How does someone become chronically ill? How do some people remain healthy? How can you reverse unwanted health problems and become healthy again? These are some pretty big questions, but I’m going to do my best to break these down and shed some light on how we become sick and the process of becoming well again.

First of all, let’s dispel a huge myth that prevents people from restoring their health. It’s called the “magic bullet.” A magic bullet is a medicine or other remedy, especially an undiscovered or hypothetical one, with amazing powers to heal or destroy disease. This is very similar to the “silver bullet” which is a simple and seemingly magical solution to a complicated problem. People are looking for silver and magic bullets to eradicate their unwanted health issues and become healthy.

So let’s step back a minute and look at this. Of course we WANT quick and easy solutions to complex problems, but how often does that really happen? Are there quick and easy solutions to repair a failing marriage? If your finances are a disaster, are there quick and easy solutions to remedy them? If you are dealing with a teenager that is heading down a destructive path, are there quick and easy solutions?  None that I’m aware of. Problems like this don’t happen overnight; they grow over time…IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.  The same thing happens with your health. Most people don’t suddenly become sick…it is a process of declining health that finally reaches a point that registers in your awareness. Once this happens we scramble to find the quickest, easiest and cheapest solution!

There are all sorts of quick-fix solutions being peddled today for the complex problems of life and we gobble them up like candy. The only problem is that they almost never work! But that doesn’t seem to stop us from jumping to the next quick fix and the next and the next. You did not lose your health overnight and you will not get it back overnight. This burning desire for quick and easy solutions to complex problems only wastes time, money and effort. It sets you up for failure.

Deep down, you KNOW that there probably are not easy solutions…of course we want them, but they rarely exist. So, if you are serious about getting healthy, the irst step is to stop deluding yourself…you have to stop buying into the quick fix. I know I’m hitting this pretty hard, but I really want you to get this and have it really sink in. It will save you a lot of frustration in your life. Things worth having in life are worth working for and putting consistent effort into. Are you finances important? Are you relationships important? Is your health and happiness important? Well, they all take some consistent effort, over time to grown into something good…something worth having.

Ok, so how do we restore our health? This is where functional medicine comes in. The goal of functional medicine is to identify the pieces of the health puzzle that are missing and put them in place. We work with your diet, nutrients and lifestyle and we apply these solutions over time. Remember, you did not go from healthy to unhealthy overnight and there are no shortcuts back. I know this is a terrible sales pitch, but luckily I’m not here to sell you anything. I want to provide you with some truth. Here’s the good news! If you do want to get healthy and you are willing to put some effort into it and give your poor body a chance to heal and get back on it’s feet again, then functional medicine is a great place to start. Beginning the process of health restoration with the right mindset makes all the difference. The more you understand the TRUTH of any problem you are dealing with, the more prepared you will be to meet any obstacles you may encounter.

What I hope you get out of this article is that you can make a difference in your health, you can feel better than you do right now… you can do it.

How long should you work on your health? A week…month…a year? How long should your work on your marriage and the relationships you have with your children or your finances?  Your whole life right? Wouldn’t this apply to your health? Well, how long do you intend to live? I suggest you put some effort into your health for the rest of your life! Doesn’t this seem reasonable?

Well, there you go, I hope this has shifted your mindset and provided you with a little truth that will benefit you; not only with health but your life as a whole. It’s so important NOT to buy into magic and silver bullets…as tempting as they are…they don’t fix the important aspects of your life and they don’t get you on a path that will lead to lasting health, wellbeing and happiness.

I wish you success on your quest for better health!

              If you are looking for a functional medicine doctor in Naperville, Orland Park or St. Charles, please contact us today!

If you would like more information about functional medicine and integrative medicine or Dr. Sexton go to napervilleintegratedwellness.com

Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information, you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources and organizations.

This approach to healthcare is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Why? The FDA enforces its position that these words can only be used with drugs. This approach does not use drugs.