Optimizing metabolic health

How are you feeling? Are you experiencing anxiety, low energy, unexplained weight gain, lack of sleep or low libido? Odds are that if you’re over the age of 30, the answer is “yes” to at least one of these conditions. And the odds are also pretty good that you’ve tried one or more medications, supplements or other strategies to alleviate your symptoms. 

A major study by the University of North Carolina's School of Global Public Health says that only one in eight Americans is achieving “optimal metabolic health,” meaning the body can beneficially respond to food to reduce the risk of certain conditions. This eye-opening finding is the basis of what Brandon Drabek, ND addresses in his practice in Chesterland. 

Dr. Drabek is a naturopathic doctor specializing in naturopathic health, also known as integrative or functional health. Working mainly with women over 30 experiencing metabolic issues, such as difficulty with weight control, elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, hormonal issues, inflammatory bowel diseases and others, Dr. Drabek has dedicated his practice to helping his patients by treating the whole person, not just the condition. 

“The average age for a person to be diagnosed with a metabolic condition is 27,” Dr. Drabek says. “Ideally, I’d like to address these issues for patients before they occur but relieve them if they’ve already started. I focus on what your body needs at this moment to function at its best moving forward.”

A lifelong Geauga County resident, Dr. Drabek moved his office from Middlefield to Chesterland to a more convenient location for patients. Dr. Drabek offers a personalized lifestyle plan and nutritional and functional support for anyone, female or male, who is frustrated with their current care and searching for a holistic approach to treatment. Your visit begins with a lengthy questionnaire followed by bloodwork to identify the areas of your body that need support. 

“I want to know what person has the disease as opposed to what disease the person has,” Dr. Drabek says. “You live in that body, I don’t. I use a 360-point questionnaire and recommend bloodwork, so I have all the information I need to put a healthcare program together to get you feeling your best without medications.”

A consultation with Dr. Drabek addresses nutrition, hydration, movement, sleep, elimination and stress management. He reviews medications and conducts a comprehensive review of your blood chemistry to pinpoint imbalances that lead to metabolic dysfunction, fatigue, inflammation and weight gain. A 30- to 50-page report is generated from the draw. 

“I treat the whole person, not just the symptom, Dr. Drabek says. "Based on the report, I create a comprehensive health plan that includes nutrition, movement and stress management. The goal is to improve a patient’s physiology and to get their systems functioning in harmony again."

“I concentrate on understanding the physiological mechanisms of your body and how lifestyle and environment affect those mechanisms,” Dr. Drabek says.

For menopause issues, Dr. Drabek also looks at things like cosmetics and creams with additives that affect hormones.

“I believe that women should and can age gracefully without artificial interventions,” Dr. Drabek says. “Stress, under-eating, glucose control and other factors impact a woman’s body. I focus on micro-nutrition, vitamins and minerals and the right foods to sustain you long-term and avoid the side effects of menopause and general aging. Many of my patients look and feel so good they send the men in their lives.”

Dr. Drabek believes that health in the presence of medications isn’t optimum health. With the proper guidance and support, his patients can enrich their metabolic functioning for a healthier, happier life.

Dr. Brandon Drabek’s clinic is located at 8251 Mayfield Rd., Suite 20 in Chesterland. For more information call 440-490-7223 or visit BrandonDrabekND.com for treatment options and a complete pricing guide.