Richmond Integrative and Functional Medicine

01/30/2026

Your morning routine matters more than you realize.

Morning sunlight helps set your cortisol rhythm for the entire day. A few quiet minutes to meditate or breathe can regulate your nervous system and improve your capacity to handle stress as the day unfolds. Even that simple morning coffee ritual that feels grounding and calming plays a role in how your body settles into the day.

Caffeine is best avoided after noon, since it can interfere with deep, restorative sleep at night. Small choices like this quietly shape your health in powerful ways.

Small changes create big movement. Small levers move big boulders.

Follow along as we continue to share simple, practical shifts that can make a massive impact on your daily health.

01/29/2026

Your story matters more than your lab results.

As a clinician, I was trained that up to 80% of a diagnosis can come from your story alone.

Where did you grow up? What happened during childhood? Were you breast-fed? How many antibiotics did you take? Where did you go to college? Did you serve in the military? Your entire story matters when it comes to your current health.

We cannot only look at what is happening today, even though that is the current standard. We need the full picture. We need to understand what brought you here.

Sometimes healing is about unraveling that history and using it to chart a better path forward.

If I see 20 people with the same symptoms, they should not receive the same treatment. There should be 20 different plans.

Follow us so we can help you find your unique path to healing today.

01/28/2026

When “Healthy Eating” Isn’t Enough

Ashley Armstrong wasn’t careless with her health.

She sourced food carefully. She paid attention. She did what most people are told to do. And still, her body was struggling.

During our conversation, she said something I hear often in clinic:

“I was doing everything right. Why was I still falling apart?”

That question matters.

In my experience, when disciplined people are still dealing with fatigue, cold intolerance, or stress sensitivity, the problem is rarely motivation. It’s usually the quality of the inputs their cells are receiving.

I wrote this article to walk through:

* why symptoms like Raynaud’s are often signals, not random problems
* how fat quality and food sourcing affect energy and circulation
* why adding more rules often makes things worse

If this sounds familiar, I hope this gives you clarity instead of more frustration.

👉 Read the article here: https://RichmondFunctionalMedicine.com/ashley-armstrong-healthy-eating

01/28/2026

Your body cannot heal when it is stuck in survival mode.

If you are in fight or flight, you cannot regulate. This is common sense, yet it is commonly overlooked. When cortisol and adrenaline stay elevated, sleep quality suffers and gut integrity breaks down. That is how leaky gut develops.

When someone is depressed and not sleeping well, appetite signals are disrupted. You stop wanting real food and start making poor food choices. Under stress, the brain looks for quick energy, processed sugar, refined carbs, and ultra processed foods.

Your mental and emotional state directly influences what you eat, and those choices can either support healing or block it entirely.

Getting on the right path does more than change cravings. It changes behavior. Nervous system regulation has to come first if you want the body to self heal and self repair.

There are simple, practical steps you can start today.

01/27/2026

Episode 108 of the Made for Health podcast dives into a topic that is often misunderstood and frequently missed: hypermobility.

Many people think of flexibility as an advantage, especially in sports or movement-based activities. Early on, it often is. But over time, that same flexibility can become a hidden contributor to joint instability, chronic pain, digestive issues, anxiety, and nervous system overload.

In this episode, I walk through what hypermobility actually is, how it differs from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and why generalized hypermobility is far more common than most people realize. We explore how loose connective tissue affects the nervous system, why symptoms often change as people age, and how connective tissue health influences nearly every system in the body, from digestion to musculoskeletal stability.

I also share practical nutrition, therapeutic, and lifestyle strategies to support connective tissue resilience and long-term health. If you have always been flexible and now find yourself dealing with pain, gut issues, or chronic stress, this episode may help explain why.

Listen to episode 108 of the Made for Health podcast here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-condition-behind-chronic-pain-and-anxiety/id1785446558?i=1000743490001

Podcast Episode · Made for Health | Medical Gaslighting | Lyme | Chronic Infections | Metabolic Syndrome | Insulin Resistance | Mystery Illness · 01/02/2026 · 9m

01/26/2026

The people who heal the fastest and get the best results tend to have one thing in common. Curiosity and perseverance.

They keep searching. They keep learning. They do not quit. When they hit a roadblock, they do not stop. They find another way around it.

That has been my personal journey with my own family and with thousands of patients over the years. You can never give up. You always have to keep looking for better answers and continue to educate yourself.

Half of what I know today may be obsolete in three to five years. If that is true for me, what does that mean for you?

If you are looking for a vetted resource built from thousands of hours of experience over more than a decade, we have created an extensive library for you. Our website includes blogs, social media, and podcasts designed to help you learn and grow.

If you are ready to get on your path and move through the health challenge you are facing, follow us. We are here to help guide you toward your own pathway to self healing.

01/25/2026

Something I hear from patients every single day is “I feel like my body is shutting down and I don’t know what to do.”

What is really happening is system wide overwhelm.

We are exposed to toxins in our environment, mold, and ongoing nutrient deficiencies. Nearly 80 percent of Americans are potassium deficient, and up to 90 percent have at least one micronutrient deficiency. Add in the fact that about 80 percent of us eat processed foods and 60 percent eat ultra processed foods, and you can see why our bodies are struggling. As a country, we are living in a state of nutrient depletion.

On top of that, there is chronic stress, chronic insomnia, and a long list of other factors that push the system past its limits.

For one person it may be sleep. For another it may be hormones or gut health. The key is identifying the most important place to start for you.

Follow along to learn how to remove the overwhelm and allow your body to self heal and self repair the way it was designed to do.

01/24/2026

Episode 107 of Made For Health explores a question I see every day in my practice. Why do so many people continue to struggle with Lyme disease even after antibiotics?

In this conversation, I am joined by Veronica Porterfield, MS, LN, MPAS, PA-C to break down why antibiotics alone often fall short in chronic Lyme. We talk about how Borrelia survives through biofilms and dormant forms, how the immune system becomes dysregulated, and why long term healing requires more than a one size fits all protocol.

We also dive into what a truly holistic treatment path looks like, including biofilm support, herbal antimicrobials, detox strategies, gut and hormone health, nervous system regulation, and thoughtful sequencing of care. This episode reflects the layered, personalized approach I believe is essential for durable recovery in complex chronic illness.

If you or someone you care for is navigating persistent Lyme symptoms, this episode offers clarity and a broader framework for healing.

Listen here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-lyme-doesnt-go-away-the-holistic-treatment-path/id1785446558?i=1000743027151

01/23/2026

Many people come to me frustrated because they cannot think clearly. They describe brain fog and say it feels like their thoughts are moving through Jell O.

What surprises them is this. The problem is often not in their head. It is in their gut.

About 75 percent of your neurotransmitters live in the gut. Around 90 percent of serotonin and about 50 percent of dopamine are made there too.

When the gut is a mess, the brain usually follows. Mild bloating, gas, or reflux might seem small, but they can signal something much bigger.

If you are dealing with brain fog or feel like your memory just is not what it used to be, your gut is very likely part of the picture.

We also now know that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s begin in the gut 20 to 30 years before a diagnosis is ever made.

Start addressing gut health now and you can protect your brain for decades to come.

01/22/2026

You can change your biology in just ten minutes a day.

Breath work is one of the fastest ways to influence your nervous system. A simple breathing practice can help set your intention in the morning and calm your system before sleep at night.

And it goes beyond breathing. Take something as basic as how you eat. Slowing down and chewing your food 20 to 30 times per bite is a lost habit, but it matters. Proper chewing improves digestion, increases nitric oxide production, and can even help lower blood pressure.

These are small, simple shifts, but they add up. When you stack these micro habits consistently, the changes in your health can be profound.

Follow us to keep learning practical ten minute biology hacks that can transform your life.

01/21/2026

If Lyme disease is caused by bacteria, antibiotics should fix it—right?

For some people, they do.

For many others, symptoms persist long after treatment ends.

In this article, Dr. Aaron Hartman explains why chronic Lyme often isn’t just about bacterial load—and why focusing only on antibiotics can miss what the body still needs.

We cover:

• immune and nervous system dysregulation
• biofilms and treatment plateaus
• why sequencing care changes outcomes

If antibiotics haven’t brought resolution, this perspective may help explain why.

👉 Read here:

https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/chronic-lyme-antibiotics

01/21/2026

I recently had the opportunity to join The High Performance Life podcast with to talk about what it really takes to reclaim your health moving forward.

In this conversation with Scott, we dive into many of the blind spots I see every day in modern medicine, why so many people feel dismissed or stuck, and how foundational health practices still matter more than ever. We discuss the impact of diet, environment, and self advocacy, and why healing requires curiosity, ownership, and a willingness to look beyond symptom management.

I also share personal stories from my own journey, including lessons learned through my family and my patients, and why I believe real healing is possible when you address root causes instead of chasing symptoms.

If you are looking for clarity, direction, and a grounded approach to long term health, this is a conversation worth listening to.

Listen to the full episode of The High Performance Life with Scott Danner here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-reclaim-your-health-in-2026-dr-aaron-hartman/id1684275089?i=1000745875069