I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Grover this summer to learn all about Dr. Grover Health and Wellness and was truly amazed at his practice. We are going to deep dive into what you can expect at Dr. Grover Health and Wellness and educate you on why Functional Medicine is important.
Functional medicine is a science-based, integrative approach to a healthy life. It is meant to reduce the need for medication by treating the underlying causes of your issues, such as stress, exercise, and diet. We take advantage of new findings to treat your health and examine how various environmental and lifestyle factors impact your health. Our approach allows patients to develop new habits suitable for their lifestyle versus going from one new health trend to another without sustainable results.
Let’s talk about Microbiome/Gut Health, Digestive Issues, Allergies, Inflammation and more. People experience these issues daily. What can we expect when we come to your practice?
This is a great question! At our practice, we do an in-depth 60–90-minute intake with physical examination. We spend this time getting to know our patients and what parts of their lifestyles are working well and where there are challenges/struggles. Our amazing nutritionist, Alison, also is part of the initial meeting process. Appropriate labs and tests are then ordered to help us look “under the hood.” These labs range from blood testing, stool tests, food allergy/sensitivity testing, adrenal and sex hormones, thyroid, auto-immune panels, inflammation, cardiovascular markers/ cholesterol, and much more. Once we have the information back, we then create a plan that focuses on nutrition, the fewest supplements possible that would complement a robust diet plan, any referrals to practitioners and integrative healers, exercise regimens that are appropriate, and mindfulness techniques to better auto-regulate their nervous systems and help boost the release of happy hormones or endorphins. In addition, we couple this therapy with any conventional medications/ approaches that are appropriate or are currently working in the patients benefit. We check in with our patients periodically to make sure they are as compliant as possible with the plan. These check-ins allow us to make appropriate changes in a dynamic way to best ensure a successful path to the patient’s goals.
Incredible! What truly sets you apart as someone is being diagnosed?
We offer compassionate concierge care. This is starkly in contrast to conventional medicine in which patients are seen for 10-15 minutes a couple of times a year. As mentioned above, we really get to know our patients. This creates a safe space for them to tell us what’s going on. More than labs or any test, just listening and being present with them reveals critical information needed to help them. Often diseases are interlinked. For example, a patient who is suffering with psoriasis, eczema, or even urticaria (hives) likely has some level of digestive imbalance. Our evaluation allows us to identify where these irregularities may exist. Conditions that can present as mentioned above include Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s/Ulcerative Colitis), Leaky Gut, Dysbiosis, or even Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth. Sometimes patients will complain about 10-15 lbs. of weight gain that they can’t shake. When asked about sleep and digestion, they mention they are not as energized, and their bowels are irregular and only having a movement every 3-4 days. This is a red herring that the symphony of health that each one of us should experience is out of sync and manifesting itself as the disease they present with. By working with our team, we are able to take an all hands on deck approach to restore the normal functioning of the digestive system and boosting the right diversity of microbiome species to enhance our patients’ vitality.
I think what I love is that you mentioned that you are really a concierge care. The services you offer are truly above and beyond to making everyone feel their best. Can you share some more things that you offer at your practice to give that full scope of care?
We have access to practically every supplement possibly available. Using our on-line dispensary system patient’s are able to fulfill prescriptions on-line and have them shipped to them directly at competitive pricing. We tend to be conservative in how many supplements our patients take, as we believe in a “Food as Medicine” mantra. Supplements are in addition to a nearly comprehensive diet plan. Each individual has unique requirements and compliance. The time we spend with them allows us best prescribe the regimen that will work for them.
We are available by appointment for a concierge virtual grocery store trip or in-person trip to a select few stores in the Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills area. Follow @groverhealth for tips and recommendations to optimize your grocery store and food experience.
This is going to be my favorite part. Healthy eating. It’s always up and down with every one and so important to our health, would love any tips and what habits can you take now to create them. Spill to all of us moms.
- The most important step is to write down what health and wellness goals someone has. Once this is done a plan should be created to achieve that.
- One of the easiest ways to eat the best food for our bodies is to shop in the perimeter of a grocery store. The aisles usually have boxed/packaged food that is processed and likely has additives/chemicals that can be harmful to our health. Reading labels and asking questions like “ do I understand what this ingredient is or not?” Looking for “USDA/Organic” and “Non-GMO” helps to ensure we are consuming the highest quality of food. Shopping at our local farmers markets in the summer is an awesome way to get farm to table whole food while helping small to medium sized farmers.
- Portion sizes are often overlooked. This takes time to learn, but buying an inexpensive food scale (amazon/target/ bed bath and beyond) can be a great way to learn how many calories/fats/carbs/protein are in the portion of food we eat. An example I love is peanut butter. Most of us can slather on 2-3 portions worth in one sitting. One serving (32 grams or 2 tbsp) has somewhere between 180-200 calories, so if we have 2-3 servings that can be anywhere between 400-600 calories of peanut butter. If someone is on a calorie deficit this can really stunt their ability to achieve their weight loss goals.
- Plate method-1/2 plate of mostly vegetables and fruit, ¼ plate of lean protein (i.e. grass fed beef, wild caught fish, pasture raised organic poultry, tofu, tempeh, or eggs), and ¼ plate of complex carbohydrate (i.e. quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato, or oats).
- Each meal should be balanced centered around lean protein with good fats (i.e. extra virgin olive oil, seeds, nuts, avocado), and complex carbohydrates (i.e. sweet potatoes, oats, whole grains, quinoa, brown rice, and lentils).
- Reading the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 list. We should avoid the dirty dozen as these accumulate more pesticides and are harder to clean https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
- https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php- these usually have a thicker peel or skin and allows the pesticides to be rinsed off easier and does not penetrate into the actual fruit/vegetable part that is eaten
- Before going to a restaurant, see their online menu and figure out items that satisfy your needs and taste preferences. The more prepared you are before going in, the more you will enjoy your time. Chefs are able to use less oil/butter in preparing dishes and are happy to accommodate
- Our mental-emotional state when we eat is almost as important as what we eat. In order for our food to be digested properly, and for our bodies to receive the right satiety cues, we need to be in a ‘parasympathetic nervous system state’. This is called the ‘rest and digest’ mode for exactly this reason! To activate your parasympathetic nervous system, make sure to only eat sitting down. Take 3 deep breaths before you start and aim to chew your food 20-30 times each bite
- Hydration is key for many reasons including digestion and weight optimization. Sometimes our bodies get confused and we think we are hungry when we are actually thirsty. Aim for 8-10 cups of water per day and load up on fruits and vegetables with high water content especially in the summer months such as watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, cucumber, celery, and zucchini
These are great! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. It’s so important for us moms to be our best selves and take care of us so we can give our all to our families.
Dr. Grover has a special offer just for us, BBHM 20% off consultations. 30% off for couples or two individuals from same household.
