Bay Area Functional & Integrative Health
Food-First Care
using Culinary Medicine
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
-Hippocrates
The saying “food is medicine” is truer than ever. What we eat or don’t eat affects body weight, nutrient absorption, blood sugar, cholesterol, energy levels, and risk for heart disease and other chronic diseases.
Healthy Aging & Longevity
Supporting Healthspan and Quality of Life
Longevity isn’t just about living longer, it’s about living better. At Bay Area Functional & Integrative Health, We support healthy aging through health education and personalized support to help you live a better quality of life, no matter your age.
How Functional Medicine Practitioners Can Help You
At the intersection of clinical training and whole-person care, we take a step back to look at the bigger picture. Many people are managing multiple symptoms, medications, and health concerns—but still don’t feel their best.
Our role is to help you connect the dots by looking at your labs, medications, supplements, diet, lifestyle, and health goals, to understand what may be contributing to how you feel, and to support you in navigating your health with clarity and confidence.
1.
Root-Cause Investigation
2.
Personalized Wellness Plan
3.
Food-First Recommendations
4.
Lifestyle Recommendations
5.
Reevaluation and Progress Review
About Us
About Joan Lu, PhD, RN, PHN, BC-FMP
Joan Lu is the founder of Bay Area Functional & Integrative Health, Lab Access For ALL, and Heal Thy Foods Nutraceuticals. Her work focuses on helping individuals better understand their health beyond what may appear on a standard lab report.
She is a Registered Nurse in California and holds a PhD in Natural Medicine. She is also a Board-Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner with a particular interest in metabolic health, laboratory insights, medication and supplement considerations, and food-first approaches to wellness.
Her work centers on health education, advocacy, and connecting the dots between symptoms, laboratory findings, medications, supplements, diet, lifestyle, and personal health goals—especially for individuals who feel their concerns have not been fully understood or addressed.
A Personal Journey That Shapes Her Work
Before becoming a practitioner, Joan was also a patient searching for answers.
She experienced PCOS and endometriosis, was told that becoming pregnant might be difficult, and faced serious and frightening medical concerns along the way. These experiences led her to look more closely at the relationship between lifestyle, food, metabolic health, and overall well-being.
Her journey ultimately unfolded differently than she had been told to expect. Today, she is a mother, and that experience continues to shape the way she works with others—with curiosity, compassion, and respect for each person’s individual story.
It also taught her something important: people want more than information. They want to feel heard, supported, and involved in understanding their own health.
Her Approach
Joan’s approach begins with the bigger picture.
She reviews laboratory findings, medications, supplements, diet, lifestyle, symptoms, and health goals to help identify patterns and areas that may deserve closer attention. From there, she helps individuals develop practical, personalized strategies with an emphasis on food-first care, lifestyle support, and supplements when appropriate.
Her approach combines clinical nursing experience with functional and integrative health principles while recognizing the important role of each individual’s existing healthcare team.
Her goal is not to replace your healthcare providers, but to help you better understand your health, ask informed questions, and take a more active role in your own care.