The First Step
In November of 2017 I took the first step toward realizing my Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hiking goal. That step carried me through the door of Centre Spring MD. I had an appointment with Dr. Taz Bhatia the founder of this practice for functional, holistic, and integrative medicine. I could identify with Dr. Taz as her past health struggles were similar to my own. I had also seen the positive results of her work first hand.
Our initial appointment was nearly 4 hours long. Dr. Taz actually listened, perused my food journals, read the medical history I had compiled, and even inquired about seemingly unrelated environmental factors. She complemented the extraordinary effort I had invested in creating a healthy lifestyle. After our lengthy discussion, I posed the question that burned in my mind. “I’ve lead the healthiest life possible. Why am I falling apart?”
Dr. Taz’s response carried a tone of genuine empathy. She felt the vitality I sought was attainable and I simply needed help filling in the puzzle’s remaining pieces. As the appointment concluded, I was assigned required reading and some initial homework. It felt like the first day of school minus the chalk board and mystery meat lunch.
Then Dr. Taz left me in the capable hands of her staff. They ran every scan imaginable, drew enough blood to put Dracula to shame, had me target practice with a urine sample jar, and sent me home to poop in a bucket for the lab. Yes, that last part was just as gross as it sounds. Thank you to the lab tech that opened and analyzed that smelly surprise.
Answers At Last
The followup appointment was pivotal. The lab results painted an ugly picture. My cholesterol was in the tank, testosterone was low, estrogen was high, inflammation markers were high, beneficial gut bacteria were non-existent, I was struggling to detox herbicides, and the list goes on. What caused all of this? Intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and malabsorption were the chief culprits. Dr. Taz explained how this had undermined all of my efforts to achieve vitality. In short, the bad stuff was absorbed into my system and the good stuff wasn’t. I left that appointment with a long list of homework, an actionable plan, and for the first time in six years, a glimmer of hope.
Healing is a Journey
Healing required a huge commitment. Over the next two years I religiously followed the plan. The amount of supplements I took on a daily basis would make your head spin. Well at least it made my head spin. Scarfing down twelve different concoctions twice a day was a chore. To further support healing, I overhauled my already healthy diet by seeking organics whenever possible, reducing sugar consumption to 25 grams a day or less, devouring a tremendous amount of healthy fats, and completely eliminating alcohol. Next, I went hunting in my medicine cabinet and pantry. My quarry were endocrine disruptors. I had long avoided these nasty chemicals. However, my hunt revealed BPA and parabens lurking in some products I used daily and I quickly eliminated them. Finally, every three months I made the four hour drive for followup labs and appointments to evaluate progress.
The results did not come overnight. I first started seeing improvement at the six month mark and some of my symptoms took two years to diminish. However, the outcomes were incredible. Afternoon naps were no longer mandatory, recurring connective tissue injuries were gone, my weight was stable, the hair loss slowed, and for the first time in years my allergies were manageable. I was also feeling like myself again. Decisions were coming easily and anxiety was no longer all consuming. What’s more, painful three mile hikes were a thing of the past and I was regularly hiking ten miles with only minor discomfort.
However, the most profound outcome of treatment was knowledge. Dr. Taz invested hours explaining the pathology of my disorders and how the supplementation and dietary changes would influence healing. Outside of appointments, I was enlightened further by her suggested reading and my own research. With knowledge I was finally able to take ownership of my health.
Dr. Taz, Rosi, Margot, and the other staff at Centre Spring MD turned my life around and got me one step closer to the PCT.
You can learn more about Dr. Taz and her incredible staff at Centre Spring MD.