What if the system you trust to heal you is actually built to retain you?

In this episode of Functional Medicine 2.0, Dr. Z sits down with Christine Garvey, DC, FMACP to unpack a question most patients never think to ask (and most practitioners don’t say out loud):

Is modern healthcare a healing system… or a customer retention program?

We’re not here to bash doctors. We’re here to talk about the business model that handcuffs good clinicians, rewards “clean billing,” and turns real humans into diagnosis codes, refills, and return visits. If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck in a loop of “nothing’s wrong” or “here’s another med,” this conversation will feel uncomfortably familiar… and weirdly validating.

Watch this episode to discover:

• Why chronic illness functions like a subscription model (and how insurance quietly benefits from “managed, not resolved”)
• The quota/churn reality inside traditional systems: short visits, billing pressure, and labs you can’t even order if you “can’t justify it”
• How labels become identities: “I am Hashimoto’s / mast cell / leaky gut” instead of “I’m in a process that can change”
• The “walking dead aging” problem: stacking meds, stacking diagnoses, and calling it care because there’s “no tumor”
• What FM2 calls the real goal: help patients graduate—fewer visits over time, more ownership, more life, less fear

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Stay connected between episodes.

Follow us everywhere here → https://get.thedrz.com/beacons

#functionalmedicine2.0

#drz

#christinegarvey

#DCFMACP

#modernhealthcare

#sickcaremodel

#insurancehealthcaresystem

#chronicillness

#medicalgaslighting

#patientadvocacy

#integrativemedicine

#functionalmedicinepractitioner

#privatepracticehealthcare

#healthcarebusinessmodel

#prescriptionoverload

#polypharmacy

#patientempowerment

#rootcausemedicine

#healthcareretentionprogram

#medicalsystemcritique

If your patient has a binder full of labs… but still can’t live their life… something is broken.

In this episode, Dr. Z sits down with Dr. Meagan Von Holtz, DC, KICP, FMACP — chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner specializing in low thyroid and autoimmune conditions — to unpack one uncomfortable question:

Are labs helping patients… or padding invoices?

Brief overview
We love labs. We teach labs. We use labs.
But somewhere along the way, functional medicine started equating more data with better care — and patients started drowning in PDFs without seeing real change.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on the “lab loop” of Functional Medicine 1.0 and lays out what Functional Medicine 2.0 does differently.

Watch this episode to discover:

• Why “testing without a plan” becomes expensive procrastination
• How too many labs can overwhelm both practitioner and patient
• The difference between root-cause thinking and reflexive over-testing
• Why lifestyle architecture and behavior change outperform lab obsession
• How to decide when enough data is enough

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Stay connected between episodes.

Follow us everywhere here → https://get.thedrz.com/beacons

#FunctionalMedicine

#FunctionalMedicine20

#DrZFunctionalMedicine

#FunctionalLabTesting

#FunctionalMedicineLabs

#RootCauseMedicine

#AutoimmuneFunctionalMedicine

#ThyroidFunctionalMedicine

#AreLabsNecessary

#FunctionalMedicineBusiness

#LabOvertesting

#PatientTransformation

#BiohackingHumanBehavior

#ClinicalLeadership

#FunctionalMedicine #PractitionerTraining

More labs don’t fix stuck patients. Better leadership does.

With Marcia Jones, NP, IFMCP, nurse practitioner and functional medicine clinician with three decades of healthcare experience.

In this episode, Dr. Z and Marcia break down why the “order everything and explain harder” model of Functional Medicine 1.0 often overwhelms patients, drains practitioners, and stalls real transformation — even when the labs are technically correct.

Episode summary

* Why labs should confirm direction — not replace it

* How listening to patient stories prevents overwhelm and burnout

* The danger of treating every case like a protocol instead of a person

* How FM2 prioritizes pacing, capacity, and real-world execution

* Why patients don’t need more information — they need guidance

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_thedrz/

https://www.instagram.com/functionalmedicine2/

https://www.instagram.com/drbrandyzachary/

https://www.instagram.com/thefunctionalmedicineacademy/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicine2

https://www.facebook.com/FunctionalMedicineAcademyFMA/

https://www.facebook.com/FunctionalMedicineLabdx/

https://www.facebook.com/thedrz.functionalmedicine/

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@functionalmedicine2

https://www.tiktok.com/@the.drz

#functionalmedicine

#functionalmedicinepractitioner

#patientcenteredcare

#clinicalleadership

#functionalmedicine2_0

#holistichealthcare

#rootcausemedicine

#healthcareburnout

#labtestingexplained

#patientoutcomes

You can be the smartest clinician in the room and still feel frozen in a visit. That’s not a character flaw. That’s a training gap.

Featuring Drue, RN, BSN, FMACP, Clinical Advisor at Functional Medicine Academy

Episode summary 3-5 bullets

FM 1.0 teaches memorization; FM 2.0 teaches decision-making and leadership

Why patients don’t implement “perfect plans” without structure and support

The real reason practitioners burn out before mastery (and how to prevent it)

How to stop being the entire damn staff and build a practice that can breathe

Why stability isn’t “selling out” — it’s staying open

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_thedrz/

https://www.instagram.com/functionalmedicine2/

https://www.instagram.com/drbrandyzachary/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicine2

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@functionalmedicine2

#FunctionalMedicine

#FunctionalMedicine20

#FunctionalMedicinePractice

#StartAFunctionalMedicinePractice

#FunctionalMedicineBusiness

#FunctionalMedicineTraining

#FunctionalMedicineCertification

#PatientTransformation

#ClinicalConfidence

#VisitStructure

#CarePlans

#HealthCoaching

#PracticeSystems

#MarketingForPractitioners

#PricingPrograms

#ImposterSyndrome

#Burnout

#PrivatePractice

#IntegrativeMedicine

#RootCauseMedicine

If you’re ordering massive lab panels because you don’t want to be wrong, you’re not practicing clinical thinking — you’re practicing avoidance.

Dr. Z is joined by Lorri, MSN, CRNP, FMACP, to unpack how functional medicine drifted into defensive over-testing — and how FM 2.0 brings practitioners back to decisive, patient-centered care.

Episode summary

• Why “more data” often creates less direction

• How FM 1.0 imported protocol-thinking from traditional medicine

• When labs clarify care — and when they delay it

• How to triage testing without being reckless

• The difference between being thorough and being effective

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.Let’s go. 👉 Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_thedrz/

https://www.instagram.com/functionalmedicine2/

https://www.instagram.com/drbrandyzachary/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicine2

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@functionalmedicine2

#functionalmedicine

#functionalmedicinepodcast

#clinicaldecisionmaking

#overtestinginmedicine

#labtestingfunctionalmedicine

#functionalmedicinelabs

#clinicaljudgment

#FM2

#healthcareburnout

#practitionerconfidence

#patientcenteredcare

#functionalmedicinetraining

#medicaldecisionmaking

#labsvsclinicalthinking

Is energy medicine a powerful clinical tool… or just very expensive hand-waving?

In this episode of Functional Medicine 2.0, Dr. Z tackles one of the most polarizing topics in integrative care — without blind belief or knee-jerk dismissal.

Joined by Camille Fish, L.Ac., FDNP, MAcOM, CTNC — an acupuncturist and functional medicine–trained health coach — this is a grounded, honest conversation between clinicians who care more about patient outcomes than protecting a modality.

No worship.

No trashing.

Just discernment.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why some “woo” approaches actually helped patients, even when Dr. Z didn’t want them to

• Where energy medicine can add value, and where it crosses into irresponsibility

• Why “this is all you need” is a red flag in any system

• How practitioner bias (for or against) can block better outcomes

• Why results matter most — but judgment still matters more
  

If you’ve ever wondered whether energy medicine belongs inside a serious clinical model, or where the line should be drawn, this episode is for you.

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

Functional Medicine 2.0 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_thedrz/

https://www.instagram.com/functionalmedicine2/

https://www.instagram.com/drbrandyzachary/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicine2

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@functionalmedicine2

#functionalmedicine
#energymedicine
#acupunctureexplained
#functionalmedicine20
#integrativemedicine
#holistichealthcare
#alternativemedicinedebate
#clinicalskepticism
#patientoutcomes
#evidencevsintuition
#energyhealing
#acupuncturistpodcast
#functionalmedicinepodcast
#drzfunctionalmedicine
#healthcareethics

The functional medicine industry doesn’t say this out loud — but it benefits when you stay unsure.

In this episode…Dr. Z sits down with Alder Aspen, Director of Client Services, to break down how fear-based certification culture, lazy business models, and bad marketing advice keep practitioners stuck in “learning mode” instead of building sustainable practices.

This conversation is blunt, personal, and long overdue.

Episode summary

• Why “more credentials” doesn’t equal more confidence• How fear keeps practitioners over-trained and under-earning• The hidden cost of waiting until you feel “ready”• Why experience is the greatest teacher• What Functional Medicine 2.0 does differently

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

#functionalmedicine#functionalmedicinepractitioner#functionalmedicinebusiness#startingafunctionalmedicinepractice#integrativemedicineentrepreneur#privatepracticegrowth#healthcarebusinesscoaching#clinicalconfidence#impostersyndromeinmedicine#cashpaypractice#functionalmedicinetraining#practicebuildingforclinicians#medicalentrepreneurship#functionalmedicineacademy

If knowing the root cause automatically healed people, we wouldn’t be drowning in chronic illness.So what’s actually missing?

Dr. Z is joined by Lorri (MSN, CRNP, FMACP) — Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Director — for a candid conversation about why behavior change is the real medicine, and why Functional Medicine 1.0 never quite figured that part out.

Episode summary

• Why education, insight, and willpower don’t create lasting change• How safety, not motivation, drives human behavior• The danger of labeling patients as “non-compliant”• Why behavior is biological, not moral• How Functional Medicine 2.0 is built around transformation, not just data

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Functional medicine loves labs — but at what cost?In this episode, Dr. Z talks with Clinical Director Lorri, MSN, CRNP, FMACP., who is a part of Functional Medicine 2.0. We challenge the belief that more testing equals better care and explain why over-testing is quietly making clinicians less effective, not more.

Episode summary

• Why excessive lab testing overwhelms patients and practitioners• How data overload masks clinical uncertainty and anxiety• When labs actually improve outcomes — and when they don’t• Why patients want progress, not a PhD in biochemistry• How Functional Medicine 2.0 uses labs to drive decisions, not confusion

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Functional medicine isn’t failing because the science is wrong.

It’s failing because the model is broken.

In this first episode of Functional Medicine 2.0, Dr. Z and Drue: RN, BSN & FMACP, say what many practitioners are thinking but rarely say out loud. More protocols, more memorization, and more certifications haven’t created better outcomes — for patients or clinicians.

This episode breaks down what Functional Medicine 1.0 missed, why confidence doesn’t come from knowing more pathways, and what actually creates transformation, buy-in, and sustainable practices.

If functional medicine feels harder than it should, this conversation will make sense of that feeling.

If you’re quietly thinking, “Yep… this old model is breaking me,” you’re not alone.

FM2 is where clinicians go when they’re done pretending the current system is fine.

Private community. Real implementation. Zero performative BS.

Let's go! Join here: https://drzfma.com/join-fm2

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_thedrz/

https://www.instagram.com/functionalmedicine2/

https://www.instagram.com/drbrandyzachary/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicine2

Tiktok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@functionalmedicine2