My traditional medicine background led me to become a functional health pioneer after I had a stark realization: while conventional medicine excels at crisis care, it often falls short in preventing and reversing chronic health challenges. As a practicing neurologist, I found myself increasingly frustrated by the limitations of my prescription pad.
After a decade as a traditionally trained medical doctor, I witnessed countless patients cycling through the same symptoms without finding real solutions. This prompted me to revolutionize my practice, dedicating the next ten years to mastering and practicing integrative and functional medicine. My transformation wasn't just professional – it was personal, as my frustration with patient care in the traditional model mirrored my personal struggles. I was silently battling autoimmune, hormonal and digestive conditions that conventional medicine couldn't fully solve. Having experienced my own health challenges, I intimately understand the frustration of feeling dismissed by the conventional medical system.
After attending my first integrative medicine conference, I experienced what I now call my "medicine awakening." Here was an approach that combined the rigor of conventional medicine with the wisdom of holistic healing. I dove headfirst into reinventing my practice, and soon after, expanded my expertise to include functional medicine. What began as a quest to provide better tools for my patients became a profound personal transformation.
Through the application of functional medicine principles rooted in scientific evidence along with lasting lifestyle changes: my autoimmune issues stabilized, chronic IBS became a distant memory, and my energy, focus and mood improved dramatically. But it was not until even years after this, when I was given a cancer diagnosis that the power of this healing model became cemented and truly evident, as I was able to navigate and withstand challenging treatment with grace and relative ease, and then came out cancer free, stronger than ever.
Professionally, another turning point came while working with patients facing cognitive decline. Using the groundbreaking Recode Protocol for preventing and reversing cognitive decline, the notion that true healing requires more than just prescriptions and brief consultations became increasingly reinforced.
I particularly discovered a critical pattern, particularly in middle-aged women experiencing cognitive difficulties. Their symptoms often stemmed from an interconnected web of:
Hormonal Imbalance
Metabolic dysfunction
Blood sugar instability
Chronic inflammation
Weight management challenges
Poor digestion
Toxin overload
Chronic stress
My patients achieved unprecedented recoveries when given three essential elements:
A comprehensive approach that addresses root causes
Personalized protocols based on advanced diagnostic testing
Continuous support and guidance throughout their healing journey
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Early in 2024, I found myself not recovering from a recent Covid infection. A friend connected me with Dr. Rana Mafee and I have been working with her for the past five months. Dr. Rana has been an invaluable resource as I work to improve my health. She is knowledgable about the most current research, data and treatment protocols. She considers all your life domains when developing your treatment plan. She looked at me as a whole person and created specific treatment protocols for my health goals. She and I worked to improve my nutrition, energy, sleep and so much more. She is a caring, understanding and thorough Dr who is passionate about improving her client's health and well-being. I would whole-heartedly recommend Dr. Rana for those looking to improve health and quality of life!
I am forever grateful for participating in Dr. Rana’s 12 week ENRG program. She opened my mind to a different approach and perspective to my health management and made a huge healthy lifestyle transition a reality for me. There is a lot of information to absorb during the 12 weeks and she set up the program at a good pace for any type of individual to be successful on their journey.
I feel I now have the right tools to make the day to day decisions that are best for my mind, body, and soul. I really appreciated her compassion for the medical journey I had been on. It was the first time in years I felt a medical professional was actively listening to me and truly cared about looking at the whole picture. She always gave me really thoughtful advice and was always willing to answer any question that came up for me. We addressed obstacles that came up in real time and she really helped me navigate some challenging setbacks. I am a very complex case and she never made made me feel like a “complicated patient” as so many physicians have made me feel before. She always went and above and beyond to understand in detail the symptoms I experience and how to reverse them instead of put a band aid on the source of the issue. My entire outlook on what I put in, on, and around my body has changed for the better. This information should be common knowledge but unfortunately is not.
Dr. Rana shares all of her knowledge and advice but is not at all pushy like so many people often are. She never comes from a place of judgement, only
compassion and education to help me reach my goals. I am proud of myself for starting my journey to a better quality life with Dr. Rana and I will recommend that anyone seeking a healthy change in their life embark on this program. We are all faced with so many options each day and this program helps you make the right choices to live an energized, good quality life. Be an advocate for your health and start the journey with Dr. Rana!!
My name is Monica and I’m a 55-year-old, married mother of three. I’d been struggling with pain for a couple years when I was introduced to Dr. Rana. I first noticed the pain in my joints, caused by obvious inflammation in the knuckles of my hands. I also experienced severe stomach pain, hot flashes and headaches, making it almost impossible for me to sleep most nights. I saw numerous doctors, including my primary care physician, two gastroenterologists, two rheumatologists and a neurologist, seeking relief. I even had my gall bladder removed based on the belief that may be causing my stomach pain. As you will see below, I’m now questioning that decision. Most recently, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. With the prospect of taking a prescription mediation for the rest of my life, I sought a second opinion and was told my diagnosis was unclear at best and to hold off on undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. At that point I was extremely confused and at a loss for what to do next.
By chance, I shared my story with a close friend who is a physician and was unaware of my ordeal. She urged me to consider calling Dr. Rana and I am so glad I did! Meeting with Dr. Rana virtually, she listened intently to my story and thoroughly examined my medical history. She asked me questions that other doctors had not asked in an attempt to identify the possible source of my pain. Dr. Rana also assigned weekly homework in the form of watching her educational videos, each one like watching an episode of Masterclass – they are incredibly well-done and extremely informative. These videos really helped me get more educated about functional medicine. Ultimately, Dr. Rana suggested I consider cutting out of my diet a few foods that may be causing inflammation. I must admit, it was a shock to the system, but I was totally committed to do anything I could to find relief. Dr. Rana helped me understand that many of my health issues may be the result of my gut health.
Over time I slowly added back some but have permanently cut out certain foods that I believe may have contributed to my inflammation and pain. I also began taking supplements because Dr. Rana suggested I may be lacking certain essential vitamins. Having now completed Dr. Rana’s 12-week program, I can honestly say I’ve seen dramatic improvement! My joint pain is minimal, I’m even back to playing tennis twice a week, I rarely have headaches, stomach pain or hot flashes. Before Dr. Rana I could count on one hand the number of nights I was able to sleep through the night without waking up in pain. Now, I sleep comfortably through the night on a regular basis. It’s really amazing the progress I’ve made in a relatively short period of time. I feel more energetic now than I have for years and have a completely new outlook on my health and well-being.
I have already recommended Dr. Rana to a number of my friends and will continue to recommend her to anyone feeling the same helplessness I did about my health situation. She is so easy to talk to, very knowledgeable, responsive and supportive. To say her advice and recommendations were effective would be a total understatement; working with Dr. Rana was life-changing! The only person I may be more grateful for is my friend who had the forethought to recommend I get in touch with Dr. Rana in the first place.
I’ve had multiple sclerosis for over 20 years, eventually as a primary progressive form. I had lost hope for several years, being reliant on my assistive devices and too tired and fatigued and in a fog to do much of anything. I stumbled on the Wahls Protocol but did not know where to begin and hesitated as I thought chances were slim I could turn anything around. After finding Dr. Rana, I was still skeptical, but I gave her program a shot since she seemed to have all the qualifications I was looking for. It took some educating, guiding, coaching and perseverance but I completely changed my diet and some of my lifestyle habits and incorporated some targeted supplements she recommended. Within just a month, I lost 8 pounds, started to notice significantly improved energy and was able to walk with my cane in my neighborhood with my family! Family and friends also noticed I seemed less foggy and more clear. After another month, things started to continue to improve even more. I can walk short distances without my cane, I have so much more energy and my digestion is improved too! I’m a true believer now and will forever be thankful for my experience with Dr. Rana! She is so knowledgeable, dedicated to my success and compassionate. Don’t hesitate to sign up for her program!
When I started working with Dr. Rana, my health was at an all time low. I was a newish mom, working long hours and in the never-ending cycle of viruses from my kids daycare. Sleep was terrible or non-existent, which then resulted in lots of stress and overall poor health. There would be days where my mood would be so low that each day would be an emotional struggle. I hated the way I felt and knew that a lot of things needed to change, I just didn’t know what or how to change them because it all felt very overwhelming.
I was concerned initially that I would not be able to successfully go through the program and make the changes. My personal life and my career are insanely busy. My career is very unpredictable and riddled with very stressful moments. Dr. Rana’s program was a welcomed escape and positive part of my hectic day. The program is very conducive to someone who is busy. Everything is broken down and so well organized that it never felt overwhelming and always seemed manageable. As I began to notice changes, I looked forward to the next challenge because I had reinforcement that what she had to say made sense and worked!
The first thing I noticed was that I was able to curb my cravings for all things sweet! This was a big thing for me, because I felt like I always had to have them. The more I learned about nutrition, the more I wanted to control what goes in my body and ensure it was healthy foods as opposed to processed sugar. I wasn’t even intentionally committing to cutting out sweets, it just organically happened the more I leavened and the more I began to fill my belly with healthy foods! This turned into weight loss. I was shocked when I weighed myself and realized I lost weight because again, my main goal was just to be healthy, happy and have more energy. As I continued working with Dr. Rana, I began noticing more energy and my mood improved. I began to notice a pattern related to my mood and my menstrual cycle. During the focus on hormones, everything began to make sense and Dr. Rana was able to recommend some natural supplements that almost immediately helped. I noticed my mood improved and my belly fat began to disappear!
The best part of getting the positive results was the added benefit of me being able to be more active and present with my kiddos! When I started this program I was so sad that I wasn’t being the best mom I could be to my kids and was not modeling a healthy lifestyle. This program changed all of this and had actually helped me to incorporate healthy habits for my kiddos!
Being coached by Dr. Rana was like having an expert doctor, friend, counselor and cheerleader all in one! It’s very evident that she has passion for what she does and genuinely cares about the well-being of her patients/clients. Dr. Rana is absolutely brilliant and knows her stuff! Obviously that is crucial when you are trying to make lifestyle changes that can be challenging at times because you want the confidence that what you are being told is actually safe and backed by science. Beyond her knowledge, Dr. Rana is caring and compassionate. She genuinely cares about helping people and educating people on how to live a healthy life in every aspect. I was very honest about things that were hard for me to talk about, and Dr. Rana always listened and was never judgmental. She offered understanding, empathy and gave me tools to improve whatever it was I was struggling with. I would tell anyone that if you want to make actual changes in your life, following this program and being coached by Dr. Rana will do that. You have to put in the work, but I promise you, it WILL work! Life is too short to be spent feeling less than your best!
An acquaintance of mine who saw Dr. Rana as a patient a few years ago referred me to her program for a new diagnosis of alopecia areata. I was so devastated by all the hair loss and stress from my condition. Having gotten a strong endorsement from someone, I signed up to work with her. Although my hair growth recovery was not immediate, I had tremendous success during her 12 week program! Not only did I recover hair growth, but I lost a total of 28 pounds! I had no idea the impact my diet was having on my body and all the inflammation it was causing. In fact I had tried for years to lose weight in weight loss programs unsuccessfully. I was even told I was pre-diabetic by my doctor in recent years and urged to start medication, but I hesitated. After going through this program, I now realize how important reducing the inflammation and addressing my gut health was to reverse the prediabetes and finally achieve weight loss. I am forever in debt to Dr. Rana! I’m almost in complete remission from alopecia areata too! Woo hoo!
Working with Dr. Rana has changed my life! I started working with her hoping to lose 5 pounds (thinking it would be impossible to lose any more than that given that I am in perimenopause) and balance my hormones. I ended up losing 15 pounds by after 12 weeks, reduced my stress levels, and went from having moderate to severe PMS symptoms (cramping, heavy flow, taking ibuprofen consistently during my period) to having virtually no PMS symptoms. In addition, my mood is improved, my focus is enhanced, I rarely get headaches now, and I feel mentally sharper. I am more efficient at work, and I am much more mindful in my daily life. I feel the best I've ever felt, both mentally and physically. I learned new habits that will stick with me for a lifetime. Her holistic and supportive approach is incredibly effective, and I highly recommend Dr. Rana to anyone who is looking for a comprehensive means to improve all facets of wellness!
I’m in my late 40s and was starting to really feel the perimenopause kick in. My sleep was horrible, I was an anxious mess, and my cycles were all over the place. Worst of all, I was feeling like I was losing my memory and was so worried I was heading towards dementia. My gynecologist suggested I start hormone replacement, but I was so hesitant as I was so confused by it all. I stumbled on Dr. Rana’s program, and I decided to try this first before jumping to hormones. I needed to lose weight, and my diet was terrible (now I realize that even though I thought I was eating “healthy”!). It was also SO difficult to lose the weight, especially the belly fat in my later 40s. I learned a lot about why that is as I was going through the program and how to overcome it finally. Within the first month of making some lifestyle changes and starting some supplements she recommended, I started to notice a real change. Better sleep, less anxiety, a smoother cycle, and I felt the brain fog finally starting to lift. By 3 months, I was so much more relaxed and mentally clear, and I had lost 15 pounds! Belly fat gone! My cycles are not perfect, but so much better and no longer having heavy and painful periods. I know I am heading towards menopause, but I have so many tools now to be able to deal with the changes! I may need hormones down the line and feel more at ease about my future decisions about it, as Dr. Rana clearly explains the science and applications of it. Thank you Dr. Rana!
Before starting medical school, I was silently suffering with one autoimmune disease (psoriasis), chronic digestive issues, and menstrual cycles that were all over the place. By the time I finished medical residency training, I was diagnosed with my second autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) and was stressed, drained and anxiety prone. Of course thyroid hormone replacement, topical therapies for my skin and trial and error tactics to manage my digestion had a role in helping me treat symptoms. However, around the time I started exploring integrative strategies for my patients, I was diagnosed with two other autoimmune conditions, alopecia areata (leaving me with patches of hair loss) and vitiligo (patches of skin pigmentation loss). This was definitely a much needed wake up call to find alternative solutions for myself.
My early attempts at exploring complementary and alternative strategies felt like searching in the dark. Without proper guidance and a systematic approach, these initial efforts yielded limited results for both my patients and myself. But everything changed when I discovered integrative medicine and soon after functional medicine.
Through diet and lifestyle changes and treating targeted imbalances revealed by diagnostic testing not offered by conventional doctors:
✅ My chronic IBS normalized for the first time in my life
✅ My inflamed skin quieted significantly
✅ I experienced the best energy, mood and focus I had in years
✅ My hormonal cycles turned into clockwork each and every month
I soon became known in social circles as "the healthiest person people knew". Without deprivation, without an unrealistic routine, and without any mourning for habits from years past.
As life has it's many unexpected turns, in early 2024, right after turning 50, my world turned upside down with a cancer diagnosis, a particular rare form of sarcoma. Despite considering myself "healthy" and being a physician, I found myself navigating one of medicine's toughest chemotherapy protocols due to the nature of my cancer. This experience transformed not just my body, but my entire approach to healing once again.
Through my own journey, I discovered something remarkable: by starting the process with a strong physiological foundation, and by combining evidence-based integrative therapies with conventional cancer treatment, I was able to maintain my strength and vitality even through aggressive chemotherapy. My oncologist and nurses repeatedly commented that I was tolerating the treatment better than most patients they'd seen.
This personal experience deepened my already growing understanding of how our bodies can heal when we support them holistically.
As someone who suddenly experienced medically-induced menopause during treatment, I intimately understand the challenges of hormonal transitions. I've lived through the night sweats, the brain fog, the mood swings, and the fatigue - and discovered proven strategies to navigate these changes while maintaining vitality and mental clarity. As someone who has been exposed to one of the most toxic chemotherapy drugs to the brain, I know all too well what dealing with brain fog is like. But I came out on the other side of this chapter with my mental clarity and energy regained relatively quickly after the treatment ended.
Thankfully, I am now cancer free and feeling vibrant and healthy, forever grateful for what cancer has taught me, for being able to handle it with grace, and for the new found strength it has gifted me. 🙏🙏🙏
Medical school graduate from Rush University
Residency and fellowship trainings at the University of Chicago, University of Iowa and University of Illinois
Board certified in neurology and integrative medicine
Trained in Acupuncture at the Helms Medical Institute
Fully trained in functional medicine by the Institute for Functional Medicine
Practicing integrative and functional medicine for a decade
A Recode certified practitioner for preventing and reversing cognitive decline
Over a decade long student of yoga
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