Functional Testing
FUNCTIONAL TESTING CAN OFFER DEEPER INSIGHT INTO HOW YOUR BODY IS FUNCTIONING, HELPING TO GUIDE PERSONALISED NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SUPPORT BETTER BALANCE, HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Functional testing is often recommended during Nutritional Therapy consultations and sometimes in conjunction with traditional testing that you may access via your GP or other healthcare provider. At other times, functional testing can be independent of NHS testing due to client preference or because the test is not available via the NHS route e.g. nutrigenomic testing, microbiome testing (gut, oral or vaginal), in-depth metabolic, nutrient or hormone metabolites. Functional testing can often be done at home and blood, stool, swabs, urine and saliva can be used for testing.
A personalised path to better health
Traditional medical testing plays a vital role in diagnosing disease, identifying significant pathology and guiding medical treatment. Functional testing does not replace this. The tests aim to explore what is optimal or sub-optimal, rather than looking for disease thresholds. I am not using functional tests to diagnose; only your Doctor can do this. I am testing to help better understand how to optimise how your body is functioning.
With functional testing I can explore the following questions:
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What may be driving or sustaining your symptoms?
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Are there underlying nutritional, hormonal, digestive, metabolic or lifestyle-related patterns that may be contributing?
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What information would help us to create a more targeted and effective health optimisation plan?
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How will we know whether the plan is supporting the desired optimisation?
SOMETIMES YOUR SYMPTOMS, HEALTH HISTORY AND FOOD DIARY PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO BEGIN WITH NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE SUPPORT WITHOUT TESTING. AT OTHER TIMES, TESTING PROVIDES MORE CLARITY, MAKING YOUR PLAN MORE PERSONALISED, AND MORE LIKELY TO HAVE IMPACT.
Testing can offer an additional layer of information by exploring areas such as nutrient status, hormone metabolites, gut health, microbiome balance, digestive function, stress patterns, inflammation and immune function, metabolic health or nutrigenomics. Testing can also be used to assess how well the optimisation plan is working. Functional tests however are only recommended when they are relevant to your symptoms, health history and goals. I only use reputable testing companies and will explain the purpose, cost and limitations of any test before you decide whether to proceed.
I receive a small commission from some functional testing providers. This helps offset some of the clinical time involved in reviewing results, interpreting patterns and integrating the findings into your personalised nutrition and lifestyle plan. Testing is never the whole story and it can be a powerful tool in nutritional therapy and support more effective, targeted and personalised care when included alongside your health history, symptoms, diet, lifestyle, routines, environment and goals. The aim is to use the right information, at the right time, to help you better understand your body and support meaningful, sustainable change.
Common tests
"LYNDA LISTENED TO MY CONCERNS AND HAS MADE SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO ADAPT MY EATING HABITS"
Jo. UK
