Vital Functional Medicine • Michelle Gray, NP

10/08/2025

Beyond Weight Loss: The Hidden Benefits of GLP-1 Therapy with Vital Functional Medicine A common misconception is that medications like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are hard to attain and come with a ton of terrible side effects. The truth, especially in a functional medicine model, is that we view them as powerful tools for metabolic and systemic health.These GLP-1/GIP agonists do so much more than regulate appetite. Their anti-inflammatory properties can:* * * ⬇️ Decrease Inflammation* * * 🧠 Decrease Anxiety and may reduce addictive behaviors* * * ❤️ Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol, significantly reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke* * * ⚖️ Stabilize Blood Sugar and lower the risk of chronic kidney disease.�They are tools to help your body rebalance and thrive.If you're curious about how a GLP-1 can help improve your overall health, not just your weight, reach out to Vital Functional Medicine for a consultation!

10/07/2025

It took me forever, but I found the perfect kids' vitamin—and the ingredient list is why I love it!First, it has the activated, absorbable forms of nutrients, including methylated Folate and B12. Second, it has NO artificial flavor and NO added sugar alternatives.I actually prefer a small amount of real sugar, because anything labeled "sugar-free" often uses substitutes that spike insulin levels. Prioritizing a steady blood sugar is the smarter option for my kids. MOST importantly, they actually take it and like it!

10/04/2025

Vital Functional Medicine is now selling pharmacy grade supplements! What’s the hype??

The difference between a retail supplement and a professional or "pharmacy-grade" supplement comes down to three key factors: purity, potency, and absorption.

1. Quality Control and Third-Party Testing

The biggest difference lies in oversight. The FDA regulates supplements more like food than drugs, meaning they don't have to approve them before they hit the shelves.

* Retail/Store Brands: These often rely on self-regulation. Studies frequently find that what is on the label doesn't match what is in the bottle. They can contain things like hidden allergens, heavy metals, or other unknown substances. You don’t *actually* know what’s in a supplement if it’s NOT pharmacy grade. ��
* Professional/Pharmacy-Grade: These brands are almost always required to adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and undergo third-party testing. This testing verifies three things:��
* Purity: Guaranteed to be free of contaminants like lead, mercury, and microbial growth.
* Potency: Guaranteed that the dose listed on the label is actually the amount contained in the pill.

2. Bioavailability and Formulation

A high-quality ingredient doesn't matter if your body can't use it. Professional supplements use superior, bioavailable forms of nutrients.

* Retail/Store Brands: Often use the cheapest, least active forms of a nutrient (e.g., magnesium oxide or synthetic folic acid). These forms are difficult for the body to absorb and can pass through your system without being utilized.
* Professional/Pharmacy-Grade: They use forms your body is designed to absorb, such as:
* Chelated Minerals (like magnesium glycinate) which are bonded to an amino acid for easy absorption.��
* Methylated Vitamins (like L-methylfolate), which are already in the active form, making them usable even for people with common genetic variations (like MTHFR) that struggle to convert standard vitamins.��

3. Exclusion of Fillers and Additives

Pharmacy-grade supplements focus on the active ingredient, not manufacturing cost.
* Retail/Store Brands: Often contain cheap fillers, synthetic dyes, artificial colors, and unnecessary binding agents (like titanium dioxide or hydrogenated oils) to make the pills cheaper to produce and last longer on the shelf.�
* Professional/Pharmacy-Grade: These supplements prioritize clean formulations, minimizing or eliminating unnecessary binders, fillers, and allergens, which is crucial for individuals with sensitivities or chronic health conditions.

10/03/2025

Yes!👏

You may not agree with this analogy because you have a weight bias. You probably believe obesity is not a disease and is simply a lack of willpower and also that it is completely controllable. You probably also believe asthma is completely uncontrollable.

Understood. I once believed the same when I was younger.

The truth is that unfortunately obesity is not well controlled with behavior change only due to our biology and environment. JUST LIKE ASTHMA.

When you try to eat fewer calories, your body fights back by ramping up your appetite. It doesn’t help that you’re surrounded by tasty easily overeaten food.

This doesn’t mean that everyone needs medicine or that you’re doomed. Behavior does have an effect. It’s just relatively small and not enough for most. Just like in asthma where many can get into different environments and stay away from certain triggers to help. Some may only need a rescue inhaler once in a while others require daily inhalers and even oral medicines.

Anyway, of course it’s not a perfect analogy. No disease state is the exact same. But they have enough similarities where the amplify works. ❤️

10/02/2025

Methylation status can be assessed through a simple lab test:

* Homocysteine Levels: We evaluate the cycle by checking your homocysteine level. A high homocysteine level is a direct indicator of poor methylation.

Being a "poor methylator" means that your body's essential process of methylation is running slowly or inefficiently.

If if you're a poor methylator, it means your body's workers are slow at flipping those switches, leading to backups and issues in several key areas.

Here is what it means for your health:

1. High Homocysteine Levels

This is the key measurable sign. When the methylation cycle is slow, it struggles to convert a molecule called homocysteine into beneficial amino acids. As a result, homocysteine builds up in your blood.
* High homocysteine = Poor Methylation.

2. Difficulty with Detoxification and Repair

Because the cycle is running slow, your body struggles with critical tasks:
* Detoxification: It may be less efficient at clearing toxins and waste products.
* DNA Repair: It's slower at repairing and maintaining your DNA.
* Neurotransmitter Production: It can affect the production of key brain chemicals needed for mood regulation, sleep, and focus.

3. Common Symptoms

The lack of efficiency often shows up as:
* Low Energy and Chronic Fatigue
* Mood Changes (like anxiety or depression)

4. Health Risks

Over the long term, being a poor methylator can significantly raise your risk for serious health issues, most notably a higher risk of heart disease.
In short, it means a foundational biochemical process is impaired, which can lead to a cascade of physical and mental health issues.

10/01/2025

Signs of Poor Methylation

When this process isn't working efficiently, it can lead to noticeable issues:

* Symptoms: Common signs include persistent low energy and significant mood changes.

* Health Risk: Poor methylation is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

09/30/2025

This week we’ll be taking you on a ride talking all about methylation; what it is, why it’s important, & the symptoms that can show up when your body is bad at it.

The methylation cycle is a vital biochemical process happening in your body millions of times every second.

Essential Functions:

This cycle is critical for many of your body's most important tasks, including:

* DNA Health: Essential for the repair and synthesis of your DNA.

* Brain Chemistry: Required for the production of crucial neurotransmitters that regulate mood and sleep.

* Detoxification: Supports nutrient metabolism and helps your body clear out toxins.

09/26/2025

Functional Medicine Fills the Primary Care Gap.

In the traditional model, primary care providers are pressured to see patients in a rushed 15-minute time slot. It isn't enough time to address complex health issues. Functional Medicine fills the gaps where primary care cannot. That’s why we do things differently!

By operating outside the insurance model, our initial Functional Medicine consults last 60 to 90 minutes—sometimes even 2 hours! We give you the time you need to be truly heard, so we can finally get to the root cause of your health concerns. Your story matters. Book a consult in-person or virtually at: https://www.vitalfuncmed.com/

09/25/2025

Supplement Overload? 😩

If your cabinet is full of supplements you bought after listening to podcasts, you're not alone! It's time to stop guessing and start knowing exactly what your body needs.

Book our Supplement Recommendation Consult! We'll use a comprehensive lab panel and a diurnal cortisol pattern test to cut through the noise and determine the precise supplements you actually need.

Stop wasting money, start seeing results. Link in bio to book!