Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there a need for FirstLine Therapy?
- Because chronic illness is often related to patients’ lifestyle
choices
- Because experts now recommended that treatment for many chronic
disorders include Therapeutic Lifestyle
Changes (TLC)
- Because we address patients'
lifestyle issues in the context of a busy and hectic
life
- AND, because FirstLine Therapy makes TLC
- Easy
to implement
- Cost-effective
for patients
- Yield superior results
What does a TLC program entail?
Addressing the underlying causes of chronic illnesses as a
foundation of treatment and helping patients achieve better
health through:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Dietary supplements
- Stress management
Is there scientific justification for TLC?
Research supports the use of TLC for a variety of conditions, including:
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypertension
- Insulin resistance syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Overweight and obesity
- Sarcopenia
- Healthy aging
Is TLC an endorsed protocol?
The following leading health organizations recommend TLC as a
fundamental therapy for many chronic disorders:
- National Institutes of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- American Heart Association
- Arthritis Foundation
- North American Menopause Society
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
- National Institute on Aging
- And many others
What are common obstacles to implementing a TLC program?
Lifestyle changes have been difficult to implement in the traditional
clinical practice. At Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic, we are dedicated to your health and
wellness. We commit ourselves to your success and good
health. We succeed where others fail due to their:
- Lack of focus
- Limited staff support
- Lack
of training
- Lack of effective patient education tools
- Poor patient compliance
- Perceived poor long-term success rate
Does FirstLine
Therapy help address any of these obstacles?
Yes. At Central Illinois Natural Health
Clinic we provide a practical system for implementation of TLC that makes it:
- Easy to implement
- Effective for treatment of a variety of chronic health
problems
- Cost-effective for patients
Is FirstLine Therapy a weight-loss program?
No. FirstLine Therapy addresses body composition—promoting
maintenance of lean body mass (muscle mass) while patients
are losing fat. FirstLine Therapy integrates body composition
testing
as a part of patient assessment. Most programs only measure
weight or body mass index (BMI) and do not offer strategies
to maintain
or enhance lean body mass while the patient loses fat mass.
In fact, many programs result in a loss of muscle mass.
Why is body composition an important measurement?
Weight and BMI do not evaluate body compartments (water, fat,
lean tissue), so they cannot measure if weight loss is due
to a loss of fat mass or fat-free mass (muscle). Retaining
muscle is important because muscle provides protein for antibody
production, wound healing, and white blood cell production
during illness. Research has shown that chronically ill patients
have a lower fat-free mass and a higher fat mass.
How do you measure body composition?
At Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic, we use bioelectrical
impedance analysis (BIA) as a means of accurately measuring body composition.
BIA is a simple, in-office assessment that also serves as an
excellent measure of TLC progress.
What role do dietary supplements play in FirstLine Therapy?
FirstLine Therapy integrates dietary supplements with diet, exercise,
and stress management. We also offer patients the option
of using a medical food to promote healthy body composition,
and we provides guidelines for science-based supplementation as
therapeutic options for individual patients (such as plant
sterols/stanols for lowering cholesterol, targeted nutrients
to support insulin sensitivity, etc.).
What
is the role of "medical food"?
FirstLine
Therapy is based around the FDA approved medical food, UltraMeal,
produced by Metagenics. This takes the form of a drink mix and
bars. A medical food is held to higher standards than a
dietary supplement: it is allowed to make specific health
claims based on research. UltraMeal formulas have been
scientifically studied in clinical trials and proven to control
conditions such as high cholesterol and diabetes, as well as
increasing muscle and decreasing fat.
What implementation tools does FirstLine Therapy make available
for patients?
You get your own FirstLine Therapy patient guidebook, filled
with useful information and tools for tracking progress. At
Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic, we tailor the FLT program to you,
prescribing a lifestyle treatment plan with individualized program
recommendations.
What is the cost of
FirstLine Therapy?
The first question to consider is, how much is your unhealthy
lifestyle costing you now? How much do you spend on junk
food, fast food meals, or cigarettes? How much are you
spending on medications for your blood pressure, cholesterol, or
diabetes? In that light, this is a small investment in
your good health that may yield priceless long-term
benefits!
We can bill insurance for the FirstLine Therapy program if
your plan covers it. Our staff will verify coverage for
you. The non-insurance cost of the program is $400 for the
12-week program, plus the cost of nutritional supplements.
For your convenience, we also offer payment plans: two
payments of $210 each, or three payments of $145 each.
How do I get started with FirstLine Therapy?
Contact us today, and we will be happy
to give you a comprehensive overview for this innovative program
to improve your health. Please call 217-443-4372 to
schedule your free introductory consultation.
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