Member Story
Jessica's Story
Jessica has 2 small children who bring her joy, but when she came to us, she wasn’t able to actually enjoy them. She was always feeling:
- Tired
- Foggy
- Like she needed coffee to wake up
- And a glass or two of wine at night to combat the "wired" feeling that crept in at 9:30pm
She was constantly feeling overwhelmed, like she couldn’t get ahead or stay completely on top of anything. She was bloated after eating, grazing in between meals, and she’s noticed her hair is still falling out rapidly over a year postpartum.
After a year and a half of looking for answers from her doctor, she was repeatedly told, “Your labs are normal, you’re just a tired mom.” Jessica wasn’t ready to accept that as an answer.
Luckily, one of Root’s articles popped up when she googled postpartum insomnia. She started to realize it’s not normal to feel tired but wired all of the time. Jessica had never heard of functional medicine before but she knew she needed to do something different. She wanted to fix this (and more) at the root cause, so she signed up for a Root membership.
Month One of a Root Membership
Right off the bat, Jessica’s initial lab panel revealed several nutrient deficiencies that were affecting the way she felt:
- Iron deficiency led to fatigue and hair loss
- A sub-optimal functioning thyroid was contributing to brain fog
- And low Omega 3 was part of why her skin and hair felt dry
In her first session, Jessica told her story and reviewed labs with her Root doctor. She ended the session feeling validated and hopeful for the first time in years.
After meeting with a Root doctor, Jessica met with a Root dietitian. She was given very doable action items to improve her nutrition along with other lifestyle hacks to add to her wellness plan. Root’s dietitian also helped her sort through a few questions and troubleshooting that popped up after visiting with her Root doctor.
Month Two of a Root Membership
In the second month of Jessica’s Root membership, she was feeling more energy and vibrancy. She was ready to target that annoying bloating that often made mealtime uncomfortable.
Jessica’s Root doctor was able to explain how the results on her functional stool test were causing this bloating.
A dysbiosis in her gut microbiome caused excess gas production and low functioning digestive enzymes were prohibiting the absorption of key nutrients. A comprehensive gut healing protocol was designed for her outlining steps to target each root cause and support long term healing.
Her Root dietitian then created a targeted nutrition plan to correct the dysbiosis and nutrient deficiencies. When creating the nutrition plan, Jessica’s Root dietitian considered her food preferences and lifestyle.
As Jessica went through the gut healing protocol, she was so surprised to see other symptoms improve too. Jessica less anxious and less brain fog that she didn’t realize were affecting her. She thought those symptoms were normal because, “that’s how all moms feel.”
Month Three of a Root Membership
Jessica’s her hair stopped falling out and started growing in “baby bangs!” When healing, everyday is a work in progress but, she was ready for the next stage in gut healing.
Jessica felt relieved to have another session with her Root dietitian. She wanted to discuss modifications in her nutrition plan and new ideas for eating on the go. After her session, she was able to take away a refined wellness plan.
Jessica’s bloating was improving, but she still struggled with occasional constipation. This was another symptom that she thought most people struggled with.
Month Four+ of a Root Membership
Month 4+ of working with Root, Jessica was able to recheck her labs to show improvement in her nutrients and thyroid panel. After the gut healing protocol and improvements in bloating, she retested her stool to compare results from month two.
Jessica saw the impact stress was having on her symptoms and wanted to dig deeper. Root ordered a functional saliva cortisol test to guide her wellness plan.
Jessica was feeling like a new person by month four. She kept her Root membership in order to:
- Ask questions
- Retest labs
- Remain a part of the Root Community and connect with other members
- Keep receiving delicious recipes vetted by Root dietitians
- Have a Root doctor & dietitian on her side
How is Root Different?
We focus on the root cause. We’re able to design a holistic plan that not only relieves the symptom you’re trying to resolve, it helps you function optimally, so you can feel vibrant and alive.
Functional medicine works when you have the right team to support you. The Root doctors and dietitians have experience in both conventional and functional medicine. This allows our team to know when something bigger is going on and needs more workup.
Functional medicine also works when you have the right type of model that is conducive to ongoing support and adjustments when needed. We’ve designed that in our MD/DO and dietitian lead Functional Medicine Membership program and you can get started on your own journey today.
Functional medicine also works when you have the right type of model that is conducive to ongoing support and adjustments when needed. We’ve designed that in our MD/DO and dietitian lead Functional Medicine Membership program and you can get started on your own journey today.
Root Membership
Work with Root Doctors & Dietitians one-on-one via telehealth
We connect you with a dedicated care team of functional medicine experts to uncover the root causes of your health concerns & create a personalized plan for lasting wellbeing.