Integrative Medicine and Advice on Weight Loss
Integrative Medicine is a medical specialty that is designed to help patients improve their overall health and wellness to not only treat existing conditions but also potentially avoid the onset of preventable diseases later in life. As a result, one of the key aspects of Integrative Medicine is that physicians who practice this specialty work closely with their patents to help them achieve optimum health, which often includes the practice of healthy dieting and shedding excess body fat.
A Healthy Stomach Bolsters Your Immune System
In a recent interview with National Public Radio, the past chair of the American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM), Dr. Gerry Mullin, provided insight into the importance of maintaining a healthy microbiome. As Dr. Mullin explains, having a healthy balance in the stomach is absolutely essential because as much as 70 percent of the body’s immune system stems from the microbiome. When this balance of good and bad bacteria gets misaligned, it can cause chronic inflammation which can eventually lead to a number of diseases like diabetes, arthritis, obesity, and even cancer. Another potential concern with the microbiome is the profound impact that antibiotics can have on the so-called good flora of the stomach. While antibiotics are obviously vitally important for treating a number of different infections and other conditions, an over-reliance on them can have a negative impact on the microbiome over the long term.
For these reasons, Integrative Medicine puts a strong emphasis on nutrition and educating patients on making smart decisions with the foods that they consume. Often, making relatively simple adjustments to their daily diet can greatly improve the overall health of the stomach, improve the patient’s immune system, and also quicken the individual’s metabolism.
Certification in Integrative Medicine Through the ABOIM
The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) meets the growing demand for integrative medicine by offering board certification through the ABOIM. To qualify for certification, candidates must first fulfill the general ABPS requirements, which include graduating from an accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical school in the U.S., Canada, or internationally, and holding an unrestricted medical license in the United States, its territories, or Canada.
The ABOIM has established specific eligibility criteria that candidates must meet:
- Completion of a residency accredited by ACGME, AOA, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).
- Possession of current or previous board certification from a Member Board of the ABPS, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC.
- Completion of an integrative medicine fellowship approved by the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health.
- Submission of a current curriculum vitae that includes details of medical education, degrees obtained, and work experience.
- Provision of three letters of recommendation from Diplomates of an ABPS, ABMS, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC board of certification.
- Completion of a self-query of the National Practitioner Data Bank and submission of the resulting report.
Once candidates meet these criteria, they are required to pass a computer-based written examination to achieve ABOIM board certification. Once awarded, the certification is valid for eight years, expiring on December 31 of the eighth year.
To determine if your physician has been board certified through the ABOIM or any of the other Member Boards of the ABPS, you are invited to use the patient portal found here.