Dr. Matt Lewis, DC, CFMP, DACBN, is a doctor and Functional Medicine Practitioner who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic health conditions. His passion is seeing his patients put their chronic conditions in the rear-view mirror and enjoy their lives again. He is an active member of the International Society of Environmentally Acquired Illness (ISEAI).

What is the name of your practice, where are you located, and do you offer remote help?

BioDesign Wellness Center is located in Tampa, Florida, where we offer on-site appointments for our patients as well as virtual healthcare appointments online. In-person visits take place at our offices at 4111 West Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa. For an appointment, patients may call (813) 445-7770. For virtual appointments, visit doctormattintampa.com. Our email address is biodesign@biodesignwellness.com.

What are your specialties and unique perspectives on environmental health?

I have been practicing clinical nutrition and functional medicine for 20 years. During this time, I have worked with a variety of patients suffering EAI, autoimmunity, chronic fatigue, and digestive disorders, and I have done so by practicing a more holistic approach to healing. My approach is consultative, and my perspective is simple: The beauty and art of Functional Medicine starts with good listening. 

When dealing with environmentally acquired illness, it is common to have a multitude of symptoms and chronic conditions. The environmental exposure or toxicity experienced by my patients is real and can be debilitating. I find in many cases my patients need an approach that can be tailored to their lifestyle, sensitivities, and unique medical history. 

How did you get into your field of expertise and what led you into the realm of EAI?

It all started with me being the patient! It was during my fifth year of practice that I suddenly displayed debilitating symptoms including brain fog, fatigue, chronic sinusitis, muscle and joint pain. The list goes on. Bottom line: I was ready to “throw in the towel.” 

I found myself unable to read a published study and retain any information. Scary stuff! I was working in a medical arts building in New York, and I made the rounds, visiting just about every medical expert in the building. After exhaustive tests, I was told everything was normal. However, when I was made aware of mold and water damage in the medical building and my home, I had that light bulb moment. I attended one of Dr. Shoemaker’s seminars and started to fit the pieces into the puzzle of EAI. That’s when I realized many of my most challenging patients who were failing in conventional and functional medicine needed to be looked at for EAI. As a result, I was finally able to start healing myself and others with environmentally acquired illnesses.  

What are one or two of your biggest EAI “aha” moments? 

My initial introduction to EAI came during a Surviving Mold Convention in Arizona where I first learned the connection between environmentally acquired illness and neuroinflammation. My next “aha” moment was the discovery of just how many of my patients were being impacted, at least in part, by mold or other infections coming from water damaged homes or buildings.  

What would you like the public and other ISEAI members to know?

To ISEAI members: What a blessing this organization is to both themselves and their patients! ISEAI is where the best of the best in EAI come to collaborate in a respectful, mindful and forthright manner, leading to improved clinical outcomes for patients and satisfaction for healthcare providers. 

To the public: I am glad you found ISEAI. There are boundless resources here for you to educate yourselves and those around you. Know that you can heal, and your quality of life can improve dramatically. Environmentally acquired illnesses do not necessarily have a full cure, but a full cure is not required to live a near-normal life and feel great. I always say, I am 90 percent cured — not exactly the person I was before EAI. However, my quality of life is fantastic, and I am well. 

Get in touch:

BioDesign Wellness Center
Phone: (813) 445-7770
Website: BioDesign Wellness Center
Email: biodesign@biodesignwellness.com