Just Be Well

About Dr. Sult

Dr. Sult started in the medical field as a paramedic in an advanced life support mobile intensive care unit. After a year in acupuncture school he decided to go to medical school. Georges University School of Medicine in Grenada the West Indies. There he lived with a Grenadian family interested in preserving their indigenous culture. He was introduced to local healers and “Bush Doctors”. He found the indigenous healing practices interesting and in harmony with his acupuncture training. He also wondered about the modern biochemical implications of these therapies. Dr. Sult transferred to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Norman Cousins. While not a doctor, Mr. Cousins was the head of the department of psycho neuro-immunology. This is a fancy scientific way of saying holistic medicine. It was fascinating to find a group of scientists looking seriously at the interrelationship of mind, body and environment. And it was reaffirming to the other lessons learned both in acupuncture school and by the indigenous healers of Grenada. Mr. Cousins remained an important mentor to Dr. Sult until his death in 1990. Dr. Sult is on faculty with the Institute of Functional Medicine and teaches doctors from around the world the principles of functional medicine. At 3rd Opinion Dr. Sult applies the principles of functional medicine to his patient’s medical conditions. More can be learned about functional medicine at http://www.functionalmedicine.org

About the Movement

Let me ask you a question: When was the last time you felt truly well? I don't mean the last time you felt like there was nothing wrong. I mean the last time you felt deep, full wellness in your body, mind, and spirit. It's a hard question to answer, isn't it? And yet it's crucial, and it's where I start each one of my appointments with a new patient, as many of you know. Functional medicine - the discipline I practice along with a growing number of physicians in this country—acknowledges that wellness is so much more than the absence of disease. In a nutshell, functional medicine is a system that addresses the underlying causes of disease, that takes into account the interactions of the complex systems of the body, and that builds a therapeutic partnership between patient and physician. My colleagues and I believe that finding wellness isn't about getting a prescription for whatever symptom is bothering you at the moment. Instead, finding health is about addressing the fundamental causes of health issues, and about understanding that each of us is a marvelously interconnected system. To us, wellness is a vibrant state of wellbeing. I'm proud to be part of the functional medicine movement, and that you—especially if you're one of the millions of Americans suffering from chronic disease, whether it's cancer or diabetes or mental illness—will join me on the journey ahead, as we build a community around this movement to share in what we've learned together. About the Book

When was the last time you were completely well? I don’t mean the last time you “felt okay” for a day or two; I mean completely well. If you are like most patients who come to my office, this is not an easy question to answer. In part, it’s because “completely well” is a nebulous term. It’s different for everyone and yours to define. What I am really asking is this: when did your health change? What was the year, the month, the moment that your health shifted from completely well—whatever that means for you—to what it is now? The answer is crucial, because knowing when your health changed means we can explore the most important question of all: why? If you are like most patients I see, you have been suffering from chronic illness for longer than you care to recall. You’re a regular with your local doctor, have been referred to one or several specialists, and have traveled to universities and/or the Mayo Clinic in an effort to determine what is wrong with your health. You’ve been given a variety of diagnoses, with a drug to combat each symptom and further drugs to counteract the side effects of the first batch. You are anxious because you are ill and ill because you are anxious. Despite all your efforts, all the doctors’ visits, research, and medication—a devastatingly frustrating cycle—the problems have persisted. At some point, not only did the doctors start to doubt you . . . you started to doubt yourself. Whether you have found this book through research, a recommendation, or through a doctor, you are probably feeling defeated. But you are in the right place. Functional medicine can restore hope. Functional medicine has the capacity to unleash your awesome capacity to heal. The medical information on this page is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.