Episode 87: Creating Health to Reveal Meaning and Ultimate Purpose
From HPA axis analysis to the sizzle of a skillet—discover how Dr. Cheng Her integrates cutting-edge science with culinary arts in functional medicine. Join Dr. Lara Salyer as she explores Dr. Cheng Her’s innovative union of medicine and meal prep. In addition to being a true food lover, Dr. Her is a physician and founder of Telos Functional and Integrative Medicine in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dr. Her shares his journey from conventional family practice to functional medicine and discusses the importance of creating a space that reflects his passion and values.
He focuses on core functional medicine methods like HPA axis analysis, stool testing, and functional nutrigenomics, showing that a straightforward method can lead to meaningful results. A unique feature of Dr. Her’s clinic is the teaching kitchen that is at the heart of his practice figuratively, and literally in the center of the building. It’s more than a place for patients to learn about food and nutrition. It’s a space for community, understanding the relationship between food and well-being, and for patients to connect over shared experiences.
As for what’s next in his practice, Dr. Her plans to grow his team, incorporating nutrition experts and launching a mentorship program for other practitioners. He hopes his clinic will serve as a focal point for education and collaboration, helping both new and experienced professionals in their journey.
About S. Cheng Her, MD, MS, IFMCP:
Cheng Her, MD, MS, IFMCP completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology and Preprofessional Studies.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dr. Her was accepted to the Family Medicine Residency training program in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin.
Dr. Her undertook a Primary Care Research Fellowship while serving as Junior Faculty with the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. This graduate research program culminated in a Master of Science (MS) in Population Health bestowed by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
He is also an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP), having successfully completed this additional training program in 2018.
Dr. Her was formerly on staff at the Gundersen Health System Department of Family Medicine in La Crosse, Wisconsin where he practiced full scope Family Medicine from 2002 to 2010, after which he practiced outpatient Family Medicine until October 2020.
Currently, Dr. Her is Founder and Owner of Telos Functional and Integrative Medicine LLC, his private clinical practice in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He is also Founder and Owner of Tekne Functional Medicine Academy LLC, his clinical and business consultation firm that offers mentorship, collaboration, and support for medical practitioners and healthcare professionals seeking to integrate and/or transition fully to the practice of Functional Medicine and Integrative Medicine.
In This Episode We're Talking About:
- How to integrate cutting-edge science with culinary arts in functional medicine
- Making your Functional and Integrative Medicine Practice an expression of your passions and interests and to not necessarily mimic or replicate other practices
- Why it is important to build a practice around caring for yourself, your staff, your family, your clients/patients and your community
Quotes:
- “So I’ve had great mentors tell me, what are the fundamental things that you feel are most important? And so in this clinic, everyone who comes through gets an HPA access analysis. Everyone gets a stool test. We want to make sure we get a good look at their microbiome. We want to see what’s going on. And to a large extent, everyone’s going to get some sort of functional nutrigenomics. (18:00 | Dr. Cheng Her)
- “70 to 80% of folks have substantial gains with just these very modest, fundamental elements.” (19:54 | Dr. Cheng Her)
- “People heal just from learning. And I think awareness is curative. And when you start looking at your own habits and your thought habits and your movement habits, your eating habits, you start to heal without even going deeper.” (23:24 | Dr. Lara Salyer)
- “We have to first and foremost, take care of ourselves. We’re only as good as we are to ourselves. And this is not just lip service. Our Fridays are off. I want folks to go home, tend to themselves, cook that delicious meal, throw a load of laundry in, walk the dog instead of busting through the weekend so they just come back next Monday. It’s built into their benefits.” (21:44 | Dr. Cheng Her)
- “We have to first and foremost, take care of ourselves. We’re only as good as we are to ourselves.” (Dr. Cheng Her)
Links for this Episode:
Connect with Dr. S. Cheng Her:
Website: www.telosfxnlmed.com
Connect with Dr. Lara Salyer:
Workshop Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/membership-magic-design-your-own-3-tier-functional-medicine-membership-tickets-735854850667?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Catalyst Way: https://drlarasalyer.com/catalyst
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
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About The Catalyst Host, Dr. Lara Salyer:
I worked as a family physician for 15 years until burnout changed the trajectory of my career. I realized I wanted to start a holistic functional medicine practice in my rural hometown and made it happen. In addition to practicing functional medicine, I now mentor practitioners who are looking to change their paths in healthcare by using what I refer to as the “Catalyst Roadmap”. I share each step of this framework with listeners so that they may apply it to their careers, relationships, personal goals, and projects.
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