Picture this: It's November 1st, and your little ones are bouncing off the walls from their Halloween candy haul. Meanwhile, you're already dreading the sugar crashes, meltdowns, and that inevitable tummy ache that comes from eating half their trick-or-treat bucket in one sitting. Sound familiar?

Here in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, Halloween is a cherished tradition—from apple picking at local orchards to trick-or-treating through our beautiful  neighborhoods. But as parents, we know the holiday can sometimes feel like a battle between letting kids enjoy the magic and protecting their health and well-being.

The good news? You don't have to choose. At Arbor Health Functional Medicine & Psychiatry, we believe in empowering famili...

You're exhausted despite sleeping enough. Your joints ache without explanation. Brain fog makes simple tasks difficult. You've seen multiple doctors, but all your tests come back "normal." You're told it's just stress.

Does this sound familiar?

If you're experiencing unexplained symptoms that conventional medicine hasn't been able to diagnose or treat effectively, you may be among the millions of Americans silently struggling with Autoimmune Disease.

The Hidden Epidemic in Our Rochester Community

Autoimmune Disease occurs when your immune system—designed to protect you—mistakenly attacks your body's own healthy tissues. Recent groundbreaking research reveals that autoimmune disease affects approximately 15 million Americans, or 4.6% of ...

In this video, Dr. Zendi Moldenhauer, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, and Lori DiBartolo, Nurse Practitioner discuss Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS/PANDAS) - the symptoms, treatment options, and how you can help raise awareness of this serious condition. 

Imagine this: one day, your child is thriving, full of energy and joy. The next, they’re overcome by sudden, debilitating anxiety, obsessive behaviors, or emotional outbursts. As a parent or caregiver, this kind of abrupt change is nothing short of heartbreaking—and confusing. 

What if the behaviors you’re seeing aren’t what they seem? For some children, these dramatic shifts may be linked to an immune system reaction, often overlooked or misunderstood. Co...

Watch the recorded livestream video: Amber Ratcliffe and Justine Shults discuss Adrenal Fatigue and why it may be what's holding you back from feeling your best.

Adrenal Fatigue is a silent epidemic caused by our fast-paced culture. Being “on” all the time is exhausting and so many of us are experiencing burnout and serious health symptoms as a result. Adrenal Fatigue isn’t just found in adults, it’s becoming more common in kids too, as they are stressed with school, activities, social pressures, and adrenaline filled video games. 

Unfortunately, Adrenal Fatigue is often misdiagnosed as depression by primary care doctors. At Arbor Health Functional Medicine & Psychiatry, we regularly hear that people had blood work run at multiple doctors...

Listen to Amber Ratcliffe, CEO & Co-Founder and Justine Shults, Nurse Practitioner, as they discuss female sex hormone imbalance and why it may be what is holding you back from feeling your best.

What is a Hormone Imbalance?

Are you irritable, moody, and exhausted all the time, yet have trouble sleeping? Gaining weight despite diet and exercise? You are not alone. Up to 75% of women report suffering from symptoms that could be attributed to a hormone imbalance!

Hormones are important chemical messengers in our bodies such as Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone, Cortisol, Thyroid, DHEA, and Vitamin D. They are produced in one type of tissue and then move through the bloodstream to other parts of the body delivering “messages” for that pa...

Watch the live stream video: Amber Ratcliffe, CEO, and Justine Shults, Nurse Practitioner, discuss thyroid disease and why it may be what is holding you back from feeling your best.

First a Little About Thyroid Disease...

When your thyroid is not functioning optimally, you can feel dull, tired, constipated, gain weight, have dry skin, hair can become dry and even fall out, muscles and joints might ache, periods become irregular, you might have fertility problems, brain fog, sugar and carb cravings (your body is desperate for energy!), high cholesterol (even if your diet is amazing), and a host of other large and small symptoms.

• One in eight women will be diagnosed with thyroid disease during her lifetime

• The most common form is ...

Picture yourself sitting down to a dinner with loved ones, anticipating the comfort of your favorite meal, only to find that within an hour you're doubled over with bloating, gas, and cramping that makes you feel like you need to loosen your belt. Or imagine trying to maintain your energy for your children's soccer games, but finding yourself constantly battling brain fog, fatigue, and unpredictable bathroom emergencies that keep you from being fully present in those precious moments.

 At Arbor Health Functional Medicine & Psychiatry, we witness the profound impact of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) on people throughout our Rochester community. We've seen once-energetic parents struggle to keep up with their daily routines, pr...

Sarah thought she was losing her mind. Despite being only 34 years old, she could barely make it through the afternoon without feeling completely drained. Her 8-year-old daughter Emma had developed a persistent cough that doctors couldn't explain, and her partner complained of constant headaches that started mysteriously six months ago. Three different specialists, countless tests, and hundreds of dollars later, they still had no answers. It wasn't until a friend mentioned indoor air quality that Sarah discovered the invisible culprit poisoning her family right inside their own home.

At Arbor Health Functional Medicine & Psychiatry, we've discovered that many of our patients' mysterious symptoms can be traced back to a factor they never co...

Transform Simple Vegetables into Golden Healing: Our Roasted Zucchini with Caramelized Vegetables Recipe

Nourishing side dishes that support your body's natural wellness journey

We understand that creating meals that truly nourish your body while satisfying your taste buds can feel challenging. That's why we're excited to share one of our favorite side dish recipes—vibrant Roasted Zucchini with Caramelized Vegetables that transforms simple, whole foods into a golden, delicious experience.

This isn't just another vegetable side dish, it's Functional Medicine on your plate. This recipe demonstrates how everyday vegetables can become powerful allies in supporting your health and vitality.

Why These Roasted Zucchini Ingredients Matter for Y...

Discover the powerful insights from Arbor Health's CEO Amber Ratcliffe on the Dare to Age Well Now podcast - a conversation every midlife person needs to hear!

Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went there? Found yourself searching for simple words like "car" or "coffee cup"? Felt bone-deep exhaustion yet couldn't sleep through the night? If you're nodding along, you're not alone—and more importantly, you're not broken.

In a groundbreaking episode of Dare to Age Well Now, host Angela Belford sits down with Amber Ratcliffe, co-founder and CEO of Arbor Health Functional Medicine & Psychiatry, to discuss what she calls the "silent epidemic of our time": adrenal fatigue. This isn't just another wellness conversa...