Functional Medicine

What is Functional Medicine?

According to The Institute for Functional Medicine: "functional medicine addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the focus of medical practice from illness to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person. The patient is not viewed as just an isolated set of symptoms."

Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the how family history, environment and lifestyle can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. Functional medicine concentrates on optimizing the health and vitality of each individual.

Why Do We Need Functional Medicine?​

• A sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis is a strong concern for 21st century medical practitioners.
• Currently, most physicians deal with acute care situations. Acute care focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that is of short duration. These conditions require urgent care, such as appendicitis or a broken leg.
• Unfortunately, this acute-care approach does not take in account how to prevent and treat illness, complex and chronic diseases.
• There’s a huge gap between research and the way doctors practice. The gap between emerging research in basic sciences and integration into medical practice is enormous—as long as 50 years— particularly in the area of complex, chronic illness.
• Most physicians are not adequately trained to look for the underlying causes of illness, complex and chronic disease. Unfortunately most physicians are not prepared to apply complimentary therapies-- such as nutrition, diet, and exercise-- to both treat and prevent these illnesses. Functional medicine seeks to encourage ongoing wellness in their patients.

How is Functional Medicine Different?​

Functional medicine involves understanding how the illness came about, how to prevent, or treat complex, chronic disease.

Functional medicine includes: ​

• Patient-centered care: The focus of functional medicine is on patient-centered care, promoting overall health as positive, ongoing wellness. Optimal health is not just the absence of disease.​
• An integrative, science-based healthcare approach: Functional medicine practitioners consider the complex interactions in a patient’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to illness. The unique genetic makeup of each patient is considered, along with both internal (mind, body and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that affect the whole person.
• Integrating best medical practices: Functional medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with complementary medicine, creating a focus on prevention. Nutrition, diet and exercise; use of the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques, prescribed combinations of botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs and stress-management techniques are all tools of the functional medicine practitioner.

We Invite You to Experience Functional Medicine at Valhalla Wellness & Medical Centers.

Dr. Ian Yamane, clinic director at Valhalla Wellness & Medical Center has always been about helping Las Vegas residents reach Optimal Wellness through Functional Medicine. At the Valhalla Wellness & Medical Center in Las Vegas, we believe that the pursuit of optimal wellness includes addressing all components of overall health.

We believe pursuing wellness is an active process of making choices toward a more healthy existence. We strive for objectivity in overall nutrition and healthcare. We help Las Vegas residents reach optimum health, so they can reach their fullest potential in life.

Wellness

Not feeling your best? No energy? Food sensitivities? Anxious? Discouraged?

We'll help you get to the bottom of what's going on. Bring us your latest blood test results, we'll provide you with a FREE evaluation. (If you haven't had a blood test for a while, let us know. We can set you up for all the tests you may need.)

When you come in for your evaluation, we'll show you how your results compare to "normal" clinical ranges and what healthy ranges really are. We'll review all of your symptoms, to make sure the right testing was done in the past and what we recommend for you in the future.

We base our evaluation on a 52-point blood panel and an in-depth analysis of your results. We'll explain your comparison, and include a report that's based on what YOU need: supplements, foods to avoid, a review of your medications, side effects, lifestyle and more.

We'll help you find natural, drug-free solutions! We truly offer the most complete, whole body, wellness program in the Las Vegas area.

Weight Loss

You've tried ALL the latest diets.You lose weight for a time, then the weight loss stops or climbs right back on. Isn't it time for you to find out why you aren’t losing weight permanently? We can help!

We'll show you how to get your body in FAT BURNING MODE. We have easy and effective tools to take stock of what you are putting in your mouth, the activities you are doing and how much sleep and exercise you are getting.

We set you up on a program that will do all of this for you. All you do is enter your information, including what you eat and do every day, and press a button. Then, you'll be able to see what's going to work for you, and success! You'll be losing weight!

Thyroid Disease

Are you taking thyroid medications but your medications just don't seem to be doing their job? Are you worried they may have unsafe side effects? Do you have symptoms of a sluggish thyroid, but are being told over and over your blood tests are normal?

You may not be getting the whole story. Sometimes, even small variations in tests for thyroid malfunctions can make a huge difference. Maybe you are only being tested for TSH. It is important to run other tests; T3 uptake, T4, T7 and potentially Reverse T3, thyroid immunoglobins.

Other conditions can influence how your thyroid is working. We can order heavy metal analysis, iodine levels, and lifestyle evaluations. We can explain what natural alternatives may be right for you to manage and correct thyroid disease. Some of these alternatives may include vitamins, enzymes, herbal remedies and diet modification. Ask us to order all the tests you may need, evaluate them and manage your thyroid condition completely and naturally.

Diabetes Prevention and Management

Diabetes is the fastest growing disease in every age group. It is a silent, modern epidemic. Twenty-eight million Americans are living with some form of diabetes, and another 5 million are considered to be diabetic without their knowing it. It's estimated that 1 in 3 children will develop diabetes.

This is tragic! Most people may be able to either prevent or manage diabetes with awareness, diet and exercise. Diabetes, a metabolic disorder, results in elevated levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Left unmanaged, this elevated blood sugar can damage small blood vessels and affect every system in your body.

Long term side effect of unmanaged diabetes can include heart disease, kidney disease and even blindness. But, two of the most effective tools to combat the devastating effects of diabetes include proper diet and regular exercise. We can help you know what lifestyle changes you need to make to manage and even reverse diabetes.

Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue

A Drug-Free (Natural) Approach in Las Vegas

What causes Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? It's different for every individual. A variety of components can contribute to this complex syndrome. Some of these include virus, weakened immune functions, food allergies, drugs, depression, neurological and structural imbalance, hormone dysfunctions, toxicity--in multiple combinations.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are as complex as the individuals they affect. Treatments need to address all of these variables differently for each person. We believe in order to address Fibromyalgia and CFS, proper testing is needed. This testing will identify major and minor key elements of imbalance and deficiency, environmental toxicities, stress and physical structure, abnormal organ functions, digestive disorders, lifestyle, diet and nutritional deficiencies. We can help put you back on the road to health.

Our Philosophy and Care Objectives

We believe that knowledge can be empowering. The more we understand our bodies and the mechanisms that cause disease, the more committed we become to getting better. Our office is devoted to educating you about your body, how it works and how to heal it.

We believe in working with our clients as partners, to learn from each other in our journey together to maximize health.The body has the ability to heal itself. We facilitate that ability by eating the right foods, taking the right supplements, and exercising properly. This allows the body to heal itself as it is designed to originally.

Our purpose is to help people feel better and to educate them in proper nutrition, exercise, and the true cause of disease and illness. We weren't born with owner's manuals unfortunately, so it's our job to educate you in the proper care of the body, and optimum performance so that you have the chance to optimize YOUR body's performance.

When there is illness or disease, we always want to look at the cellular level first. The following road map and approach is taken in healing the cells so that the body can be strong enough to heal itself.

The 5 R's of Cellular Healing

R1: Remove the Source

We need to determine which toxic sources (heavy metals, biotoxins, environmental toxins and/or toxins inside your home) that are causing body-wide damage. When identified, these sources can then be safely ushered out of the body using our crafted protocols.

R2: Regenerate the Inner and Outer Cell Membrane

In healthy individuals, the supple bi-lipid fat layer of the cellular membrane allows both nutrients to flow inside easily and toxins and free radicals inside the cell to leave unimpeded. If inflamed, nothing can come in and nothing can come out, so our cell becomes a toxic wasteland.

Inflammation can also compromise our cell's ability to function properly and truncates our ability to "hear" the hormonal impressions through the hormone receptors that reside on the outside of the cellular membrane.

R3: Restore Cellular Energy

As nutrients flow into the cell, they feed the powerhouse called the mitochondria, which produces ATP (energy). Without adequate production of ATP, our cells are unable to detoxify or regenerate properly.

R4: Reduce Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in the Cell (no/onno cycle)

Toxic inflammation is produced from 3 main sources: overconsumption of refined sugar and grains, bad fats and toxins from food sources, cosmetics, air pollution, toxic cleaning products and more. Needless to say, inflammation and oxidative stress can wreak havoc and is at the root cause of all disease processes that we see in our office.

R5: Re-establish Methylation

Because the body needs methyl groups to turn stress hormones on and off, if depleted, our body stays in a constant state of stress. In addition, if our methyl groups are non-existent or in short supply, the important roles they play in detoxification, DNA protection, hormone metabolism and epigenetics are unable to be performed.

The bottom line: IF YOU DON'T FIX THE CELL, YOU WON'T GET WELL.

The 5 R's give us important answers to our diagnosed or unexplainable illnesses. When understood, you are more educated on the workings of the cell than most doctors in this country. Now, when you are given our protocols, you will have a base understanding of the "why" and "how" your body can heal itself.

Early Detection and Correction: Keys to a Healthy Life

Many problems are identified in the blood long before you actually experience symptoms. Certain tests when read properly, will indicate that you are progressing towards a serious illness, such as cancer, diabetes, liver, heart, or many other diseases.

Beginning with a comprehensive blood test, Science Based Nutrition™ trained health professionals perform an in-depth analysis of your total system. Problem areas are identified and carefully documented with major and minor conditions that may lead to serious illness. Sometimes, an individual case may call for specialized testing, such as tissue mineral analysis, food allergy, or other testing in order to identify other problem areas.

When all of the test results are in, your Science Based Nutrition™ trained health professional will provide a personalized report. These reports contain a hard copy of all of your test results, an explanation of what these tests mean, and a complete list of the nutrients, vitamins, dietary requirements and other lifestyle changes necessary to start your journey back to health!

Ready to get started? Get in touch today for a free consultation.