I don't do lab work routinely, as I find that the vast majority of my clients improve quickly and dramatically through the general course of the work that we do. Why cost you extra money if it isn't necessary or helpful? However, when someone is not improving the way I expect, or when they "plateau" without fully healing, lab work can be very helpful in understanding what is going on biochemically.
Among the assessments I use are:
Heavy Metals Testing: Mercury, Lead, Aluminum and other heavy metals can be responsible for chronic symptoms: physical, mental, and behavioral. We all have some level of exposure to heavy metals, but some people are less able to detoxify their systems on their own. Higher levels of exposure can come from having lived in an industrial area, eating a lot of fish, or working in certain professions. A urine test gives a good picture of both current and long term exposure. If high levels of heavy metals are found, I work with protocols that are helpful in facilitating detoxification.
Hormone Testing: People who go through my 4 step program (Nutrition, including identifying and eliminating food sensitivities and healing the gut; Stress Management, including sleep issues; Decreasing Toxic Load; and Hormonally Supportive/Smart Exercise) almost always experience a natural re-balancing of their hormones. Their metabolism heals, their symptoms diminish, they lose weight and burn fat naturally, they are sleeping soundly and feel great. If that doesn't happen, sometimes it is helpful to get a hormone profile, through saliva testing. Once we have the information about what is out of balance, it is often possible to address it with lifestyle changes, including nutrition and supplements.
Comprehensive Metabolic Profile: This is like analyzing the exhaust of the car, to see how it is burning its fuel. It provides a view into the body's cellular metabolic processes and the efficiency of metabolic function. If you are lacking certain nutrients, or not able to utilize them efficiently, any of the thousands of chemical reactions in your body may not be taking place properly. This urine test allows us to look at that in detail so we can customize your program to address it.
Estrogen: Did you know that estrogen, like cholesterol, has a "good" component (2-OHE1) and a "bad" component (16a-OHE1)? And that the ratio can be indicative of estrogen-sensitive cancer risk? More important, that if you are at risk, that there are simple changes you can make to improve your 2/16 ratio? This urine test will inform you of your 2/16 estrogen profile. It may be especially important for women with a family history of breast cancer.
