Identify the Root Cause: Test to Assess, Don’t Guess

Identify the root cause rather than focusing on the symptoms! This is a priority (not an option) for true healing and restoration of health to occur. Many underlying health issues can go undetected for years, leaving you feeling frustrated and hopeless. Diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, sickness and lifestyle diseases do not happen overnight. The process starts much earlier and takes years to develop.

Functional lab testing and comprehensive blood tests are important to help identify the root cause of an autoimmune disease, thyroid dysfunction,  digestive complaints, anxiety, and any imbalance or underlying health problems in order to eliminate symptoms.

Holistic nutrition, lifestyle medicine, integrative and functional health understand that the mind, body, emotions, environment and the soul are interconnected, and…

1. identifies the root cause and underlying imbalances instead of focusing on the symptoms and prescribing a ‘pill for an ill’
2. covers all spokes of the health and wellness wheel utilizing an integrative and holistic approach: nutrition, diet, lifestyle, early childhood illnesses, traumas, stress, hormones, biochemistry, physiology, environmental exposures, genetics, the soul (mind, will and emotions), relationships, and current health challenges
3. educates and empowers the individual providing them with realistic lifestyle solutions, tools, and a bio-individualized plan of action to heal naturally using a comprehensive integrative approach
4. empowers the individual to take responsibility for their choices and the outcome of their health and well-being
5. defines “health” as being free of pain and dis-ease, having plenty of energy, healthy digestion, sleeping well, balanced hormones, a happy and healthy relationship with self, and thinking, feeling, functioning and looking your best!

When helping people in my role as a clinical and holistic nutritionist, functional health practitioner and health coach, my responsibility and intention is to make an impact, educate and empower each individual so they can attain exceptional levels of health naturally not just physically, but addressing all spokes of their health and wellness wheel unique to their bio-chemistry, environment, genetics, goals and lifestyle.

Functional lab testing is smart, it’s sensible, and will provide you with hope and the answers you’ve been seeking. With the right lab testing, you will be provided with bio-individualized information that is unique to your biochemistry so you can heal naturally.

Put an end to the guess work when it comes to your health. Get solid answers and identify the root cause of any ailment, imbalance or health problem.

Root Cause: 12 Reasons Functional Lab Testing Works!

1. Identifies underlying root cause(s) of any health complaints or imbalances in your body
2. Determine your unique nutrient deficiencies or excesses
3. Natural, non-toxic healing opportunities
4. Remove speculation and end the vicious cycle of trial and error
5. Helps you monitor conditions that may be a concern in your genetic profile, family or personal medical history
6. Saves time, money, energy, provides hope and ends frustration
7. Functional blood chemistry analysis is based on optimal ranges for optimal health and thriving, versus ‘normal’ lab ranges
8. Provides empowering information to establish bio-individualized recommendations
9. Greater compliance for superior results
10. Beneficial for healthy aging, preventing illness and disease
11. Get a wealth of information on the state of your health according to your unique biochemistry at the cellular level
12. Learn the information you need to understand your results and take control of your health

Identify the Root Cause – Test to Assess, Don’t Guess

In addition to the following lab tests, a comprehensive health history that includes a personalized health timeline, lifestyle and environmental factors, plus subjective indicators is extremely helpful to identify contributing factors and root causes.

Recommended Functional Lab Tests. These lab tests will identify root causes of underlying health problems including nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, absorption and digestive function, inflammatory markers, immune function, oxidation, toxic load and detoxification problems, underlying infections, and hidden stressors.

Five of the most neglected areas of assessment by medical professionals are environmental toxicity, allergies, underlying infections including viral, bacterial, yeast and parasites, hidden dental problems, and nutritional deficiencies. —Dr. Simon Yu, MD

Comprehensive Blood Work. A blood test is essentially a blueprint of your health and a glimpse of your future. It can tell you how well your kidneys and liver are functioning, your potential for heart disease and diabetes, thyroid function, the strength of your immune system, the chemical profile of your blood, and many other important facts about the state of your health.

“When it comes to your health and well-being, your blood is the key to a wealth of information, and it never lies.” —Dr. Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, ND

Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis

• will help to prevent and rule out potential risk factors of disease
• identify any possible underlying health issues
• detect hormone imbalances
• address subclinical issues years in advance
• identify your personal nutrient deficiencies or excesses based on your unique biochemistry
• motivate you to change your dietary habits, start a fitness program, or alter certain aspects of your lifestyle, such as your stress level, circadian rhythm and sleep patterns
• order your own blood tests: download the List of Labs

Nutrient deficiencies are often overlooked as a root cause to many illnesses. Nutrient deficiencies affect mood, hormones, brain function, the appearance of your skin, hair and nails, energy, neurotransmitters, and immune function. Nutrient deficiencies are associated with the chronic disease process and the overall condition of one’s health.

Stool Testing. A comprehensive DNA stool test is an advanced stool that that is much more sensitive than the conventional stool test because is uses Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology to amplify DNA.

The Comprehensive DNA stool test measures premier biomarkers of GI function, providing valuable insight into digestive performance, gut inflammation, and the gut microbiome — areas affecting not only GI health, but overall health as well.

The results of the comprehensive DNA stool test provide an extensive look at the health and function of your GI health: evaluates microbiota, levels of healthy gut flora (bacteria balance and imbalances), detects underlying pathogens, dysbiosis, infections (parasites, yeast, fungi, Candida overgrowth, bacterial), maldigestion and malabsorption, inflammation, immune function (sIgA), short chain fatty acid status, and other biomarkers of GI health.

Stool Test Kit. GI Effects Comprehensive Profile – Stool (Three Day Collection)-Genova Kit

Toxic Metal Test. A provoked urine analysis is an invaluable tool for assessing the retention of toxic heavy metals in the body. An Organic Acid Test (OAT) is a reliable means to identify short-term toxic metal exposure and evaluate intracellular nutrient mineral status. Hair testing is the tissue of choice for detection of recent exposure to elements such as arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, lead, antimony and mercury whereas urine assesses the retention. Toxic elements may be 200 to 300 times more highly concentrated in hair than in blood or urine. Toxic metals do not have any useful physiological function, adversely affect virtually every organ system, disrupt the balance of nutrient elements, and can be the root cause of many underlying health conditions including fatigue, hypothyroid, an autoimmune disease, hypertension, dementia, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. Evaluate exposure to potentially toxic elements such as mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, arsenic and other toxic metals, and wasting of nutrient elements.

Food Sensitivity Testing. An IgG food panel blood test will provide you with a list of foods that your immune system is reacting to. Food sensitivities are associated with inflammation that are linked to chronic health problems. Food sensitivities are much more common than food allergies. Symptoms include bloating, digestive disorders, migraines, weight loss resistance, chronic fatigue, achy joints, skin disorders, and behavioral issues. It has been estimated that upwards of 70-80% of the U.S. population has food sensitivities. It’s important to realize that food sensitivity testing comes with a high margin of error making the results invalid.

Additional Lab Tests to consider

? NutrEval® FMV W/Nutrient & Toxic Elements

? Micronutrient Testing. This test is a comprehensive nutritional analysis of the body’s intracellular function that measures 35 selected vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential micronutrients within your white blood cells. This analysis can reveal a person’s functional nutritional status over a much longer period of time than conventional static serum testing, thus providing you with a more meaningful measurement than all other nutritional testing.

? Genetic Testing. An inexpensive test to assess the genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases, confirm or rule out a suspected genetic mutation such as MTHFR, APOE4, COMT, BRCA and many other SNPs, deficiencies or excesses in methylation, and other genetic markers.

? Pyrrole Metabolic Panel, Urine. This is a simple urine test to screen for elevated pyrroles. People with mood disorders, anxiety, depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, alcoholism, ADD, ADHD and OCD should all be screened for pyroluria using this simple urine test. Elevated pyrroles alter brain chemistry, deplete zinc and vitamin B-6, and cause oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.

? Organic Acids and Metabolic Analysis Profile. The Organic Acids Test (OAT) offers a comprehensive metabolic snapshot of a person’s overall health. It’s a simple urine test that looks at biomarkers from various metabolic pathways in order to evaluate four critical areas of metabolism: gastrointestinal function, oxidative stress, cellular and mitochondrial energy production, neurotransmitter processing, short-term toxic metal exposure, and amino acid/organic acid balance as influenced by vitamin and mineral levels. Results can be used to address chronic systemic complaints ranging from chronic fatigue and mood disorders to headache, muscle and joint pain, and digestive problems.

? DUTCH Complete to assess hormone function, hormone metabolites, organic acids and adrenal function

? Other helpful and important tests. Depending on the individual, further testing may be required. These may include Lyme disease, neurotransmitter testing, H. Pylori, viral infections, detailed cholesterol profile, mycotoxin/mold panel and other tests.

Let’s get started! Contact my office today!

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