David Lobur, MD is a board-certified internist specializing in functional medicine.
The human body is an absolute marvel, an awe-inspiring symphony of cellular assimilation, elimination, communication, defense, energy, life and death. Our DNA is the conductor, yet the “quality of the music” (our well-being) is not predetermined – it depends on the available instruments (essential vitamins, nutrients, fats, amino acids) and the skill of the musicians (the optimal complement of cellular proteins that are ultimately expressed). We have the power to make beautiful music with our own health by providing the optimal raw materials (food) our body needs to function, eliminating toxins that sabotage our normal physiology and effectively handling emotional and environmental stresses which impact our day to day functioning.
By getting back to the basics of biochemistry we as healthcare providers can treat the TRUE causes of suboptimal health instead of focusing on the symptoms which are usually at the tip of an iceberg of underlying damage that has been building up for years. It’s time to swim upstream and prevent the icebergs from ever forming in the first place. Science has greatly advanced over the years and by utilizing our knowledge of epigenetics and the microbiome we can prevent diseases which were once thought to be genetic “ball and chains.”
It’s time to get the message out. It’s time to unplug from the” medical matrix” of poor nutrition, overreliance on medications and misdirected medical practices. As a conventionally trained physician having obtained an MD degree from Jefferson Medical College and practicing internal medicine as a hospitalist for the last 7 years, I can wholeheartedly state that our focus needs to change. We need to REALLY get to know our patients, work with them beyond the brief time we see them in the office/hospital, start up a community where we help each other live well, and prescribe wisdom, knowledge and food as our new arsenal in the war against chronic disease.
I have been profoundly influenced by the birth of my kids and passion of my wife to provide the best quality of life to our family and I feel ALL individuals should have the right to achieve his or her optimal physical, emotional and mental health. I’m excited for the journey ahead and am proud to use the principles of functional medicine learned through the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM)’s AFMCP and APM courses as a roadmap to helping my patients truly become the best they can be.
