Top 5 Functional Health Tests Everyone Can Benefit From.
Whether it’s for yourself or your clients, getting to the bottom of unwanted health symptoms can be exhausting!
Maybe you’ve tried:
- All the green juice in the world
- Detox after detox after detox
- Loads for herbal supplements
- Saunas, red lights & IV infusions
- maybe even coffee enemas!
And still…the symptoms persist.
Or, maybe you found some temporary relief —
HALLELUJAH, Thank You God + Universe
Buttttt…then the symptoms came back (siiigghhh).
Here at Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN), we know this cycle all too well, and we also know how to help you leave it behind, so you can start getting results.
If you’re feeling stuck, you’ve come to the right spot, friend!
Today, we’re sharing the top 5 functional health tests you need in order to get a clear picture of what’s going on within the body.
But first, you’re probably curious about who the heck we are, and why you should listen to us in the first place.
Functional Health Pioneers.
It all started with FDN Founder, Reed Davis:
“Over 20 years ago, I started to recognize a pattern with the people I was trying to help. They were stuck in a vicious cycle…continuously trying new things, but not getting any better. So, I committed to being the last person they saw on their quest for answers.”
While working with industry leaders in alternative medicine, he ran thousands of labs on thousands of people & learned to identify what he now refers to as “healing opportunities” & “Metabolic Chaos™.
Davis made his own observations about who got better & who didn’t, comparing his natural drug-free protocols to those being used within conventional medicine. And eventually, he developed a full blown methodology for helping people build better health.
Today, FDN is dedicated to teaching functional health practitioners & health coaches how to use this methodology in their own wellness practices.
At the core of this new approach is a very important principle – test, don’t guess.
Test, Don’t Guess!
If you’ve landed on this page, it’s probably no surprise to you that conventional medicine is chock-full of glaring problems.
But one of the biggest is a lack of pursuing root-causes.
Even when a diagnosis is provided, it doesn’t answer the very important question of WHY.
Why is this person experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
Why is this person experiencing Multiple Sclerosis?
Why is this person experiencing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)?
You see…when we experience symptoms, it’s the body’s way of desperately communicating that something is wrong at a deeper level. All the diagnosis does is give us a label (and some validation) for the set of symptoms we’re experiencing.
But what the heck is next?
In conventional medicine, it’s usually about “managing” the symptoms, oftentimes with medications that create even more chaos in the body.
Here at FDN, we aren’t interested in managing symptoms. We’re interested in getting more data, so we can understand why the symptoms have presented in the first place, and from there – systematically building better long-term health.
That’s why we live by the motto:
“test don’t guess”
Butttt….with all of the different functional health labs, which ones should you run?? It’s a tough question, especially because many of these tests aren’t covered by insurance companies, which means you have to fork over the money “out-of-pocket” in most cases.
We always recommend working directly with a functional health practitioner, (or becoming certified through our course so you can order your own tests!), but to help you get started, we’re sharing our top 5 functional health tests.
Each one evaluates the body from a different angle, giving you a truly holistic view of what’s happening inside.
Top 5 Functional HealthTests
1. Stress & Hormone Profile
Type of Lab: Saliva
This test provides insight as to what is going on in the body in relation to stress & hormone production, and looks for key indicators of any immune system dysfunction.
It measures cortisol levels and the pattern it follows throghout the course of a day, and also evaluates for any sex hormone imbalances.
Cortisol (also known as the stress hormone) is essential for the proper function of several bodily systems, but too much of it can cause issues & is often directly related to hormonal imbalances.
2. Metabolic Wellness Profile
Type of Lab: Dried urine test
The Metabolic Wellness Profile addresses digestion, detoxification and oxidative stress.
More specifically, it looks for any dysfunction in protein digestion, measures liver function to see how well (if at all) your body is detoxing, and looks at cell and tissue damage that builds up as a result of metabolic dysfunction.
3. Mucosal Barrier Assessment
Type of Lab: Dried Blood Spot (DBS)
This test evaluates intestinal permeability (leaky gut) as well as any systemic inflammation that has developed in response to that.
It tests for Zonulin, the protein that leads to leaky gut and assesses for any histamine intolerance which can develop as a result of gut imbalances. To go even further, it looks at Diamine Oxidase (DAO) in the body, the enzyme that breaks down the histamines in the food you eat.
4. G.I. Map
Type of Lab: Stool test
This test gives the best overall view of gut health. It looks for a whole host of specific organisms (both good and bad) that may reside in the gut including unwanted bugs and pathogens.
If these bugs & pathogens are found, this signals us to look for a bigger issue going on outside of the gut.
5. Mediator Release Test (MRT) for Food Sensitivities
Type of Lab: Blood draw
Food sensitivities are not a root-cause for symptoms, but they should be addressed while the body is healing. For example, if you discover issues with leaky gut, but don’t address food sensitivities, you may unknowingly delay the healing process. Once the gut has been strengthened, the food sensitivities are likely to go away!
Food sensitivity testing is quite complex, and there are many factors involved when assessing whether or not you are sensitive to a certain food. Some of these factors include things like the amount of that food you consume, and whether there is an immediate or delayed response.
We recommend the MRT test because it measures these sensitivities by watching the white blood cell count in real time as food is introduced, and looking at the number of pro-inflammatory chemicals that are released.
6. Metabolic Typing Test
I know we said 5 tests, but we’re throwing this in too, even though it’s not exactly a functional test.
The Metabolic Typing Test is an online questionnaire that uncovers an individual’s personal metabolic type. This test alone is not enough to generate results, but when coupled with the 5 functional health tests above, it’s quite helpful.
Now that you know about some of the top functional health tests we recommend, we’re guessing you’d like to know how to get access to these tests!
There’s two ways!
How to Access Functional Health Labs.
1. Hire an FDN Thrive Health Coach.
If you landed on this blog due to your *own* health struggles & you’re looking for a functional health coach, FDN Thrive may be the perfect route for you.
Many of our FDN Thrive Health Coaches started exactly where you are now – desperately searching for relief for themselves, exhausted and burned out from receiving the same dead-end answers time & time again.
They are well-equipped to order all of the functional health tests mentioned in this blog, and are trained to analyze the results & guide you on the path to optimal health.
2. Order Your Own Tests!
Whether you want to take your healing into your own hands, and order tests for yourself, OR you are interested in becoming a functional health coach or practitioner, our online course is worth exploring!
As a graduate, you have access to the five tests we covered in this blog post, as well as 60+ other functional health tests through our Medical Director Program.
[and yesssss, it’s true – even as an unlicensed individual, you can order functional tests. Our course teaches you our full methodology & gives you specific training on how to order and analyze functional tests to get to the bottom of unwanted symptoms.]
Bottom line – the course sets you up for success, whether it’s for you, your family members, or your clients.
Functional Health Questions?
We hope you’ve found this information helpful!
If you’re looking for more support, feel free to reach out, and we’ll help answer your questions.
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