Beyond Normal: Finding Your Optimal Health Through Functional Medicine With Dr. Ailina Ismail

Words of Wellness with Shelly

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Have you ever wondered if "normal" blood test results are truly optimal for your health? What if feeling "fine" is actually far from feeling your absolute best?
Dr. Ailina, a functional medicine practitioner with decades of experience, joins us to challenge conventional thinking about health markers and wellness. After completing medical school in 1995, her journey took an unexpected turn when two of her children were diagnosed with autism. Frustrated by the limitations of conventional medicine in addressing their conditions, she dove into functional medicine to find answers conventional approaches couldn't provide.
This eye-opening conversation reveals the startling truth about blood test reference ranges. When labs report your results as "normal," they're comparing you to a population where 60% already have chronic illnesses. Dr. Ailina explains how functional medicine identifies optimal ranges—not just normal ones—to help prevent disease before it develops. She shares a powerful example of a young woman diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome whose severely low vitamin D levels (17 compared to an optimal 120) were dismissed as "normal," leaving her without effective treatment.
We explore the critical difference between conventional and functional approaches: while conventional medicine excels at treating acute conditions like heart attacks or broken bones, functional medicine shines by identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic issues like fatigue, pain, and brain fog. Dr. Ailina offers practical advice about supplementation, explaining why some supplements might just be "expensive pee" and how to determine which ones are actually benefiting you. Her fascinating insights about probiotics—that they typically only stay in your gut for two weeks and should be rotated like "extended family members" to create diversity—will transform how you approach gut health.
The most powerful message? You must advocate for your own health. If you're experiencing symptoms despite "normal" test results, that's your cue to investigate further with qualified functional medicine practitioners. Your body deserves nothing less than optimal health, not just passing grades on standard tests.
Ready to discover what your lab results might be missing? Listen now, and take the first step toward truly vibrant health. Share your experience or questions about functional medicine approaches in the comments!

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Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.
Thank you and God Bless!
And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day!
In Health,
Shelly Jefferis

Chapters

1. Advocating For Your Health (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to Words of Wellness (00:04:02)

3. Meet Dr. Ailina (00:09:40)

4. Normal vs. Optimal Blood Ranges (00:14:22)

5. Being Your Own Health Advocate (00:19:35)

6. Smart Approach To Supplements (00:24:45)

7. Final Words of Wisdom (00:28:35)