Virtual care for women in Lafayette
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Lafayette, CO
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Lafayette?
Lafayette women can work with Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., on hormones, digestion and metabolism without leaving home, since all of her visits are virtual. Her credentials include family medicine board certification (ABFM), the FMCP-M from the Institute for Functional Medicine, and MSCP certification from The Menopause Society. She treats gut issues such as SIBO, IBS and reflux, along with perimenopause, menopause and insulin resistance, using HRT when appropriate.
Food is where a lot of Dr. Maren's work begins. Outside the practice she cooks from scratch, and her nutrition approach is protein-centric and built on whole foods rather than rules you will abandon in a month. If bloating, reflux or unpredictable digestion has you planning your day around your gut, her team tests instead of guessing, using stool and SIBO breath testing when it makes sense, then connects what they find to your energy, mood and hormones. A dinner in Old Town Lafayette or an evening loop around Waneka Lake should feel good, not like something you pay for afterward.
Read how she approaches perimenopause and menopause, hormone replacement therapy and thyroid care, or start with Christine's journey.
What does Dr. Maren treat for women in Lafayette?
Hormones, thyroid, gut, metabolism and the immune system all influence one another, so she treats them as one connected picture.
Sleep, mood, hot flashes, cycles and weight, treated as one connected picture.
Bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone when appropriate, prescribed and monitored by a physician.
A full thyroid panel with antibodies, not just TSH, and medication tuned to how you feel.
Testing for SIBO, dysbiosis and infections, then a plan to remove, repair and rebuild.
Insulin resistance, muscle and body composition, with GLP-1 therapy when appropriate.
Irregular cycles, androgen excess and estrogen dominance, traced to the root cause.
Finding the triggers that keep inflammation going, alongside the care you already have.
How is Dr. Maren's care different from a typical visit?
She combines the power to prescribe with the precision of functional medicine, and she looks for the root cause instead of treating one symptom at a time.
| What you get | Dr. Maren | Typical general visit |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Board-certified physician, IFM certified (FMCP-M) and MSCP | Varies, and menopause training is often limited |
| Hormone therapy | Prescribes bioidentical HRT when appropriate | May avoid it or offer one option |
| Testing | Hormones, a full thyroid panel, insulin, nutrients and gut health | Often one hormone level or TSH alone |
| The big picture | Sleep, mood, weight, gut, libido and energy together | Symptoms treated one at a time |
| Time with you | A 90-minute initial case review | Often a brief appointment |
| Follow-up | Regular follow-ups and portal messaging between visits | Often a one-time prescription |
When should women in Lafayette see a hormone or menopause specialist?
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Irregular, heavier or closer-together periods
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Anxiety, irritability or low mood
- Brain fog and forgetfulness
- Weight gain around the middle
- Bloating, reflux or a gut that will not settle
- Exhausted, but told your labs are normal
These symptoms are common, but they are not something you simply have to live with. See the early signs of perimenopause.
How does virtual care work if you live in Lafayette?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in Colorado and that the practice is the right fit.
Talk it through
If it looks like a fit, you will be invited to a complimentary discovery call with the team.
Meet from home
Your 90-minute initial case review and initial nutrition consultation happen by video, from home in Lafayette or wherever you are in Colorado.
Test and personalize
Your conventional blood work is drawn near home in east Boulder County, and Dr. Maren's team walks through the findings with you, one by one. Your step-by-step plan follows, with regular follow-ups and secure portal messaging between visits.
What is Dr. Maren's approach?
Her signature three-pillar approach: address root causes, optimize hormones and build resilience. We don't guess. We test.
Address the root cause
We go deeper to uncover and treat what is driving your symptoms, starting with gut health and its links to the immune system, hormones, metabolism and nutrients.
Optimize hormones
With comprehensive labs and clinical expertise, we dial in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, thyroid medications and innovative therapies like peptides and GLP-1s, when appropriate.
Build resilience
By integrating individualized nutrition, movement, lifestyle and mindset strategies, we help you strengthen your foundation for long-term health, energy and vitality.
Serving Lafayette and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Colorado does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Lafayette, and throughout east Boulder County.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Lafayette: FAQs
Is there a gut health doctor near Lafayette?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren and her team treat SIBO, IBS, bloating, dysbiosis, candida, H. pylori, food sensitivities and reflux, and they see Lafayette women by video. Gut care is never handled in isolation. Because your gut affects your hormones, thyroid, immune system and mood, your plan addresses all of them together.
Can a functional medicine doctor prescribe hormone therapy?
It depends on the doctor's license. Dr. Maren is a board-certified family physician as well as a certified functional medicine practitioner, so she can prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone when appropriate, along with thyroid medication and other treatments, and adjust them as your labs and symptoms change.
Do I have to give up foods I love to fix my gut?
Usually not. The goal is a sustainable way of eating, not a list of permanent restrictions, unless a condition like celiac disease truly calls for one. Some plans include a short elimination phase or targeted treatment, guided by testing, but Dr. Maren's philosophy is progress over perfection. Her team builds meals around protein and whole foods you actually enjoy, then reintroduces foods as things improve.
Do I need to be in Colorado during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in Colorado, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Illinois, Michigan and Texas), at the time of each video visit.
Can Dr. Maren work with my gastroenterologist in Boulder County?
Yes. Her care complements your gastroenterologist rather than replacing that care. Scopes and imaging stay with your GI doctor, while Dr. Maren's team looks at gut function, food sensitivities, the microbiome and the links to your hormones and energy. The team can coordinate with your gastroenterologist, and any medication change is made thoughtfully.
How do I become a patient in Lafayette?
Start with the brief online application. If it looks like a good fit, you will get an email inviting you to book a complimentary discovery call with the team. If it is a match, you will be scheduled for a 90-minute initial case review and an initial nutrition consultation, all by video from home in Lafayette.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not contract with insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. This allows us to provide personalized, unhurried care without the limitations of insurance-based models. However, the vast majority of patients use their insurance to cover conventional lab work, and many also use HSA or FSA funds to pay for our services.
Can Dr. Maren be my primary care doctor?
No. The practice functions as a specialty consulting service. You will still need a primary care provider near Lafayette for general medical needs, physical exams and urgent issues like infections or injuries.
Ready to feel like yourself again, only better?
Dr. Maren and her team see women in Lafayette and across Colorado by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.