Minnesota

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Creating healthy lifestyles

Lifestyle educator Rebekah Reynolds and Dr. Robert Eilrich, functional medicine specialist, work with patients to develop a healthy lifestyle.

When there is nobody else who can help them with their arthritis, fibromyalgia or other chronic diseases, people can turn to Optimum Wellness.

"We're trying to create healthy changes in people's life," said Dr. Robert Eilrich, functional medicine specialist.

Optimum Wellness opened Jan. 1 in downtown Marshall near Gunvar's.

Rebekah Reynolds, a lifestyle educator, said she and Eilrich have patients start FirstLine Therapy, a therapeutic lifestyle program.

"It is a program for people with inflammatory conditions, arthritis, fibromyalgia, Chron's, heart disease," Reynolds said. "We do a complete program for people in lifestyle education."

Eilrich said FirstLine Therapy is based on scientific research.

Reynolds said she and Eilrich also work with patients on a stress reduction program and an anti-inflammatory food plan, specialized for them.

Patients also have a specialized exercise program, and they are put on a medical foods program, Reynolds said.

"That doesn't mean we're replacing all their food with a powdered drink," Reynolds said. "We're adding two snacks in."

What Eilrich does for patients is look at the top health concerns.

"Which can be anything from food allergies to sleep disorders to depression," Eilrich said. "We'll send them to the local lab for blood tests."

Eilrich said FirstLine Therapy is a 12-week program. The program includes initial testing and follow-up testing, individual consultations, a guidebook and nutritional supplements.

Reynolds said she'll go to people's homes to do one-on-one sessions.

"We look at everything," Reynolds said. "You get a better picture of how they're living when they're in their 'comfies.' That's how you can make a great change for people."

Reynolds said she and Eilrich work with both patients and their doctors.

"Oftentimes the MD is able to take them off their medicines once they change the way they're living their life," Reynolds said.

After the 12 weeks are completed, Eilrich said they'll continue to follow up with patients.

"We have them (patients) meet every quarter with Rebekah...to make sure you're incorporating those healthy lifestyles," Eilrich said.

Reynolds said they're also working with the Daily Grind to develop a FirstLine Therapy menu, which will be implemented in a month.

"It's an outstanding program, we're thrilled to have it in Marshall," Reynolds said.