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.
Medications & Supplements Safety
Drugs, and Supplements Review
Medications and supplements are meant to help, not harm.
But sometimes taking too many can be dangerous, especially for older adults. Inappropriate polypharmacy, drug duplication, excessive or unnecessary medications, and food, supplement, and medication interactions may increase the risk of side effects and drug interactions.
We help identify side effects or adverse reactions a patient experiences, educate the patient, create plans and collaborate with their healthcare providers to help ensure older adults take only those they need to help them live better quality of life.
Healthy Aging & Quality of Life
Living Longer, Living Better
More than simply adding years - improves your 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 a California Registered Nurse, Board-Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Culinary Medicine Educator focused on healthy aging and whole-person care.
Throughout her nursing career, she has focused on chronic disease management, helping patients navigate complex health conditions, polypharmacy, and challenges affecting their quality of life.
Her passion for functional and culinary medicine is also personal. Like many women, Joan has experienced her own health challenges, including PCOS and endometriosis. These experiences inspired her to look beyond symptoms, look for the root causes and better understand the role of nutrition, lifestyle, and metabolic health.
Today, she combines conventional, functional, integrative, and culinary medicine to empower individuals through education and informed health decisions.
Her philosophy is simple: Healthy aging 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.