Q&A with Doctor Jaclyn Tolentino:

Q: Take us through your health journey.

A: My health journey can definitely be divided between what I considered being healthy before breast cancer, and what I considered healthy after. Before breast cancer, I think I would have told you I did live a healthy lifestyle. I was conscious of what I ate, I tried to exercise, I tried to make time in my life for things like family and friends. But I was pushing myself very hard at work, throughout residency and afterwards, in a conventional medical practice. During my time in Miami starting with residency, I wasn’t managing my stress well and I had no boundaries around my time or energy. I was really running myself into the ground because I thought that was just part of the journey as a young doctor.  And then breast cancer just shook my entire world right off its foundation. I made it through treatment, and then I had to learn a different way to take care of myself, a way to actually thrive, and not just to “push through” things.

That's how I discovered functional and integrative medicine, which I started training in; it's a whole-body, holistic approach to wellness designed to understand the root cause of disease. This is also when I started being very conscious of every aspect of my life: what I was putting into and on my body, where I was placing my energy, and who I was investing my time in. Cancer really forced me to completely overhaul my life, with the singular purpose of making sure every aspect of it was supporting my healing and long-term wellness. I gained a completely different set of priorities, and a new perspective of what it means to take care of yourself.

Q: What did you learn about yourself that surprised you most during this time? 

A: How resilient I am mentally and physically. There were days during my cancer treatment when I thought "I'm not going to make it." But I always did, and now I know what my body is capable of, and I know it will fight for me. I think there's an inclination when you are diagnosed with cancer to feel very betrayed by your body. but once I saw how hard my body fought to restore itself and get back on track, I am absolutely amazed at my own capacity for healing.

Q: How important is diet and lifestyle to one’s health? 

A: It's extremely important. Our bodies are only as good as the habits and practices we use to take care of them. It's a really common analogy, but I think it's effective; your body is just like a car. If you want to keep it running, you have to do the maintenance. You have to fuel it correctly, you have to make sure all of its many parts are moving smoothly, you have to repair a component if it's not functioning properly. Nutrition and lifestyle are your everyday “body maintenance” - the fuel you're giving your body to run, and the practices you adopt to ensure it stays strong, flexible, dynamic, and properly rested.

Q: How important is one’s mental health to our overall health and wellbeing? 

A: The body and the mind have a reciprocal connection and can strongly impact one another. How we cope with stress and anxiety can influence how we actually feel on a day-to-day basis, by impacting our endocrine, nervous, and even immune systems.

Chronic stress in particular can cause so many health issues, that's why it's so important to develop effective strategies for coping with stress.

Our narratives about our health can also really impact how we feel in our bodies. Narratives are the stories we tell ourselves about our health. For example, if you've been diagnosed with a chronic condition and you tell yourself "I have this condition, so I'll never feel better again" that's a narrative about your health. The power we give these narratives can be enormous, which is why it's important to be really aware of what stories you're telling yourself about your body, your health, or what you're capable of.

Q: How would you describe the functional and integrative approach?

A: The functional and integrative approach is basically a whole-body, holistic philosophy that considers every aspect of a person's life in our treatment approach to understand the root cause of disease and lay down the foundational groundwork for true wellness. So we're looking at physical health,mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, and the impact your community and environment has on your wellbeing. Another important aspect of the functional and integrative approach is the depth of our toolkit. Our process is very collaborative, so we're working with a care team that includes doctors, health coaches, and other healing practitioners - and you! You're definitely playing a role in your care team. Some days we might use high-tech diagnostic testing, but other days that might involve just being present with you and discussing how breathwork can help you cope with your stress and anxiety.

Q: We love Parsley Health! Could you tell us a bit about how it works? 

A: At Parsley, we're really focused on collaborative, patient-centered care. Our patients join as Members (there are different membership plans and options to meet your specific care needs), and will have the opportunity to work with doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, health coaches, and our fantastic patient care team. We see patients virtually in 48 states, and in person at our Centers in Los Angeles and NYC. I’m a Senior Physician on Parsley’s virtual team, seeing patients who reside in California and Florida.

Our patient visits are much longer than the typical doctor's office visit, especially the first visit, where we'll cover your health history and start identifying major goals and health concerns, including the patterns from which they developed. From there, we'll develop a personalized treatment plan, which your health coach will work with you to help implement. We support that treatment plan with things like consistent follow-up appointments and messaging through our patient portal. This is intended to be really personal care, centered on what works for you and what doesn't. All of our care decisions are going to be informed by your individual needs and goals. I wrote a blog post on the Parsley Health website about what you can expect at your first visit with us, which you can check out here.

Q: What exactly is the role that hormones play in one’s health? 

A: Hormones control so many of the processes in your body, probably way more than you realize. Hormones control your experiences of hunger and fullness, the rhythm of your sleep, your metabolism, your response to stress, and so much more. The delicate balance of our hormones has to be maintained in order to ensure the correct functioning of many of our body's processes.

Hormones and hormonal health were really what sparked my interest in functional and integrative medicine, because no matter what age you're at, no matter where you are in your life journey, hormonal health is going to be relevant to you and your overall optimal health. 

Hormonal imbalances can contribute to poor sleep quality, weight loss or gain, irregular menstruation, irritability, poor digestive health, mood swings, and so many other symptoms that people experience. I chose hormone optimization as a specialty because I'm really fascinated by all of the processes our hormones influence, and I love working with patients to find that optimal hormone balance that allows them to feel their best each day.

Q: Do you have any morning rituals?

A: My morning rituals are very simple. I don't like to be rushed, so I get up nice and early, so I have plenty of time to get ready. I like to start the day by just spending a few minutes in quiet reflection, or thinking about my intentions for the day.

Getting ready isn't a huge process for me, I've really simplified my beauty routine, especially since I made the switchover a few years ago to really clean beauty products. From there, I always like to make a smoothie, a matcha latte, or my morning mushroom coffee drink. My morning drink is such a big part of my ritual for starting the day; depending on what I intuitively feel my body needs, I'll change up the ingredients accordingly. My dad used to make me a smoothie every morning as a kid, and it's a habit I've really continued to enjoy as an adult.

Q: What is your go-to meal on a weekday? Do you have any favorite Filipino dishes? A: My favorite Filipino dish is actually also one of our go-to weekday dishes, which is sinigang.  We make sinigang several times a month at our house. We do different variations with organic vegetables and grass-fed meats or shrimp, and I always find it so restorative and nourishing. It's really a perfect meal!

Q: What would be your top tips to keep our immunity strong during this pandemic?

A: My number one tip is just to take exceptionally tender care of yourself right now. Make sure you're getting plenty of rest, adequately hydrating, maintaining a safe movement routine, and eating a balanced, whole-food diet. If you can get outdoors and get fresh air and some sunshine daily, also definitely make sure you're doing that.

The best way to navigate the challenging situation we're in right now is to make sure you're exercising appropriate and robust safety precautions, and taking the best possible care of your body. If you're concerned about things like nutrient deficiencies or immune status, that's something you should absolutely discuss with your doctor. There are lots of factors that go into keeping the immune system strong and healthy.

Q: What is your favorite form of self-care? 

A: Spending time with my family. That may sound really simple, and not super luxurious or indulgent, but since breast cancer so many things in my life have become simplified, including my priorities. And time is really a luxurious thing; as a very busy physician, setting boundaries around my personal life is necessary for me to thrive and feel like I'm caring for myself. I'm in contact with my family almost daily, we're constantly sharing updates and photos with each other, and feeling connected with them is very important to me for my overall health and wellness.

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