In recent years, the medical community and the general public have become more aware of the impact a healthy gut microbiome can have on our digestion and nutrient absorption. Most people, however, are completely unaware of how gut health can profoundly influence energy levels, immune function or even mood.
Gut health optimization can reduce the risk or address existing conditions like allergies, diabetes, IBD, depression or anxiety. Even if you are simply exploring human longevity, preventive medicine or biohacking treatments, Gut Health Optimization is a cornerstone of our approach to lifelong health and wellness.
To learn more about any of our options to optimize your gut health - or any of your other medical or aesthetic needs - contact us online or call ☎ (631) 600-7950 to schedule your initial consultation.
Your digestive system is responsible for breaking down the foods you eat, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste from your body. The digestive tract – collectively referred to as your gut – hosts trillions of microorganisms that make up your gut microbiome.
Gut Health Optimization is a medical intervention focused on fostering a balanced and diverse gut microbiome and ensuring that beneficial bacteria are thriving in your digestive tract. Through dietary and lifestyle approaches, optimizing gut health can improve digestion, as well as immunity, mood and overall physical and mental health.
It is a multifaceted, complex field of ongoing study and research that benefits from a holistic functional medicine approach to ensure your health and well-being at every stage of life.
When approached properly, Gut Health Optimization should be designed to be as unique as you are. A Gut Health Optimization treatment approach may address an array of lifestyle factors like:
Our approach is not aimed at quick fixes but rather at a lifelong approach to gut health and overall wellness, utilizing the following components in an individualized treatment plan designed just for you:
Dietary: To promote a diverse microbiome, it is essential to consume a diversity of plant-based foods, including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds, as well as legumes, to ensure the essential fuel and fiber required by beneficial bacteria. Eating slowly, chewing food thoroughly, and eating smaller meals can all aid digestion and thus enhance Gut Health Optimization. Reducing or ideally eliminating processed foods – with their unhealthy fats and sugars – can help prevent development of imbalances in your gut flora. Adequate hydration is also key in supporting Gut Health Optimization as it supports digestion, nutrient absorption and elimination.
Supplementation: We always encourage incorporating fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt or kimchi and probiotic drinks like kefirs or beet kvass as your ideal probiotic supplements. However, it may be necessary to supplement with probiotics. Likewise, we suggest prebiotic foods like asparagus or oats to feed good bacteria, but supplementation with prebiotic fibers is also sometimes necessary.
Stress Management: Because chronic stress negatively impacts the health of your gut bacteria, stress management – and certain practices like deep breathing, meditation or yoga – can have a real impact on gut health.
Quality Sleep: Poor sleep disrupts the healthy balance of gut bacteria, causing dysbiosis, which can increase your cravings for unhealthy foods, increase stress and cortisol levels, weaken your immune system, and contribute to conditions like IBS or leaky gut. Quality sleep, on the other hand, allows the body, including the gut microbiome, to repair and restore itself. Sleep plays a key role in maintaining the gut lining, balancing gut bacteria, regulating appetite hormones and controlling inflammation. The relationship is reciprocal: a healthy gut leads to better sleep through serotonin production, strengthening a vital gut-brain connection.
Healthy Movement: Physical activity has been shown to support a healthy gut and actively modify your gut microbiota. Regular, healthy movement can increase the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria, strengthen your gut barrier, boost metabolism, encourage regular bowel movements, and reduce inflammation.
Before your first session, we always take a medical history and review any medications, supplements or herbal medications you’re taking, as well as assess any particular allergies, contraindications or medical needs you may have.
When we say we employ a functional medicine approach – that means we take a comprehensive, hands-on approach to health, treating the body as a whole. In designing a personalized treatment plan, it’s a process we undertake with you – as we seek to understand your individual experience, health symptoms and wellness goals in context.
For more questions about Gut Health Optimization treatment options – or any of our other medical or aesthetic procedures - speak with one of our caring team members today. Call us at ☎ (631) 600-7950.
A Brooklyn, New York native, Dr. Rutman graduated with honors in biology from Binghamton University then pursued his medical education at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, where he excelled as chief resident and received recognition for his teaching abilities and patient care skills. He has been serving as an attending physician in emergency medicine for over 15 years at St Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York, and other institutions.
As a member of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians and board certified by the American Board of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, Dr. Rutman brings a wealth of knowledge to his work with his patients.
Recognizing the importance of weight management and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in promoting overall health and wellness, Dr. Rutman has undergone specialized training to become an expert in both fields with the goal of helping each patient achieve the best possible health outcomes through an informed, healthy lifestyle.
At Balanced Health & Wellness, we are dedicated to enhancing your overall well-being and helping you achieve your maximum health potential. Our center specializes in hormone replacement therapy, medical weight loss programs, functional and preventative medicine focused on longevity and quality of life, as well as advanced cosmetic and skin enhancement services.
We should be your first stop for comprehensive Gut Health Optimization. Our caring, knowledgeable team at Balanced Health & Wellness offers expertise and years of experience with gut health, together with a functional medicine approach to care. Begin your Gut Health Optimization journey today! Call ☎ (631) 600-7950 or contact us online for your first consultation.
