Functional testing has an important place in a comprehensive and personalised health optimisation program. It can reveal important clues about underlying imbalances and allow for a more targeted approach to achieving optimal health. But only if it is done alongside efforts that put in place a solid nutrition and lifestyle foundation.
Full disclosure: I am writing this just after having sent in a bunch of test samples for myself as part of my annual functional check-up. I tell my husband that instead of buying me a present for my birthday or Christmas, I’d rather get a test kit. But then again, it’s my business. I simply love digging into functional lab reports, looking for clues and connecting the dots. After all, this is my world. But, I live in it with eyes wide open and fully aware of the place of these tests within a larger context of pursuing optimal health. I never forget how to use them in conjunction with (never in place of) foundational nutrition and lifestyle measures.
When a client comes to work with me, they do so because they want to resolve a health challenge. Sometimes they feel good and are looking to optimise further but most often they are struggling to resolve an issue, which is holding them back. Could be bloating, sleep issues, acid reflux, food sensitivities, fatigue, pain, brain fog, anxiety, weight – anything which is interfering with their ability to be at their best.
While I tend to attract clients, who have tried using nutrition as a way to overcome their health challenges, by the time they come to see me they are often confused. Not strange, given the plethora of diet approaches that are out there, all claiming to be the best thing since sliced bread (which they all are, but I digress). So, without exception, I always start with groundwork in terms of streamlining their diet and lifestyle habits. We take our time to identify what they need to eat (and not eat) and investigating which lifestyle habits may be sabotaging their efforts. After a few months of working together, many of my clients are good to go: their issues are gone, they feel great, they have found a balanced way of eating and living that works for them. Testing was never even necessary.
Some clients do the work or have done the (right) work and don’t get the results they were looking for, even after building a strong foundation. There are clues along the way that point at deeper gut dysfunction, possible genetic influences, toxicity, hormonal disruptions – things that require a deeper dive into underlying imbalances and more targeted interventions. That’s when testing comes in. But because of the clues we have uncovered along the way and by diving deep into their health history with the use of functional assessment tools we can choose the right tests: those that give them the best bang for their buck, because these tests are not cheap. A high-quality gut & microbiome mapping test is almost always on my wish list. Other tests that are often useful are the DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones), Organic Acids Test, a detailed nutritional analysis, genetic testing, or an HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis).
The third category of clients are those that come with the full battalion of test results that were ordered by their previous health practitioner. Along with a supersize bag full of supplements that were prescribed by the same practitioner. And a one-page leaflet that outlines diet recommendations. These are the clients that prove the point I am trying to make: testing and the treatment of the test results with high-end supplements often fail to do the job. I like to use the analogy of gardening: you can put the most expensive seeds into your garden but if you have not tended to the soil, made sure it is healthy and strong, the seeds won’t be ever able to grow into healthy plants. Tending to the soil is the important (but not sexy) work we do to ensure a strong foundation on which we can then build optimal health.
To summarise: selective functional testing can have an important place in a comprehensive and personalised health optimisation program. It can reveal important clues about underlying imbalances and allow for a more targeted approach to achieving optimal health. But only if it’s done alongside efforts that put in place a solid and sustainable nutrition and lifestyle foundation.
If this kind of boutique style, personalised health optimisation support sounds interesting to you, feel free to schedule a free Discovery Call with me here.
Be Well
(stay tuned for part 2: To Track or Not to Track)
