“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
— Thomas A. Edison, 1903
Nutrient Needs
Eating a whole foods nutrient dense diet is so important to our overall health. However, even if you are eating the best diet in the world, if your digestion is not optimal, you are not able to assimilate the nutrients that your body needs from those foods. Proper acidity in the stomach, enzyme output, intestinal permeability, and biliary dysfunction are just some of the areas that may need to be addressed to ensure optimal digestive function.
Digestive Dysfunction
Proper digestion is also key to ensure that bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens don’t take up residency in your body. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), yeast and fungal overgrowth, SIBO, dysbiosis, and leaky gut are just some of the issues that can be affecting how you feel, and they can show up as symptoms in a myriad of different ways.
Epigenetics
Besides diet and digestion, genetics and environment also play roles in our overall health and wellbeing. It’s very important to know, however, that just because someone in your family suffers from disease, it doesn’t mean that it automatically becomes your fate. Various studies have shown that chronic disease and dysfunction are only 10-20% due to genetics while the other 80-90% are due to environmental factors. The environment you were raised in, your diet, lifestyle, and movement levels, your social activities and support network, your exposure to toxins and pathogens, as well as many other items can all induce epigenetic disturbances.
Did you know that the following symptoms can be related to digestive dysfunction, hidden food sensitivities, hormonal imbalance, or other dysregulation in the body?
- Headaches, migraines, dizziness, dark circles under your eyes
- Acid indigestion, bloating, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation
- Fatigue, joint pain, anxiety, depression, brain fog, concentration problems, insomnia
- Asthma, heart palpitations, low or high blood pressure, increased liver enzymes
- Eczema, acne, hives, hair loss, dandruff
- Menstrual irregularities, cramping, abnormal adrenal function
- Sore throat, chronic cough, canker sores, ear fullness
“The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
— Ann Wigmore
Specialized Testing for 1:1 Clients
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GI-MAP®
The GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus) is a stool test that uses quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology, targeting the specific DNA of the organisms tested. The test detects bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens. The test also detects H. pylori and virulence factors, levels of commensal and opportunistic bacteria, as well as fungi/yeast and various intestinal health markers. Since 70%+ of immunity resides in the gut, this easy, at-home test can provide a tremendous amount of information and is the best starting place to address your health issues.
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Comprehensive Functional Blood Chemistry Panel
The Comprehensive Functional Blood Chemistry Panel measures over 75 different heath markers, including blood sugar, cardiovascular, red blood cell, liver, gallbladder, thyroid, immune, inflammation, kidney, adrenal, dehydration, digestive, and nutrient deficiency markers. The panel provides crucial information to help identify potential patterns of dysfunction. Analyzing blood panels with a functional eye goes beyond checking if results are within a “normal” range—markers that are within lab “normal” ranges do not necessarily mean they are optimal since “normal” ranges, which may vary between different testing labs, can have significant spreads between the upper and lower limits.
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MRT®
The Mediator Release Test (MRT) is a blood test that quantifies the level of reaction to 170 different foods and chemicals. The MRT identifies immune-based outcomes causing mediator releases in the blood that can have a wide range of adverse inflammatory reactions affecting various areas of the body. The test measures the outcomes of all non-IgE hypersensitivity reactions and has a very high level of sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility. Removing hidden food sensitivities is an imperative part of correcting digestive dysfunction.
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DUTCH Test
The DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is a thorough assessment of sex and adrenal hormones and their metabolites. This easy, at-home urine test provides extensive information on estradiol, estrone, and estriol levels and how these hormones are recirculated and eliminated. The test also provides information on progesterone, DHEA, DHEA-S, and melatonin levels as well as other nutritional and neurotransmitter markers. The DUTCH test can provide important insights to help determine root-cause factors for a wide variety of health issues and potential areas of disease risk.
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Adrenal Markers
Included within the DUTCH test are specific hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal axis (HPA-Axis) markers. These markers include total free cortisol levels as well as cortisol and cortisone metabolites. In addition, daily free cortisol and cortisone diurnal patterns are included within the test to help assess how your body is responding to stress during specific times of the day. Chronic stress can have a myriad of negative effects on different systems within the body, including immune and reproduction functions, protein synthesis, and bone formation.