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Over the course of my many years in practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.), Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (CFMP^®), and supporting people using clinical nutrition, I have discovered that a key component to achieving optimal health is education. What you don’t know can, literally, kill you.

A large part of my job in diagnosing health conditions and identifying and treating the root cause(s) of such conditions involves educating my patients on nutrition and lifestyle and their impact on health. Unlike conventional medicine, which treats patients as passive recipients of pharmaceuticals and often invasive medical treatments, my practice involves you — the patient — as an integral part of the treatment team. To be an effective member of that team, you need to know what to do, how to do it, why it’s important, and how it works. Otherwise, patients like you either can’t or won’t do what’s required to overcome illness and achieve optimal health and function.

Education is key, and that’s why I’ve decided to start blogging about functional medicine in Tampa. My belief is that through my blog posts and discussions, you will learn a thing or two about your own body and about how your environment, diet and lifestyle choices impact your health. The proper knowledge and insight place you in the driver’s seat; your choices either promote or undermine your quality of life — the way you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally; what you’re able to do; and your performance level.

Over the course of coming weeks, months, and years, I will be blogging about a wide range of topics related to health and fitness in Tampa, including the following:

• Nutrition, including insight on how to use food as medicine to avoid and support various illnesses and promote optimal health and performance
• Digestive health, including insight on how to restore the delicate balance of bacteria and other microorganisms that reside in the gut and that play a significant role in immune system function and dysfunction, along with a host of illnesses related to chronic inflammation
• Autoimmunity, and how it can be approached more specifically with nutrition, holistic treatment, and adjustments in lifestyle to avoid progression of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Colitis, Lupus and more
• Leaky gut, food allergies and sensitivities, along with guidance on how to obtain an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment
• Weight-loss resistance (inability to lose weight when trying to do so) and how to overcome it through nutrition and exercise and without having to starve yourself
• Genetics, both human genes and the genetic makeup (the microbiome) of the various microorganisms (microbiota) that reside in and on the human body and that either promote or impair health
• Neurological health — not only brain function in terms of clear thinking and emotional stability, but also in terms of the brain’s central control of other bodily functions and organs
• Endocrine health — the endocrine glands (pineal gland, pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes, thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands) that regulate the body’s internal environment through the circulatory system
• External environmental factors, including mold toxicity, Lyme disease, and sick building syndrome, that often produce debilitating and autoimmune symptoms that conventional medicine struggles to diagnose and treat

Yes, you can take control of your own health, but you need the knowledge and understanding to do so. Please join me in learning more about your health and your body. The time and effort required will be the best investment you ever made, paying dividends by making you feel and function your very best.

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About the Author: Dr. Matt Lewis, D.C., CFMP^® specializes in diagnosing and treating the underlying causes of the symptoms related to chronic and unexplained illness through nutrition, lifestyle, chiropractic, and other natural approaches to whole-health healing in Tampa, Florida. He earned his B.S. in Biology from Shenandoah University, his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life University, his CFMP^® from the Functional Medicine University, and his certification as a Digestive Health Specialist (DHS) through the Food Enzyme Institute. Dr. Lewis’ passion for health and wellness stems from his own personal experience. With a family history of autoimmune conditions and diabetes, and his own lab tests showing his genetic susceptibility to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid), he has learned how to restore his own health and vigor to prevent the onset of these illnesses and live an incredibly active life. Through this process, he acquired a deeper understanding of health and wellness, which he now offers his patients and others interested in whole health.