FUNCTIONAL LABS FAQ
Why I Use Functional Labs
When you don’t feel like yourself but your doctor tells you “everything looks normal,” it can feel frustrating and confusing. You deserve more clarity than that.
Functional labs help us look at how your body is actually working, not just whether you fall inside a medical reference range. These tests reveal healing opportunities across stress, hormones, digestion, detox, inflammation, and your gut ecosystem — giving us a deeper look at what your body needs to feel balanced again.
All tests are completed at home (or in a simple local blood draw office), and once results come in, we walk through them together and build a plan tailored to your body.
✨ The Foundational 5 Lab Tests
1. Stress & Hormone Panel
(Saliva)
This test shows how your cortisol rises and falls throughout the day (your stress rhythm) and provides insight into sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Why it matters:
Imbalanced stress hormones can affect your sleep, energy, mood, appetite, weight, and overall resilience. This test helps us understand what your body is dealing with on a deeper level, even if life “feels fine on paper.”
2. Metabolic Wellness & Detox Assessment
(Dried urine)
This panel looks at how well your body breaks down food, handles waste, neutralizes stress, and manages detoxification.
Why it matters:
If your detox pathways or digestive processes are sluggish, you may notice fatigue, inflammation, brain fog, mood swings, or slow progress — even when you’re doing “everything right.”
3. Mucosal Barrier & Gut Integrity Test
(Dried blood spot)
This test evaluates the health of the gut lining — including markers for gut permeability (“leaky gut”), histamine tolerance, and inflammation.
Why it matters:
Your gut barrier affects everything: digestion, mood, immune health, food reactions, skin, and overall comfort. When the lining is stressed or inflamed, the rest of your body works overtime to compensate.
4. GI-MAP Microbiome Analysis
(Stool test)
A deeper look into your gut environment: good bacteria, harmful bacteria, yeast, parasites, digestive function, and your gut-immune balance.
Why it matters:
Your gut plays a major role in your immune system, digestion, nutrient absorption, mood, inflammation, and even your ability to lose or maintain weight. The GI-MAP uncovers imbalances that daily symptoms often point to.
5. MRT Food Sensitivity Test
(Blood draw)
This test measures inflammatory reactions your immune system has to certain foods and chemicals.
Why it matters:
Not all reactions show up immediately. Some foods create slow, simmering inflammation that impacts energy, digestion, skin, mood, bloating, sleep, or cravings. The MRT helps us identify which foods support healing — and which temporarily slow it down.
Bonus Assessment - Metabolic Typing
(online assessment)
A personalized evaluation that looks at how your unique body processes food, nutrients, and energy. Instead of a one-size-fits-all plan, it identifies your metabolic profile (how you handle proteins, carbs, and fats) so your nutrition actually works with your biology.
Why it matters:
Because two people eating the same “perfect” diet can get totally different results. When your food choices match the way your body is wired to burn fuel and balance hormones, you get better energy, smoother digestion, fewer cravings, and a more sustainable path to your weight and health goals.
What Happens After We Test?
Once your results come back, we go through everything together in a clear, easy-to-understand way. From there, I create a personalized plan built around:
Nutrition aligned with your metabolic needs
Support for digestion and detox
Stress reduction strategies
Lifestyle changes that help your body rebalance
A targeted supplement plan (optional but often helpful)
Ongoing check-ins and adjustments
The goal isn’t to chase symptoms — it’s to support the whole body so it can do what it’s designed to do: heal.
If you’re curious whether functional labs are right for you - or you’re ready to begin your healing journey - I’d love to hear from you.
I’ll connect with you soon and help you move forward with clarity and confidence.