You must be wondering, what is functional medicine? As we move closer to an endemic, it’s more important than ever to stay healthy so we can fight the virus effectively and avoid long-term problems. We can ease many of the symptoms that ail us and guarantee that we are actually healthy, not merely free of symptoms, by concentrating on our body’s total wellness. Functional medicine can help in this situation because it has been linked to improved health-related quality of life. It considers the entire body and focuses on the underlying causes of disorders rather than a single set of symptoms. It’s based on data showing lifestyle factors including nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress levels, relationships, and heredity play a significant role in the development of most chronic diseases.
Dr. Menka’s Nutra Nourish is a health organisation that uses functional medicine to provide holistic remedies for ailments by delivering the most effective and therapeutic nutritional products available. Patients benefit from this strategy because they do not have to visit multiple doctors to handle different issues. In this Glitz Spotlight, we spoke to Dr. Menka to further understand functional medicine and how it can help to better our society today.
Interview with Dr. Menka, Founder of Nutra Nourish
Who is Dr. Menka?
Dr Menka Gupta is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, Personalised Nutrition Expert and founder of Nutra Nourish – a health education company that focuses on empowering people to achieve their best health. Her mission is to empower everyone to live longer, healthier and happier lives. She has worked with thousands of clients and helped them to achieve their health and wellness goals. Today, Nutranourish is sought after by individuals and businesses looking to optimise and transform their health, Dr Menka has a passion for health and wellbeing for everyone in her community and she believes all of us deserve to be happy and thrive.
She spends her free time in mindfulness practice & zumba.
How did you begin your journey into healthcare? What was the starting point?
From very early childhood, I’ve been deified by doctors and their huge role in a community. I was especially attracted by their selflessness, desire to help others and a strong sense of empathy. This belief motivated me to become a doctor myself and it acts as a constant reminder of my purpose to create a healthier and more vibrant community.
What sparked your interest to start up Nutra Nourish?
I believe that all of us deserve a life of health & happiness. While practising as a doctor in London and Singapore, I became interested in the role of food and lifestyle to support longevity, energy, mental clarity and happiness. This motivated me to create Nutranourish 6.5 years ago. It is a functional medicine and nutrition practice offering a personalised approach to address the root cause of disease.
Were there any instances in your life that made you look into medicine in a different way?
My mother had been suffering from cardiometabolic disease and her condition was getting worse. While the traditional medicine approach was helping with her symptoms, I decided to support her using my training in a more holistic approach. Through the timeline of her illness progression and in-depth nutritional, DNA testing and microbiome testing, I was able to identify root causes of her illness. I created a health plan for her own specific needs.Within eight weeks, I fixed the root cause of her ailments and she started to feel significantly better.
When building Nutra Nourish, were there any challenges you faced? What was the
biggest challenge?
When people come to me, they have usually been suffering for a long time and have tried various things to address their disease. My approach is understanding why people get sick, not just what disease they have. The evidence is clear that the greatest and enduring health transformations occur when you address the root cause, not simply the signs.
In the beginning, it was a challenge to help people understand that this approach, which is not a quick fix but a health transformation, is the right approach for them. However, it has worked on 1000s of people I have worked with and now people are more aware of it.
As the founder of Nutra Nourish, what continuously motivates you to work towards its
goals?
My work helps fulfil my purpose and mission in life – to help people feel healthier, more energetic and to live a balanced life. When I receive feedback from my clients calling me a life saviour or a guardian angel to their children, I feel really fulfilled and motivated towards helping more people in my community.
Currently, the discussion surrounding mental health has garnered more attention as a key part of how we experience our lives. In your professional opinion, how does mental health influence our overall physical health?
I believe that mental health is a key determinant of your overall physical health. Stress is a common underlying factor for many underlying health concerns such as gut issues, migraines, hypertension, inflammation and lower immunity. People suffering from mental health often don’t get enough quality sleep, which creates a cascading effect on health. Supporting mental health and managing stress through lifestyle changes is one of the pillars of my work.
Were there any personal experiences with mental health that made you look into health in
a different way?
Few years ago, a family member went through anxiety due to a stressful situation at work. As a result, she was suffering from low energy, insomnia and started gaining weight. Looking at her hormonal imbalances and addressing those through holistic lifestyle changes, I was able to help her get her mojo back.
Where do you see Nutra Nourish heading in the future?
I view educating and empowering patients to take control of their own health as
essential for success. I want to make my personalised optimal health protocols accessible to a wider audience through the use of technology and innovation.
How does Nutra Nourish ensure holistic factors are targeted in achieving overall health?
Nutranourish recognizes that optimal health can be achieved through holistic modifiable lifestyle factors – sleep & relaxation, exercise & movement, nutrition, stress and relationships. Nutranourish provides tools to focus on these key health pillars to bring the body’s imbalances back to balance and achieve a state of wellness
