As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, I address the body as a whole. FDN® is a system to investigate underlying causal factors and identify healing opportunities, with the goal being to correct imbalances and encourage the body to heal itself naturally. Where the conventional medical model aims to identify sickness and disease, we are focused on identifying factors that are downgrading optimal function and ideal health. There is often this gray area for people where their traditional labs look “normal”, but they are not feeling their best and in fact, do not feel great at all. Functional lab work helps us identify HIDDEN stressors and dysfunctions that are negatively influencing health and contributing to what we call Metabolic Chaos®. Metabolic Chaos® is a term we use to describe the varied dysfunctions, symptoms, and complaints that can result from subtle dysfunctions in various systems throughout the body. It is basically when your body loses its ability to maintain balance, and it is your body’s attempt to get your attention and prompt you to take action to restore balance. The functional labs we use help us better understand what body systems have been impacted and to what degree. This lab information, along with a client’s medical history and current symptoms, forms the basis for our targeted health rebuilding plans. With this insight and knowledge about how the body functions and where function is not optimal, we can help each client apply individualized wellness principles in order to rebuild health and resilience to stressors, while also identifying individual obstacles to health along the way and how to overcome them. Our bodies have an innate intelligence, so we can reasonably expect the body to heal itself when it is given the right conditions, where cells, tissues, and organs are nurtured. Our proven 5 pillar programs will help long standing symptoms to resolve, balance to return, and health, energy and vitality will be restored. The labs are key to this process.
Here are some of my favorite functional lab tests…
DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones):
This test is one of my all time favorites! It is a four point urine test, done at specific intervals, in the comfort of your own home. This is a very comprehensive test that benefits both men and women. Through this test, we can get a clear picture of a person’s diurnal cortisol pattern. How your cortisol pattern behaves gives us a great deal of information about energy levels, stress levels, and even clues about blood sugar and the health of the gut. This test also gives us a great picture of one’s sex hormone levels and whether they are all in balance. This includes not only estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA levels, but also how safely these hormones are being metabolized and cleared by the body. In this client’s test example below, we can see that her Estrogen is high, her Progesterone is low and her Testosterone is within range. This correlates with her heavy periods, painful cramping and breast tenderness. In addition, we can see that her cortisol is being metabolized too quickly.
Additionally, through the organic acid profile, this test gives us information about oxidative stress, protein digestion, some B vitamin levels, antioxidant status (in particular the glutathione level), and even indications of neurotransmitter status. All of this data helps us better understand why you might be stressed, or having difficulty sleeping, having hormonal symptoms such as hot flashes or mood swings, or even why you could be struggling with depression or anxiety. In the example below, we can see that this client is likely deficient in Biotin, as well as some of her neurotransmitters that are necessary for mental well-being.
MRT (the Mediator Release Test):
Another amazing test, this one is the only one that necessitates a trip to the lab for a blood draw. Through this blood test, we can gather information about your degree of sensitivity to over 170 foods and food additives. Having this sort of information is very helpful in helping us pinpoint why you could be experiencing an array of vague symptoms related to foods you are ingesting. These symptoms can vary widely from headaches/migraines, to brain fog, skin issues, gut disturbances, diarrhea/constipation, and many other random symptoms that people typically do not associate with food. In fact, sometimes symptoms are delayed by several days, so it is very difficult to determine what food is the culprit without a test such as this. Having the knowledge will help you remove foods that are causing issues, while also having the confidence to broaden your food choices to foods that are safe for your body. In the example below, we can see that this client has numerous sensitivities to both foods and food additives.
HTMA (the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis):
A great test that is performed at home, all you have to do is cut a sample of your hair at the base of your head. Through this test, we can get a picture of how effectively different bodily systems are functioning, what the levels are of many of your different minerals in your body and also whether you have too much exposure to various dangerous heavy metals. With this information, we can tailor your diet and supplement protocols to make sure you have sufficient intake of key minerals and also to help you detox any undesirable heavy metals. Mineral balancing is key to your nutrient status, proper bodily function of all systems, and even in signaling satiety and limiting cravings. In the example below, we can see that this client has numerous mineral imbalances (they should all fall within the blue shaded area). She also has too much Aluminum and Mercury in her system. In addition, many of her mineral ratios are out of balance, implicating possible dysfunction in various body systems.
More on GI-MAP:
We covered the first part of this test in Part I (click here). The second half of this test provides so much great information about how your gut and liver are functioning. There are markers that tell us how well your are digesting fats (Steatocrit), whether your pancreatic enzymes are sufficient for proper digestion (Elastase), whether your liver is working to detoxify your body effectively (B-Glucuronidase), whether your immune system is strong, overactive or depleted (Secretory IgA), whether you have gluten sensitivity (Anti-Gliadin), as well as markers for overall inflammation (Calprotectin). This test is done in the comfort of your home by providing a stool sample that is shipped to the lab. Who would have thought that so much amazing information could be gleaned from one test! In this example below, this client exhibits a compromise in her liver detox capabilities with her elevated B-Glucuronidase as well as decreased activity in her gut immune function as shown in her low Secretory IgA.
Thyroid Panel:
This is a blood panel that must be performed at a lab. Often doctors only look at TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) to determine if a patient has a thyroid condition. The problem with only looking at TSH is that TSH is a hormone that comes from the brain to trigger the thyroid to release its hormones (T4 is inactive and T3 is active). However, it does not tell us whether the thyroid is actually releasing these hormones and if they are adequate. For that we need to see free T4 and T3 levels, as well as reverse T3. In addition, to really know how the thyroid is functioning, we also need information about thyroid antibodies, iron levels and even B vitamin status. While we as FDNs cannot prescribe medication if a thyroid issue is found, we can help you find a doctor that can prescribe the best medications and we can also help you with diet and lifestyle solutions to decrease stress on the thyroid gland and to help improve its function naturally. In the example below, this client has an elevated TSH, which indicates hypothyroidism. In addition, while her iron level is good, her T4 and T3 are both below what we would consider optimal.
Along with data from the other tests featured in Part One, in finding these imbalances, dysfunctions and hidden stressors, we can develop an individualized natural health protocol to address each client’s health concerns, optimizing their health and vitality. In fact, I believe that if we take the necessary diet, rest, exercise, stress reduction and supplementation steps to correct the imbalances we find, the body will not only heal itself, but we will be taking great strides to prevent chronic diseases from popping up in the future.
