Conditions & Treatments

The gut lining serves as a crucial barrier between your body and external environment. Remarkably, 80% of your immune system resides in your gut, where it collaborates with the gut barrier and microbiome (bacterial lining of your gut) to keep you healthy. If any of these elements are compromised, it can have an impact on your overall health.

In addition to poor gut health causing gastrointestinal issues like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it can also directly and indirectly lead to chronic conditions including:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Heart disease
• Anxiety and depression
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Neurodegenerative diseases

To enhance your gut health and prevent future complications, Dr. Rao looks at the key functional roles of the gut through advanced stool analysis, helping identify areas of your gut functioning that need to be addressed. She may also use the 5R program (remove, replace, reinoculate, repair, and rebalance) to restore your gut health long-term.

Dr. Rao puts a strong emphasis on maintaining good health through minimizing exposure to environmental toxins. Many health conditions have been linked to exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment, including obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and many cancers.

To correct these issues, Dr. Rao focuses on reducing exposure wherever possible. This may include:

• Limiting dietary exposure by choosing organic food products, choosing low-char cooking methods, and avoiding plastic food packaging.
• Reducing home and office exposures by using toxin-free cleaning products, avoiding non-stick cookware, and filtering the air and water in your home.
• Reducing personal care exposures by staying well-hydrated and asking your healthcare provider about avoiding fragrances and other toxins in personal care products.

According to Dr. Rao, “Energy is everything!” The cells within your body produce energy to ensure your organs function properly. Having healthy functioning cells is vital to treating and reducing symptoms for a wide range of conditions – from gas and bloating to anxiety, depression, autoimmune conditions, skin conditions, and even weight issues.

Dr. Rao studies each set of metabolites, or chemicals, that the cells in your body produce to identify how they may be promoting or inhibiting your overall health.

A healthy immune system protects your body from harmful substances, regulates itself, and tolerates safe exposures. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury and is normal to experience when you have an infection or injury. However, chronic inflammation can occur when the body lowers its typical tolerance and starts activating flareups against itself, the foods you eat, or the environment you are in.

There are many conditions that are associated with autoimmunity and chronic inflammation, including:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriasis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity

Dr. Rao provides specialized testing and treatment plans to help individuals manage their autoimmune conditions and chronic inflammation.

Dr. Rao offers a holistic approach to mental health treatment by exploring biochemical imbalances, gut health, and any psychological and lifestyle factors that may be impacting your mood. This approach offers a personalized and precise way to address the root cause of your mental health condition.

While some aspects of cognitive decline come with age, it has become a public health issue in recent decades. Neuroinflammation – or inflammation within the brain – can present in dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. This neuroinflammation impacts body movements, behavior control, information processing, memory, and more.

Dr. Rao works to optimize the lifestyle, genetics, gut health, and cardiovascular health of patients with neurological and neurodegenerative conditions to further preserve brain health.

Genomics is the study of very small changes in a person’s DNA. These subtle changes are what make us look different from one another, affect how we make hormones, and shape the way our bodies handle inflammation and nutrients. When we understand how these changes translate into overall health, we can make adjustments.

Dr. Rao uses a tool called IntellxxDNA® to dive deeper into the function of your individual genes. This further helps her to guide your personalized treatment plan and preventive healthcare through medical and nutritional recommendations based on your body’s chemistry.