Balance Integrative Medicine

01/23/2026

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Here's a recent 5 Star Review that actually put me in a state of deep reverence.

One of the biggest hurdles to get over when it comes to REAL healing, is not just understanding that healing is a process, but ALSO, a commitment. One in which it is imperative to work as a team-Doctor and Patient.

I admire my patients. Especially those who have lost hope and decide to step into the unfamiliar with conviction.
These are my favorite. This job is not easy...but these are the types of people that make the job easier.

01/13/2026

The new 2026 U.S. Dietary Guidelines represent a major shift toward Functional Medicine, which views food as a tool for preventing and treating chronic disease. By emphasizing "real food" and metabolic health, the new pyramid shares significant DNA with many of the dietary strategies we use in functional medicine. The essential concepts are consuming foods that support microbiome health, glycemic control, and anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, a food pyramid guide that has kept pace with current concepts in disease prevention research.
Here is how the new guidelines align with those specialized dietary approaches we use in functional medicine:

1. Similarities to the Autoimmune Diet
The autoimmune diet focuses on removing inflammatory triggers to heal the gut and dampen inflammation. The 2026 guidelines mirror this by:

Targeting "Anti-Nutrients" and Additives: For the first time, federal guidance explicitly advises avoiding artificial dyes, preservatives, and "non-nutritive" sweeteners—substances functional medicine has long identified as potential gut irritants.

Gut Health Focus: The new guidelines recommend fermented foods and fiber-rich whole foods to support a diverse microbiome, a core tenet of AIP.
Prioritizing Nutrient Density: Both systems emphasize an "organ-to-table" approach, prioritizing the most vitamin-rich protein and vegetable sources.

2. Similarities to the Mediterranean Diet
While the Mediterranean diet is often associated with olive oil, it is fundamentally about whole, unprocessed foods. The 2026 guidelines adopt their best features:

Healthy Fats over Refined Carbs: Both prioritize fats from whole foods (avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish) rather than relying on processed flour for energy.

Produce as a Daily Requirement: The new pyramid allocates a substantial portion to fruits and vegetables, ensuring that, while protein is the "base," the diet remains high in antioxidants.

Whole Grains Only: Just like the Mediterranean model, the new guidelines essentially "outlaw" refined white flour in favor of ancient and whole grains.

3. Similarities to Diets USED TO MANAGE BLOOD SUGAR

This is perhaps the biggest change in U.S. history. The 2026 guidelines lean heavily into the "Metabolic Health" movement:
The Protein Foundation: Like Low-Carb or Keto-style diets, the new pyramid recognizes that protein and fat provide greater satiety (feeling full) and more stable blood sugar than a grain-heavy diet.

Aggressive Sugar Limits: The new "10 grams per meal" sugar cap is a marked departure from prior practice and aligns with functional medicine’s goal of reducing insulin resistance.

Full-Fat Endorsement: By moving away from "low-fat" dairy, the guidelines acknowledge what low-carb advocates have long maintained: natural fats are not the enemy; processed sugars and refined carbohydrates are.
This is a direct link to the guidelines:https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf
-Datis Kharrazian

01/09/2026

I have one of the most unique backgrounds in nutrition you’ll probably come across.

My first degree was in Dietetics and Nutrition. At the same time, I worked as a personal trainer at FIU designing meal plans for hundreds of clients every semester for three years. I later trained in functional medicine, then earned both a Master’s and Doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine — which completely expanded how I understand food, metabolism, and healing.

That’s 13 years of formal education and 16 years of clinical experience.

Here’s the truth most people don’t realize: nothing works perfectly.

My greatest lessons came from failure. From patients who didn’t respond the way textbooks said they should. From protocols that worked beautifully for one person and failed for another. Trial and error is real medicine.

Dietetics programs train you for hospital medicine — acute, emergency care. That’s important. But most people don’t live in hospitals. They live with chronic dysfunction that slowly turns into disease.

Chronic disease doesn’t start in the ER.
It starts in daily life.

Thirteen years ago, when I won Personal Trainer of the Year at FIU, what worked for my patients was the exact opposite of what the food pyramid was recommending at the time — and almost exactly what the new 2026 food pyramid now reflects.
Studying functional medicine and TCM took the handcuffs off institutional thinking. I finally saw the full picture.

Yes, gluten is often harmful.
Yes, dairy can be inflammatory.
Yes, our fruits and vegetables are far less nutrient-dense than decades ago.
Yes, pesticides and soil depletion are a massive part of the problem.

This new pyramid matters because it shifts us away from outdated thinking and toward what actually drives health: microbiome diversity, metabolism, hormone balance, immune resilience, brain health, and nervous system regulation.

Is it personalized medicine? No.

But it gets us to third base.

We hit a home run when we fix the toxins, soil, and chemicals in our food system.
Until then — this is a powerful start.
The fight continues.

12/23/2025

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5 Star Google review with a Medical Doctors Nod of Approval

I've actually treated many conventional doctors over the years. Neurosurgeons, Medical Doctors, DO's..

Many of them tend to be skeptical of treatment with Acupuncture and Herbs, but once they see the efficacy of these treatments, something happens..

Its the same thing that happens for every Chinese Medicine student:
They become curious about how it works.

And that's where the fun begins

12/15/2025

The public not being aware that and Oriental Medicine can treat every health condition is a tragedy that I encounter often.

It is unfortunate because many people approach this medicine after they have gone through months of seeing specialists, waste time, resources and hope, not knowing that most of the issues could have been resolved much sooner. In many cases, symptom relief comes with just a few treatments, sometimes even just one treatment.

Give it a try! It will change your life.

08/25/2025

I've been told my informative posts tend to be excessive. But I am an educator..and I've always believed knowledge and wisdom to take precedence over dumbing anything down. Especially in this day and age when our when our attention span is being conditioned for poor endurance (a sign of early neurodegeneration, by the way).
I will not enable the dumbing of society. So here we go...

Did you know your body has a detox superhighway just for estrogen?

Your estrogen isn’t just floating around—it's constantly being broken down and cleared by enzymes. Think of it like a relay race:

CYP enzymes decide one of these three paths:
✨️2-OH estrogens = anti-inflammatory, protective.
✨️4-OH estrogens = reactive + DNA-damaging if not neutralized.
✨️16-OH estrogens = growth-promoting, linked to fibroids + hormone chaos.

Then, COMT steps in to calm the fire—methylating harmful metabolites to make them safer.

Finally, UGT & SULT are the packaging crew—boxing everything up so your liver and gut can send estrogen OUT of the body.

But here’s the catch… 🚨
When SNPs (gene variants), toxins, or nutrient deficiencies slow this process, estrogen can pile up in the wrong lanes—leading to PMS, heavy periods, endometriosis, mood swings, and even higher risk states.

So, how do you support your estrogen detox crew? 👇

🥦 Foods that help:

Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, Brussels) → boost CYP’s protective 2-OH pathway.

Green tea, rosemary → enhance COMT.

Citrus, berries, garlic, onions → fuel UGT & SULT.

High-fiber foods → help carry estrogen OUT through the gut.

☠️ Things that block the system:

Pesticides & herbicides 🚜

BPA & plastics 🥤

Obesogens (chemicals that promote fat gain + store estrogens)

Heavy alcohol use 🍷

Endocrine-disrupting cosmetics 💄

Your genes load the gun, but your lifestyle pulls the trigger. Supporting these enzymes = better hormone balance, mood, energy, and lower risk. 💪

07/29/2025

During the (1644-1912) in China, was going through a big transition.

had come to China and was making an impact. This caused to be placed on the back burner of health. It was considered "low-class" and was not suitable to the wealthy (Boy, how things have flip-flopped compared to today). The wealthy preferred and medications over .

In the early 1800s,
Just like many other important aspects of history that had been destroyed to support the will of individuals, was oppressed. The practice and teaching of was banned, and there were severe consequences to those who went against the law.

During that period, there was an emperor in China who did not want acupuncturists to see his wife naked and insisted on . He banned acupuncture as a part of his agenda.

But it was important for the village people to preserve their culture. They believed in honoring their ancestors who worked for thousands of years to acquire such deep . Therefore, they kept some Acupuncture techniques hidden in the villages to protect the work.

Fast forward to modern day:
When I was interning in a few years ago, I noticed how sacred knowledge was to the doctors.
Textbooks are a great place to start, but health is subjective, and clinical serves to be more valuable -and TCM has thousands of years of clinical experience on human beings.

There was a man who discovered an old Acupuncture technique hidden in the villages and brought it into the common world. The technique is called which translates into . As intimidating as the therapy sounds, it is basically painless as you can see in the video.

Today, the research is thorough. Huo Zhen is used to treat , , etc. My group even experienced its efficacy on . 1 Huo Zhen treatment is equivalent to 10 Acupuncture treatments.

The man passed his knowledge down to his son, .HeLin. Although this therapy is used in the majority of clinics and hospitals, my friends and I were beyond fortunate to learn directly from the lineage of Dr. He Lin.

07/12/2025

July 11 was my Sifu's birthday, ...I like to commemorate his birthday with one of the greatest life lessons I've ever gotten from him..

In 2016 and 2017,
I spent the Summers learning Martial Arts and Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Shaolin Temple in Henan China. It was the only medicine program ever hosted for foreigners by Shaolin Monks.

Learning medicine from Shaolin Monks took me beyond the understanding of health by conventional standards.

Aside from learning about Acupuncture, Feng Shui, Esoteric studies, Tuina, Cupping, Gua Sha, Tai Chi and Qi Gong...
I learned that Chinese Medicine is a way of life.
(Gong Fu has also been tightly intertwined with health from the very early days of Chinese Medicine thousands of years ago.)

It was one thing to experience these wonderful teachings being applied, but it was an entirely different experience living it.

Sifu not only taught us valuable lessons on life, he actually lived them. I am grateful to have learned from someone who also 'walks the walk'.

A valuable lesson he taught me was that life entails the balance of 3 things:
1. Work
2. Rest
3. Play

When you work, work hard. So that when you rest, you rest deeply.
And when you play, play hard. So that when it is time to work, you will be rejuvenated, and you will be able to work harder.

Until I see you again..
Thank you Sifu.
Amitoufo
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07/04/2025

Like many, Kate Middleton takes advantage of Acupuncture for its many health benefits

Kate Middleton said that she had acupuncture during her recovery from cancer, according to a new report about her meaningful visit to Colchester Hospital.

06/02/2025

I gave this mountain man of muscle his first Acupuncture treatment... Which was an absolute honor. has been making me cry with laughter for years. His genius level of sarcasm is in a league of its own. But after getting to know him, we learned how heart centered he is. From what i experienced, he is a man of faith who carries the light.

I learned something from him..
I asked him, does it ever bother you when people come up to you and ask you for pictures all the time?
He responded with, everytime someone comes up to me, I see it as little sprinkles of God's blessings that they want to celebrate me. I am grateful for them.

He really anchored me into a more positive perspective on life. Spiritual biohacks 😉
Im lucky to call him a friend now.

Shout out to Sandy for creating this expo, which keeps health care professionals like me at the forefront of the most fascinating advancements in the wellness industry.

05/19/2025

You’ve probably had a cholesterol test before, right? Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL… all those numbers. But here’s the thing—they don’t always tell the full story. That’s where the NMR Lipoprofile comes in, and why I incorporate it as a standard panel in all of my blood tests for my patients.

This test looks at the size and number of the particles that carry cholesterol in your blood—not just how much cholesterol you have floating around. Why does that matter? Because two people can have the same LDL number, but one might have big, fluffy particles (less risky), while the other has small, dense ones that can sneak into artery walls and cause inflammation. That’s the stuff that builds up into plaque—aka atherosclerosis—which is what really causes heart attacks and strokes.

So it’s not black and white. Risk isn’t just “you’re fine” or “you’re not.” There are levels to it—and this test helps you actually see what’s going on under the surface before things go sideways.

Knowing this earlier gives you a chance to shift gears by taking the preventative approach, whether that’s with personalized interventions toward your genetics with food, supplements, and lifestyle—before meds or major problems ever enter the picture. And even if meds do enter the picture, taking the preventative approach is also a reversal approach, something medications can not do.

Your heart’s talking. The NMR Lipoprofile helps you actually hear it.

05/02/2025

When Albert Einstein died, the endeavor to study his brain led to the loss of medical license mainly in part to his request to be cremated and not studied. Against his will, his brain was sliced 240 times and distributed to researchers. Although it was not ethical what took place, there was a lot discovered that gave us a lot of insight.

Relative to this post, it was discovered that Einstein had PROFOUNDLY higher astrocytes in the areas of the brain associated with learning and memory. are 1 of the 3 kinds of glial cells. The glial cells are immune cells that have many functions that make sure the neuron cells are functioning properly. 90% of the cells in our brain are immune cells, and they are there to help and support the optimal function of the neurons.

Here are some relevant factors when it comes to health and longevity:
- We only have a certain amount of astrocytes, and they die off with chronic inflammation, which can occur from TBI, autoimmune disorders, and brain aging. This is different from neuroplasticity, in which neurons can be regrown. The astrocytes help neurons function the way they do, and once gone, they are gone forever. Einstein abundance of astrocytes explain why he was one of a kind.

- Primed glial cells refers to a microglial cell that has been damaged and has lost its immune supporting functions. Once primed, they are also stuck that way forever. We will see primed "patterns" in a person's behavior. When we say a person "is stuck in their own way" that is what we are referring to. Through the study of Einstein Brian, we learned we can only see priming with brain slicing.

- Gut messenger pathways DIRECTLY ACTIVATE ASTROCYTES. This is HUGE. If you have gut inflammation, you potentiate inflammation in the brain, which can destroy astrocytes in the process. This is why the mothers microbiome in pregnancy is incredibly important (second photo).

My goal is to be aware of all of this, and create the circumstances to have a healthy body. The good thing is, it isn't hard to do. It just requires discipline and consistency.