Why We Track Our Phones Better Than Our Own Bodies – And How to Change That

By Marie Vollmar, Functional Health Coach Contact

Think about it: your smartwatch knows how many steps you’ve taken, how long you slept, and even your heart rate during your morning jog. Your car sends you alerts when the tire pressure drops.
And yet… when it comes to our own health, most of us rely on the bare minimum of data.

In today’s healthcare system, conventional medicine often focuses on treating symptoms rather than uncovering the root cause. It’s a bit like fixing every broken car in the same way, without looking under the hood to see why it broke down in the first place. And without the “why”, the problem always comes back in one way or the other.

But in a world where personalization is everywhere – from curated playlists to tailored workout gear – shouldn’t our health be just as custom?
This is exactly where functional health comes in.

Functional Health: The “Performance Coach” for Your Body

As Dr. Mark Hyman, pioneer in the field, explains: functional health focuses on creating health, rather than just treating disease.

Here’s what sets it apart:

• Data-Driven Insights
  Functional health uses advanced lab testing based on your unique symptoms and history. These aren’t your standard annual check-up labs – they dig deeper to uncover what’s really going on, from nutrient deficiencies to gut and hormonal imbalances.
  
  
• Whole-Body Connection
  Instead of treating your body like separate, unrelated parts, functional health views it as one interconnected system. Your skin, digestion, hormones, and energy levels all influence each other – just like how your training, recovery, and nutrition work together to improve your athletic performance.
  
  

Not About Diagnosing – About Optimizing

Functional health isn’t here to replace emergency medicine or treat severe disease. Instead, it focuses on rebalancing your body so it can naturally return to its best state – homeostasis. Think of it as tuning your body so it performs better, just like maintaining your bike or fine-tuning your running form.

When Can Functional Health Help?

While it’s not for medical emergencies, it’s a game-changer for people struggling with:

• Hormonal imbalances, leading to problems like Hashimoto’s or PCOS,
• Skin issues like eczema or acne
  
  
• Chronic fatigue
• Digestive problems (bloating, constipation,diarrhea)

It’s also a powerful preventive tool for those who want to stay active, vibrant, and strong well into the future.

If you already invest in quality nutrition, high-performance sportswear, and a good training plan, functional health is the missing link that helps you understand and optimize your body from the inside out.