By Jane Keller Gordon, Contributing Writer
Photo/Jane Keller Gordon
Business name: 4 Better Health
Address: 85 Main St., 4th floor, Hopkinton
Contact information: 508-625-1807
www.4betterhealthmedicine.com
Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hopkinton – If you’re sick of feeling unwell and you’re looking for a practice that won’t just push more pills, you might consider looking into the 4 Better Health Functional Medicine practice in Hopkinton.
The practice is owned by Dr. Patti Zub and Lisa Vasile NP. Functional Medicine, they explain, looks for and then treats the root cause of symptoms rather than just treating the symptoms.
Vasile, a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, made it clear, “I do prescribe medication when needed. However, there are ways to reduce the need for medications and use of over the counter pills for symptoms. Our focus is working with the body and supporting the body to ‘function’ at its best. We look for the imbalances, infections or deficiencies and correct them to allow people to feel vibrant without dependency on medications forever.”
Together, Zub and Vasile have a combined 45 years of medical experience. Zub, a graduate of Boston University’s School of Medicine, has practiced internal medicine throughout Massachusetts. Vasile, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Nursing, practiced OB/Gyn and Primary Care prior to transitioning to specializing in Functional Medicine.
Zub and Vasile have been successful treating a variety of conditions, such as resolving gastrointestinal conditions (IBS, heartburn, bloating, Crohn’s, Colitis), reversing Type 2 diabetes, reducing symptoms of autoimmune and hormonal conditions, and reduction of brain fog and fatigue that many just blame on aging.
“We empower people to stop accepting the mantra that getting older means their body has to break down and the only option is pills,” Vasile said.
Zub and Vasile dive deeper asking questions, such as: “What are you eating? What was your childhood like? What’s your typical day like? Is there joy in your life? Are you sleeping?” according to Vasile.
“Stress reduction is a huge part of supporting optimal ‘function’ of the body. I often recommend meditation to patients. Using apps such as Headspace and Insight Timer are easy and helpful,” said Zub.
Vasile, who has Celiac disease (a serious genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine), understands food restrictions but emphasizes gluten-free foods aren’t always necessarily healthy.
“A gluten-free bagel is still a bagel,” she said.
“Food is medicine. What we eat can make us sick or can help us regain health,” said Zub.
She described a patient who came to her who was living with fatigue, bloating, and constipation. Functional Medicine (blood, saliva, stool, breath) testing revealed that she had nutrient deficiencies and small intestine bacterial overgrowth, none of which were found through traditional medicine.
As Zub and Vasile said, it’s all about “… (looking) for and (treating) the root cause of symptoms rather than just treating symptoms.”
For information about 4 Better Health, visit their website at www.4betterhealthmedicine.com.
