How Functional Medicine changed my nail polish._{Feb 5, 2021}

So this is 51. Twenty years ago I thought 51 was old. I also believed that I would be healthy and live forever. Much to my dismay,  the reality of the age 51 came much quicker than I had anticipated and just kicked me right square in the rear! And boy, did it HURT! 

The past two years have brought me a few highs like the end of monthly visits from Aunt Flo, but it has also produced some new lows. I used to be able to have binge days regularly without piling on the pounds. I also used to be able to stand up from the kneeling position without having to use a piece of furniture as a crutch. It seems like those days are long gone.. 

I honestly thought that my physical condition was something that I just had to accept and live with, that it was all just a part of aging – until I visited R•Medy.
I now realize that I can control many aspects of the dreaded ‘aging’ process as long as I make the effort to understand what my body and mind is capable of and what it needs to continue to thrive.  

Experts in education.

After an extensive questionnaire session with the R•Medy consultant, Ale, all my aches and pains were categorized into recommended examinations – it is an extremely personalized process that leaves nothing undiscovered. The recommended examinations included extensive blood panels sent to specialized laboratories all over the world and in clinic assessments; measuring my body, liver and heart function with state of the art technology. Part of me was a little anxious about what could be uncovered (let sleeping dogs lie) but the logical sense said “get a grip and take control to live a long and healthy life!”. Well I got a grip and went ahead with everything that was recommended and I am so glad i did.

Once all my assessments were ready for presentation, I met with the most intelligent and personable gentleman, James Leung, MD. I wasn’t aware at the time but James Leung was the founder of Functional Medicine in Taiwan, and was the first Chinese Medical Physician to graduate from the Functional Medicine Institute in the U.S.A. Here he was, in Vancouver imparting his years of knowledge and experience on behalf of R•Medy.

The gene was switched off.

I am sure you are wanting to know what was wrong with me – well, quite a lot actually. I didn’t know that we actually have genes that are responsible for certain functions, such as detoxification of particular environmental toxins, that could actually be turned off! Yes that is right, your genes can be like a light switch that has no power – they exist, but don’t work. 

Well one of my genes was responsible for just that; removing environmental toxins from my body, and because of this lemon gene I had high levels of benzophenone floating around. Benzophenone can increase your risk for cancer and is easily absorbed through the skin. One of the largest culprits for the high levels of this toxin in my body was my biweekly nail polish application. Who knew that beautiful nails could lead to cancer! With this knowledge and a little research, I was able to find a vegan polish that was free of 21 of the leading harmful chemicals that are often found in beautiful products. I had no idea how a small lifestyle change could positively impact my future health. Now I can rest easy knowing that my nail polish is one more factor that I have eliminated to reduce my risk for developing cancer. 

My BMI is what?

An equally disturbing find was the deeper examination of my body composition. It wasn’t news to me that I needed to lose a few pounds, actually more than a few. What I had no knowledge of was the amount of extremely unhealthy visceral fat I had. Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your vital organs and increases your risk of developing cancer, type II diabetes and heart disease. For years I used a scale as my guide for health. I didn’t understand that your weight is only one part of your total body health, and the fat you can’t see is often the most dangerous kind. Discovering my high visceral fat levels, low lean muscle mass status and a BMI off the charts I quickly made a call to my personal trainer.

Life changing knowledge.

I could write pages and pages describing all the things I learned about my physiological and psychological self from my assessments, but it really wouldn’t do the service true justice. Functional Medicine is only as good as the doctor interpreting the results and how the patient responds to the recommendations. Knowledge should lead to change, and when potential disease is the future – change is usually good.