Fox Valley Functional Medicine

🎂🤍 **Help us wish Dr. Mikhaila a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!** 🤍🎂

Today we’re celebrating the woman behind Fox Valley Functional Medicine — practitioner, business owner, wife, mom, woman of faith, and someone who pours so much of her heart into caring for others. 🌿

Dr. Mikhaila’s passion has always been about more than labs, supplements, or nutrition. It’s about helping people feel heard, finding the *why* behind their symptoms, and helping women and families feel like themselves again.

FVFM has grown from a dream into a beautiful community, and so much of that comes from her genuine love for her patients and her belief that God placed her in this work for a reason.

This next year brings another chapter of growth, faith, family, big dreams, and hopefully a little more time to slow down and enjoy all that she has worked so hard to build. 🤍

We are so grateful for every patient, family, friend, and follower who has supported Dr. Mikhaila and Fox Valley Functional Medicine along the way. Being able to serve this community is one of the greatest gifts.

So today, drop a little birthday love for Dr. Mikhaila below! 🥳🎉🎂

**“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24**

Happy Birthday, Dr. Mikhaila! Here’s to another year of doing what you love, loving your people well, and following where God leads. 🤍🌿

What I’m doing to support + heal my gut 🤎

Gut healing doesn’t have to mean 15 different supplements and a complicated morning routine. These are a few of the staples I’ve been using consistently to support my gut while also making sure I’m getting enough protein and nourishment.

✨ GlutaShield® — I use this to support and soothe the GI lining and intestinal barrier. Think of this as helping provide nutritional support for the gut lining while I work on the bigger picture.

✨ SBI Protect® — contains serum-derived bovine immunoglobulins that can help support intestinal immune function and a healthy gut barrier. This has been one of my go-to tools when focusing on GI health.

✨ Be Well by Kelly Chocolate Protein — because gut healing also requires adequate protein! I love that this has a short ingredient list and makes it easy for me to get a protein-rich meal or snack in, especially on busy mornings.

✨ Unsweetened Califia Organic Almondmilk — just 3 simple ingredients and no added sugar. I use this as the base of my shake to keep things simple.

I’ll blend these together for an easy chocolate gut-supporting protein shake. 🤎

But here’s the important part: a supplement or shake alone doesn’t “heal” your gut. Gut health is also about what you do consistently — eating whole foods, getting enough protein and fiber as tolerated, supporting regular bowel movements, managing stress, sleeping well, and addressing the reason your gut is struggling in the first place.

As a Functional Medicine provider, I’m a big believer in test, don’t guess and creating a plan based on the individual rather than throwing every “gut healing” supplement at the problem.

Small daily habits + targeted support + consistency. 🌿

✨ **Your thyroid needs a cozy Sunday.** ✨

Thyroid health isn’t only about thyroid hormones or supplements. Your thyroid is part of a much bigger conversation involving your **brain, stress-response system, metabolism, nutrition, sleep, and overall energy availability.**

So yes… your cozy Sunday can actually be supportive. 🤍

🍲 **Make a nourishing crockpot meal.**
Your body needs adequate energy, protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and key micronutrients to support normal thyroid hormone production and metabolism. A slow-cooked meal with protein, colorful vegetables, a quality carbohydrate, and healthy fat is an easy way to nourish yourself without spending hours in the kitchen.

📖 **Read a book instead of endlessly scrolling.**
Chronic psychological stress can influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and interact with thyroid regulation. Creating intentional periods of lower stimulation can be one small piece of supporting your overall stress response.

🚶🏼‍♀️ **Choose gentle movement.**
Exercise is wonderful for metabolic health, but more isn’t always better. If you’re already exhausted, under-fueled, or highly stressed, a walk, stretching, or restorative movement may be exactly what your body needs that day.

😴 **Prioritize sleep.**
Sleep and thyroid function have a two-way relationship: thyroid dysfunction can affect sleep, while inadequate or disrupted sleep can influence hormonal and metabolic regulation.

I’m going apple picking and pumpkin picking next week with my family for my birthday!

Looking for good local farms to support!

Comment below ⬇️