25 Ways to Practice Functional Medicine Better in 2025

Jan 8 / Drs. Bryan & Julie Walsh

Introduction

Functional medicine is at a crossroads. As the field grows, so does the noise—trendy protocols, expensive tests, and influencer-driven narratives threaten to overshadow its simple, effective roots. But real progress doesn’t come from chasing the next big thing; it comes from returning to the foundations, questioning assumptions, and staying grounded in truth. The real art of functional medicine isn't found in expensive tests or complicated protocols—it's rooted in something far more fundamental: the ability to blend time-tested wisdom with modern science, all while keeping the patient at the center of our focus. 

This list of 25 principles for practicing functional medicine in 2025 is a guide to reconsidering your approach. From choosing consistency over novelty to recognizing the limits of endless data tracking, these insights will challenge you to think critically, embrace humility, and focus on what truly serves your patients. Despite what some 'experts' will tell you, functional medicine thrives not on complexity but on clarity, mastering the fundamentals, the application of simple truths, and the courage to keep things simple.

25 Ways to Practice Functional Medicine Better in 2025

1. Stay humble, stay curious

You know more than you think—and less than you think. True expertise comes from acknowledging the vastness of what you don't know. Growth happens at the edge of your knowledge, not in the center of your certainty and comfort.

2. Embrace Real “Functional” Medicine

While the industry has devolved into a marketplace of exotic tests and supplement protocols, real functional medicine remains elegantly simple. The foundations that have kept humans healthy for millennia - sleep, nutrition, movement, connection, purpose - still outperform any trendy lab panel or supplement protocol. Fix the foundations before chasing the complex—micronutrient sufficiency, glucose regulation, and hydration should before hormones, mold, or metals.

3. Question Everything

The functional medicine landscape has become a maze of sponsored content, cherry-picked research, and convenient truths. Your most valuable clinical skill isn't knowing the latest protocol - it's your willingness to question every claim, examine every source, and resist every comfortable assumption. In a field flooded with false certainty, your skepticism is your strength.

4. Stop Worshipping Overpriced Labs

Not every symptom requires 100+ biomarkers, a stool test, a salivary sample, a hair test, and a dried urine sample. Good detective work (history + conversation) is far less expensive, more accurate, and more valuable.

5. Practice Less, But Better, Supplementation

Food always has been, and always will be the original medicine. If you need supplements, use them selectively—quality over quantity. Restraint in supplementation demonstrates deeper clinical wisdom than a complex protocol.

6. Hone Your “Bunk” Detector

Social media amplifies voices but doesn't validate expertise. The ability to distinguish substance from noise separates you from mediocrity. Develop the keen ability of separating scientific insight from marketing hype.

7. Recognize the Body as a Whole System

It's easy to recite this principle - nearly every practitioner does - but in practice, it's more often preached than practiced. Don’t chase isolated symptoms or single lab markers. Specialize, but don’t fragment—be the best at something, yet see the whole person.

8. Master the Art of Blood Chemistry Interpretation

Blood chemistry data tells you a story and is your map; learn to read it well. It remains the most validated, accurate, universally accepted, and inexpensive test you could ever run on your patients. Learn to extract maximum insight from minimal intervention.

9. Stop Demonizing Entire Food Groups

Fear-based nutrition advice creates more problems than it solves. Vilifying foods or food groups can leave patients confused and inadvertently foster disordered habits. Balanced nutrition and a healthy relationship with food matter more than perfection.

10. Prioritize Patient Autonomy

It’s okay to say “That’s outside my expertise.” Honesty about your limitations builds more trust than does pretending you know it all. Ironically, the willingness to say "I don't know" demonstrates true professional confidence.

11. “Evidence-Based” Isn’t Always 

Many industry 'gurus' claim and idea or concept is 'evidence-based' from the flimsiest of studies, diluting a term that once meant rigorous scientific validation. A petri dish victory doesn't equal a clinical breakthrough, and mice aren't miniature humans. The more confidently someone waves the 'evidence-based' banner, the more closely you should examine their actual proof.

12. Don’t Confuse Data with Reality

The proliferation of wearables has created a generation of practitioners who treat numbers instead of humans. In our rush to quantify everything, we've forgotten how to trust human experience. A patient's lived reality sometimes matters more than their Oura ring's sleep score or their CGM's glucose curve. Don't let the seduction of data points override the wisdom of listening to the body.

"In our rush to quantify everything, we've forgotten how to trust human experience. A patient's lived reality sometimes matters more than their Oura ring's sleep score or their CGM's glucose curve."

13. Celebrate Consistency Over Novelty

The real, true and original “bio-hack” is consistency. Bit by bit over time leads to change. Intensity wanes, consistency multiplies. Sustainable progress comes from small, repeated actions over time. Real transformations happen quietly over time, not in the viral 'breakthrough moments' that flood our feeds. And by the way, we're talking about your practice, and not your patients.

14. Question “Cutting-Edge” Hype

Stop chasing trends—science evolves, but truth holds steady. Every week brings another 'breakthrough' test or 'cutting-edge' protocol promising to revolutionize functional medicine. Yet real advances build upon proven principles rather than replacing them. The harder someone pushes the 'revolutionary' angle, the tighter you should hold onto your skepticism.

15. Earn Your Stripes

If you haven’t helped 100 patients yet, don’t create a course or program claiming you have the “ultimate” answer. The allure of creating online courses and passive income has created a generation of practitioners who want to teach before they've learned. If you haven't successfully guided at least 100 patients through a system of yours, you have no business selling it as a course.

16. Collaborate, Don’t Operate in a Silo

“Iron sharpens iron.” Surround yourself with those who challenge and inspire you. Refer out when it serves the patient better. The best practitioners recognize their limitations and build strong referral networks. 

17. Chase the “Why,” Not Just the “What”

Symptoms are whispers, but we need to find what’s shouting. Chase the why behind the what, but know when to be satisfied with 'deep enough.' Root causes matter, but humans are complex. Wisdom lies in knowing how deep to dig.

18. Know Your Lane and Stay In It

If you’re not a mental health professional, don’t attempt complex psychological interventions. If Lyme isn’t your thing, don’t quickly try to learn about it just to help someone. Find your lane, and then stay in it. When it doubt, refer back to #1 (Stay Humble, Stay Curious), and then refer out.

19. Stay Skeptical of Influencer Culture

Popularity doesn’t equal competence, and social media reach doesn't correlate with clinical skill. Results come from substance, not from likes or flashy marketing.  Your focus belongs on patient outcomes, not personal branding. Real expertise doesn't necessarily come with a large following.

20. Don’t Let Vanity Metrics Sway Your Practice

Social media numbers don’t translate to better patient outcomes or clinical skill. Likes and shares don't fix patients. Your success should be measured by clinical outcomes, the number of clients you've helped, and the referrals they share. Build your practice on results, not reactions.

21. Consider Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

Don't dismiss something because it's old, and don't embrace it just because it's new. Evaluate things based on merits. We're so busy reaching for shiny solutions on the highest branches that we're missing the low-hanging fruit right in front of us, and has been for years.

"We're so busy reaching for shiny solutions on the highest branches that we're often missing the low-hanging fruit right in front of us."

22. Stay Grounded

Teaching someone what a carbohydrate is, is foundational and not beneath you. Your ability to explain fundamentals clearly reflects deep understanding. If you won’t handle basic questions, why should patients trust you with the big ones?

23. Spend Time Away

Sometimes staying away from things – emails, being indoors, social media, data trackers – is all people need. Connect with your patients, but try to get them to disconnect. Sometimes the best medicine is absence of intervention.

24. Stop Diagnosing Everyone You Meet

Not every mid-afternoon slump is “adrenal fatigue,” and not every tummy rumble is “leaky gut.” When your only tool is a hormone test, every symptom starts looking like a hormone imbalance Avoid trendy over-labeling. 

25. Be a Human First, Practitioner Second

Ultimately, the best way to practice in 2025 is to be humble, open-minded, and present with your patients (or yourself). No lab test or supplement can replace human empathy, connection, and common sense. Start there.

Bonus - Be Your Own Fact-Checker

The functional medicine world is full of confidently repeated falsehoods that spread because no one bothered to verify them. Before you become another link in the chain of misinformation, fact-check your own beliefs and statements. Your credibility is built on the truth of every claim you make

Conclusion

The future of functional medicine isn’t in flashy tests or viral trends—it’s in practitioners who stay humble, question the status quo, and prioritize the fundamentals. These 25 principles are more than advice; they’re a call to action. By simplifying where others complicate, questioning where others accept, and staying grounded where others chase trends, you can build a practice that delivers real results.

As you navigate 2025 and beyond, remember this: growth happens at the edge of your knowledge, not in the comfort of your certainty. Be curious, be skeptical, and above all, be committed to the timeless principles that define true functional medicine.

Chris

"This should be 101 level teaching for anyone studying to be a healthcare practitioner. I tremendously appreciate the insights presented here." 

Dr Kang

“Extremely helpful. I have been wondering what could be the balancing pivot for especially older adults who should be ingesting slightly higher amounts of protein but yet be able to mitigate age-related bone loss risks. This clinical content session answered the question. Dr. Walsh has done it again, by translating evidence-based insights into practical clinical implementation that we could use immediately.”

Learn this, and so much more in our clinical mentorship, Clinician's Code Foundation Professional Certificate where we help practitioners build confidence, cut overwhelm, and become successful in Functional Medicine.

Sadie

"I LOVE everything about these presentations. It makes me excited to practice. 😊"

Carrie

"This is incredible information Dr Walsh."

Fernando

"Another outstanding presentation...
Thank you!"

Khaled

"You ground me from all the FM Hype out there, which is mostly messy, biased, and FOMO driven. Please keep doing what you're doing. Your work is benefiting so many patients around the globe. Truly blessed to be amongst your students. Much love ❤️"

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