GI / Stool Testing:
The Gastro-Intestinal Tract – GIT – is that part of the body that has the most interaction and the primary contact with the outside world. Everything in your body is made from only 3 items: Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. These macronutrients must be digested, absorbed, and waste/toxins have to be removed. Every cell, enzyme, hormone, every organ, is made and regenerated from only those 3 macronutrients. So, if your GIT is dysfunctional in any manner, cellular dysfunction and disease is not far behind. We utilize one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive stool tests available. This test tells us if you are digesting and absorbing your food, if you have any diseases or pathogens, how strong your immune system might be, and many additional items.
Food / Chemical Sensitive Test:
Many people today believe that they have a gluten and/or dairy allergy, but how does someone know this if they have not been tested? Another important question to ask is, WHY? Why is gluten or any other sensitive, occurring? Have you always, since birth, been sensitive to gluten (or any other item)? Also, it is important to understand the difference between an allergy and a sensitive. Allergies typically occur immediately after exposure. Someone is exposed to a pollen and starts sneezing. Whereas a sensitive can occur hours to weeks, AFTER the exposure. This makes testing the only scientific method to know without question, as to what is causing the inflammation that occurs with sensitivities, damaging your body.
Mold Test:
Especially if someone lives in a humid part of the United States, also anyone who has had long term exposure to mold – either in the home or office, can be diseased by this mold exposure. Most everyone is exposed to mold in the environment; however, it is the long term exposure, hour by hour, day by day, week after week, that a person can breathe in mold spores and that exposure can cause the mold to start thriving in a body. However, mold, living in the body, releases what are called mycotoxins. Per scientific research, mycotoxins, can cause any number of symptoms and diseases. Anyone with long term exposure to mold should be very concerned that any disease process they might have, could be caused by long term mold exposure.
Genetic Testing:
The genes that make up the substance of who we are as humans, is handed down from generation to generation. Many times, these genes can be modified by the environment, the food/water, stress and inflammation. Recent discoveries demonstrate that these “modifiable factors” are only recognized through genetic testing. Sometimes, by understanding a patient’s genetic makeup, can steps be taken to change that genetic expression improve the health and life of a patient.
Blood Lab Tests:
These are routine blood labs that most all doctors order when the patient presents with an acute or chronic condition. There is a difference however! Functional Medicine Doctors look at blood lab tests differently. Instead of looking at H’s and L’s (highs and lows), Functional Medicine Doctors look at the actual values and then compare them with other laboratory values to determine if they’re the beginning signs of a dysfunction, sometimes well before a symptom or disease occurs.
MNT – Micro Nutrient Testing:
Functional Medicine examines if the cells of your body have the vital and essential necessary vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants, in order to function properly. Without these vital nutrients, it would be like cooking your favorite meal without the proper ingredients – it probably wouldn’t taste very good.
LPP – Lipo Protein Particle Testing:
Cholesterol is just one of a multitude of the risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. That’s why Functional Medicine uses LPP to examine many of these scientific risk factors like Homocysteine, CRP, glucose, insulin and more, to provide a more comprehensive analysis of a patient’s risk factors in developing CVD.
Telemere Testing:
Do you REALLY want to know your age? Functional Medicine works with Lab Partners to test Telemeres which are parts of your chromosomes and fragment and shorten as we age. Measuring the length of a telomere is way to estimate your cellular age. By measuring your cellular age and comparing to your chronological age, we can determine if you are aging quicker, or more slowly than the standard rate of aging.
Adrenal / Neurotransmitter Testing — Stress Response:
Fight or Flight – it is the natural response by our body when presented with a stressful situation. This response allows us to prepare for events that can harm our body. It developed over the centuries that humans have been on this planet. In the beginning, the stresses we endured, were primarily from something trying to hurt us (animals, weather, enemies) or the inability to find food or water. Those were our only two stresses. But in today’s society, there are a multitude of stressors that cause substantial damage at the cellular level, causing symptoms such as: depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disorders, mood changes, brain fog, and even sexual dysfunction, etc. Our testing, can reveal the underlying dysfunction of your stress response, allowing your symptoms to occur. Then using our holistic approach, we gently try to restore balance and health to your fight/flight system.