Is Working With a Holistic Practitioner Worth It?
If you are tired of the run around and actually aspire to be truly healthy, then this answer is a resounding YES. Working with a Holistic Practitioner is so imperative for acquiring true wellness and combating chronic illness. “But isn’t it expensive?” No, it’s imperative. Here is why:
#1 I will look at functional ranges that reflect true health based on the optimal population
The problem with conventional lab ranges is that not only are they so outdated but they are based on an average population. According to the WHO website, the average population makes up heart disease, stroke, and COPD. I don’t know about you but I would like to avoid those illnesses, that’s the whole reason I’m being proactive and getting my blood drawn! I wrote a post about why so many people leave their initial lab review feeling like they didn't get any answers so if that’s you read this!
#2 I move with the times, staying educated and up-to-date with technology advances, lab interpretations, and new scientific advances.
Science is forever changing and advancing. From peptides to stem cell, Genova test, metabolic typing, there is so much out there and it is important to pick your practitioner wisely. Part of my job is to stay up-to-date with the new advances in my field and how to better help YOU! I want to take a lot of the guesswork out of trying to figure out what test to take, what foods to eat, and what supplements to take. Of course I still believe in doing your own research, forming your own opinions, and listening to your body but as a practitioner, I do the research to rid the confusion! Not to mention the lab and supplement companies I work alongside of are so innovative and able to keep up with fast paced science, if not already preforming their own studies.
#3 I clinically correlate lab work WITH symptoms, listening intently to the issues the client is struggling with currently.
This may be the most important. Not only are we going to get to see what’s currently going on internally but I want to know how you’ve been feeling, what you’ve been experiencing and for how long, what your diet is like, what supplements/meds you are you taking, your sleep schedule, your birth story, any past trauma, past surgeries, current stress level, etc. I do a very in depth intake so we can effectively correlate. True health is not a one size fits all, everyone is different and unique (environment, upbringing, career, food access, lifestyle, etc).
#4 I look at every body system so there is no need to bounce around to different specialists.
To be honest, the idea of a “specialist” really confuses me because everything is connected. If you want to know what’s going on with your immune system you should look to the gut and if you want to know what’s going on in the gut you should look to the brain and hormones etc. This is why screening the entire body just m a k e s s e n s e and the 5 labs that I run will do just that :) It’s a one stop shop to wellness!
#5 The screenings I run use saliva, blood, stool, and urine for the most accurate results.
Hormones- Saliva hormone testing provides highly relevant, comprehensive data that serves the purpose of identifying underlying causes of todays most common health complaints perfectly, as opposed to just treating symptoms. Saliva testing provides multiple time-specific specimens and the hormone values reflect real life physiological conditions and responses. Twenty-four hour urine collections are useful when checking hormone levels and metabolites for hormone replacement therapy. Serum testing provides reliable baseline and monitoring values in conditions that require prescription hormone replacement. Saliva test results also provide an accurate and direct peek into current cellular or bioactive levels of hormones, providing a gauge of how well organs and systems are actually functioning.
Comparison: Adrenal and Steroidal Hormone Function Assessment
Metabolic Wellness Panel- FLUIDS iQ’s Metabolic Wellness Profile dried urine test measures levels of Indican, Total Bile Acids and 8-OHdG…key metabolic markers of Digestion, Detoxification and Oxidative Stress.
GI Map- The Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory GI Microbial Assay Plus (“GI-MAP”) includes markers for gluten sensitivity (anti-gliadin IgA), inflammation in the gut (calprotectin), immunity in the gut (SIgA), pancreatic enzyme sufficiency (elastase), and occult blood. It also looks for the presence of pathogens – including H Pylori and other bacteria, parasites, worms and viruses – in the gastrointestinal tract.
Markers on screening:
Bacterial Pathogens
Parasitic Pathogens
Viral Pathogens
H pylori
Normal Bacterial Flora
Phyla Microbiota
Opportunistic Bacteria
Autoimmune Triggers
Parasites
Fungi/Yeast
Viruses
Worms
Additional Tests
Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Mucosal Barrier (gut)- This is a dry blood spot testing for zonulin, histamine, and DAO markers. Zonulin (pre-Haptoglobin 2) is a protein that modulates the permeability of tight junctions between cells of the digestive tract wall. Once triggered, Zonulin plays an important role in the creation of what we think of as gut “leakiness.” Histamine is an important regulator of gut function and plays a key role in the body’s inflammatory processes. Diamine Oxidase (DAO) is one of the primary ways our body makes sure that Histamine levels stay in check.
If you are someone who wants to acquire true wellness and prevent dis-ease in the body then working with a Holistic Practitioner is not only worth it but necessary!
xx, Steph
