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District Center for Integrative Medicine

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The District Center for Integrative Medicine (DCIM) heals patients through a deeply individualized an

10/29/2026

The Halloween candy I actually buy for my kids as a functional medicine doctor (and no, it’s not just dried fruit!). 🎃

As a physician who focuses on metabolic health and nutrition, I’m intentional about the ingredients my family consumes. But I’m also a mom who believes Halloween should be FUN, and that a healthy relationship with food is just as important as what’s on the ingredient label.
First, have you heard of the Switch Witch? 🧙‍♀️

It’s a fun Halloween tradition where kids leave out some of their trick-or-treating candy, and overnight, the “witch” swaps it for a small toy, book, or another surprise. It’s one way to enjoy the festivities while giving kids a choice about what they’d like to keep and what they’d like to trade.

But even with the Switch Witch, I still like to have some better-for-you Halloween candy options on hand for my own kids AND our neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
When shopping for Halloween treats, I generally look for options without artificial food dyes or high-fructose corn syrup.

Does that make these candies “healthy”? Not necessarily. And do I think a few pieces of traditional Halloween candy will derail your child’s health? Absolutely not.

My philosophy as a functional medicine doctor is simple: focus on the bigger picture, make informed choices when you can, and leave room for the fun stuff.
Now, fellow moms, I want to hear from you! Have you found any Halloween candy brands with simpler ingredients that your kids actually love? Share your favorites below so I can squeeze in one last-minute order before Halloween!

10/27/2026

I used to think skin was the cosmetic part. 🫣......always treating bone and muscle as real health metrics: DEXA scans, grip strength, BIA scans — Skin? I filed it under “nice to have.”

Then I spent this weekend at a longevity conference on skin, muscle, and bone, and it changed my mind.

📡 The fibroblast is a sensor. It’s the cell that builds your collagen, and when it’s under stress, your skin shows it. That’s not just a surface change. It’s a window into what’s happening at the cellular level and a real interest for me in my pursuit for your optimal health.

🔗 Skin, muscle, and bone are connected. Skin and bone share the same collagen backbone, and in studies of women after menopause, skin thickness and elasticity tend to track with bone density.

⏩ Midlife moves fast. Research suggests women can lose up to 30% of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause. In one survey of postmenopausal women, 70% noticed looser skin and over half noticed dryness.

💗 And it matters for how you feel. In surveys, more than half of midlife women say skin changes hurt their confidence or self-esteem. That’s part of total health too. A big part of it.

Here’s what I’m doing differently:
1️⃣ Treating skin as data, not just appearance
2️⃣ Looking at skin, muscle, and bone together
3️⃣ Building the team: my derm colleagues are doing real longevity work for your skinspan! And I’ll be concurrently building out what I can offer from my vantage point.

Caring about your skin isn’t vanity. It’s part of your health. Drop a heart is this resonates! 💕

And a Shout out to some LOCAL DERMS (in alphabetical order!) -
Dr. Agnes Chang, MD
Lina Naga | DC Dermatologist
Neelam Khan MD, FAAD | DC Dermatologist
Monique Chheda, MD | Integrative Dermatology
Sara Hogan, MD, FAAD | Cosmetic Dermatologist | Washington DC
Sarika Snell, M.D., F.A.A.D

10/26/2026

That’s a wrap! I’m not a believer in “you can do it all” but sometimes I try !

☀️one of my daughters bday celebrations and a full house of our loved ones
☀️ Room Parent party duties w the best partner Annie Breaux
☀️ Home visit and Catch up with my own mommy
☀️ Longevity Medicine Mastermind longevitydocs.™
☀️ Forest bathing mini break
☀️ kiddo soccer games in Germantown. IUKUK!
☀️ Dinners out !

Full of gratitude. And ready for my bed! 😂🎯♥️

10/26/2026

That’s a wrap ! I’m not a believer in “you can have it all” but sometimes I try…..😉

☀️ One of My daughters birthday + a full house of our loved ones !
☀️ Room parent party production w the best partner Annie Breaux
☀️ House visit and Care for my own mommy
☀️ Longevity Medicine conference longevitydocs.™
☀️ Some efficient Forest bathing
☀️ Kiddo Soccer Games …in Geemantown. ITKUK!
☀️ Dinners Out!

Heart is full. And ready for BED! 😂♥️ 🎯

10/23/2026

Strong Skin. Strong bones. Strong muscle. Those are foundations of aging well! 🔥🎯

Excited to join longevitydocs.™ for this mastermind ! Loving the lineup !

10/21/2026

If you message me asking to increase your GLP-1 dose , my answer will usually be: “Not yet—let’s schedule an appointment first.”

Not because a higher dose is necessarily wrong, but because I want to assess more than the number on your scale.

I want to review your biomarkers, body composition, nutrition, strength, and how you’re actually feeling. What’s happening to your inflammatory and cardiometabolic markers? Are we achieving the intended benefits? Are you maintaining muscle and function as you lose weight?

The dose-escalation schedule is a framework—not a substitute for an individualized treatment plan. The next dose shouldn’t be an automatic next step simply because another month has passed, and muscle loss should not be collateral damage in the pursuit of weight loss.

Note that this assessment matters even more when we’re considering these medications for an off-label purpose outside of weight management or cardiometabolic care: we need a clear treatment goal and a way to evaluate whether we’re meeting it.

So if I decline a dose increase over messaging and ask you to come in, please know: it’s not gatekeeping. It’s a commitment to treating you as a whole person with precision care.

Getting a prescription is one thing. Having a partner in your care is another. Drop a ❤️ if that’s the kind of care you value. Anjali Dsouza

10/20/2026

“But my allergy tests were all negative.” I hear this a lot, and it’s often where my curiosity starts.

Today is International Mastocytosis & Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day, so let’s talk about why mast cell activation is so easy to miss.

🔬 Mast cells are selective. They live at your barriers (skin, gut, airways) and release chemicals like histamine and prostaglandins a few at a time, not all at once. So a single normal test, like tryptase, doesn’t rule out mast cell activation.

🧩 The pattern matters more than one lab. Flushing, hives, new food reactions, gut upset, headaches, brain fog, a racing heart when you stand. These often show up together, and they often travel with POTS and hypermobility.

Here’s how I approach it:
1️⃣ Build the timeline: when it started and what was going on (infections, moves, stress, mold, repeated antibiotics)
2️⃣ Look for what travels with it, including POTS and hypermobility
3️⃣ Start with the foundations, calm mast cells step by step, and let how you actually feel guide the plan while concurrently looking for root causes.

If this sounds familiar, know you can feel better. ❤️‍🩹
Tag someone who’s been told their tests are normal.

Ps: mast cell diseases also include mastocytosis, a rarer condition where there are too many mast cells. If your baseline tryptase is high, that calls for its own workup with a specialist.

10/16/2026

“You want me to eat HOW much protein?!” 😳

That’s the reaction I get from so many of my female patients when I suggest aiming for 100g+ of protein per day. But once they get the hang of it? It’s pretty quickly “WOW, I feel good!”

As a woman in my 40s, I’ve become much more intentional about protein as maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important with age. Prioritizing protein helps support muscle-building goals, make for more satisfying meals and much more energy.

Wondering how you’re supposed to eat more protein?

Steal my game plan! 👇
Here are 5 ways I make it actually doable 👇
🥚 Start strong at breakfast. Eggs, a protein-packed smoothie, Greek yogurt, or even leftover salmon. Breakfast doesn’t have to look like “breakfast food.”
🥕 Make snacks count. Instead of grabbing something that leaves me hungry 20 minutes later, I try to include protein—think Greek yogurt + seeds or hard-boiled eggs + veggies.
💪 Yes, I use protein powder. Whole foods come first, but sometimes convenience wins. A high-quality protein powder can make hitting my goals MUCH easier.
🥗 Look for the protein first. Whether I’m cooking or ordering at a restaurant, I choose my protein + veggies first, then build the rest of the meal around them.
🐟 KISS method meal prep. Bake a tray of chicken, drain some canned salmon and boil a carton of eggs. I don’t over complicate my proteins, just make sure they’re available.

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s making protein a little more intentional.
How do you meet your protein needs and goals?

10/14/2026

Same stool sample. Seven labs. Wildly different answers.

A 2026 study (NIST + University of Maryland) sent identical samples to direct-to-consumer gut microbiome companies — and some reported the same sample as both healthy and unhealthy.

So why do I still use microbiome testing in my practice? 🤔

Because some people have seen every specialist, followed every guideline… and they’re still suffering.

For them, I use these tests as:

1️⃣ A set of clues — not a diagnosis

2️⃣ A starting point for low-risk, targeted interventions based on the science we DO know.

3️⃣ On top of all the foundational changes: nutrition, movement, sleep and stress reduction.

💬 Have you ever done a gut test? Did it actually help? Tell me below!!!

Source: Servetas et al., Communications Biology, 2026.

Address

1915 I Street NW, 7th Floor
Washington D.C., DC
20006

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm

Telephone

+12022517541

Website

https://dcimedicine.com/new-patient-fb/

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