As you research personalized medical transformation programs, our team at Tiger Medical Institute wanted to provide you with a guide to the everyday challenges that are the realities of embarking on a health transformation journey.
Transformation means to change radically or in a significant fashion. We all understand that if we are to change radically, much will be required of us. All the good things in life we achieve need much of us.
For some reason, in our culture, we have come to believe that with our health, we can rely on shortcuts like prescriptions or fad workouts, diet, and fasting programs to achieve what only actual behavior and habit change can.
This article is our attempt to present in a straightforward way what you can expect to be the problems you will face as you embark on your health transformation.
Problem #1: Do I attempt to do this independently or with a medical professional?
If you want, you can spend the rest of your life reading biohacking books and blogs and listening to podcasts on health optimization. I’m not suggesting they are unworthy of consumption. The real challenge is you are guessing. Over time you end up with a grab bag of approaches to your health without knowing whether it is doing any good.
Solution: Work with a board-certified medical professional.
A medical professional will establish a baseline of health data and then utilize their training to create a health improvement plan based on research, sound science, and professional experience and judgment. The best option for most with limited disposal income is their local primary care physician, who likely accepts their health insurance plan.
Problem #2: What approach to medicine do I trust to achieve transformation?
Now that we have established that working with a medical professional instead of navigating a health transformation on your own as an untrained medical professional is best. The next problem to work through is the approach to medicine.
It’s likely your primary care physician is an MD or DO. They practice what is called Western medicine. This approach is algorithmic because they have been trained in a process with defined solutions. This isn’t bad; I’m simply bringing a lay perspective to the system. Western medicine is insurance or government payor based. They have a lot of say in what physicians can and cannot do.
Because of how the system works, it’s best for sick care. Once you have a condition, the system is excellent at diagnosing your problem and assigning a treatment protocol to help you get better. The system is not set up to sustainably or profitably engage in preventative medicine beyond the typical annual physical. Insurance plans typically will not reimburse for advanced root cause-oriented testing. Because insurance-based treatment is sick care oriented, I do not believe it is the best solution for a person with financial resources seeking a transformational change in their health.
Solution: Research and select a medical professional trained in integrative functional medicine.
An integrative functional medicine doctor applies research-based approaches to get at the “root” or “why” behind how you feel today. This involves advanced lab panels and screenings not typically utilized in a local clinic. This approach is holistic, meaning multiple systems are tested to capture an overall picture of a client’s current health status. Now, a personalized medical plan can be created from a position of precision.
Problem #3: How do you find such a program?
Now that you’ve narrowed your search to an integrative functional doctor with a root cause approach to medicine, the next question is obvious…where do I find one? The good news is most medium to large cities have doctors who approach treatment this way.
Solution: If you go to www.ifm.org, you can find a functional medical doctor near you. Most local functional doctors can get you started on a path to optimal long-term health. If you are looking for more advanced options, integrating more treatment methods, look for a national program featuring these components. Keep reading…
Problem #4: I’m Looking for a very advanced and proven program; where do I find it?
A segment of the population has achieved a substantial measure of success, they’ve endured years of hard work and a lot of stress, and as they enter middle age, they are concerned about their health. Some fear cognitive disease due to a family history of dementia, memory loss, or Alzheimer’s; others may be on the verge of chronic disease. Still, others struggle to achieve what they could before due to reduced energy, poor sleep, anxiety, stress, or excessive weight.
For people with the resources, pursuing an advanced, personalized medical program can be an excellent way to achieve transformative health change and is the best way to get the results you are looking for. Few people have the knowledge and discipline to do this on their own.
Solution:
I have written an article comparing the major health transformation programs in the U.S. You can find it here in our learning center. The short answer is the Cleveland Clinic, Riordon Clinic, and Tiger Medical Institute all have advanced personalized medical programs you can research to see which is the best fit for you.
I’ve shared other companies in this article because our entire team at Tiger wants you to make the best decision for you. A personalized medical program is a real investment; we are in this field because we care about people. Thus, we freely share other programs in our material on our website.
At Tiger, we have developed a comprehensive and integrated approach to health transformation that is unique in the industry. More about that is below.
Problem #5: Not Understanding How the Program Works and What is Required
Now that you’ve selected an approach and a provider, the next big problem we see in our experience is the client didn’t do their homework and understand what they were signing up for. This manifests in surprise when the client must invest time in testing, scheduling calls with the doctor and taking concrete steps to implement new habits.
Solution: Before you sign up for any program, do your research. Read articles, watch videos, and read other materials a personalized medicine company provides, so you understand how the program works, what will be required of you, and the process in general. If you do and go in with your eyes open and understanding what you need to do, you’ll have a great experience. If you don’t, you’ll feel you’ve wasted your money because you won’t get results.
Problem #6: Expectations of fast results
So, you have proceeded to sign up for a personalized medical program, you excitedly write the check and begin the process, and now you expect to flip a switch and see results right away…this is a big problem.
Think about it for a minute; you’ve made choices and behaved in a particular pattern every day for 20 years or more since your youth. The problem is you’ve been trained by our health culture to think you can take a pill once daily, and change will happen. Remember, you’ve decided to invest in advanced root cause medicine that will naturally rebuild your health from the ground up. This is not an overnight process. You behaved your way into your current health; you’ll also need to conduct your way out of it.
So, this will take time, no matter which organization you choose to work with. It will take months and even years, but the payoff is worth it; I’ve personally transformed my health over the past five years, enjoying gains each year as I get older!
Solution: Proceed with a long-game mindset and a belief you will implement real change.
Problem #7: Failure to create the purpose and convictions behind buying a health transformation program.
At Tiger, we occasionally experience a new client who has not done this work, and the challenge with a person like this is that when the process gets complicated, they want to quit. It’s always exciting to start something new; how will you respond when it gets messy in the middle? People with purpose and convictions press on through the messy middle to achieve results.
Solution: Go through a process of sorting out your “why” or purpose in starting a health transformation journey. At Tiger, we have a whole process of helping our clients do this to improve their odds of achieving great results.
Problem #8: Life Gets in the Way.
Health transformation takes time, and it requires some measure of consistency. It’s the principle of compounding at work. Better awareness leads to better daily choices, which lead to better results. When life events happen, they derail progress and appointment against consistency.
Solution: First, get back going and rebuild consistency, don’t beat yourself up and quit. Our company focuses on what gains you have made and teaches you to think this way rather than constantly measuring against an excellent standard. Additionally, if a client has an event that causes them to miss time in our one-year program, we bonus them more time, so their life event does not negatively impact them.
Problem #9: The complexities of a remotely delivered personalized medical program.
This is a problem unique to Tiger Medical Institute. Our program, except for one trip to our clinic in the Seattle, WA area, is delivered remotely to maximize the convenience to our busy, successful clients. Because our program is remote, we rely on 3rd party medical testing providers to send test kits promptly. The client then must manage the in-home testing process. We also utilize wearable tech devices to capture health data and train our clients in certain habits. Occasionally we have tech issues that must be worked through.
Solution: These problems with our remotely delivered program are overcome by two critical factors. First, you will easily overcome these problems if you come into our program with a vital purpose and conviction. We aren’t the Ritz serving you on vacation. While we are super client-oriented, you have to deal with the inconvenience of certain things if you wish to get the results you are looking for.
Most importantly, and one of the significant strengths of the Tiger program is we provide health coaches for one year to each client. Ultimately, your coach will help you through every step of the process to minimize aggravation and misunderstanding while helping you make the changes you desire.
Conclusion
I hope this article has been helpful in your journey to deciding how to go about choosing a health transformation program. It’s a major decision, one deserving significant time investment to make sure you choose a program that best fits you.
Let me encourage you to proceed on your journey; it is worth the investment, and the results will pay dividends for many years.
If you are ready to learn more, I encourage you to navigate to our learning center if you haven’t already and learn about The 8 Most Common Questions About Tiger’s Personalized Medical Program and The Top Five Fears of Personalized Medical Programs. These articles will give you more insight into the Tiger approach to health transformations.
About Tiger Medical Institute
Tiger Medical Institute offers an advanced health transformation program that integrates stress management, sleep optimization, advanced root cause holistic medicine, and a world-class Alzheimer’s prevention system. The Tiger system is delivered remotely to maximize client convenience, also featuring health coach professionals who help you achieve lasting behavior change to get the results you are looking for.
Steve Adams
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