Dr. Josh Shields

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Dr. Josh Shields Integrative Wellness Centers, located at 38777 Six Mile Road Suite 401, is Michigan's premier functional and naturopathic health destination.

TRANSFORMATION → through Better Thoughts | Better Behaviors | Better Biology
Helping you heal from the inside out by addressing the root cause through a systems-based approach. Our expert team of holistic health professionals offers personalized care to help you achieve optimal wellness by addressing the root causes of your health concerns. As a leading wellness center near you, we specialize in integrative approaches that blend the best of conventional and natural medicine. Discover how our holistic health center can support your journey towards renewed vitality and well-being. Experience the difference with Michigan's best in functional medicine and start your path to healthier living today.

The body doesn't operate one biomarker at a time.That's why I don't want to know only:TSH.Or ferritin.Or glucose.Or test...
10/15/2026

The body doesn't operate one biomarker at a time.

That's why I don't want to know only:

TSH.
Or ferritin.
Or glucose.
Or testosterone.
Or CRP.

I want to know how the pieces fit together.

Sometimes the most useful information isn't the abnormal result.

It's the relationship between several results.

One marker may raise a question.

Another marker may answer it.

A third may completely change the interpretation.

That's the difference between collecting laboratory data and actually using it.

Tired of chasing one symptom at a time without figuring out what's really going on? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

A laboratory reference interval tells you where most of a reference population falls.It doesn't automatically tell you:W...
10/14/2026

A laboratory reference interval tells you where most of a reference population falls.
It doesn't automatically tell you:

Why you have a symptom.

What changed from your previous result.

How multiple markers interact.

Or whether the result answers the clinical question you're asking.

That's why I don't look at a lab and stop at:

“Normal.”
I ask:
Normal compared with what?

Normal for whom?

Does it fit the rest of the pattern?

Does it answer the question we're actually trying to answer?

A reference interval is useful.

It just isn't the entire interpretation.

Frustrated because your labs are “normal” but you still don't feel like yourself? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31421037/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Thyroid physiology isn't simply:Thyroid → T4 → done.Much of the body's thyroid hormone regulation occurs through periphe...
10/14/2026

Thyroid physiology isn't simply:

Thyroid → T4 → done.

Much of the body's thyroid hormone regulation occurs through peripheral metabolism.

Enzymes called deiodinases help regulate thyroid hormone activation and inactivation.

That process can change with factors such as illness and fasting.
But there's an important distinction:

That doesn't mean everyone with symptoms has a mysterious “conversion problem.”

It means thyroid hormone metabolism is dynamic physiology, not a single linear pathway.

That's why context matters.

Still struggling with thyroid symptoms even though you're already addressing your thyroid? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28109953/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

One of my least favorite phrases in healthcare is:“Everything is normal.”Not because normal results are bad.Because I im...
10/13/2026

One of my least favorite phrases in healthcare is:

“Everything is normal.”

Not because normal results are bad.

Because I immediately want to know:

What did you actually test?

A test is useful because it answers a question.

Glucose answers one question.

A1C answers another.

LDL-C and ApoB provide different information about lipoproteins.

TSH evaluates one aspect of thyroid physiology.

Thyroid antibodies address a different question.

And iron status involves more than simply asking whether hemoglobin is normal.

This doesn't mean everyone needs a massive laboratory panel.

In fact, indiscriminate testing can create its own problems.

The goal is more precise:

Start with the clinical question.

Choose the appropriate test.

Interpret it in context.

That's very different from simply collecting numbers.

Want a more structured specific plan to regain your health? Comment BALANCE and I'll send you my Free Balance Blueprint.

Research:

https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/2026-guideline-on-the-management-of-dyslipidemia?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

“I had my thyroid tested.”That's not necessarily the end of the conversation.TSH is an important first-line test.Free T4...
10/13/2026

“I had my thyroid tested.”

That's not necessarily the end of the conversation.

TSH is an important first-line test.

Free T4 provides additional information about circulating thyroid hormone.
Thyroid antibodies can help identify autoimmune thyroid disease.

And then there's the patient sitting in front of you.

Symptoms.
Medications.
Illness.
History.
Clinical context.

Not every person needs every thyroid test.

But a thyroid evaluation should answer the actual clinical question.

Struggling with thyroid symptoms despite being told your thyroid is “normal” or even after starting thyroid treatments? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research: https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Two people can have similar LDL-C levels without necessarily having the same number of atherogenic particles.That's one ...
10/12/2026

Two people can have similar LDL-C levels without necessarily having the same number of atherogenic particles.

That's one reason ApoB can add useful information.

But this isn't a competition between laboratory markers.

Cardiovascular risk is multifactorial.

Blood pressure.
Smoking.
Diabetes.
Insulin resistance.
Triglycerides.
Lp(a).
Family history.
ApoB.
LDL-C.

The goal isn't to replace one simplistic marker with another.

It's to stop pretending one number tells the entire story.

Want to better understand your cardiovascular risk and what you can do about it?

Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research: https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/2026-guideline-on-the-management-of-dyslipidemia?utm_source=chatgpt.com

LDL-C is important.But LDL-C doesn't directly tell you how many atherogenic particles are circulating.That's where ApoB ...
10/12/2026

LDL-C is important.

But LDL-C doesn't directly tell you how many atherogenic particles are circulating.
That's where ApoB can add information.

ApoB reflects the number of atherogenic lipoprotein particles.

The 2026 American Heart Association dyslipidemia guideline recognizes selective ApoB measurement as useful for improving risk assessment, particularly in certain situations such as elevated triglycerides, diabetes or when LDL-C is already low.

This isn't:

“LDL doesn't matter.”

It's:

“LDL isn't the only number worth understanding.”

Better risk assessment comes from putting the numbers together.

Want to take a more complete approach to protecting your heart and metabolic health? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research: https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/2026-guideline-on-the-management-of-dyslipidemia/top-things-to-know?utm_source=chatgpt.com

I don't think oatmeal is “bad.”I don't think carbohydrates are automatically bad.And I don't think everyone needs the sa...
10/11/2026

I don't think oatmeal is “bad.”

I don't think carbohydrates are automatically bad.

And I don't think everyone needs the same breakfast.

What I do think is interesting is how differently people can respond to the same meal.

A breakfast that leaves one person satisfied for four hours may leave someone else hungry again in 90 minutes.

That's why I like the idea of looking at patterns instead of food labels.

What happens to your energy?

Your hunger?

Your cravings?

Your glucose, if you're using a CGM?

And what happens when you change the composition of the meal?

Add protein.
Increase fiber.
Change the portion.
Change the carbohydrate source.
Then observe.

The goal isn't to become obsessed with glucose data.

It's to become curious about your own physiology.

Healthy isn't just what the food is called.

It's also what happens after you eat it.

Want to understand how your food choices actually affect your own physiology?
Comment BALANCE and I’ll send you my Free Balance Blueprint.

Research: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/how-to-make-breakfast-a-healthy-habit?utm_source=chatgpt.com


This is an important distinction.A CBC answers certain questions about your blood.Ferritin answers a different question ...
10/11/2026

This is an important distinction.

A CBC answers certain questions about your blood.

Ferritin answers a different question about iron stores.

They overlap.

They are not interchangeable.

That's why someone can have a normal blood count and still have evidence of iron deficiency.

This is especially relevant when someone has symptoms such as fatigue and the explanation has been:

“Your bloodwork is normal.”

Normal which bloodwork?

That is the question.

Struggling with fatigue, weakness, or low energy despite being told you're not anemic? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research:https://www.hematology.org/newsroom/press-releases/2026/ash-sets-new-standards-for-diagnosing-iron-deficiency?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Stress isn't simply a thought.It produces physiological changes.Heart rate changes.Hormonal signaling changes.Autonomic ...
10/10/2026

Stress isn't simply a thought.

It produces physiological changes.

Heart rate changes.

Hormonal signaling changes.

Autonomic nervous-system activity changes.

And the gastrointestinal tract responds.

That's one reason stress can affect motility, visceral sensitivity and GI symptoms.
So when someone says:

“My stomach is fine until I'm stressed…”

I don't dismiss that.

I investigate it.

The mistake is assuming that means the gut is irrelevant.

The other mistake is assuming the gut is the entire problem.

The brain-gut connection works both ways.

Dealing with digestive symptoms that never seem to fully settle down? Get my Free Balance Toolkit. Comment BALANCE.

Research:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31715444/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Address

38777 Six Mile Road, Suite 401
Livonia, MI
48152

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 12pm
2pm - 6pm
Tuesday 2pm - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 12pm
2pm - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 12pm
2pm - 6pm

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