The start of a new year naturally inspires reflection, renewed priorities, and a desire for better health. For many in Del Mar, 2026 presents the perfect opportunity to reclaim vitality, strengthen resilience, and pursue long-term wellness. As patients increasingly look for approaches that do more than manage symptoms, functional medicine continues to rise as a trusted, science-grounded path to deeper healing.

Functional medicine takes a whole-person approach, recognizing that chronic symptoms rarely stem from a single cause. Instead of masking issues with temporary solutions, it seeks to understand the body’s underlying imbalances—from inflammation and hormone disruptions to digestive dysfunction and environmental exposures. By addressing these root causes, patients often experience profound improvements in energy, mood, metabolism, and overall quality of life.

At the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine, patients benefit from cutting-edge diagnostics, evidence-based natural therapies, and truly personalized treatment plans crafted by Dr. Mark Stengler and his team. For residents of Del Mar and surrounding communities, this integrative, patient-focused model offers a powerful foundation for a healthier start to the year ahead.

What Is Functional Medicine? 

How Functional Medicine Differs From Conventional Care

Traditional medicine typically focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases through medication or surgical intervention. While these tools are sometimes necessary, they often overlook the deeper reasons why the body becomes imbalanced.

Functional medicine takes a distinctly different approach:

• Addresses underlying causes rather than isolated symptoms. Instead of asking, “What medication treats this symptom?” it asks, “What created the imbalance in the first place?”
• Integrates medical science with natural and nutritional interventions. Laboratory testing guides targeted support in areas like digestion, hormone health, detoxification, immunity, and metabolism.
• Considers the interaction between genetics, environment, lifestyle, and spiritual well-being. Each person’s health story is unique—functional medicine honors that complexity.

The Functional Medicine Philosophy

At its core, functional medicine is built on several essential principles:

• Whole-person perspective: Physical, emotional, environmental, and spiritual health are interconnected.
• Personalized diagnostics: Tailored testing reveals the specific imbalances affecting each patient.
• Collaborative patient–clinician partnership: Healing is a shared journey, guided by trust, communication, and compassion.
• Emphasis on prevention, not just disease management: Rather than waiting for illness to worsen, functional medicine aims to fortify the body against future imbalance.

Core Principles of Functional Medicine at the Stengler Center

Root-Cause Investigation

At the heart of functional medicine is a commitment to discovering why symptoms occur—not simply alleviating them. Many chronic conditions stem from deeper imbalances that accumulate over time. At the Stengler Center, we look closely at:

• Inflammation, which can disrupt hormones, digestive function, and immunity
• Infections, both acute and chronic, that may undermine energy and immune stability
• Toxins, including heavy metals and environmental chemicals
• Nutrient deficiencies impacting thyroid function, energy, cognition, and mood
• Stress-related disruptions, especially affecting the adrenal–thyroid relationship
• Autoimmune activity, often linked to gut health and environmental triggers

Whole-Body Systems Approach

Every system in the body is interconnected, and functional medicine honors those relationships. Instead of treating symptoms in isolation, we evaluate how the following systems influence one another:

• Thyroid function
• Adrenal health and stress response
• Gut and microbiome integrity
• Immune system activation
• Cardiovascular health and inflammation
• Metabolism and blood sugar balance

Evidence-Based Natural Therapies

Patients at the Stengler Center receive personalized treatment plans grounded in clinical research and natural, restorative interventions:

• Clinical nutrition, designed to reduce inflammation, stabilize energy, and nourish cellular function
• Botanical medicine, using targeted herbal support to balance hormones, calm inflammation, and strengthen the immune system
• Lifestyle and stress modification, including practical strategies and optional spiritual support such as prayer and gratitude-focused practices
• Targeted supplementation, guided by laboratory results for safety and precision

Advanced Diagnostic Testing for Precise, Personalized Care

Comprehensive Blood Panels

A foundational part of functional medicine is understanding what’s happening at the biochemical level. Our testing may include:

• Thyroid panels with TSH, Free T3, Free T4, antibodies, and Reverse T3
• Hormone testing for both men and women, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol
• Cardiovascular and metabolic markers, such as inflammatory markers, cholesterol subtypes, fasting insulin, and glucose

These deeper insights help us uncover early imbalances before they become chronic conditions.

Functional GI Testing

Digestive testing is one of the most powerful tools for addressing chronic symptoms. Our evaluations may include:

• Microbiome analysis to understand beneficial and harmful bacteria
• Leaky gut markers, identifying intestinal permeability that can trigger inflammation or autoimmunity
• Digestion and absorption assessments to determine how effectively the body utilizes nutrients

Adrenal & Stress Hormone Testing

Chronic stress is one of the most common drivers of fatigue, weight changes, mood shifts, and hormone disruption. Testing may include:

• Saliva or urine cortisol mapping, charting stress responses throughout the day
• Assessment of the adrenal–thyroid–immune connection, revealing how stress may be suppressing thyroid hormone conversion or immune stability

Understanding stress physiology is essential for restoring energy and resilience.

Toxicity & Environmental Exposure Screening

Coastal living provides beauty—but also exposure to certain environmental toxins. Testing may identify:

• Heavy metals, such as mercury or lead
• Mold and mycotoxins, common in coastal or humid environments
• Environmental endocrine disruptors, found in plastics, pesticides, and personal-care products

This information guides detoxification and healing strategies tailored to each patient’s needs.

Natural & Integrative Strategies to Kickstart Your Health in the New Year

Functional Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the most powerful tools for restoring balance in the body, and functional medicine places it at the center of long-term wellness.

• Anti-inflammatory eating patterns
  Reducing processed foods, sugars, and inflammatory oils helps calm the immune system, stabilize hormones, and support metabolic health. A Mediterranean-style or whole-foods-based approach is often foundational.
• Optimizing nutrient density
  Del Mar residents benefit from focusing on foods rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients—such as leafy greens, lean proteins, berries, healthy fats, and cruciferous vegetables.
• Balancing blood sugar and metabolism
  Consistent blood sugar levels support energy, mood, weight balance, and hormone function. Strategies include protein-rich meals, fiber-focused eating, and minimizing fast-digesting carbohydrates.

Gut Restoration Protocols

Healing the gut is essential for improving digestion, immunity, mood, and inflammation.

• Probiotics, gut-lining support, anti-inflammatory herbs
  These help repair the intestinal barrier, modulate immunity, and support a healthy microbiome.
• Personalized elimination diets
  Identifying food sensitivities—from gluten to dairy to high-histamine foods—can dramatically improve symptoms such as bloating, joint pain, fatigue, and headaches.

Hormone Optimization

Hormones play a crucial role in energy, cognition, weight balance, sleep quality, and emotional well-being.

• Supporting adrenal, thyroid, and reproductive hormone pathways
  Functional medicine strengthens the systems that regulate daily energy, stress response, metabolism, and reproductive function.
• Safe and effective bioidentical hormone use when appropriate
  When guided by comprehensive testing, bioidentical hormones can restore balance gently and precisely, supporting patients through menopause, andropause, and thyroid challenges.

Detoxification & Environmental Support

Modern toxins—from plastics to pesticides—place daily stress on the body.

• Reducing daily toxin exposure
  Choosing clean household products, filtered water, and toxin-free skincare helps lower overall chemical burden.
• Safe sauna therapy
  Infrared or traditional sauna use can support circulation and gentle detoxification when used appropriately.
• Liver and lymphatic support nutrients
  Milk thistle, NAC, cruciferous vegetables, and hydration help the body naturally process and eliminate toxins.

Integrating Faith & Wellness

Emotional and spiritual health are deeply intertwined with physical well-being.

• The role of prayer, gratitude, and spiritual grounding in healing
  These practices help calm the nervous system, increase resilience, and support emotional clarity.
• Evidence-supported benefits of hope and emotional resilience
  Studies show that positive expectation, a sense of meaning, and spiritual support can enhance immune response and improve overall outcomes.

Start the New Year with Renewed Health

Functional medicine offers a path forward for individuals who have felt unheard, overlooked, or discouraged by conventional approaches. It brings together advanced diagnostics, natural therapies, and compassionate partnership to help patients understand the deeper “why” behind their symptoms. This clarity empowers real healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Lasting wellness begins with identifying the root causes of imbalance and working alongside a trusted integrative physician who values your unique story. At the Stengler Center, each patient receives the time, attention, and personalized guidance needed to restore vitality and whole-body wellness.

As 2026 begins, this is an ideal moment to take a proactive step toward better health. Whether you’re seeking more energy, improved digestion, balanced hormones, or overall resilience, functional medicine provides a hopeful, evidence-backed path to renewal.

Contact the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine

📍 324 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024
📞 Phone: 760-274-2377
📞 Toll-Free: 855.DOC.MARK
📧 Email: clinic@markstengler.com
🌐 Website: https://www.markstengler.com/contact

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