Dr. Smith contrasts allopathic medicine, which uses drugs to manage symptoms of chronic disease, with functional medicine, which investigates and addresses the underlying drivers of the problem, such as diet, allergies, or toxicity.
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Instead of obsessing over "fixing" issues like fatigue or bloating, reframe them as signals from your body. Listening to these cues allows you to understand and address underlying root causes, rather than just masking the symptoms with temporary solutions.
Dr. Smith reframes the doctor-patient relationship, stating that "doctors don't cure you—you cure you." The body has an innate ability to heal, and a doctor's function is to act as a facilitator, removing obstacles and providing support, rather than being the direct agent of the cure.
Instead of chasing weight loss, focus on foundational health markers like inflammation, blood sugar balance, stress levels, and nutrient deficiencies. When these systems are optimized, sustainable weight loss and body recomposition often occur as a natural side effect.
Many chronic illnesses, including high blood pressure, cancer, and cognitive decline, are not separate issues but symptoms of a single underlying problem: chronically elevated insulin levels. This metabolic “trash” accumulates over years, making the body a breeding ground for disease.
Many common GI diagnoses, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome or gastroparesis, are simply labels for a collection of symptoms defined by criteria, not explanations of the underlying physiological cause. This limits effective, targeted treatment.
A physician was forced to add "environment" as a third pillar of health after a patient, who perfectly managed her diet and exercise, remained ill due to significant environmental exposures. This challenges the conventional two-pillar model of health.
Dr. Smith argues that while drugs are essential for acute emergencies like heart attacks or broken bones, they are ill-suited for chronic problems. For long-term issues, focusing on root causes is more effective than continuous symptom management with medication.
Dr. Holman argues the autonomic nervous system is an overlooked therapeutic target with vast potential. By modulating this system, innovators can address root causes of not just autoimmune disorders but also cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. He calls this emerging field "immunoautonomics."
The common thread in mental disorders is metabolic dysfunction at the cellular level, specifically within mitochondria. This reframes mental illness not as a purely psychological issue or simple chemical imbalance, but as a physical, metabolic problem in the brain that diet can influence.
Dr. Smith criticizes the common practice of reaching for over-the-counter drugs, then prescriptions, then surgery. He advocates for reversing this order, starting with the least invasive methods like nutrition and chiropractic care before escalating to potentially harmful drugs and procedures.