“The doctor of the future will give no medicines, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the causes of disease”
~ Thomas Edison
“Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes used in conjunction with quality medical care is the way forward for the treatment, opportunity for reversal, and prevention of disease as well as the achievement of optimal health”
~ Janine Blackman MD PhD
The Holistic Dietary Approach of Dr Janine BlackmanA holistic approach to diet includes everything about the types of foods (and beverages) we consume on a regular basis and how we are being impacted by these choices. Although this sounds simple there is much to consider when we are considering diet, as a holistic approach to diet also includes:
Our individual dietary needs are affected by our current and past lifestyles, including our work routines, exercise habits, medical conditions, food sensitivities and personal preferences. Our individual dietary needs also depend upon the functioning within our gastrointestinal system with regards to its ability to fully digest, assimilate, and eliminate optimally. Bottom line: Are we able to adequately nourish and detoxify our bodies on a daily basis?
“Let food be your medicine”
- Hippocrates
Some of the testing options that are available from Dr. Blackman include the following:
Conventional Allopathic Diagnostic and Screening Testing:
Functional Medicine / Specialty Testing:
Some of the functional medicine laboratories used by Dr. Blackman include, but are not limited to the following:
Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine that addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the 20th century disease-centered and acute-care focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered, long-term focus, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional medicine physicians spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
The Institute for Functional Medicine teaches physicians how to assess a patient’s fundamental clinical imbalances through careful history taking, physical examination, and laboratory testing. Multiple factors are considered, including environmental inputs, mind-body factors (including how you deal with stress), genetic makeup, and your fundamental physiological processes. Dr. Blackman has completed courses offered by The Institute of Functional Medicine and maintains membership in the Institute to stay abreast of advancement in the field.
Further information about functional medicine may be obtained by visiting www.functionalmedicine.org.
A therapeutic lifestyle means living your life in a way that improves your health. It means making choices every day that will enhance your health, enabling you to achieve a full, healthy life. Overwhelming evidence from numerous sources link most of the chronic diseases in the world today to physical inactivity and inappropriate dietary consumption. For this reason, national clinical guidelines for most of chronic conditions are now recommending a multi-factorial lifestyle approach referred to as “therapeutic lifestyle changes” or “TLC”. Symptoms that are commonly viewed as signs of aging - such as decreased energy, poor memory, low libido, chronic pain, and weight gain – are not signs of aging, but rather signs of illness that are modifiable by therapeutic lifestyle changes.
Therapeutic lifestyle change programs are based on the premise that many of the chronic conditions associated with aging – e.g., hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis – are not inevitable consequences of the aging process. Instead, these conditions can largely be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices. In fact, therapeutic lifestyle modification programs can significantly improve nutrition and physical activity behavior, and lower many of the risk factors associated with common chronic diseases. A growing body of evidence indicated that TLC should be the fundamental therapy for a wide range of chronic conditions, such as:
The fundamentals of a comprehensive Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) program for common chronic disease risk reduction encompasses the following components:
Dr. Blackman is certified in Therapeutic Lifestyle Counseling. Dr. Blackman’s practice at The Gilbert Clinic is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC), providing each of the fundamental components listed above. You may be referred by your doctor for TLC to help with a specific medical concern, or you may self-refer yourself for TLC with Dr. Blackman.
If you choose to start a TLC program of care with Dr. Blackman, individualized dietary and lifestyle recommendations are made with you based on your health goals and medical needs. A recommended schedule of office visits for TLC is weekly to bi-weekly in the first three months. There is also flexibility to schedule office visits less frequently over a more extended period of time, say 4 to 6 months, to suit your schedule and health goals.
People on various medications for diabetes, blood pressure, or cholesterol can anticipate their medication needs will reduce as they implement the changes in the TLC program. Weekly office visits may be recommended if monitoring is required for the need to change the dosing of any of your medications, such as for blood pressure or diabetes. Dr. Blackman recommends you return to your referring physician to discuss any changes needed in your medications. If you do not currently have a primary care physician or referring physician, Dr. Blackman can manage the prescription changes if needed.
After the first 3-months, individualized recommendations will be made for any future TLC appointments to assure you maintain your progress. Future TLC office visits are optional, but are available on an “as-needed” basis to help you maintain, refine, and respond to new health issues and goals over your lifetime.
Learn More about Nutritition & Lifestyle Classes for Optimal Weight Loss and Health offered by Dr. Blackman.