I’m Obsessed with Functional Medicine, Here’s Why

It’s been almost two years since I’ve written a blog but lately, I’ve been prioritizing things that bring me joy and writing is one of those things. I have many ideas for the blog and am excited to share all of them with you. Within the last two years, a lot has changed related to my health, so I thought I’d start by reintroducing myself and sharing what made me choose functional medicine to heal the chronic health issues I was facing.

Over eight years ago, I went to The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) to learn more about holistic health. At the time of my enrollment, I was struggling with orthorexia and body image issues. Although I was in therapy to address both, I knew I wanted to learn more about how to take care of my body through food, alternative medicines, and other holistic practices. After receiving my health coach certification, I worked with clients to help them with their general health and wellness. We focused on incorporating more whole foods, self-care, and movement into their lives. I enjoyed working with these clients but eventually, I chose to focus more on my blog and get clarity around how I could best support people.

While I was focusing on blogging and navigating the next steps in my coaching business, I was faced with health issues that had me press pause on my goals. On a daily basis, I was having major digestive issues, fatigue, and brain fog. Everything I ate made me feel like garbage and the lack of energy made me want to lay in bed all day.

For almost a year, I was told by multiple conventional medicine doctors that everything was fine, I just had IBS. My symptoms were affecting my every day life and finally, I decided I could no longer accept that “IBS” was the answer. I knew I had to find a doctor who would do everything to get to the root cause of why I was feeling this way.

Rather than continue down the conventional medicine route, I decided to see a functional medicine doctor, something I’ve wanted to do ever since attending IIN. Finally deciding to listen to my gut (ironic, I know) and address my health issues with a functional medicine team was the best decision I’ve ever made for my health.

I chose to work with Dr. Will Cole and his team after my initial consultation with them in late 2020. For over two and a half years, they’ve been helping me heal my body through food, mindfulness, and tools that best support my body. With their help, I’ve been through an elimination diet* and now know what foods my body loves and doesn’t love. I’ve become more in tune with what my body is trying to tell me - not ignoring symptoms but using them as a tool to understand what my body needs. I’ve healed the SIBO, leaky gut, and mold toxicity that was wreaking havoc and causing chronic inflammation (not IBS, thank you very much). It has been a journey of many ups and downs but it has been worth it to feel like myself again.

Healing my body for over two years has taught me a lot about how I can better take care of myself. My hope is that what I share about my health journey and what I’ve learned from it will help you on your journey towards better health.

Have a topic in mind that you want to learn more about? Contact me here or send me a message on Instagram: @JessMalingowski.

*Before starting an elimination diet, please consult with your doctor.

Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash