FRAMINGHAM, MA—Dr. Sailaja Reddy, MD is a mother, wife, physician, author, and professional chef. Through her decades of professional medical experience as a primary care physician, Dr. Reddy became convinced that ‘the doctors of the future are the patients themselves’.
After 25 years of practicing traditional internal medicine, Dr. Reddy founded a Functional Medicine practice in Framingham, MA. Functional Medicine is a patient-centered, evidence-based medicine, which identifies the underlying root causes of illnesses through advanced diagnostic testing and addresses these ailments via custom-tailored treatment plans for each patient.
When designing a treatment plan for a patient, their unique genetic makeup is considered along with both internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that can influence efficacy. Dr. Reddy’s functional medicine specialty is GI-related conditions.
On March 6, Dr. Reddy will be honored as one of the 20 Outstanding Women of 2021 during the 18th Annual Woman of the Year Awards ceremony— to be held virtually this year. To buy a ticket, please click here.
She graduated from S.V. Medical College in Tirupati, India and completed her residency at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, a Tuft’s University program. Dr. Reddy has received advanced training in Functional Medicine, Obesity Medicine, Integrative Medicine and Culinary Medicine. She is a certified physician through the Institute of Functional Medicine. She has also attended lifestyle modification courses at Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Reddy regularly conducts health workshops and health & fitness social media challenges that have a global reach. Her YouTube channel on healthy cooking has over 4,000 subscribers, and her official Facebook page has over 90,000 followers. She has self-published several articles on her websites (Drsaila.com and RootHealthMD.com) and is the author of several eBooks on weight loss, including ‘Whittling Away Your Waist’ and ‘Ultimate Guide for Intermittent Fasting’.
Q/A with Dr. Reddy:
INDIA New England News: Please tell our readers about your work and what you enjoy most about it?
Dr. Sailaja Reddy: I’m a functional and integrative medicine physician. Functional medicine is a new paradigm of healthcare, that focuses on identifying the underlying root causes of disease, rather than solely addressing isolated set of symptoms. For me, it’s very rewarding to see a patient’s happy face when they notice their ailments improve through a plan I created for them, when up to that point that they could not find answers anywhere else.
INE: If you’re engaged with any charity or non-profit, please tell us why this group and what do you do for them?
SR: My goal is to provide online health education to young female students and their teachers in underserved regions of India.
INE: What are your hobbies and interests?
SR: Traveling – I’ve visited several spiritual landmarks around the globe, have had the opportunity to bask in and appreciate the different cultures in dozens of countries. As a nature-lover, I believe exploring the world should be seen as life-experience.
I Enjoy photography and creating video content for my YouTube and social media channels.
Daily Yoga and Meditation.
Cooking – I enjoy learning to curate healthy dishes from different cultures. I believe cooking is a universal act that brings everyone together.
INE: In what way you feel you have most positively influenced or served the local community and your company/organization and professional field?
SR: I have a passion for helping people regain their health and wellbeing via Functional medicine, revolutionary approach to patient-centered healthcare, empowers patients to take control of their own health.
INE: Your rare talent?
SR: I take pride in my ability to make probiotic homemade foods that are traditional relics passed down for generations.
INE: Your favorite books?
SR: ‘Autobiography of Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda; ‘Breath’ by James Nestor.
INE: Your favorite quotes?
SR: “Don’t go where the path leads, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”–Ralph Waldo Emerson
Who inspires you the most – I am most inspired by people who have exhibited the will and determination to overcome extreme adversity. People who have overcome immense obstacles motivate me to persevere in my battles with smaller daily challenges.
INE: Who inspires you the most?
SR: Service and passion- I strive to make positive contributions to my community and the people around me through my service and passion for health. I find a sense of fulfillment in sharing my services with others in a way that is beneficial to their lives.
