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By: Maria Smietana
For families seeking answers to the challenges faced by their special needs child, traditional medicine treatments sometimes comes up short as they do not identify specific underlying causes or imbalances. Functional Medicine looks at every patient as a bio-individual. Each patient possesses unique biochemical characteristics, just like fingerprints. Even for patients with the same condition, their contributing imbalances may be very different. That is why, for optimal results, health decisions should incorporate understandable, actionable information about one’s biochemistry. The Functional Medicine analysis provides this insight with precision and is augmented by research-backed nutraceutical recommendations. Anass Sentissi founded Wholestic Nutrition in 2011 as a way to meet that need using coaches and cutting edge science.
Dr. Anass Sentissi, HCHC, CFMP
Dr. Stephen Pfeifer, MD, CNHP, CFMC
Lori Varas, CFMC
“I believe that food is medicine and that achieving profound health, sheer vitality, and jubilant wellness is the result of mindful eating,” Sentissi said. “It is my mission to assist the world in practicing the art of this philosophy and of achieving individual wholism.”
Sentissi completed his undergraduate studies at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and contributed as a research assistant in a PhD program in music astrology at Indiana University. He graduated from Functional Medicine University with a diploma of nutrition and certification as a functional medicine practitioner. He became internationally known for his successful programs in weight loss, diabetes management, inflammation and more. He and his team at Wholestic Nutrition combine functional medicine approaches with immunology, endocrinology, toxicology and nutrition.
One of Sentissi’s key collaborators is Dr Stephen Pfeifer, a graduate of Indiana University, Indiana University School of Medicine, and the Methodist Hospital Family Practice program. Dr. Pfeifer oversaw the expansion of a large traditional primary care practice in Fishers for over 20 years. “In this traditional medicine setting, I was a trusted advocate for innovative thinking and quality care,” he said. “However, I slowly evolved my philosophy toward a more holistic functional medicine approach. I realized that traditional treatments were valuable He began advanced training in holistic functional circles as a member of the International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM) and the American Academy of Anti-aging (A4M). Networking with like-minded thought leaders in this arena helped him develop a center of excellence for Lyme disease, autism, dementia, autoimmune syndromes and complex disorders that were not responding to traditional approaches. He just finished training as a certified natural holistic practitioner (CNHP) at Trinity School of Natural Health and also as a certified functional medicine coach at the Wholestic Nutrition Functional Medicine Institute.
“Because of advancements in technology, clinicians now have an affordable comprehensive menu of treatment options that address the root cause of chronic disease syndromes, neurocognitive conditions, etc.,” Dr. Pfeifer said. “Never before has there been a greater need for a personalized approach that utilizes all of these new modalities after addressing common imbalances. The TELE-HEALTH platform allows flexible scheduling for families and allows the needed time for a comprehensive work up and treatment plan. This is often difficult in a traditional office-based practice. Because of the complexities of this approach, it is quite valuable to work with a certified health coach who has had extensive training in functional medicine protocols, and access to expanded advanced lab testing through Evexia Diagnostics. Examples include saliva DNA methylation pathway analysis, GI mapping for parasites and leaky gut markers, food allergy testing with a FIT inflammation test, intracellular micronutrient analysis, heavy metal toxic burden determination, mitochondrial dysfunction testing, and detoxification system analysis.”
clients heal from a variety of challenging health concerns. No matter where you are in your healing journey, his team will do everything in their power to find effective solutions that will empower your lifelong health. “What sets Wholestic Nutrition apart is that the health coaches work with premiere thought leaders who are experts in functional medicine protocols, and that utilize the most advanced scientific testing available,” Dr. Pfeifer added.
Functional medicine is now being employed more frequently in the testing and treatment of children with autism. Every 20 minutes another child in the US is diagnosed with autism. In 2010 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, an increase from 1 in 88 in just a two-year period, while some sources report numbers even higher than these. While these numbers are staggering, they do little to reflect how these disorders affect families.
“This alarming rise in autism spectrum disorder seems to parallel an equally alarming rate of chronic degenerative conditions,” Dr. Pfeifer said. “Dementia, autoimmune conditions and syndromes such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, PANDAS, POTS, etc., are now commonplace. Medical systems are doing their best to keep up with innovations, but never before has there been such a great need for multi-system functional medicine platforms. Our bodies and genes were never designed to withstand this modern unprecedented daily exposure to environmental toxins in our food, air, and water.”
Supporting children with autism typically involves a multi-faceted, complex treatment program. For many families and providers alike, the missing piece has been genetic testing. Through identification and treatment of genetic defects these children may greatly improve their symptoms and overall quality of life. At Wholestic Nutrition we understand the higher occurrence and impact of MTHFR and COMT SNPs in patients exhibiting developmental disorders such as autism and ADHD.
Wholestic Nutrition is all about root cause resolution… digging deep into the cause of your health concerns. Start your journey to health today with our unique functional medicine programs. Become a patient or study to become a Functional Medicine Health Coach. Both options are open with Wholestic Nutrition. Book a free consultation at https://wholesticnutrition.com.
