroplasticity. For example, research has shown gratitude stimulates the hypothalamus (a key part of the brain that regulates stress) and the ventral tegmental area (part of our “reward circuitry”). It also can help to rebalance your limbic system.
What are some other ways to cultivate gratitude other than keeping a gratitude journal? Write (and send if you can!) a thank you note; count your blessings; mentally thank someone who did something nice for you; meditate.
Tell me, how do you practice gratitude? And generosity? How do you feel it affects you as a human and on a larger scale? Would absolutely love to hear your thoughts!! 💚
ALAN WATTS ONCE SAID:
“You didn't come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.”
Since moving homes and going away to Hawai’i, and also in part thanks to the brilliant reminder from Jenny Odell’s book How to Do Nothing, I’ve been rekindling my practice of intentionally observing all things natural surrounding me. I haven’t had a working TV in months (since our second flood in July) and not having one helps with this practice (forced digital detox! Ha!). Though my head is packed with podcasts, there’s something truly freeing about not filling my mind with visual narratives and clutter in the evenings.
I feel like I have made more time to observe the birds and bees and clouds and trees outside my home office, while waking my dog, while re-potting plants, while commuting. I even spotted a couple Northern flickers the other day (here is a little more on attracting them to your yard if you’re interested)! All of this in a very urban part of Brooklyn!
What do you see when you start really looking? How do you feel when you remember you’re OF this Earth rather than just on it?
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 💚
First 3 pics from the Big Island in Hawai’i - one of the most magical places I’ve ever had the opportunity of visiting. (That gorgeous (completely unfiltered) beach is a 49,000 year old volcanic tuft ring) 🌈
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
—Maya Angelou
IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK HOME FROM HOLIDAY!
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, THIS HAS NEVER FELT MORE TRUE.
UNDERSTAND. Recently going through a huge transition of homes because of safety issues (flooding, mold), I have come to clearly understand the value - and the necessity - of having a safe and solid home to have an inherent sense of security in this very uncertain world. My psyche, heart, and chakras now more fully understand how deeply destabilizing it is to have an unsafe home; I grieve for those who struggle with housing strife or homelessness.
INFORM OURSELVES. I recently read an article in the New Republic titled “The New American Homeless” (easy to Google and read) - it spurred many layers of emotion and thought about the state of the US and the greater world. I’ve also thought a lot about the endangered coral reefs (which I saw first hand in Hawaii on my holiday), and our sisters and brothers and sibs in the Bahamas and the Amazon too. Many - from all the kingdoms - animal, plant, etc, have lost their homes recently. The problems feel so deep and insurmountable...
WHAT CAN WE DO? I say start with informing yourself. Work on unraveling your own wounds so you feel like you have energy to give. Practice being fully present to see what’s surrounding you. Choose intentionally with your words, actions, money and time. Offer help, gratitude, kindness and resources when you can. I believe this is how we better our world. 💚🙏🏽🌺
