In this episode, Dr Flass (a pediatric gastroenterologist) reviews why breastmilk is nature's most perfect food for babies, and how formula companies need to be continually using mother's milk as the template to create better infant formula.

This episode is condensed from information Dr Flass has presented at recent conferences including the Rocky Mountain Childbirth Conference as well as his book "Feeding Our Children".

Most people don't know that the last time the government updated our formula regulations was when Reagan was president in the 1980's! The US FDA is finally reviewing and potentially revising the regulations for infant formula for the first time in 40 years, so this episode is timely!

We review the benefits of breastfeeding, the magic ingredients that make it nature's most perfect food and how mom's diet can impact the quality of her breastmilk.

This episode also looks at infant formulas, and what a parent should look for in a better quality formula.

This episode is a must for pregnant mothers and parents just embarking on their feeding journey with their child. Please share this with those who could benefit from this information!

#infantformula, #breastfeeding, #lactation, #firstthousanddays

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

In this episode, Brittany and Tom host another guest- Tessa Redish from Form and Function personal fitness.

https://www.formandfunctionfit.com/

Tessa is an exercise specialist who focuses on teaching proper form and functional movement to restore health and fitness. She recently started a business in NW Montana that offers online fitness classes and videos perfect for someone new to weight training and strength training.

We discuss her background in fitness instruction with Orange Theory and Pilates and how this evolved into her current model for training and health promotion.

We review the importance of this type of training especially for women, and how it complements what we do in functional medicine. Removing barriers to fitness helps people be proactive and address the root causes of disease.

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

In this episode, Brittany and Tom have a great discussion with Tyler Ladenburg, physical therapist and co-owner of OrthoRehab.

We discuss Tyler's training and professional experience, and the growth of OrthoRehab to be one of the largest physical therapy clinics in Montana. Common complaints and injuries that warrant PT assessment and treatment are reviewed.

Tyler really brings home the point that physical therapy should be viewed as much for injury prevention and upstream risk factor identification, as it is for injury rehabilitation. This is very much aligned with the Functional Medicine mindset of root cause, upstream medicine!

Having a periodic physical therapy assessment for areas of weakness or vulnerability should be a part of everyone's health plan, even if there are no injuries involved.

You can find Tyler at https://orthorehab.com/our-team/tyler-ladenburg/

#physicaltherapy, #functionalmedicine

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

In this episode, Dr Flass sits down with Dr Reed Thompson DDS, pediatric dentist and owner of Kalispell Kidds Dentistry.

If you have kids and are interested in getting some "inside information" about their oral health from a pediatric dentist, this episode is for you!

They discuss the importance of promoting good oral health and oral development in young children by proper early feeding and being mindful of the oral microbiome. The links between oral and gut microbiome and overall health is reviewed. They look at what good oral hygiene looks like for difference ages- brushing, flossing, types of toothpaste etc.

Dr Thompson and Dr Flass are both proponents of the "First Thousand Days" concept of pediatric health, and how optimizing a child's environment and diet from conception to age 3 really shapes their health for the rest of their life!

This episode really demonstrates that there is no health without good oral health.

Kalispell Kidds Pediatric Dental Office

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

In this episode, we welcome a guest to the show, Jennifer Kingan who is a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and owner of Healthy Beginnings Pediatric Therapy. Healthy Beginnings is based in Kalispell, MT and has offices in Columbia Falls and Eureka and offers Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy for kids.

We discuss what each of these areas of pediatric therapy offer and who might benefit from their services. Jennifer and Dr Flass have shared a number of patients over the years, and we discuss the crucial role for SLP in infants and children with feeding difficulties, as well as those with speech and sensory integration difficulties. We discuss the importance of catching feeding issues early, and how important it is for parents to seek help if they feel something isn't right with their child's eating pattern.

For parents who are curious about the potential benefits of pediatric therapy services, what is available, and what type of patients they serve, this episode is worth a listen.

For more information about the clinic, visit Healthy Beginnings at https://mtbeginnings.com/

For all things food related, check out Dr Flass' book on pediatric nutrition "Feeding Our Children" available on Amazon.

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

Brittany and Tom do an overview of how Functional Medicine looks at thyroid function and dysfunction. We look at upstream and downstream impacts on thyroid function and how it affects our health.

Optimal thyroid function is important for our health, but often the problem is not with the thyroid gland itself, but other areas that are impacting the thyroid's ability to function.

Rather than just going straight to thyroid medication or a glandular supplement, a provider really needs to look at what could be affecting thyroid function- including nutritional deficiencies, toxic exposures, disturbances in the gut microbiome and leaky gut, autoimmune processes, as well as problems with the Six Pillars, especially sleep and stress!

This is meant to be an initial review to get people thinking about thyroid in a more functional holistic way.

#thyroid, #functionalmedicine, #hashimotos, #hypothyroid

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

Brittany and Tom have an overview conversation about the mitigation, prevention and possible reversal of cognitive decline using functional medicine.

They discuss the scope of the issue and how many people are being affected by Alzheimer's and related diseases.

What are some of the early signs and symptoms of MCI (mild cognitive impairment) versus Alzheimer's?

What are some of the new diagnostic techniques being used?

Who is at risk?

Based off the work of Dr Dale Bredesen and Dr Richard Isaacson (the pioneers of Alzheimer's prevention), what are the steps someone can take to slow or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's?

If you are concerned for yourself or a family member and wondering if there is anything you can do, this episode provides a framework to empower people to take action.

#functionalmedicine, #alzheimers, #bredesenprotocol, #cognitivedecline

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

Brittany and Tom review the extremely relevant topic of adverse food reactions.

Are you or your child having a reaction to something in your diet? This episode takes a Functional Medicine look at the differences between more classic food allergies and anaphylaxis, and other immune and non-immune reactions to foods. They answer frequent parent questions such as:

What are the most common foods that you might be allergic to?

Will my kid outgrow their food allergies?

What are the benefits and limitations of food allergy testing?

What is EoE (eosinophilic esophagitis)?

Is eczema a food reaction?

What is an allergy versus a sensitivity?

How are these different from intolerances? (lactose, fructose, histamine)

They draw a lot of information from their own clinical experience as well as the Food Allergies chapter of Tom's book "Feeding Our Children"

#foodallergies, #EoE, #functionalmedicine, #foodsensitivities,

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com