Why We Test
If you've ever decided to "get healthy" or "do the right things" for your health - cutting down on carbs, eliminating gluten and dairy, taking probiotics, exercising - only to end up worse-off in three months than you were before you started, you're not alone.
Getting healthy can be challenging, especially when you don't really know what you should be doing.
This is one of the many reasons why we firmly believe in functional testing. If we know exactly how your unique body is functioning - how it is processing nutrients, how it is handling inflammation - we can more effectively support your body's healing processes, and help you meet your goals.
Another powerful reason why we test is that it helps us get to the root cause of poor health. Functional testing takes a deeper look than traditional labs as to what is going on beneath the surface. It allows us to find the missing puzzle pieces for your health so that you can get back on track again. Sometimes the missing piece is a poor gut health, sometimes it is rapid-fire inflammation, other times it is hormone imbalances. All of these things are key when you are trying to improve your health.
Here is a short video on the power of Functional Testing:
Curious to know a little more?
Here is a list of our most advanced functional tests:
Nutrigenomic Testing
Nutrigenomic testing is the study of how our genes impact our nutrition, and how our nutrition impacts our genes. It is simply the most detailed look at how you are designed as a unique individual, and how your body handles things like inflammation, immune system function, detoxification, energy production, mood & behavior, and more.
Consider your body as a vehicle. Are you running on a fourth-tank of gas? Are your brakes not functioning? Do you have the gas-pedal stuck down and are running on overdrive? Or is your oil boggy and in desperate need of a change? The design and condition of your vehicle and how you take care of it GREATLY impact how long and how well your vehicle will function throughout its lifetime.
In your body, your gas and brake pedals represent how aggressively you process inflammation (illness, injury, allergic reactions). The oil system represents how well your body is clearing-out toxins and debris. And the gasoline? That represents how well you are fueling all of the cells in your body.
If you've been struggling with chronic health challenges and feel like you've had every test under the sun run on yourself - but are still struggling - nutrigenomic testing will help you tie it all together, finally.
DNA Stool Testing
DNA stool testing is an incredibly advanced look at overall gut health. It tells us three key things: 1) what pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) are present in the gut that may be hindering you health 2) the amount of beneficial bacteria present 2) the extent of damage & inflammation in the tissues of the gut. This testing is more advanced than traditional stool culture testing. It is much more effective in recognizing a host of pathogens.
We utilize this testing for people suffering from chronic gut-related conditions, poor immune function, and for children with sepctrum-type disorders, because there is a strong link between gut health and each of these conditions.
DUTCH Hormone Testing
We offer the most advanced hormone testing available - the DUTCH Hormone line of tests. These tests are simple, at home collections using urine and saliva to measure multiple hormone pathways, rather than a single hormone in the blood. This testing is the best option for those struggling with hormone imbalances, cycle imbalances, fertility problems, menopause challenges, and more.
Comprehensive Thyroid Testing
We offer comprehensive thyroid hormone testing in our office, looking at ALL of the hormones involved in thyroid health. Most traditional thyroid tests look only at one or two hormones in the bloodstream. The problem with that is that unless you are in full-blown hypothyroidism, you may not see the problems developing beneath the surface.
Our approach is to look at full hormone pathways and to utilize saliva hormone testing, blood work, and/or temperature studies so we can pick-up on what your body is actually doing with these hormones. Sometimes we tie-in other advanced testing as well so we can see even deeper into why your hormones are "off."
Heavy Metal Testing
Our environment is incredibly toxic. From amalgam fillings to lead paints, chemicals, pollutants, and junk in our foods, it is common for our bodies to become burdened with toxins. The tricky thing about heavy metal toxins is that they can be stored in our body's tissues making it hard to recognize their presence and impact on our health.
If you are worried that heavy metals may be hindering your healing, we can help you find out. We offer multiple methods for assessing heavy metal toxins in the body - hair analysis, urine testing, saliva, blood, and stool tests - and we can help you pick the right testing for your body.
Food Allergy Testing
Our advanced food allergy testing incorporates a full-spectrum look at the foods your body is reacting to. We combine IgG and IgA markers, whereas most traditional tests only look at IgG reactions. The trouble with only looking at one type of reaction is that it can leave-out vital information in the understanding of what is hindering your gut health. Many patients will have an IgA reaction to a food group but not an IgG, and vice versa. It is crucial to look at both when trying to heal the gut.
MicroNutrient Testing
MicroNutrient testing is a powerful compliment test to any of our advanced testing. It measures your body's levels of key nutrients - vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and more - by looking at the cellular intake of these nutrients rather than measuring what is in your bloodstream. Traditional vitamin & mineral tests can be misleading, as measuring what is in the blood can change at any given time. What is more beneficial is to look at why has actually gotten into your cells.
From this test we are able to determine key things:
If you have a gut-health problem that is hindering your absorption of nutrients
How well you are processing sugars and whether you are sensitive to them
How your immune system is functioning
How your antioxidants are functioning
Which specific nutrients you need to supplement yourself with (and which you do not)
We also offer Standard lab testing as needed. Our goal is always to approach each person as a unique individual and to pick the absolute best testing for them so that we can gain the most amount of insight with the least amount of testing.
Interested in Scheduling a Consultation?
If you would like more information about our functional testing or nutrition services, click the link below: