Functional Lab Testing & HTMA

Functional lab testing is how we stop guessing. Symptoms tell us something is off; labs help us see what, and where. As a root-cause dietitian, I use testing to read your physiology in the language it actually speaks — minerals, markers, microbes — so your care plan is built on evidence rather than a template.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is one of the most revealing tools we have. A small hair sample holds a months-long record of your mineral status and toxic metal exposure, exposing patterns that a single blood draw can miss. Low magnesium, slow thyroid chemistry, a burned-out sodium-to-potassium ratio — these are the fingerprints of fatigue, cravings, poor sleep, and hormone imbalance. Once we can see them, we can nourish them back into rhythm.

Blood panels round out the picture. I read them against optimal ranges, not just "normal" ones, because a value that falls inside a lab reference can still be far from where you feel your best. GI mapping adds the gut layer — the microbiome, digestion, inflammation, and stealth pathogens that drive bloating, brain fog, and the gut-brain connection behind mood and energy.

Together, these labs give us a map. They show where your foundations need support and let us measure progress over time, so the plan we co-create is specific to your body and your data. You are never asked to follow a protocol on faith — you can watch your own numbers move.