Let your food be your medicine! Call: 876-547-4522
Meet Ms. Wynter
Ms. Wynter will ensure that your appointments are booked in an efficient manner, and she will answer all your questions before your appointment to make the experience pleasant and well organized!
Experience, Professionalism, Compassion & Accountability.
Dr. Bedward Vassell
Functional & Integrative Medicine practitioner
She was trained in conventional medicine, and having practiced Radiation Oncology for more than a decade, she has often been faced with situations in which two patients, with the same cancer, stage for stage, given the same therapy, have had markedly different outcomes. Scores of patients. Why? She has found out that as people are unique, so are the causes of their diseases. If medical care was more individualistic, could the outcomes be different?
Yes!
About Dr. Bedward Vassell
Dr. Bedward Vassell is an experienced and dedicated physician with greater than 13 years in the practice of medicine, having practiced Radiation Oncology for more than a decade, while her practice as a General practitioner as well as Emergency Medicine physician have been for a longer duration. Her experience has allowed her to realize that there are other avenues that must be explored in the treatment of the whole human. As a result, she developed a great passion for and belief in Integrative Medicine and Functional medicine, which are fields of medicine which embrace using lifestyle modifications, nutrition, energy medicine among a host of other treatment modalities, to treat chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cancers, obesity and endocrine disorders. Pharmacologic agents are very beneficial and sometimes needed, but are not the mainstay. She has studied this type of medicine with the Institute for Functional Medicine (Cleveland Clinic), and the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine. She would relish the opportunity to partner with you on your journey to wellness!
Science based medicine, tailored to your unique needs.
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What is Functional Medicine?
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Functional medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many which contributes to an individual’s illness. Functional Medicine may be the key you need to unlock the mystery of why you are still not feeling well, when all your test results are normal!
Your genes do not have to determine your future
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If you do have a family history of any disease, only 1% of genetic diseases in general are fully penetrant (meaning once you have the gene, you WILL get the disease), and breast cancer is not one of them. Two of the gene mutations linked to breast and ovarian cancer causation are BRCA1 & BRCA2, which some women may already know they have, but are sometimes still unsure of what lifestyle and nutrition modifications to employ to reduce the likelihood of developing diseases potentially caused by these mutations.
Remember, your genes do not solely determine you future, because epigenetics (the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work) plays a much more powerful role.
Functional medicine Consultation
Patients with chronic diseases such as Autoimmune disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Cancers, Hypertension to name a few, often need a deeper look. Pharmaceutical agents have helped many patients over the years, but sometimes the side effects are not well tolerated, may cause other problems, or may be frustrating to adhere to.
Functional medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many which contributes to an individual’s illness.
Using this approach, a functional medicine doctor will be able to show that a particular diagnosis can be the result of more than one cause. For example, depression can be caused by multiple factors, including inflammation. Furthermore, a cause such as inflammation may lead to several different diagnoses, including depression. The precise manifestation of each cause depends on the individual’s genes, lifestyle and environment, and only treatments that address the right cause will have lasting benefit beyond symptom suppression.
We believe strongly in food as medicine, and we know the pain of having a pill for an ill. Patients may be diagnosed with multiple diseases, for which they may be prescribed multiple medicines, when a different lifestyle approach may treat them all. When we recommend supplements, they are usually for a time to support you until you have the diet on track. Our supplements are from verified sources with extensive third party testing, so what is written on the container is really what you are getting! You will have measurable results.
Be guided on your journey by our Holistic Nutritionist
For many people, accepting or adjusting to change is difficult, but once you have acknowledged that there may be need for help, that is half the battle won! Our Holistic Nutritionist is also a medical doctor who has done extensive training in holistic nutrition, and as she understands the body and medicine, she will tailor a plan for you after detailed assessments through a functional Medicine lens, for your body to be more efficient, energetic and rejuvenated. Start living a vibrant life today!
Integrative medicine encompasses an array of lifestyle practices
From diet and lifestyle change, to energy healing, we can walk with and advise you on your journey on the wellness spectrum. Meeting your spiritual needs is integral to your well being should be practiced in a way that is fulfilling to you. Daily practices such as Prayer, Meditation, Qigong, Tai chi and Yoga are among the best ways to find peace and fulfilment.
Communing with nature on a daily basis, sunlight exposure, grounding by being barefooted outdoors in soil as frequently as possible are also ways to nourish your mind and body. If you cannot get outside much, do some visual imagery, your body really doesn't know the difference. Practice belly breathing several times daily, even if you have to schedule 2 minute sessions!
According to the Heart Math Institute, the heart is the most powerful source of electromagnetic energy in the human body, producing the largest rhythmic electromagnetic field of any of the body's organs. The heart's electrical field is about 60 times greater in amplitude than the electrical activity generated by the brain. This field, measured in the form of an electrocardiogram (ECG), can be detected anywhere on the surface of the body. Furthermore, the magnetic field produced by the heart is more than 100 times greater in strength than the field generated by the brain and can be detected up to 3 feet away from the body, in all directions, using SQUID-based magnetometers. Prompted by their findings that the timing between pulses of the heart’s magnetic field is modulated by different emotional states, they have performed several studies that show the magnetic signals generated by the heart have the capacity to affect individuals around us. Therefore, if you send feelings of love and positivity, it can be contagious! Identify your feelings, try to address them in the best way you how, and if necessary, ask for help.
Our mental diet is also very important to our well being. We should strive to pay attention to the components of our mental diet as much as the physical diet. Our mental health is of utmost importance, and there are many lifestyle modifications which can make it optimum! Start with ensuring good sleep, movement and being more positive.
*** There are however those people who need additional help, and we encourage them to reach out to someone they trust, or a healthcare professional.
Be well!
Include herbs as a part of your regime! Include the very powerful anti-inflamm turmeric by making delicious teas or golden milk. Be sure to add a miniscule amount of your preferred healthy oil with black pepper (which contains piperine) to increase bioavailability/absorption. The root is best, but if you are unable to source them, still enjoy the benefits in powders certified and third party tested. Look for safety seals! The best ones may not be available on the open market, but don't worry, we can order them for you! More in other segments.
Foods without labels are best!!
Reduce or Eliminate processed foods. Read the labels and nutrition facts! Any words you can't pronounce in something that you are about to eat? It is likely a processed food. Eat more whole foods; the closer it is from the farm to your plate, the better! Learn how to interpret Nutrition facts - see the table below which is a good example for a supplement. There are specific criteria which tell us that a supplement can hold up to scrutiny. This is just one class, but if you have to supplement, leave this task to us. I will order from specific manufactures for you, because their supplements are pure, and they work!
Pay attention to supplement labels!
If you are ever advised to or feel it necessary to take a supplement, the manufacturer you support should be verified, practices third party testing of every batch, and not claim that the supplement heals any disease. You deserve it! That's the reason I gladly order supplements for those that may need until their lifestyle and diet are adequate to support health. Feel the difference when taking a genuine supplement! We source authentic supplements for our patients, but food is the first medicine we prescribe. .
Our Exposome
Our exposome is defined as all our exposures in our lifetime beginning before birth. It ranges from our diet (both physical and mental), environmental exposures such as toxins, and EMF, to name a few. Understanding how these interact with our unique characteristics, like our genes, our physiology and epigenetics plays a key role in our health.
A WORD ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
Chronic inflammation is at the base of nearly all disease. Many dietary and lifestyle factors contributes to and even worsens chronic inflammation. A poor diet with added sugars, inflammatory oils (like vegetable oil) poor sleep hygiene, chronic stress, isolation, no sense of community and lack of movement are just some of these. Movement/exercise is one of the best tools to reduce inflammation. See Dr. Bedward Vassell and she will tell you all about it, do specialized testing and help you with reducing chronic inflammation to prevent disease! Book today! Call 876-547-4522 or 876-678-6538
OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Our immune system constitutes a wide array of defenses, including our microbiome in several locations over the body such as the gut, skin, oral cavity, and for women, the vaginal cavity , to name a few. Our gut microbiome for example, consists of way more bacteria than we have in terms of the number of our own cells, and we therefore walk around with significantly more bacterial genes. They must be good for you! They are symbiotes which help us to thrive. Learn how to feed them and treat them right!
Gut Dysfunction
Are you bloated or gassy after eating? Are you passing stool less than once daily? These may be signs of gut dysfunction. Optimize your gut health today! There may be many causes for these symptoms, including but not limited to a diet low in insoluble fiber and an inflamed gut. Sources of insoluble fiber include foods such as vegetables, wheat bran and whole grains. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium Increase your insoluble fiber content and visit your doctor, contact us. If you already eat a high fiber diet, but you have these symptom, we can help! Find out how.
Weight Issues?
Have you noticed that you have gained a significant amount of weight around your abdomen/mid section? Have you always been overweight? Even though you eat healthy? Do you feel fatigued? Are you unable to get up in the morning? You make no progress with exercise? Are you constantly under stress from any source, or do you have a relatively stress-free life, but you suffer from a chronic illness? Are your thyroid hormones normal? It could be adrenal dysfunction and many other imbalances, including hormonal. We check, we get to the root cause, we optimize!
Call 876-547-4522/876-678-6538 or email for appointment by clicking the button below!
Find out more before embarking on rigorous exercise regime
Sometimes, you may be in sympathetic overdrive, and you need help to realize you may have guidance prior. The body's hormone regulation/balance may be the most important factor, and we are more balanced in a predominantly parasympathetic state. See a Functional Medicine doctor! Send a request below!
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