EP02: What IS Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine rejects symptom-chasing and asks a better question: why did the body stop working the way it’s designed to?

 

In this episode, Tracy Harrison explains what functional medicine really is through the lens of systems engineering. What if we approached the human body like a complex system, where every piece plays a role in either promoting health or driving dysfunction?

 

Using the image of a bonsai tree, Tracy illustrates how we miss the bigger picture when we focus only on the problem we can see. She then takes it a step further with three real-world examples of people who all have hypertension, but for completely different reasons. One person is dealing with blood sugar issues. Another is struggling with nutrient metabolism. A third is unknowingly affected by toxic exposure from decades ago.

 

So how do we help someone heal if we don’t first understand why they’re sick? This episode is an invitation to think differently. It challenges listeners to stop asking what to fix and start asking what’s interfering with the body’s ability to function. Through a systems engineering lens, Tracy shows how personalized assessment and targeted intervention can help restore balance without relying solely on symptom management.

 

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Functional Medicine

01:57 Systems Engineering Approach

03:01 Functional Medicine Lens

04:06 Hypertension Example

06:05 Case Study: Mary and Blood Sugar

08:05 Case Study: Bill and Homocysteine

10:17 Case Study: Sue and Lead Exposure

13:20 Customizing Interventional Plans

14:38 Exploring Diagnoses and Root Causes

 

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