Latest / Port City Profiles / The Detective Approach to Functional Medicine w/ Mackenzie Jones | Ep 3

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The Detective Approach to Functional Medicine w/ Mackenzie Jones | Ep 3 · Port City Profiles

• 0:00
  When I started my practice, I mean, I really felt like God led me to it, but I had done functional medicine for my own health.
• 0:05
  And it was very much like, this is what you have.
• 0:07
  Here's a supplement for that.
• 0:08
  And I'm not saying anything's wrong with that, but it didn't feel very, you know, like what's going on with your lifestyle.
• 0:12
  No one ever talked to me about adrenals and nervous system.
• 0:15
  It was just like, oh, you have, you know, this thyroid disease and IBS because you're reacting to gluten, right?
• 0:20
  It was very like still medical, but more trying to still find the results or the root.
• 0:25
  And I did feel better when I first, you know, when I started it, but I was like, how many supplements can a person take?
• 0:30
  So Wilmington's full of so many cool businesses doing great work, and most of them never get to tell you how they're helping and more importantly, why they're helping here in the community.
• 0:39
  So I decided I'm going to ask them.
• 0:41
  I'm your host, Rich Cardona, and this is Port City Profiles.
• 0:44
  We just wrapped up a prayer and I'm here with my friend Mackenzie Jones, who has a functional medicine practice that she's going to tell us about.
• 0:51
  But the easiest question to start with is what is functional medicine and why is that different from me going to my regular doctor?
• 0:58
  Yes.
• 0:59
  So in conventional medicine, we go usually because we have symptoms.
• 1:02
  So, for example, I have a headache or I have reflux.
• 1:06
  They're like, OK, here's a pill for that.
• 1:07
  Right.
• 1:08
  To try to help you with the symptoms.
• 1:10
  And that's totally OK.
• 1:11
  But in functional medicine, we try to get to the root of that.
• 1:13
  So if you're having headaches, you're having weight gain, things that you can't explain, we're trying to find out why to their roots.
• 1:19
  So it's fun.
• 1:20
  And what's the name of your practice?
• 1:22
  It's Breakthrough Functional Medicine.
• 1:23
  OK. And how long have you been in business?
• 1:25
  Over three years.
• 1:26
  April was three years.
• 1:27
  Three?
• 1:27
  Yeah.
• 1:28
  That's it?
• 1:29
  I know.
• 1:29
  Seems like a lot longer.
• 1:30
  Wow.
• 1:30
  And you already moved spaces.
• 1:32
  Yes.
• 1:32
  So you're a growing practice.
• 1:34
  For sure.
• 1:34
  What have you noticed from the inception to from like maybe the type of people you were helping or not the type of people?
• 1:42
  I would say maybe people's education on this activity.
• 1:45
  aspect of medicine compared to like, is it growing?
• 1:48
  And that's why you're attracting more people, right?
• 1:50
  I think so.
• 1:50
  Because we all know our medical systems broken and need some work.
• 1:54
  So a lot of people have just gone out in that pathway of they you're saying everything's normal, my lab works normal.
• 2:00
  And then we, you know, do blood work, maybe things aren't optimal trying to help with that.
• 2:05
  So I think people are more asking questions trying to get to the bottom of what's going on.
• 2:09
  So yes,
• 2:09
  In your experience, when the people come to you, they've gone to their doctor and what are those conversations like and what are they dissatisfied to the point where they're willing to explore functional medicine?
• 2:19
  Right.
• 2:19
  I think a lot of times the models vary.
• 2:22
  You have 15 minutes and that's all you get.
• 2:23
  Yes.
• 2:24
  After waiting 30 minutes.
• 2:25
  Exactly.
• 2:25
  Yeah.
• 2:25
  That's happening the other day.
• 2:27
  I was like, I was in the dermatologist for an hour and I'm like, this is terrible.
• 2:30
  Yeah.
• 2:30
  But so, yes, I think you go, you have you only have time for one, maybe two symptoms.
• 2:35
  And it's like, you know, they're rushed there.
• 2:38
  They're like speeding you up, not listening to you.
• 2:40
  So I take make the space and the time to really listen to patients.
• 2:43
  And so I think people are just frustrated because they're either don't have time to listen to or they're waiting and not getting the answers that they want and getting to the the bottom of it.
• 2:52
  They keep being like, well, I had this.
• 2:53
  They gave me this, you know, pill.
• 2:55
  This got better.
• 2:55
  But then I'm having this symptom, too.
• 2:57
  So it's kind of like snowballing and.
• 2:58
  the length of the interaction, obviously, it's like it's not proportionate, right?
• 3:02
  Like you've waited, took you this to schedule.
• 3:04
  Sometimes they don't have anything that day or whatever, which is fine.
• 3:07
  And I'm not assuming that you, anyone could just walk in.
• 3:09
  Right.
• 3:10
  But at the same time, like, what have you learned by having more time than maybe a traditional doctor would?
• 3:15
  And like, just like...
• 3:17
  solving anything aside, just that interaction.
• 3:19
  What's that like?
• 3:20
  I think people are feeling heard and like having the hope of, wow, you're actually listening to me, like taking notes, trying to get to the bottom of what's going on.
• 3:28
  I think that gives people like they trust you, right?
• 3:31
  Because you actually have time to sit down and like, wow, you actually heard me.
• 3:34
  I mean, I let people, I'm like, you can tell me as much or little as you want.
• 3:37
  Like I'm just sitting here listening.
• 3:38
  I mean, usually it's about 30, 45 minutes, my first appointment, or I'm just like, tell me all you want to tell me.
• 3:43
  And I think it feels like good for a lot of
• 3:47
  around like seeing doctors and just feeling like no trust.
• 3:51
  I mean, I've heard horror stories where I think they're traumatized from our medical system.
• 3:55
  And I tell people there's a time and place for, you know, traditional medicine.
• 3:58
  Like if you're having a heart attack, go to the hospital, or if you're, you know, all the time, I'm like, Hey, like you probably need a, you know, colonoscopy or you need, or you need your mammogram or, you know, whatever it may be.
• 4:08
  So I think there's a time and place for it, but getting to, you know, have more time to be heard.
• 4:13
  Yeah.
• 4:13
  And I mean, from what I know about breakthrough, of course, is that like people, it's almost like a relationship is formed versus I hate to, I don't hate to say it.
• 4:23
  It's true.
• 4:24
  Like it seems transactional.
• 4:26
  Um, there's a lot of times there's not going to be a difference from when I go to my doctor, if I have to go to urgent care, um, like it's kind of the same.
• 4:33
  It's like, all right, here you go.
• 4:34
  A new doctor every like year because the turnover is so high.
• 4:37
  Um, yeah.
• 4:38
  So then some of the stuff that you're talking about, maybe it's not something that's acute, but something that might be lingering.
• 4:45
  And if you were to say, like, here's the top three things that we have seen over and over that not only people come to us for, but that we're able to make significant progress on, what are some of those things?
• 4:56
  Hmm.
• 4:56
  So I get a lot of people come in with fatigue, right?
• 4:58
  Where I'm just tired all the time.
• 5:00
  You're like, yep.
• 5:01
  So a lot of times when I kind of have to distinguish and dig and be like, what type of fatigue is it?
• 5:06
  Because there's different types.
• 5:07
  I'm fatigued right now.
• 5:08
  Let's do it right now.
• 5:09
  Let's do it.
• 5:09
  Okay.
• 5:10
  I'm an open book Port City profile.
• 5:12
  So I started doing like peptides and stuff a while ago.
• 5:15
  And then I had a lapse in taking it because the company couldn't supply it and whatever.
• 5:20
  So then I went with Merrick Health.
• 5:22
  This is not a shout out.
• 5:23
  I'm just letting you know who I use.
• 5:24
  So I got my testosterone back and they're like three doses a week versus one.
• 5:30
  And they said that might have been throwing off my estradiol.
• 5:33
  So the dose isn't bigger.
• 5:35
  It's just spread out.
• 5:36
  Exactly.
• 5:36
  And I'm like, okay, so like, that's cool.
• 5:39
  It's only been a week and a half.
• 5:40
  More of a steady state.
• 5:41
  Yes.
• 5:41
  It's been like a week and a half.
• 5:42
  But then they put, what were we saying?
• 5:44
  Trisepatide?
• 5:44
  Trisepatide?
• 5:45
  Is that the GLP one?
• 5:47
  Yes.
• 5:47
  Like Mon Giorni?
• 5:47
  Yep.
• 5:48
  I love that one too.
• 5:48
  Okay.
• 5:49
  Yeah.
• 5:49
  Here's my thing.
• 5:50
  Okay.
• 5:50
  Since I've started that.
• 5:52
  Yes.
• 5:53
  My appetite certainly feels suppressed.
• 5:55
  I don't even remember what it's supposed to do, but I will tell you.
• 5:57
  And I told Anne, who you know, my wife, I'm like, I am tired.
• 6:01
  Like, she's like, I want to go on a date.
• 6:02
  Since you started that?
• 6:03
  Yes.
• 6:03
  And she's like, I want to go on a date.
• 6:04
  I'm like, I don't want to do anything.
• 6:07
  I was like, I want to go home.
• 6:08
  I want to sit on the couch.
• 6:09
  I'm exhausted.
• 6:09
  And you know what I do.
• 6:11
  Right.
• 6:11
  So like, that's the kind of fatigue.
• 6:15
  I don't know what it's like to have mono, but I'm usually have a lot of energy.
• 6:18
  I'm able to get my workouts in.
• 6:19
  I'm able to run, but I'm tired.
• 6:21
  Wow.
• 6:22
  So then you, I think we have to dig and say, was insulin resistance not your issue?
• 6:26
  Are you doing too high of a dose?
• 6:28
  Are you micro dosing it?
• 6:29
  Right.
• 6:29
  Like start trying to get to the, the why you're having fatigue from the trisepatide.
• 6:34
  And maybe it's just not the right peptide for you, but how's, how are you dosing it?
• 6:38
  Is it?
• 6:39
  Um, twice a week.
• 6:40
  And it's like for the first four weeks, I think it's like point 10 something.
• 6:44
  It's small.
• 6:45
  It's very small.
• 6:45
  Okay.
• 6:46
  Yeah.
• 6:46
  So yeah.
• 6:47
  I don't know if there's a correlation or not, but like, how would you dig into the fatigue?
• 6:51
  Yeah.
• 6:51
  I mean, what kind of questions would you ask that?
• 6:53
  I would probably say it sounds like, okay.
• 6:55
  I always ask, when did it start?
• 6:56
  Right.
• 6:57
  Like trying to be a detective of like, okay, you were pretty good.
• 6:59
  And then maybe the testosterone helped.
• 7:01
  And then you started the peptide.
• 7:02
  It sounds like the trizapatide and that's when your, your, um, fatigue started.
• 7:06
  So you might be like,
• 7:07
  Well, maybe insulin resistant wasn't your issue.
• 7:09
  And that's why insulin resistance is where you're taking in more glucose or blood sugar.
• 7:15
  So I think like carbs, then your body can handle.
• 7:17
  So then the cell gets resistant.
• 7:19
  You have all that food noise like I just want to eat all the time.
• 7:21
  So your sympathize sadly did great for me.
• 7:25
  But I lost 15 pounds in a month.
• 7:26
  Oh, my Lord.
• 7:27
  I only did one bottle.
• 7:28
  Oh, my God.
• 7:28
  But anyways, so, yeah, this thing, everyone's different, you know.
• 7:31
  But it might be you have to work on.
• 7:33
  So when I talk to people about adrenal fatigue all the time, which knowing you, you probably have some of that.
• 7:40
  Tell us about that.
• 7:41
  Adrenal fatigue, it's not technically like a diagnosed term, but I see it all the time where our cortisol is not optimal because we have a lot of stress and we're in fight or flight often because that's just the world we live in.
• 7:53
  You mean a business owner life?
• 7:54
  Yeah, exactly.
• 7:55
  Yeah, entrepreneur life.
• 7:56
  Um, so a lot of people I see, so I, so I'm asking the questions of like, what type of fatigue are you having?
• 8:01
  So if you're having morning fatigue where you wake up and you're like, gosh, I can't get up.
• 8:04
  I'm so tired.
• 8:05
  I need my coffee.
• 8:06
  Let's, I reach for, you know, first and then maybe, Oh, two, three o'clock in the afternoon, I'm getting that crash.
• 8:11
  And then I get a second wind right before bed, like nine to 10 PM where you're like, I'm ready to go.
• 8:16
  And that's when you can do your best work.
• 8:17
  Right.
• 8:18
  So then I'm thinking, well, your circadian rhythm is kind of backwards.
• 8:21
  Right.
• 8:22
  Where you should be energized throughout the day, not needing coffee, not like crashing.
• 8:26
  Right.
• 8:26
  And then you should be like, OK, I want to go to sleep.
• 8:28
  So I think most people, their circadian rhythm is flipped because we're on phones.
• 8:32
  And I mean, life's just stressful.
• 8:33
  Right.
• 8:33
  I think driving in a car is stressful nowadays.
• 8:36
  You know, so I pretty much think everyone could use some adrenal support.
• 8:39
  So fatigue is one of them and it could be a combination of these things.
• 8:42
  Right.
• 8:42
  Right.
• 8:42
  And it's literally, you just did the detective work, so to speak.
• 8:45
  It's like, okay, like when did it start?
• 8:47
  Like that was pretty easy to pinpoint.
• 8:48
  Yeah.
• 8:49
  Coffee.
• 8:49
  And then fatigue of like, you know, oh, I work out and I feel worse or more fatigued, like post-exertional fatigue.
• 8:55
  And that's mitochondria.
• 8:56
  Usually the powerhouse of the cell.
• 8:58
  That's all I know.
• 8:58
  That's all I know.
• 9:00
  That's how you make ATP, right?
• 9:01
  Energy.
• 9:01
  Yeah.
• 9:01
  It's back to biochemistry.
• 9:03
  So then I'm trying to be like, is it adrenal fatigue?
• 9:05
  Are you having more fatigue after you work out?
• 9:07
  So we're trying to figure out like you're sitting, it's being very specific on like, when is your fatigue?
• 9:11
  And that's what we have the time to do it.
• 9:13
  Okay.
• 9:13
  Yeah.
• 9:14
  So fatigue's one.
• 9:15
  What's another one?
• 9:16
  Hmm.
• 9:17
  At the top of my head, a lot of people have come in with like reflux and GI issues.
• 9:22
  It could be, you know, IBS, whatever.
• 9:23
  Bubble guts.
• 9:24
  Yeah, bubble guts.
• 9:24
  Yeah.
• 9:25
  And so trying to, again, ask questions and like, what type of bloating?
• 9:29
  Is it right after you eat?
• 9:30
  Do you have reflux?
• 9:31
  Like, you know, asking those questions to try to get to the root of it.
• 9:34
  Of course, having...
• 9:35
  testing would be helpful, like, you know, a stool test or food sensitivity test, you know, those sorts of things.
• 9:40
  But trying to find the why behind it, not like, oh, you have reflux, let's take protonics.
• 9:45
  So it's like a medication, right?
• 9:46
  That suppresses your acid is just a band aid.
• 9:49
  It's not fixing it.
• 9:50
  Okay.
• 9:51
  So instead, I'm like, hey, you probably don't have enough stomach acid because you've been stressed and that goes down and then you feel the reflux coming back up.
• 9:58
  So let's give you an enzyme, like a digestive enzyme to help with that.
• 10:01
  This is interesting because you may uncover something and you might say, hey, let's do an elimination diet, which I think that is something that you guys do, right?
• 10:10
  Or at least help people guide them to that.
• 10:12
  Yeah, sure.
• 10:13
  This particularly involves such a major lifestyle change.
• 10:18
  What is your experience in trying to...
• 10:22
  really help people set expectations and maybe the effort and sacrifice needed to do this.
• 10:28
  Because if you're telling me today, like pasta is over.
• 10:31
  Like you can't eat tomato sauce.
• 10:32
  You're like, what?
• 10:33
  Yeah.
• 10:33
  I'm Italian, man.
• 10:34
  We're not friends anymore.
• 10:36
  Yeah.
• 10:37
  That's why when I started my practice, I mean, I really felt like God led me to it, but I, I had done functional medicine for my own health and it was very much like, this is what you have.
• 10:45
  Here's a supplement for that.
• 10:47
  And I'm not saying anything's wrong with that, but it didn't feel very, you know, like what's going on with your lifestyle.
• 10:51
  No one ever talked to me about adrenals and nervous system.
• 10:54
  It was just like, oh, you have, you know, this thyroid disease and IBS because you're reacting to gluten, right?
• 10:59
  It was very like still medical, but more trying to still find the results or the root
• 11:05
  And I did feel better when I first, you know, when I started it, but I was like, how many supplements can a person take?
• 11:09
  You know, I mean, I was taking like probably 10 to 15 a day and I was just like, this is crazy.
• 11:13
  So it kind of felt like another bandaid.
• 11:15
  Well, it's really hard to figure out what's working and what's not.
• 11:18
  I feel worse when I take them sometimes and I don't, you know, so it was just very, I was like, okay, this isn't the answer either.
• 11:23
  I mean, I think some supplements, of course, I use them, have a time and place, but very like targeted.
• 11:28
  Like if you were doing these three things or two things or whatever.
• 11:30
  So when I started my practice, I was really like, I want to do lifestyle medicine too, which is this, this is the hard part where I'm like, I'm not going to lie to you.
• 11:36
  Like changing your diet's hard, making exercise routines hard, getting more sleep is hard.
• 11:40
  Like all of these lifestyle things.
• 11:42
  So I tell people, I'm like, I'm going to meet you where you're at.
• 11:44
  Right.
• 11:45
  It's not like you're going to change your life in a day, but I'm going to be like, Hey, can we work on this?
• 11:49
  And they're like, Nope, do not take away my Italian, you know, pasta sauce.
• 11:52
  I'm like, okay, let's talk about your stress management then.
• 11:55
  Right.
• 11:55
  So we're really trying to meet you where you're at.
• 11:58
  So it's doable.
• 11:58
  And that's why I hired a health coach too.
• 12:00
  Okay.
• 12:00
  Tell me about that.
• 12:01
  So the health coach, she's amazing.
• 12:03
  She's really asking you, okay, so this is a perfect example.
• 12:06
  Okay.
• 12:07
  I have a hard time exercising.
• 12:08
  Okay.
• 12:09
  Well, what steps can we take to help you start implementing that?
• 12:12
  And she'll say, example, can I, can you put your shoes at the door?
• 12:15
  So when you walk by the door, you're like, Hmm, like maybe I should think about walking, you know, like very like basic things.
• 12:21
  You would never think that'd be helpful, but it can be, you know?
• 12:23
  So we talked about fatigue and then we talked about like IBS or maybe gut health issues or anything like that.
• 12:28
  I know it's hardest, but even even my wife right now, she's reading a book called You Can Fix Your Brain by Tom O'Brien.
• 12:36
  Oh, yeah.
• 12:37
  I love him.
• 12:37
  Yeah.
• 12:37
  Yes.
• 12:38
  And she's fascinated and she's uncovering a lot of gluten.
• 12:42
  He talks about gluten.
• 12:43
  He talks about some cases in where he has been able to help or maybe he or there's been studies that people have been able to reverse Alzheimer's.
• 12:51
  Yes.
• 12:51
  Personality disorder and things like this.
• 12:53
  And I didn't get a chance to talk to you, but like someone in my family suffers from these things.
• 12:57
  Right.
• 12:59
  And Anne is fascinated by how gut-
• 13:05
  health is kind of like the overarching mothership of your life being a healthy one or a sucky one, so to speak.
• 13:16
  Would you agree?
• 13:17
  Is it like that important?
• 13:18
  What are we missing then?
• 13:20
  So anytime I go to a conference, you know, you get in all these weeds like peptides and all these things you're trying to learn.
• 13:24
  And it's all, anytime I go, they're like, don't forget the gut, like leaky gut.
• 13:27
  You got to start there.
• 13:28
  And you're like, okay, good reminder of, you know, your gut talks to your brain more than your brain talks to your gut.
• 13:34
  So it's more like this communication than this communication.
• 13:38
  And so I'm like, what?
• 13:39
  So yeah, if our gut's not happy, and a lot of times it's hard to know if our gut's not healthy because we might not have gut symptoms, but we might have brain fog.
• 13:45
  We might have problems with word recall or skin issues.
• 13:48
  I mean, it could be so many things, right?
• 13:49
  Yeah.
• 13:49
  And so I usually do like try not to forget, like start start with the gut if that makes sense for the for the patient.
• 13:54
  But there's a book called End of Alzheimer's.
• 13:56
  You'd probably love that, too, where he talks about if you have leaky gut, then you probably have leaky brain.
• 14:01
  Oh, my goodness.
• 14:02
  And they're saying like it's crazy.
• 14:04
  And then they're saying, you know, type three diabetes is Alzheimer's.
• 14:07
  So like your blood sugar regulation, it all ties together.
• 14:09
  So they're reversing early onset Alzheimer's.
• 14:12
  OK. And dementia.
• 14:13
  Yes.
• 14:14
  Yes.
• 14:14
  She mentioned that one, too.
• 14:15
  It's really cool.
• 14:16
  Yeah.
• 14:16
  So yeah, gut is important and hard to know what to do with it.
• 14:19
  Sorry, we got to stay there real quick.
• 14:21
  Because I believe you've told me in the past about people who have gone through certain elimination things.
• 14:28
  And if I remember correctly, one of your patients said, I didn't know what feeling good felt like until after I was able to get these things out.
• 14:37
  How is that possible?
• 14:38
  I guess like,
• 14:39
  It's like you're normal.
• 14:40
  It's like you're, you know, you're used to it.
• 14:41
  Yes.
• 14:42
  Yeah.
• 14:42
  Yeah.
• 14:42
  And I mean, I totally was the same way.
• 14:44
  I was like, I had joint pain when I was like 18.
• 14:46
  I slept for 12 hours.
• 14:47
  Like it was just normal to me.
• 14:49
  And then I was like, wow, I can sleep eight, not have joint pain, not have IBS by doing this medicine.
• 14:54
  And that's why I'm so like passionate about it because it changed my life.
• 14:56
  I want to skip the third major one or whatever to get back to like brain health, which is tied to your gut.
• 15:03
  Part of the questions here are, you know, you're solving something you're acutely familiar with.
• 15:09
  Now, you might have been acutely familiar with not feeling so great when you were 18 or whatever.
• 15:13
  But like, how did you know this was going to be the trajectory to be like, this is not only a problem I want to solve for myself, but I want to solve it for other people.
• 15:20
  So I knew I wanted to be a nurse and then probably be a nurse practitioner.
• 15:23
  And so I started, I was in the ICU, the ER.
• 15:26
  And so I got to see the acute come in.
• 15:29
  I was like, okay, there's medicine for this.
• 15:30
  This is great.
• 15:31
  But why is this person coming in time and time again?
• 15:33
  You know, I've treated them for this stomach ulcer over and over again.
• 15:37
  I'm like, someone has to try to help them like get to the root of it.
• 15:40
  So it kept me thinking, you know, I'm on my journey too of doing it.
• 15:43
  And I'm seeing all these patients like, it doesn't have to be this way.
• 15:46
  Like you don't have to be suffering.
• 15:47
  And yeah.
• 15:47
  I mean, it's just horrible to see, especially those like really chronic acute cases.
• 15:51
  Right.
• 15:51
  So then I was like, OK, I went down the traditional path just because I wanted to have that information too.
• 15:56
  So I did urgent care, psychiatry.
• 15:58
  And all the while I'm thinking like, OK, if someone is bipolar and manic, yes, let's stabilize them like we need that.
• 16:05
  But then can we ask why are they having these psychiatric issues or, you know, all those things like my brain always goes to like the why and not just it's a symptom and it's because but I want to get to the to the reason.
• 16:15
  Yeah.
• 16:15
  I'm a little detective.
• 16:16
  Yeah.
• 16:16
  This is so it's like this approach is it feels like more methodical and slower, which is not sexy.
• 16:24
  I think someone says if Warren Buffett wrote a book on how to make a million dollars in the next nine years, that does not sell compared to add six figures to your bottom line in 90 days.
• 16:32
  Yeah.
• 16:33
  And I'm like, I completely agree.
• 16:35
  What are some of the mental things people need to understand about functional medicine before they talk to you?
• 16:40
  Like patients might not be a virtue for some of these people, but they do have a problem that they want to solve.
• 16:46
  So I've set up my model to kind of be like this, where it's like, okay, let's have a discovery call, just understand how my process works.
• 16:52
  So they're not blindsided and like, oh, I thought I was going to get a peptide and my life was going to be miraculously healed.
• 16:57
  And I mean, I tell people all the time, some people just take one or two supplements, change a few lifestyle recommendations.
• 17:02
  And they're like, I am 90% better.
• 17:04
  And that is amazing.
• 17:05
  That is not most people because most people have chronic things.
• 17:08
  And I'm like, hey, it took you 60, whatever, five years to get here.
• 17:12
  It's probably going to take a while to peel the layers of the onion.
• 17:15
  Sure.
• 17:15
  Like I like to say.
• 17:16
  So I think people can get benefit and education on just having one appointment.
• 17:21
  And so we do offer that just as kind of like, here's our foundational assessment, kind of see how we work.
• 17:26
  And what's the foundational assessment?
• 17:28
  So that's a one time appointment.
• 17:29
  We kind of split it up into three appointments where it's me for 90 minutes.
• 17:33
  They the next day they'll follow up with our front desk and she's like, here's your protocol.
• 17:36
  Because most people are like, this is great, but we're a little overwhelmed.
• 17:39
  So we try to make it digestible.
• 17:40
  What's a protocol?
• 17:40
  Sorry.
• 17:41
  So if someone comes in, I'm like, hey, here's what I'm seeing on your labs.
• 17:44
  Here's your top five symptoms.
• 17:46
  I usually start there because people are like, I have this laundry list of things usually.
• 17:51
  And I'm like, let's prioritize.
• 17:52
  Like, what are your priorities?
• 17:53
  And we'll focus there.
• 17:54
  So I'm really trying to pull in the labs, what their symptoms are saying, talk about lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress, sleep, those things first.
• 18:02
  And then, hey, let's do like one or two supplements and see how you feel.
• 18:05
  And I always tell people at the end of the appointment, I'm like, okay, one of three things is going to happen, right?
• 18:08
  You're going to do everything I said, and you're going to take these supplements and you're going to feel great.
• 18:12
  And that's what I really hope happens, you know, and some people do, some people do.
• 18:16
  And then the second one is, okay, you did what I said.
• 18:19
  You made me feel 25, 50% better.
• 18:21
  And that's still, Hey, we'll take it.
• 18:22
  But there's more layers to uncover, right?
• 18:24
  Or three, you started doing this.
• 18:26
  It is very overwhelming.
• 18:27
  And you're like, how the heck am I not going to eat pasta?
• 18:29
  Or how am I not going to eat my red sauce?
• 18:31
  Right.
• 18:31
  And I'm like, fair.
• 18:32
  And that's why we have the health coach and we have the support to help you with that.
• 18:36
  So we try to help people, you know, in each of those categories.
• 18:39
  So then after the foundational assessment and the protocol, what's the last?
• 18:42
  Then they see the health coach.
• 18:43
  Yep.
• 18:43
  Okay.
• 18:43
  So she's like, okay, you've got all this information.
• 18:46
  You've started walking it out.
• 18:47
  Right.
• 18:47
  It's usually a few weeks later.
• 18:49
  And it's just like, what are barriers?
• 18:51
  What are, you know, some issues you're still having?
• 18:54
  Because like, you can't change your...
• 18:55
  your life overnight.
• 18:56
  So there's like a team.
• 18:57
  It's like almost like you have a team that you're working with.
• 18:59
  So then if someone, if I have a good experience with you and then I get the protocol and everything like that, I guess explain to me a little bit more like what my conversations with the health coach are like, like I guess the division of responsibility.
• 19:14
  Right.
• 19:14
  Right.
• 19:14
  So I'm more of like the medical side of like, hey, this is what your labs say, you know, taking this medical approach or some people I'm like, hey, you need an EKG.
• 19:22
  You need a cardiac workup.
• 19:23
  Like you have to do that on the side.
• 19:24
  Right.
• 19:25
  Like, that's not me.
• 19:26
  Yeah.
• 19:26
  Or you haven't had a pap smear.
• 19:28
  Like, go do that.
• 19:28
  Whatever.
• 19:29
  And then the health coach is more like, OK, McKinney.
• 19:31
  These are McKinsey's recommendations.
• 19:33
  So she's helping people implement them, not really like changing the protocol or the supplement.
• 19:37
  She's just helping them do the thing.
• 19:39
  And like, I'm assuming a little bit of an accountability factor.
• 19:42
  Exactly.
• 19:42
  Softly.
• 19:43
  And it's more like we meet people where they're at.
• 19:45
  People all the time are like, I didn't want to come today because I didn't do anything you said.
• 19:49
  And you're like, that's why you have us because we're helping you.
• 19:52
  It's embarrassing.
• 19:52
  I know.
• 19:53
  And people and then people cancel your appointment.
• 19:54
  So that's what what happened.
• 19:56
  I did that recently to people.
• 19:58
  I pay a lot of money to help me with my business.
• 20:00
  So my first experience was I'd tell people, yeah, come see me in six weeks and we'll see how it's going.
• 20:06
  And then I just saw people be like, oh, I didn't do anything you said, so I canceled my appointment.
• 20:09
  And I'm like, well, that's not helping anyone.
• 20:11
  So that's why I like the accountability.
• 20:13
  And then we work in a membership model because of that.
• 20:16
  Now, you said earlier that you felt kind of called to this work.
• 20:20
  Talk to me about like what you feel as like the business has success.
• 20:25
  I'm sure there are setbacks like there are in any business.
• 20:28
  But like talk to me about what you're getting from it and then like obviously how that translates into how people, what other people get from it as clients of yours.
• 20:37
  So I don't know if this answers this, but I kind of view it as mind, body, spirit, especially when I'm treating people and for my business, too.
• 20:44
  So I know, you know, this like mindset's a big thing.
• 20:46
  So, I mean, I, you know, believe God and biblically and I'm always like renew your mind.
• 20:51
  And, you know, I think the enemy tries to come in and tell us lies that aren't true.
• 20:55
  And.
• 20:56
  Um, so just, you know, meditating on that and being, and asking him for wisdom and confidence, like all the time people are like, Oh my gosh, you have so much knowledge.
• 21:03
  Did you know all this?
• 21:03
  And I'm like, it's not me.
• 21:04
  God just literally like giving it to me.
• 21:06
  Cause like, you can't make it up, you know?
• 21:08
  Um, and so, yeah, kind of, you know, um, with patients too, some patients are like, I don't want to talk spirituality and that's totally fine, you know?
• 21:15
  And I just think everyone's at a different place in their life.
• 21:18
  Um, yeah.
• 21:19
  But it was really cool to see the history of, well, my whole history.
• 21:23
  And then when I was, I feel like called to start my practice, I told God, I was like, I'm really happy where I am.
• 21:28
  Like, we're good, you know?
• 21:29
  And I was like, okay, I will do it if you send me someone to take my place so that I, I'm not abandoning my patients.
• 21:36
  Right.
• 21:37
  And so I literally told him that the next day I get a call from a friend.
• 21:40
  She's like, Hey, there's this, um, you know, she just graduated nurse practitioner school.
• 21:44
  She wants to do functional medicine psychiatry.
• 21:46
  I'm like, are you kidding me?
• 21:47
  So then we go meet coffee the next week and I'm like, all right, I guess have my answer.
• 21:52
  And then, um, all, so while I started starting my practice long story, but someone called me and was like, Hey, I have all these like health modalities.
• 21:59
  So we talked about modalities.
• 22:00
  So PMF machine, ho cap machine, sauna machine.
• 22:04
  Sorry.
• 22:04
  What are, I don't know what are modalities and what are some of these things do?
• 22:08
  So modality is, these are at my practice.
• 22:11
  Right.
• 22:11
  So, um, modality is, you know, a sauna or, um, we have a foot bath.
• 22:15
  So these are like helping you detox, um, a ho cat.
• 22:18
  And that one's really cool.
• 22:19
  It's like a 10 in one, like burn 600 calories in 30 minutes.
• 22:22
  Like it's kind of extreme.
• 22:24
  It's like a spaceship where your head's out and you close it in.
• 22:27
  I love it.
• 22:27
  Anytime I'm like, gosh, I'm tired or brain foggy or whatever.
• 22:30
  I get in it and I'm like, I'm back.
• 22:32
  Yeah.
• 22:32
  It's amazing.
• 22:33
  Can I get one at my house?
• 22:34
  Yeah, I guess I'll come by.
• 22:35
  Okay.
• 22:36
  I'm assuming these modalities are not hanging out everywhere at a lot of practices.
• 22:41
  Right.
• 22:41
  And so when I started my practice, I just wanted to stay in my little 12 by 10 little room.
• 22:46
  I was, again, we were, it was going well and I was like, we're good.
• 22:49
  And I'm not kidding you.
• 22:51
  I literally got, was given these four modalities and you can't make it up, you know?
• 22:55
  And yeah, and it was right when I started like walking out, what got happened even more.
• 22:58
  And I'm like, okay, I guess I'm expanding.
• 23:00
  Leaning into your calling, obviously, I'm sure it gives you a ton of happiness and fulfillment.
• 23:06
  Talk to me about some of the relief or some of the things that the people that you work with have said, or maybe even if you have a case or something that kind of stands out in your mind.
• 23:15
  A patient I saw yesterday, she's worked with me for a year and she was like, it's just really.
• 23:20
  And so I have people fill out forms before each appointment.
• 23:23
  That way I can actually because people realize like, oh, I don't know if I feel any better.
• 23:26
  And I'm like, look, you filled out this form.
• 23:28
  And like it is and it kind of shows you, you know, where they started.
• 23:31
  And she was in the red that gives you like a red, orange, yellow.
• 23:35
  She was in the red and then ended up after a year in the yellow.
• 23:37
  And it's just so cool to see.
• 23:38
  And it's like, hey, I'm not healing you.
• 23:41
  I'm just helping you.
• 23:41
  Like I'm guiding you, right?
• 23:43
  You're the one doing the hard work.
• 23:44
  You are, you know, taking my advice and knowledge and doing what you can.
• 23:48
  So it's really cool to see.
• 23:49
  I mean, she had.
• 23:50
  severe fatigue, brain fog, bloating, terrible, you know, cycles, hormones, all that kind of stuff.
• 23:56
  And she's, she's not, you know, completely like has no symptoms, but it went from red to yellow.
• 24:01
  And she's like, yeah, I, you know, I did the thing and she was super proud.
• 24:04
  And yeah.
• 24:05
  And she's like, I have a, you know, um, she's moving and I can see people, people in North Carolina.
• 24:09
  So I'm like, you know, this is, this was our journey.
• 24:11
  And now I'll send you some other people you can go see when you're ready.
• 24:14
  So that was really cool.
• 24:16
  What are some of the myths about functional medicine that you might hear floating around?
• 24:21
  Because for me, it's still like, even though I know you and some other functional medicine providers, it's still kind of, it's hard to grasp, I guess.
• 24:31
  Maybe it's because the word medicine's attached to it.
• 24:33
  Like if you talk functional fitness, I'm like, this makes sense.
• 24:36
  Like these are some of the repetitive movements I would do.
• 24:38
  So squats make sense because I don't want to be old and have a problem getting off the toilet, like stuff like that.
• 24:43
  It's functional.
• 24:44
  What are some of the myths maybe associated with it or maybe not a myth, but maybe things that people misunderstand?
• 24:50
  So my initial thought is when you say medicine, so I tell people, I'm like, this is still medicine, right?
• 24:55
  Like if I'm like, hey, you are having chest pain.
• 24:58
  You need to go see a cardiologist, right?
• 25:00
  Like we're still doing those acute things.
• 25:02
  So I think it's not like this, like woo woo, like you're never going to see your doctor again.
• 25:06
  I'm like, you go see your PCP, your primary care provider and see your specialist.
• 25:12
  Right.
• 25:12
  Like they're working on all that.
• 25:13
  So because I don't want to miss anything.
• 25:14
  That's not like what I'm doing.
• 25:16
  I'm working on the functional medicine side of things, you know, and I think it being some people I think think it's anti-medicine.
• 25:22
  But I mean, I've put people on antibiotics before.
• 25:24
  Like, I mean, I'll do those things if we need, you know, if we need to try not to.
• 25:27
  And then I think maybe the other thought I could think is when we look at labs, I don't know if this is applicable, but when you go to your doctor, they're like, everything's fine.
• 25:36
  Everything's normal.
• 25:37
  It's like in that range.
• 25:38
  Well, we're trying to get you optimal.
• 25:40
  So I think that's maybe people don't understand that part, too, where we're looking at different lab values than traditional medicine is.
• 25:48
  Okay.
• 25:48
  So let's talk Wilmington.
• 25:49
  So you're here in Wilmington and you're able to practice in North Carolina generally.
• 25:52
  Yes.
• 25:53
  I can do telemedicine.
• 25:53
  So I have some patients in Raleigh and Charlotte.
• 25:55
  Oh, cool.
• 25:55
  I don't know if this is appropriate to ask, but like, do you typically just, is it women are your, your majority of your client?
• 26:01
  I mean, I definitely feel like I bond better.
• 26:03
  I have some, I have some men patients and totally fine.
• 26:06
  Um, but yeah, definitely.
• 26:07
  I feel like, yeah, I connect better with women.
• 26:09
  So I'm like, Hey, I understand the symptoms you're having and all those things, but yeah, I do have male patients.
• 26:14
  If you were going to say to people, we should talk if, what are some of those things so that people can maybe get in touch with you after this?
• 26:21
  So I think we should talk if you have any sort of symptom that you haven't been able to find the reason or the why, if you aren't feeling as well as you think you could feel.
• 26:30
  I mean, I think everyone deserves to feel vibrant and optimal and not be fatigued and brain fogged.
• 26:37
  Yeah, I have so many patients who are just like, you know, I struggled for so long and no one listened to me.
• 26:42
  No one helped me.
• 26:43
  It was just like, here's a pill for that.
• 26:44
  And so, yeah, brain fog, IBS.
• 26:47
  I mean, anything that you can't find out a reason for.
• 26:50
  Yeah.
• 26:51
  Yeah, I definitely think I could help.
• 26:53
  Insurance cover anything?
• 26:54
  Is this out of pocket?
• 26:55
  Right.
• 26:55
  Nope.
• 26:56
  No, I'm all out of pocket.
• 26:57
  So when I.
• 26:58
  So it's a true investment.
• 26:59
  It's a true investment.
• 27:00
  Yeah.
• 27:00
  Investment in your health.
• 27:01
  And so I think that's what's hard for people because we're so used to the insurance model.
• 27:05
  But I think it's like, hey, if you've tried, if you try the insurance model and it's not working for you, then, you know, I will give you the 90 minutes to tell me all the things, you know, get to the bottom of it.
• 27:14
  So it's definitely an investment.
• 27:15
  But I'm also like, you know, I think your health is one of those important things in your life.
• 27:19
  So I mean, when you put it like that, though, it's just kind of like, OK, if insurance is.
• 27:22
  15 minute appointment.
• 27:23
  Yeah.
• 27:24
  Like if that's what it's getting me and nothing's getting solved, am I actually saving anything?
• 27:29
  Right.
• 27:29
  And I think it's hard to, and patients are like, I have to make it an investment and a priority.
• 27:34
  And I'm like, yeah, but it's your health.
• 27:36
  And like, you know, you're already feeling this at 30 or 40.
• 27:38
  Like, like, let's, let's do it.
• 27:40
  You know, a gym membership's an investment.
• 27:42
  And it's like, people do that all the time.
• 27:43
  Exactly.
• 27:44
  Yeah, it's just hard to wrap our minds around.
• 27:45
  So I think it's like a mental shift of used to paying insurance because, you know, I think we need insurance for catastrophe, but it's getting so expensive.
• 27:53
  So insane.
• 27:54
  Yeah.
• 27:55
  Yeah, it's tough.
• 27:55
  But what is your desire for just the people that you serve generally?
• 28:01
  And then where can people find you?
• 28:03
  So I would say that they have hope that they, I think a lot of people have been like, I've been to every doctor.
• 28:07
  Some people tell me, which you always love to hear, you're my last hope.
• 28:10
  But yeah, you're like, great.
• 28:12
  No pressure.
• 28:12
  Yeah, no pressure.
• 28:13
  But I really do think like just having someone that you trust, that's open.
• 28:16
  I'm walking the journey with you.
• 28:18
  It's not like, because I told you so and do this because I said so.
• 28:22
  It's like, hey, is this reasonable to you?
• 28:24
  Right?
• 28:24
  I have patients.
• 28:25
  I'm like, can you go gluten-free, dairy-free?
• 28:27
  No?
• 28:28
  Okay.
• 28:28
  Well, then let's, you know, let's meet in the middle.
• 28:29
  Let's find something else we can work on.
• 28:31
  It doesn't have to be like, yeah.
• 28:32
  Yeah.
• 28:32
  It's malleable.
• 28:34
  Yes.
• 28:34
  It sounds malleable.
• 28:35
  Yes, exactly.
• 28:36
  And where can people find you?
• 28:37
  Online and stuff like that?
• 28:38
  Yep.
• 28:39
  So Breakthrough Functional Medicine dot com.
• 28:41
  And then I'm on Instagram, Breakthrough Functional and then Facebook.
• 28:44
  OK. Yeah.
• 28:45
  And I think we'll link something if people want to book a call.
• 28:49
  I'm sure you have a discovery call.
• 28:51
  It's $50 for 30 minutes.
• 28:53
  OK.
• 28:53
  But I usually I'm always like not medical advice, but I'll give you some tips to look into.
• 28:57
  Yeah.
• 28:58
  OK. Well, Mackenzie, thank you so much for being on.
• 29:00
  This is fun.
• 29:01
  All right.
• 29:01
  Thank you.