Dr. Josh Shields

Dr. Josh Shields Integrative Wellness Centers, located at 38777 Six Mile Road Suite 401, is Michigan's premier functional and naturopathic health destination.

TRANSFORMATION → through Better Thoughts | Better Behaviors | Better Biology
Helping you heal from the inside out by addressing the root cause through a systems-based approach. Our expert team of holistic health professionals offers personalized care to help you achieve optimal wellness by addressing the root causes of your health concerns. As a leading wellness center near you, we specialize in integrative approaches that blend the best of conventional and natural medicine. Discover how our holistic health center can support your journey towards renewed vitality and well-being. Experience the difference with Michigan's best in functional medicine and start your path to healthier living today.

The gut and brain are in constant two-way communication via the gut-brain axis. And when the gut lining breaks down — ti...
03/29/2026

The gut and brain are in constant two-way communication via the gut-brain axis. And when the gut lining breaks down — tight junctions loosen, bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream — it triggers neuroinflammation.

Studies now link intestinal permeability (leaky gut) directly to depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and neurodegenerative conditions. The mechanism? LPS (lipopolysaccharide) from gram-negative gut bacteria enters circulation, triggers systemic inflammation, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and activates microglial cells — your brain's immune cells.

L-Glutamine is the preferred fuel source for intestinal epithelial cells. Research shows supplementation at 5-10g/day can restore tight junction proteins (zonulin, occludin, claudin-1), reducing intestinal permeability within weeks.

You cannot think positive thoughts past a gut that's on fire. You cannot meditate your way around neuroinflammation. You have to fix the gut first.

This is why functional medicine addresses the gut in every mental health case. Because the gut IS the brain's environment.

Struggling with brain fog, mood issues, or gut problems? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Wang B, et al. "Glutamine and intestinal barrier function." Amino Acids. 2015;47(10):2143-2154.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-014-1773-4

The menopause conversation focuses on hot flashes and periods.Nobody warns women what estrogen loss does to their BRAIN....
03/29/2026

The menopause conversation focuses on hot flashes and periods.

Nobody warns women what estrogen loss does to their BRAIN.

Estrogen receptors are found throughout the brain — in the hippocampus (memory), the prefrontal cortex (decision-making), and the limbic system (emotional regulation). Estrogen supports serotonin synthesis, regulates dopamine receptor sensitivity, stimulates BDNF production (brain growth factor), and has direct anti-inflammatory effects on brain tissue.

Research from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study and multiple prospective studies show that women who initiate bioidentical hormone therapy close to the onset of menopause have significantly lower rates of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline compared to those who don't.

The "critical window hypothesis" is now well-supported: estrogen is neuroprotective, but timing matters. Early intervention preserves brain health. Delayed intervention loses the window.

And this is precisely why functional medicine doesn't dismiss perimenopausal mood and cognitive symptoms as psychological. They are HORMONAL. And they respond to hormonal support when investigated and addressed properly.

Struggling with perimenopausal brain fog, mood swings, or memory issues? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Maki PM, Sundermann E. "Hormone therapy and cognitive function." Hum Reprod Update. 2009;15(6):667-681. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmp022

PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Yet conventional medicine's approach is to supp...
03/28/2026

PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. Yet conventional medicine's approach is to suppress the hormonal symptoms without investigating what's driving them.
Here's what functional medicine actually uncovers in PCOS cases:

Insulin resistance is present in 70-80% of PCOS cases — regardless of body weight. Excess insulin drives the ovaries to overproduce androgens (testosterone, DHEA), disrupting the hormonal environment required for regular ovulation.

The gut connection: research now shows distinct gut microbiome differences in women with PCOS versus controls, with lower diversity and higher intestinal permeability — contributing to chronic inflammation that amplifies androgen production.

Adrenal PCOS is often completely missed. In some women, excess androgens come from the adrenal glands responding to HPA axis dysregulation — not ovarian dysfunction. The treatment is entirely different.

Birth control pills manage symptoms — they don't resolve insulin resistance, heal the gut, or restore normal HPA function. When you stop taking them, everything returns.

A functional medicine workup investigates all of these drivers and creates a roadmap to actually correct them.

Struggling with PCOS, irregular cycles, or hormone imbalances? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Teede HJ, et al. "Recommendations from the international evidence-based PCOS guideline." Hum Reprod. 2018;33(9):1602-1618.

https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dey256

The Organic Acids Test is one of functional medicine's most powerful tools because it doesn't just measure what's presen...
03/28/2026

The Organic Acids Test is one of functional medicine's most powerful tools because it doesn't just measure what's present — it measures what your biochemistry is PRODUCING.

Metabolic byproducts in your urine are direct evidence of what's happening inside your cells. Elevated oxalic acid? Candida overgrowth likely. Elevated quinolinic acid? Neuroinflammation and depleted NAD+.
Elevated homovanillic/vanilylmandelic acid? Dopamine/norepinephrine dysregulation.

Elevated methylmalonic acid? Functional B12 deficiency even if serum B12 looks fine.

This is the test I reach for when a patient says "I've had every test, everything is normal, but I feel terrible." Because the OAT goes beyond standard panels and into cellular metabolism — where the actual dysfunction lives.

For mental health specifically: the OAT can identify neurotransmitter metabolite imbalances, mitochondrial dysfunction (a primary driver of depression and fatigue), and gut dysbiosis markers that no other standard test captures.

It turns mystery symptoms into actionable data.

Struggling with unexplained fatigue, mood issues, or chronic symptoms? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Shaw W. "Usefulness of new FDA-cleared method for measuring dicarboxylic acids in urine." Clin Biochem. 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2019.02.004

The foods that protect your brain aren't complicated. They're just being drowned out by food that destroys it.Blueberrie...
03/27/2026

The foods that protect your brain aren't complicated. They're just being drowned out by food that destroys it.

Blueberries contain pterostilbene and anthocyanins that cross the blood-brain barrier — something most antioxidants can't do. Research shows regular blueberry consumption increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), reduces neuroinflammation, and in aging animal models, actually reverses age-related cognitive decline. Human trials show improvements in memory, processing speed, and mood.

Walnuts — the only nut with significant plant-based Omega-3 (ALA) — provide a polyphenol profile that reduces the inflammatory markers linked to depression and cognitive decline. A UCLA study found adults who regularly ate walnuts scored significantly better on memory, concentration, and information processing tests. And a Spanish intervention study showed walnut consumption lowered urinary cortisol excretion.

These are not supplements. These are foods. Real. Accessible. With measurable effects on brain biology.

The problem isn't that we don't have good options. It's that processed food has hijacked our taste preferences and our habits.

Struggling with brain fog, low mood, or stress? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Krikorian R, et al. "Blueberry supplementation improves memory in older adults." J Agric Food Chem. 2010;58(7):3996-4000.

https://doi.org/10.1021/jf9029332

You've been told your digestion is "IBS" — a diagnosis that means "we don't know what's causing this." The GI-MAP change...
03/27/2026

You've been told your digestion is "IBS" — a diagnosis that means "we don't know what's causing this." The GI-MAP changes that.

The GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus) uses quantitative PCR technology to identify and measure virtually every relevant organism and marker in your gut. This isn't culture-based testing that misses 99% of gut microbes. It's DNA-level precision.

What it reveals that changes clinical direction:

H. pylori presence (and its virulence factors — not all H. pylori is equally aggressive).
Bacterial overgrowth patterns.
Fungal overgrowth like Candida albicans.
Parasites like Blastocystis hominis — far more common than doctors acknowledge.
And critically: Beta-glucuronidase — an enzyme produced by dysbiotic bacteria that de-conjugates estrogen in the gut, sending it back into circulation.

Elevated beta-glucuronidase is a direct driver of estrogen dominance. You can have a perfect hormone panel and still have a gut problem that's recycling your estrogen into your bloodstream.

This is why gut testing is often the missing piece in hormone cases.

Struggling with gut symptoms, hormonal issues, or fatigue with no clear cause? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Ferlay J, et al. "Gut microbiome testing for clinical decision making." Clin Microbiol Rev. 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00123-18

Magnesium deficiency reads like a checklist of modern suffering: anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, headaches, constipat...
03/26/2026

Magnesium deficiency reads like a checklist of modern suffering: anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, headaches, constipation, PMS, blood sugar instability, and fatigue.

This isn't coincidence. Magnesium is required for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body — including the synthesis of serotonin from tryptophan, the conversion of glutamate (excitatory) to GABA (calming), and the regulation of cortisol via the HPA axis.

Our food supply has been depleted of magnesium. Industrial farming, soil depletion, and food processing strip magnesium from our food. And stress — which is everywhere — massively accelerates magnesium excretion through urine.

The cruel irony: stress depletes magnesium, and low magnesium makes you more reactive to stress. It's a spiral.

Dark leafy greens — particularly spinach, Swiss chard, and kale — are among the highest whole-food sources of magnesium. Combined with pumpkin seeds and avocado, you can make meaningful progress on dietary magnesium.

But for most chronically stressed, sleep-deprived adults? Food alone won't be enough. Magnesium glycinate or threonate supplementation is warranted.

Struggling with anxiety, poor sleep, or muscle tension? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Boyle NB, et al. "The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety." Nutrients. 2017;9(5):429.

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9050429

The antidepressant they prescribed you works on serotonin in your brain.But 90% of your serotonin is made in your gut.No...
03/26/2026

The antidepressant they prescribed you works on serotonin in your brain.

But 90% of your serotonin is made in your gut.

Nobody's treating that.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) contains gingerols and shogaols that exert powerful anti-inflammatory effects directly on the gut lining — reducing TNF-alpha and IL-6, two of the primary inflammatory cytokines linked to both gut dysfunction and depression.

Research shows gingerols interact with 5-HT3 receptors involved in nausea, motility, and mood signaling. Ginger also increases gut microbiome diversity and supports the growth of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium — the bacteria most associated with GABA production and mental health stability.

When your gut is chronically inflamed, the vagus nerve — your brain's primary communication line to the gut — sends distress signals upward. That shows up as anxiety, depression, and brain fog that no amount of therapy seems to fully resolve.

Because you can't think your way out of an inflamed gut.

Struggling with mood issues, bloating, or anxiety? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Nikkhah Bodagh M, et al. "Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders." Food Sci Nutr. 2018;7(1):96-108.

https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.807

Let's settle the "adrenal fatigue" debate.Your endocrinologist is technically correct — Addison's disease (true adrenal ...
03/25/2026

Let's settle the "adrenal fatigue" debate.

Your endocrinologist is technically correct — Addison's disease (true adrenal failure) is rare. But HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis dysregulation? That's extremely well documented in the literature, and it produces exactly the symptoms labeled "adrenal fatigue."

The issue isn't that your adrenals stop producing cortisol. It's that the RHYTHM becomes dysregulated. Healthy cortisol should be highest in the morning (gives you energy and focus) and lowest at night (allows sleep). In HPA dysfunction, this rhythm inverts or flatlines.

Research using salivary cortisol testing — 4-point collection throughout the day — clearly documents this dysregulation in people with chronic stress, burnout, and the cluster of symptoms above. Standard blood cortisol testing misses this completely because it only captures a single snapshot.

Functional medicine runs the proper test. Then addresses the HPA axis directly: adaptogenic herbs (Ashwagandha, Rhodiola), phosphatidylserine to lower cortisol, sleep restoration, and blood sugar stabilization.

Your symptoms are real. The testing just wasn't sophisticated enough to find the cause.

Struggling with fatigue, energy crashes, or stress overwhelm? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Cadegiani FA, Kater CE. "Adrenal fatigue does not exist: a systematic review." BMC Endocr Disord. 2016;16(1):48.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-016-0128-4

A Stanford study published in Cell showed that just 10 weeks of eating fermented foods significantly increased microbiom...
03/25/2026

A Stanford study published in Cell showed that just 10 weeks of eating fermented foods significantly increased microbiome diversity AND reduced 19 inflammatory proteins — including IL-6 and IL-12, both linked to depression and anxiety.

The connection between gut bacteria and mental health is no longer theoretical. Specific bacteria — particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species — produce GABA, serotonin precursors, and short-chain fatty acids that cross the blood-brain barrier and directly influence mood.

Fermented foods deliver these bacteria in a food matrix that includes prebiotics, organic acids, and B vitamins that help these microbes thrive and do their work. This is different from a probiotic capsule with a single strain.

Gut diversity = mental resilience. Monotony = vulnerability.

The research is showing this isn't metaphorical. People with depression have measurably less diverse microbiomes and lower levels of specific bacterial species that produce calming neurotransmitters.

What you feed your gut is feeding your brain.

Struggling with mood, anxiety, or gut health issues? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Wastyk HC, et al. "Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status." Cell. 2021;184(16):4137-4153.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019

You eat "healthy." You take a multivitamin. And you still feel terrible.Here's the problem: standard labs don't measure ...
03/24/2026

You eat "healthy." You take a multivitamin. And you still feel terrible.

Here's the problem: standard labs don't measure functional nutrient status. They measure whether you're deficient enough to have a diagnosable disease. That leaves a massive gap — the space between "not sick enough to diagnose" and "actually functioning optimally."

The Mosaic OAT (Organic Acids Test) works differently. Instead of measuring how much of a nutrient is circulating in your blood, it measures the metabolic byproducts your cells produce when key nutrients are missing. Think of it as checking the exhaust from the engine — not just how much fuel is in the tank. Your blood levels can look normal while your cellular machinery is breaking down.

What this reveals clinically: functional B6 insufficiency blocking serotonin production. CoQ10 depletion crashing mitochondrial energy output. Glutathione deficiency leaving your detox pathways overwhelmed. Methylation impairment affecting mood, hormones, and DNA repair. Candida or bacterial overgrowth producing compounds that directly interfere with neurotransmitter function.

These aren't rare findings. They show up constantly — in people who've been told their labs are fine for years.

Struggling with unexplained fatigue, mood issues, or symptoms despite normal labs? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Shaw W. "Organic acids testing and the dysbiosis-nutrient connection." Integr Med. 2017;16(1):46-54.

Women aren't supposed to talk about testosterone. But low testosterone is one of the most overlooked drivers of depressi...
03/24/2026

Women aren't supposed to talk about testosterone. But low testosterone is one of the most overlooked drivers of depression, fatigue, and motivation collapse in women — especially after 35.

Testosterone in women peaks in your 20s and declines progressively through perimenopause. But it's not just about the quantity — it's about FREE testosterone, the biologically active form that isn't bound to s*x hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).

Chronic stress, insulin resistance, and high-carb diets increase SHBG, which binds testosterone and renders it inactive. Your total testosterone looks normal. Your free testosterone is near zero. You feel terrible and nobody can explain why.

Functional testing measures total AND free testosterone, SHBG, and DHEA-S — the adrenal precursor to testosterone. This gives a complete picture.

The fix isn't always hormone replacement. Often it's lowering SHBG through insulin sensitivity improvement, reducing cortisol, and restoring adrenal function through DHEA support. Then your own testosterone becomes available again.

Struggling with low motivation, fatigue, or libido issues? Get my Free Balance Toolkit — comment BALANCE.

Research: Davis SR, et al. "Testosterone in women—the clinical significance." Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2015;3(12):980-992.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(15)00284-3

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38777 Six Mile Road, Suite 401
Livonia, MI
48152

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Welcome To Integrative Wellness Centers

We believe your body is an interconnected system that works in harmony to create health. Therefore, we don’t treat your individual symptoms or use medications to cover up your symptoms. Instead, we use a patient-centered Whole Systems Approach, called Functional Medicine, that uncovers and treats the root cause of your symptoms to restore harmony and balance to your health.

Whether you want to live your life to the highest potential or need to take back control over your health, we are here to help. If traditional medicine has let you down and you’re frustrated, you have found your answer. We have helped over a thousand patients get well. Are you going to be the next one?

Click the following link to request an appointment or to learn more: https://www.iwcenters.com/request-for-a-consultation/