Revitalize your health
from the inside out with our
Functional Medicine approach
Restore your gut function and unlock your body's full potential
with your personalized path to wellness.
Transform Your Life
True healing begins in the gut, and our mission is to empower you on your journey to optimal well-being.
With a focus on functional health, we provide personalized solutions, backed by the latest research,
to address the root causes of gut issues such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver, Insulin Resistance, Weight Gain, GERD,
Mental Fog, Lethargy, Diabetes, Sugar Cravings, and more!
POOR DIGESTION
WEIGHT GAIN
BAD BOWELS
SUGAR CRAVINGS
BRAIN FOG
SWELLING
SKIN RASHES
FATIGUE
SLEEP ISSUES AND MORE...
Restoring proper gut health doesn't have to be hard.
Our signature program is designed and personalized for your unique needs.
The virtual consultation, will include a thorough review of your health history, development of a strategic plan to get you started right away with recommendations for nutrition, lifestyle, possibly further lab evaluation and supplements.
Your education and coaching will begin with your unique and personalized program.
Let’s work on your gut chaos together and restore your health for good.
During the discovery phase, we conduct a thorough analysis of your overall health from head to toe, along with specialized laboratory testing. We meticulously explore biochemical patterns and environmental factors to uncover any potential threats to your well-being, leaving no aspect of your health unexamined.
Through personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs, we aim to alleviate symptoms, promote tissue repair, and restore optimal function. Our integrative approach combines evidence-based interventions, including nutrition, supplementation, lifestyle modifications, and targeted therapies, to expedite the healing journey.
When we remove the barriers that are preventing the body from healing we can see amazing changes. By paying close attention to the shifts we are able to support the system in its healing process. By optimizing and making adjustments we can ensure the body has what it needs to begin to restore health.
Being healthy involves resilience and the capacity to cope with life's challenges. The thriving stage of treatment is when you acquire the skills to sustain well-being amidst the demands of family, work, and other life commitments. When you feel internally balanced, you can engage with life more energetically, vibrantly, and compassionately.
Functional Medicine is personally tailored for each person with a scientific based approach to healthcare. This allows us to focus on the mystifying disease and illness by uncovering the fundamental root causes.
Imagine it has a journey piecing together clues your body provides and systematically peeling away layers like an onion to guide you toward optimal health.
Hi there!
Cari Caraway, MSN FNP-C is a dedicated and experienced practitioner in functional medicine.
With a focus on identifying root causes of health issues,
Cari is committed to restoring well-being and providing compassionate care. Trust in Cari for comprehensive health solutions that prioritize your individual journey to optimal wellness.
Gut Chaos Consult
Your Personalized Plan
to Better Health and Viality
If you're feeling stretched for time, energy, or finances to invest in your health presently, consider the potential consequences of neglecting it. Prevent the long-term costs of burnout and depletion that poor health may entail.
Florida Functional Medicine transformed my understanding of gut health. Their Taylor program not only addressed my gut issues, but also improved my overall well-being. The virtual consultation was comprehensive, and I left with a clear plan that kickstart my journey to better health.
I’m amazed by the personalized approach at Florida functional medicine. From virtual consultation to the personalized program, every step was focused on my unique needs. Their expertise in gut health and holistic wellness truly shines through their thorough assessments and strategic plans.
Florida Functional Medicine goes beyond just addressing symptoms, they tackled the root cause of health issues. Their program gave me invaluable insights into my gut health and its impact on my entire body. The education and coaching provided me with the tools to make lasting changes for a healthier future.
Functional medicine is a personalized, patient-centered approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of illness or imbalance in the body. It considers the complex interactions between genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors to optimize health and prevent disease.
Unlike conventional medicine, which often treats symptoms with medications or surgeries, functional medicine seeks to understand and address the underlying factors contributing to health issues. It emphasizes a holistic approach, aiming to promote wellness rather than just managing disease.
Functional medicine can address a wide range of acute and chronic health conditions, including digestive disorders, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, metabolic issues, chronic fatigue, and more. It's particularly effective for conditions with complex underlying causes.
During a functional medicine consultation, you can expect a comprehensive assessment of your health history, symptoms, lifestyle factors, and environmental influences. Your practitioner will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan focused on addressing the root causes of your health concerns.
Functional medicine incorporates a variety of treatment modalities, including nutritional therapy, lifestyle modifications, stress management techniques, targeted supplementation, detoxification protocols, and mind-body therapies. The approach is highly individualized based on each patient's unique needs.
The timeline for seeing results with functional medicine varies depending on the complexity of your health issues, your adherence to the treatment plan, and other factors. While some patients experience improvements in symptoms relatively quickly, achieving long-term wellness often requires ongoing commitment and patience.
Let’s chat about your bowel movements.
Did you just cringe a bit? Let’s face it, poop isn’t anybody’s favorite topic. Nonetheless, our bowel movements hold valuable clues to our overall health. But these signs are often ignored because most of us are a bit uncomfortable talking about them - even to our healthcare providers.
Keep in mind that your healthcare practitioner will not be shocked or uncomfortable if you talk about your poop. In fact, that’s part of our job! We want to really get to the bottom of your health issues (no pun intended), and sometimes that means talking about the “unmentionable” topics. So, if you have a concern, please don’t hesitate to bring it up.
The appearance and smell of your poop is a direct reflection of your overall health as well as any inflammation your gut is experiencing, as your digestive system connects intricately with your nervous system and detox pathways. Changes in your bowel habits can indicate changes in other parts of your body - from excess stress, to liver problems, to cancers.
The good news is that we don’t have to go into great detail describing the various types of bowel movements and what they signify. There’s already a chart that shows various problems and what to look for called the Bristol Stool Chart (http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/46082.pdf ) after the hospital that developed it in 1997.
Smell
Color
Frequency
Ease
Completion
Red flags
To summarize the Bristol Stool Chart, your stools should be having a daily event that is well-formed, medium brown and not too smelly. If you see blood or mucus, or if you feel that anything about your stool doesn’t seem ideal, you should talk to your healthcare practitioner to address or rule out any issues requiring medical help.
If you’ve ruled out a medical condition, but still feel that things are not moving quite like they should be, a few simple steps can improve your bowel movements.
Pay attention to your diet.
Fiber helps keep things moving by adding some bulk to your stool - think seeds, whole grains, beans, fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re not used to a high-fiber diet, increase your fiber intake slowly to avoid upsetting your stomach, and always make sure to up your water intake alongside extra fiber. In addition, make sure you’re eating enough healthy fats from sources such as avocados, nuts, and olive oil.
Pay close attention to how particular foods affect your digestion. If you experience diarrhea or constipation, try keeping a diary of what you eat, and the symptoms you experience. We can help you set up an effective tracking system to monitor your diet if you need a little help with that.
Many medications can cause constipation, so it is important to be aware and adjust your diet accordingly. Avoid laxative medications as much as possible, as your body quickly becomes dependent on them, and some evidence links their use to colorectal cancer. Talk with your integrative medical practitioner about natural solutions to constipation cause by medications if diet alone isn’t enough.
Aim for the proverbial eight cups of water a day. It’s particularly important to get adequate water if you’ve recently increased your fiber intake. Not only are our stools 75 percent water, but the bowel muscles need plenty of hydration to work their best.
Exercise stimulates your digestion. Studies suggest that digestion is better if you exercise regularly and, if possible, at the same time of the day.
In fact, sitting for too long overall can lead to constipation regardless of other exercise, another argument for working at a standing desk for part of the day. And, on a similar note, pay attention to how your body moves. Some yoga poses are designed to assist with digestion.
If you feel like you gotta go, don’t ignore that feeling! Fighting the urge to poop can lead to constipation. Setting aside a specific time of the day can help you stay regular.
As well, consider the way you sit on the toilet. Over the course of history, toilets themselves are a pretty recent invention. That means that we evolved pooping from a squatting position. Many people find that bringing their feet up onto a stool can help bring them into a squatting position which makes bowel movements easier. Check out the Squatty potty for more info on aids for better positioning.
Don’t hesitate to call the office and have an open talk if you have any concerns or questions about your bowel movements. Your stool can be a good indicator that your body has something going on that needs attention, and it’s always better to bring up a concern than to worry about it!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25223576
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15043514
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