Functional Medicine
As an integrative clinical nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner, my nutritional approach is based on functional medicine, a cutting-edge, scientific, evidence-based approach that considers how a person's unique biochemical individuality together with genetic, environmental, mind, body, soul and lifestyle factors impact health. Functional medicine focuses on health support through the use of food, diet, nutrition, exercise and mind-body techniques. Functional medicine is also personalized, incorporating physiology, biochemistry and lab markers into individualized nutritional recommendations.
In my practice, I incorporate an integrative and functional medicine approach using my clinical knowledge of nutrition, physiology, biochemistry, and lab markers to tailor nutritional recommendations to each individual client's needs to help support them in achieving their nutrition and health goals.
Here is the list of the *functional labs that I currently provide nutritional analyses and support for in my practice:
Micronutrient: this test provides a comprehensive assessment of both extracellular and intracellular levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and fatty acids. It enables us to examine not only whether you’re deficient in a particular nutrient, but also whether you’re actually absorbing the nutrient in your cells.
Organic Acids: this test provides a comprehensive metabolic picture and includes markers for oxidative stress, detoxification, mitochondrial function, neurotransmitters, vitamins and antioxidants, fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, oxalates, yeast, and bacteria.
Gut Health: the primary test that I work with not only looks at markers for zonulin (i.e. “leaky gut”), intestinal inflammation, intestinal immunogobulin (IgA) levels and enzymes, it also looks at bacteria, yeast, and parasites. Food and nutritional supplement support are critical for supporting the gut and bringing it back into balance.
Adrenal: this test measures free cortisol, free cortisone, cortisol metabolites, cortisone metabolites and DHEAs. Customized adrenal support involves a combination of food, nutritional supplement support and self-care practices.
Comprehensive Hormone Panel: this test measures levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, DHEA-S and their respective metabolites and also includes 3 organic acid markers and 3 neurotransmitter markers. Food and nutritional supplements can be powerful tools for balancing hormones and altering the way you metabolize hormones.
Thyroid Panel: this test looks at multiple thyroid hormone markers, including T3, T4, Free T3, Free T4, TSH, Reverse T3, Anti-TPO antibodies, and Anti-TGB antibodies. For clients with with imbalanced thyroid hormones or thyroid antibodies, I am able to provide specific nutritional support recommendations to help support thyroid hormone balance.
Food Sensitivities: I generally use food sensitivity panels with clients who are still experiencing symptoms after an elimination diet. For clients with certain inflammatory conditions, I may also recommend specific wheat and/or dairy sensitivity tests, or a gluten cross-reactivity test, depending on the client’s particular issues.
For clients with labs presenting with high levels of certain heavy metals and/or environmental toxicity, I am able to provide specific nutritional support recommendations to help support the detoxification process.
*Functional labs are not diagnostic and any nutritional support recommendations tailored to functional labs are designed to address biochemical imbalances and are not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any disease or condition.