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Functional Testing

How do I get testing?

Science Lab

For test results to be the most helpful and to understand which testing is relevant to you, all patients must start with an Initial Functional Nutrition Assessment
 

To apply, you can fill out the Program Inquiry form.
 

After your first session and comprehensive assessment, we will determine which tests are most essential to understand the root causes of your imbalances.
 

Do I need testing?

We recognize that testing can be costly for most patients. Access to functional medicine is usually a privilege. However, my goal is to make testing as affordable and realistic as possible for you. 

 

Healing from Scratch does the following to ensure you get the most bang for your buck and the most helpful, relevant data:

 

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  • While everyone benefits from a Nutrigenomics test and a Nutrieval, we do not rely on tests for all of the answers and can conduct medical nutrition therapy with solely a nutrition assessment. Patients get amazing results with no testing at all, so if cost is a concern, there is always a way to work around this and only get the testing that is essential.
     

  • For more complex cases, testing is most likely essential. However, I will always give you your best options and find ways to keep costs low in your protocol.

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  • Testing is a tool- it can help significantly and is great to get if you have the resources to do it.

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  • I only recommend tests that I find are necessary and will support our work together.

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  • For tests not covered or available through your doctor, I work with a cash pay laboratory that offers significant discounts. If you have no insurance, poor coverage or do not work with a doctor, there are out of pocket options at reasonable prices.

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  • If you need more than one functional test, I am able to work with the lab to get bundle testing discounts.
     

  • Depending on your insurance, some tests may be covered. We can also work with your doctor if he/she has access to functional medicine tests or just for general bloodwork.  
     

  • I never upcharge testing- this is a common practice in functional medicine. I only charge for our sessions or extra time analyzing results.  

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FUNCTIONAL TESTS 

Food Sensitivities

Are you suffering from bloating, digestive issues, fatigue, eczema, rashes, joint pain, swelling, dizziness, or brain fog? If so, you may have food sensitivities. Different from allergies or intolerances, food sensitivities are an immune response that can sometimes cause delayed symptoms- 24-48 hours after eating the problem food. Until one eliminates inflammatory foods, it may be hard to identify the source of the symptoms. The Mediator Release Test (MRT) helps us identify foods you may be sensitive to that are causing low grade inflammation. Since we can't test the thousands of foods and chemicals in our environment, the MRT results allow us to create a personalized elimination diet where we start with known tolerated foods first and slowly reintroduce more reactive foods. 

Micronutrient Status

Are you curious to find out if you are missing certain vitamins or minerals? Most micronutrient testing falls short because they look at serum blood values or other markers that tend to fluctuate throughout the day. Nutrieval reviews various metabolites and other chemicals in the blood and urine to evaluate nutrition status comprehensively. This test is also superior to most nutrition tests, as it also looks at microbiome health and a series of detox markers that influence nutrition status. Most functional medicine providers agree this test is the gold standard for nutrition assessment. I have used spectrocell and other tests but have found this test to be the most accurate and helpful for patients.

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Nutrigenomics

Our environment and genes are constantly interacting. Through testing nutritional genomics, we can obtain the blueprints for where our vulnerabilities lie and how we can change our diet, lifestyle and other environmental exposures to prevent illness, maximize our nutrition and achieve optimal, vibrant health. If we know where we have SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) or variants of certain genes, there are specific symptoms and biomarkers to look out for to see if they are active. There are also specific nutrients and other therapies that can prevent these SNPs from activating or significantly improve the effects of these SNPs once already active. 

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The most comprehensive and accurate nutrigenomics test that I have found is Genomic Medicine. They analyze polygenomics, meaning how various SNPs interact. Unfortunately I have not seen many companies that use this research - they typically look at only one SNP at a time. However, our genes are constantly communicating and shifting. Genomic Medicine also provides very clear, actionable information to help me analyze your risks and active genomic influences when paired with your Functional Nutrition Intake Assessment to provide you with the most personalized recommendations possible and a personalized supplement that is designed based on your genomics, diet and health history.

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There are 150 SNPs included in this test.

Some of the panels in the test are:

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  • Cardiovascular Disease

  • Lipid Metabolism

  • Hypertension

  • Diabetes

  • Glucose & Insulin Regulation

  • Weight Management

  • Bone Health

  • Osteopenia/Osteoporosis

  • Methylation/Homocysteine

  • Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, Choline,
    Iron, Omega Fatty Acids, Calcium, etc

  • Histamine

  • Oxidative Stress

  • Thyroid Function

  • Neurotransmitters

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Detoxification

  • Inflammation

  • Estrogen/Hormone Metabolism

  • Breast/Prostate/Cervical Cancer

  • Infertility

  • Addiction

  • Stress Response

  • Cognitive Health

  • Alzheimer’s

  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

  • Autoimmune Disease

  • Migraine

  • Aging

  • Telomeres

  • Circadian Rhyth

  • Exercise

  • Power vs Endurance

  • Injury & Recovery

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