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

Brittany and Tom discuss pregnancy nutrition from a functional medicine perspective. Not enough attention is being paid to the importance of proper nutrition during the First Thousand Days of a child's life, including pregnancy. To increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy, good nutrition should be a priority for the mother!

We cover the importance of key nutrients like iron, zinc, choline, omega-3 and prebiotic fiber to feed mother and baby brain and gut microbiome.

Much of the information discussed was drawn from Dr Flass' books "Feeding Our Children" and "Eating For Two".

#firstthousanddays, #pregnancynutrition, #functionalmedicine

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

In this episode Brittany and Tom go over what a visit to the functional medicine provider might look like for a patient wanting a more holistic "check up".

We discuss how a functional medicine visit differs from a traditional visit, with emphasis on extensive history and contributing upstream causes for the patient's potential health issues.

We also go over our take on useful labwork that can alert someone of future health risks and catching things early before full blown disease takes place.

This is a helpful episode for anyone curious about the potential benefits of preventive functional medicine in their health and the mindset of a functional medicine versus conventional medicine.

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com

In this episode, Tom and Brittany review "irritable bowel syndrome" and how the mainstream diagnosis and management of IBS leaves a lot to be desired.

IBS is an area where Functional Medicine and Integrative Gastroenterology really outshine the conventional approach by focusing on root causes and personalized approaches.

We discuss how "IBS" which is really just a list of symptoms, can be caused by many factors including dysbiosis and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), celiac, food intolerances and sensitivities, stress and disrupted nervous system of the gut. IBS falls under a category of conditions getting relabeled as DGBI- disorders of gut-brain interaction which is very telling. With a good personal history and the right diagnostic tests, many people are now finding that the functional medicine approach to their IBS provides the answers they have been looking for.

This is a chance to learn about IBS from a combined gastroenterology and functional medicine perspective.

#IBS, #irritablebowel, #functionalmedicine, #gastroenterology

For more information find us at www.functionalmedassociates.com