I wrote this guide because I'm angry. Really angry. And you should be too.
Right now, millions of Americans are suffering from autoimmune conditions – rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis – and they're being told the same lie over and over again:
"This is genetic. You'll need medications for life. There's nothing else we can do."
But here's what makes me furious: That's complete nonsense.
I've spent the last 20 plus years helping over 1000 patients support their body's natural healing processes, and I've watched as many of their immune systems stopped attacking healthy tissue when we addressed the real problems.
We don't treat autoimmune diseases. We restore normal function to the body. And when that happens, something remarkable occurs – the body often decides to heal itself.
Let me tell you about Sarah, a 34-year-old mother of two who came to see me three years ago.
She'd been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and was taking methotrexate – a chemotherapy drug – just to function day to day. Her joints were swollen and painful. She could barely lift her children. She was told this was her "new normal."
When Sarah asked her rheumatologist about diet or supplements, he literally laughed and said he deals with "real medicine, not fairy tales."
But Sarah knew something was wrong with that picture. When she ate certain foods, her joints would swell up like balloons. When she had gluten, her brain fog lasted for days. Her body was screaming at her, giving her clear signals about what was causing the inflammation.
Six months after starting our functional approach – focusing on gut health, removing inflammatory triggers, and supporting her body's natural processes – something incredible happened.
Sarah's inflammatory markers normalized. Her joint pain disappeared. She discontinued all medications.
Her rheumatologist was stunned. He'd never seen anything like it.
But here's the thing: We didn't treat her rheumatoid arthritis. We simply helped her body function the way it was designed to function. And her immune system decided to stop attacking her joints.
Your Immune System Isn't Broken. It's Not Randomly Attacking Your Body For No Reason.
Seventy percent of your immune system lives in your gut. Let that sink in for a moment. The majority of your body's defense mechanism is housed in the same place where you digest your food and absorb nutrients.
When your gut lining becomes permeable – what we call "leaky gut syndrome" – toxins, undigested food particles, and bacteria start leaking into your bloodstream. Now, before you dismiss this as some "woo-woo" fringe alternative term, understand that this is a medically accepted scientific process called increased intestinal permeability. There are over 29,000 published medical papers discussing the impacts of this condition on everything from your hormones and brain function to autoimmune diseases and mental health.
Your immune system, doing its job, attacks these foreign invaders. But here's the problem: some of these foreign substances look remarkably similar to your own healthy tissues.
This phenomenon, called molecular mimicry, is how your immune system gets confused and starts attacking your thyroid, joints, or other organs. It's not a genetic defect – it's a case of mistaken identity triggered by intestinal permeability.
But does your conventional doctor test for leaky gut? Do they assess your microbiome? Do they even know what SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is?
Most don't. And that's negligence in my book.
Here's another dirty secret: hidden gut infections are major triggers for autoimmune diseases, but your doctor is probably never testing for them.
I'm talking about bacterial overgrowths like Klebsiella, Citrobacter, and Pseudomonas that can colonize your intestines. Parasitic infections like Blastocystis hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis, and various worms that conventional stool tests completely miss. Opportunistic bacteria like Streptococcus and Staphylococcus that create chronic low-grade infections.
These pathogens don't just cause digestive symptoms – they constantly stimulate your immune system, creating a state of chronic inflammation that can trigger molecular mimicry and autoimmune reactions.
The most frustrating part? Standard stool cultures that most doctors order only detect about 3% of the bacteria in your gut. Meanwhile, advanced DNA-based testing like the GI-MAP can identify over 40 different pathogens using quantitative PCR technology – the same technology used in COVID testing.
I can't tell you how many of my autoimmune patients test positive for multiple gut infections that no one else bothered to look for. A woman with Hashimoto's discovers she has three different parasites. A man with rheumatoid arthritis finds out he has massive bacterial overgrowth that's been driving inflammation for years.
These hidden gut infections create a state of chronic immune activation that eventually exhausts your system and leads to autoimmune chaos – but they're completely treatable once identified.
We're living in the most toxic environment in human history. Heavy metals like mercury and lead, environmental toxins like glyphosate and BPA, mold toxins from water-damaged buildings – all of these substances can trigger autoimmune responses in susceptible individuals.
Your conventional doctor runs a basic blood panel and declares you "normal" while ignoring the fact that you're carrying a toxic burden that would make a hazmat team nervous. These toxins don't just disappear – they accumulate in your tissues and create ongoing inflammation that eventually manifests as autoimmune disease.
When was the last time your doctor thoroughly assessed your nutritional status? And I don't mean just checking your B12 and calling it good. I'm talking about comprehensive testing for vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, and dozens of other nutrients that are absolutely critical for proper immune function.
Most autoimmune patients are walking around with multiple nutrient deficiencies that are literally fueling their disease. But instead of identifying and correcting these deficiencies, we just add another medication to the cocktail.
In our practice, we become medical detectives. We can run comprehensive testing to identify:
This isn't guesswork. This is precision medicine based on actual data about what's happening in your unique body.
Then we systematically address these root causes using our proven 4-step process:
Once we identify what's driving your immune system into overdrive, we systematically remove those triggers:
We replace the nutrients your body desperately needs to function properly:
Finally, we focus on repairing the damage and rebalancing your immune system:
When we support the body's natural healing processes this way, remarkable things happen:
Mary had Hashimoto's thyroiditis with crushing fatigue and brain fog. After eight months of functional support, her thyroid levels normalized and her energy returned. Her endocrinologist was amazed – her antibodies had dropped over 50%.
Jennifer suffered from lupus with joint pain and chronic fatigue. Within ten months of addressing her gut health and removing hidden triggers, her symptoms completely resolved. Her rheumatologist said he'd never seen anything like it.
David had Crohn's disease with severe digestive issues. After identifying and eliminating his specific food triggers and healing his gut lining, his inflammation markers normalized and he's been symptom-free for two years.
We're not performing miracles. We're simply supporting what the body wants to do naturally – heal itself. See below for more testimonials.
You might wonder: if this works so well, why isn't every doctor doing it?
The answer is both simple and infuriating.
First, the training doctors receive in medical school simply doesn't include this information. They spend years learning about diseases and medications, but virtually no time studying nutrition, environmental toxins, gut health, or the complex interactions between different body systems. It's not that doctors are bad people – they're practicing exactly what they were taught.
Second, the reason medical education is so heavily focused on prescriptions is that medical schools are largely funded by pharmaceutical companies. These companies have a vested interest in training doctors to think in terms of drugs and procedures, not root cause healing. The curriculum reflects the priorities of those writing the checks.
Third, this type of comprehensive care isn't covered by medical insurance because medical insurance is designed specifically for mainstream medical care – drugs, surgeries, and conventional treatments. And here's the kicker: sitting on the boards of these insurance companies are executives from the very medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies that benefit from keeping the system exactly as it is. They're literally deciding what gets covered and what doesn't based on what serves their financial interests.
The system profits from keeping you sick and dependent on medications for life. That's not a conspiracy theory – it's a business model.
If you're struggling with an autoimmune condition, I want you to know something important: Your body isn't broken beyond repair.
You don't have to accept a lifetime of increasing disability and drug dependence. Your immune system is responding to specific triggers that can be identified and addressed.
This journey requires commitment. It requires you to be an active participant rather than a passive patient. It requires changes to your diet, lifestyle, and environment.
But the payoff – getting your life back, feeling vibrant again, being free from the fear of progressive illness – is worth every bit of effort.
I've created a comprehensive assessment process to help determine what might be disrupting your body's normal function and keeping your immune system in attack mode.
If you're ready to stop managing symptoms and start supporting your body's natural healing capacity, I'd like to invite you to take advantage of our New Patient Special.
What You'll Receive:
$500 Value For $59!
During this comprehensive evaluation, we'll:
✓ Review your health history and current symptoms in detail
✓ Identify potential root causes that may be overlooked
✓ Discuss what comprehensive testing might reveal about your specific triggers
✓ Create a personalized roadmap for supporting your body's natural healing
To claim your New Patient Special and begin your healing journey, click the button below or call our office at 734-779-1650.
Dr. Josh Shields, D.C., C.F.M.P. Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner Supporting natural healing since 2003
P.S. – Your body has an incredible capacity to heal when given the right support. The question isn't whether healing is possible – it's whether you're ready to take the steps necessary to support that healing. If you are, I'm here to help guide you through that process.
Important: This guide is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen. The success stories shared are real but individual results will vary based on commitment to the process and individual health factors.
Stop living with fatigue, sleep troubles, depression/anxiety, brain fog and more. Schedule a no obligation consultation with one of our doctors (yes an actual doctor) by clicking the button below. We are currently offering virtual appointments for patients from all over the country.
Insurance coverage for functional medicine varies, but most comprehensive functional medicine practices don't accept insurance – and here's why that might actually benefit you. Insurance dictates treatment protocols and limits the time practitioners can spend with patients. By staying outside the insurance model, we can provide the thorough, personalized care you deserve. The good news? HSA (Health Savings Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Account) funds can often be used for functional medicine services, though you'll need to contact your provider to confirm your specific coverage. This makes our care much more accessible than many people realize.We offer very affordable payment plans that make our care accessible. Consider this: some people pay $1,000 a month for peptide prescriptions alone. Our comprehensive approach to addressing root causes often costs less than the medications you're currently taking to manage symptoms.
Functional medicine and holistic medicine share some similarities – both view the body as an interconnected system and both consider lifestyle factors in health. However, functional medicine is distinguished by its rigorous use of advanced testing and evidence-based protocols. While some holistic approaches rely on intuition or traditional practices, functional medicine uses "testing, not guessing." We use sophisticated lab work to identify specific imbalances and monitor your progress objectively. This scientific foundation, combined with a holistic perspective, gives us the best of both worlds.
The most important factor isn't proximity – it's alignment. Make sure the practitioner's values and beliefs about health align with yours. Look for someone who takes time to understand your story, uses comprehensive testing, and sees health as more than just the absence of symptoms. Ask about their approach to treatment. Do they focus on one cause for all problems, or do they understand the complexity of chronic illness? Do they educate and empower patients, or create dependence? Do they have realistic timelines for healing, or do they promise quick fixes? Most importantly, trust your instincts. The right practitioner will make you feel heard, understood, and hopeful about your healing journey.
Absolutely! We offer both in-person and virtual consultations via Zoom. Many of our most successful patient relationships have been conducted virtually, allowing us to work with people throughout Michigan and beyond.Virtual consultations are particularly effective for functional medicine because so much of our work involves education, protocol adjustments, and ongoing support. Lab work can be completed locally, and we can coordinate with local providers when hands-on care is needed. The key to successful virtual functional medicine is finding practitioners who are skilled at creating connection and providing comprehensive care through digital platforms. Technology allows us to extend our reach and help more people access the life-changing care they deserve.
Yes, we offer payment plans through CareCredit. CareCredit offers up to 18 months at 0% interest. Payment plans can be as low as $125 a month. You can apply online for CareCredit or call (800) 365-8295.
Initial Consultation (30 minutes) and Review of Test Findings (30 minutes): $59 ($500 Value) Our initial care plans may consist of one or multiple visits over a 4-7 month period, with total costs varying based on the severity of your condition. To make this process as stress-free as possible, we offer flexible payment options both in-office and through CareCredit. Our care plans are designed to give you everything you need for success, without any surprises. We believe in being upfront with you from the start, providing a good faith estimate of the total investment required for your health. This way, you’ll have a clear understanding of what it will take to complete your journey to wellness. We’re not in the business of stringing you along or creating uncertainty. Instead, we’re committed to offering all the tools, support, and resources necessary to help you get well and stay well. Our care plans may include: -- Nutraceuticals -- Visits with your doctor - Support from our Wellness/Success Coach -- Lab reviews -- Case review -- Wellness Workshops -- Additional materials, such as a food journal, workbook, and cookbook -- Direct email and phone access to your care team between visits. Our goal is to empower you with a complete roadmap to better health from day one.
In most cases, your care here will be covered through a FSA or a HSA. However, we recommend you contact your account coordinator to ensure that your plan will cover your expenses.
The majority of patients are recommended to take a comprehensive blood test evaluating over 80 different bio-markers and all of the primary organ systems of the body. The doctor will also recommend additional testing depending on your unique case and goals. The testing we offer can include but are not limited to a stool test, a hormone test, a food sensitivity test or in depth nutritional test.
If your case is accepted and you are admitted to care, the next step is to complete the testing your doctor ordered, schedule your next visit to go over the test results. At your next scheduled visit you will then start your first nutraceutical protocol and get recommended dietary changes.
Your consultation will be scheduled for 30 minutes but the total time you are in the clinic can take 40-90 minutes total. During your consultation we will let you know if we can accept your case and admit you to care. In order to accept your case we will need to first, determine if we can help you and secondly, make sure you are willing and able to do what it takes in order for us to help you. If those two requirements are met and your case is admitted we will go over the required testing, care plan outline and financial obligations of your specific care plan.