While many local individuals wrestling to gain or lose weight turn to diets that appear on the cover of trendy magazines and in social media, some rely on physician assistant-certified, Jenni Berman, owner of Berman Health & Wellness, in Naples, to help them solve the problem, which is frequently connected to other health-related issues. 

From hormonal changes to prescription medications, gut health, sleep apnea, autoimmune diseases and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, Berman helps individuals solve their health issues and reach a desired weight goal. Practicing in Naples since 2015, Berman has been specializing in the field of lifestyle adjustment known as functional medicine for five years.

Berman turned to functional medicine as a career path when the solutions it provided proved successful for her own health issues. “I had gastrointestinal tract problems and food allergies with symptoms such as significant rashes and a 30-pound weight loss. Doctors didn’t have enough time to sit with me and figure out what my problems were related to. I was very sick and had to figure out how to treat myself. Eventually, I arrived at the conclusion that if I eliminated gluten and dairy, recommended in functional medicine’s nutritional approaches to numerous health issues, including gut health, I could improve my health significantly. So, I did,” she says.

Berman considers herself fortunate. “I found a position in functional medicine with Dr. Caroline Cederquist’s Wellness Center in Naples doing something I’d been doing on my own to treat myself.  Dr. Cederquist is an incredible mentor and I learned so much from her,” advises Berman, whose prior medical background was in internal medicine and pediatric orthopedics.

Discussing her issues with a traditional medical system that make complex health issues difficult to pinpoint and solve, Berman advises, “Today’s doctors practicing conventional medicine don’t have enough time to focus on the nutritional and food aspects of a patient’s health. The insurance companies dictate what tests they will and will not reimburse, which adds to the problem of today’s healthcare. Our clinic is out-of-network which is why I have the time and freedom to work with patients to figure out what is going on internally."

Berman’s first consultation averages from 90 minutes to two hours, including the initial intake phone call and office appointment. The second appointment is for 60 minutes, with weekly 20-to 40-minute follow-up office visits. Patients frequently continue the program for one to two years. “We see clients every week to teach them habits that help them to develop an alternative lifestyle that maintains their weight and health, how to read labels and how to help them develop shopping lists. I’ve had clients text me if they can’t find something in the grocery store. I stay very involved,” says Berman.

“Failure is not an option,” explains Berman, who indicates that every patient is unique, treated one-on-one and helped with customized weight loss and health plans. “I do all the intake creating individual guidelines and medical visits throughout the program. A registered dietician trained in functional medicine works with patients on eating plans and dietary visits.”

Berman Health & Wellness is located at 501 Goodlette Rd. N., Bldg. C, Ste. C-292, In Naples. For more information, call 239-431-0232 or visit Facebook.com/BermanWellness.