Q & A CONCERNING FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE/GRAVANTE PROGRAM
“The best doctor to see is one that has suffered with what you are suffering with. Or in other words: ‘I’m not just the president….I’m a club member!’” Dr. Gravante
DR. GRAVANTE’S STORY. Like many people, I have battled with my weight most of my adult life. I first started gaining weight when I was a teenager. Going to an all girls’ high school and the stress of academics (sedentary lifestyle), along with hormonal fluctuations, started my journey of weight gain and endless diets. My life seemed to revolve around: being miserable because I was on a diet, binging after being frustrated on a diet and then looking for the next “miracle” diet to “fix me”. I did this for decades…. It wasn’t until I was in my late 40’s that perimenopausal symptoms went into high gear. Mood swings and foggy brain (“What was I talking about?” “Why did I walk into this room?”) were at an all time high. Then to make matters worse, insomnia set in. That was a nightmare….literally and figuratively! I was at my wit’s end and I knew I had to do something…but what? I truly had no idea.
I first thought of dieting. What else, because most of us believe “if I lose weight, I’ll feel better”. I thought of all the diets I’ve been on over the years and I finally realized that diets don’t work; maybe temporarily, but not in the long run. So now what do I do? It took some time, but I soon discovered Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine is about healing the metabolism; primarily through nutrition. One of the nice side effects is that you lose weight (specifically, excess body fat). In the beginning, I didn’t look at Functional Medicine as a way to heal my body; I saw it as another diet. So I began my journey. First thing I noticed is that my weight loss was slow and steady (compared to the crash diets in the past). However, I noticed that I woke up in the morning in a good mood with energy and ready to start my day. (It used to take massive amounts of sugared coffee to get me going.) Then I noticed I had consistent energy throughout the day, I was remembering things, and most important, I was sleeping through the night. Halleluiah! To sum it up, I felt “normal”….no, I felt GREAT! I also noticed that I wasn’t dieting – I was changing my lifestyle, along with the proper nutrition for my metabolism. What a relief and a remarkable gift to have my health issues resolved and to have joy back in my life!
That was almost 10 years ago. What an amazing journey it has been. My life has taken such a positive and productive path! My practice naturally began to include Functional Medicine. My patients saw the transformation in me and wanted me to help them do the same. I have taken numerous classes in Functional Medicine, have helped hundreds of my patients, am a national lecturer, and thrilled to say that I am working on my Master’s in Metabolic Nutritional Medicine at the University of South Florida, School of Medicine. In 2014, I will complete my Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging.
I’m in my late fifties now… instead of slowing down, my whole life is unfolding to new possibilities. It is my strong belief, that health is more than just “normal” lab results or the absence of disease! Real health is an optimally functioning human being in mind, body and spirit. It is my passion and calling to share with my patients this possibility.
Q: I’VE HAD FRIENDS LOSE A LOT OF WEIGHT ON DR. GRAVANTE’S PROGRAM AND I DON’T NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT. I HAVE HEALTH ISSUES AND JUST WANT TO GET BETTER. WILL DR. GRAVANTE’S PROGRAM HELP ME?
