What to Expect
Expect To Advance from Good to Great. Expect Answers.
Where to Start
You know your stats as an athlete, but do you know your lab numbers?
An example of why to get labs even if you have no symptoms.
My own vitamin B12 levels by blood work are robust. When I tested for how well I used vitamin B12 (Genova’s Metabolomix test), the breakdown products in the urine produced by my body using vitamin B12 were low. Meaning, I was not using my ingested vitamin B12 well enough to support my body. It turns out genetically I cannot methylate certain chemical reactions well, including the activation of vitamin B12. Solution? Make sure I take methylated vitamin B12.
I recommend labs for every athlete to define specifically what part of you is working well and not working well.
An example of why to get labs when you have symptoms.
A college track and cross-country runner was working out hard, gaining weight, very stressed out, struggling with fatigue, chronic constipation, and performance decrease, and had not menstruated regularly for years. Labs showed ‘over the top’ levels of estrogen and testosterone, nearly unmeasurable progesterone, an unnatural cortisol graph noting a rise in the late afternoon when it should be dropping, GI malabsorption and imbalance, and low iron.
The first need was to be able to detox the body by getting bowel movements daily while supporting energy production and the effects of stress. Once this step was completed, the GI issues could be addressed as well as, the unnatural hormone levels. Overtraining was creating as much stress as college studies and track, thus ‘less is more’ became the approach. Over time, her energy returned, the subcutaneous fat decreased as did her waistline, she could handle stress better, and her performance improved. This improvement took many months as we must take a stepwise approach to be successful. She is a winner now.
If you want to know if you are maximizing your body as fully as possible and have no symptoms the Lab Interpretation to Win is for you. Click on the drop down to find the Lab Interpretation to Win option.
If you are having any symptoms such as GI symptoms, brain fog, fatigue, rash, headaches, etc., AND your primary care doctor does not have any answers, then the 3 Month Good to Great Program is for you. Click on the drop down to find the 3 Month Good to Great Program option.
Lab Interpretation to Win
For the athlete without symptoms who wants to know if your body is operating at its peak performance the Lab Interpretation to Win route is best for you. Two lab bundles that I recommend include:
- A conventional lab bundle via Quest Diagnostics. Often paid for by insurance. This set tests for anemia, white blood cell levels, iron, B12, Folate, Vitamin D, Magnesium, inflammation, glucose utilization, liver function and more. The list includes CBC, CMP, GGT, Insulin (fasting), Hb1ac (fasting) UA (urine analysis) hs-CRP (inflammation) Lipid Panel – Standard, Iron, Ferritin and TIBC, Vitamin B12 and Folate, Magnesium (on RBC), and Vit D 25.
The Process.
I order your labs online.
You make your appointment online at https://myquest.questdiagnostics.com
Choose the Quest Lab location and appointment convenient for you.
Don’t forget to FAST 8 HOURS PRIOR (fats, sugars, salt, and protein). You can drink clear liquids! Don’t get the blood drawn while you are dehydrated.
2) Genova Metabolomix with genetic add-ons tests the micro-nutrient (vitamins and minerals) utilization, mitochondrial function (energy production), detoxification capability (detox is a natural daily need), inflammation, toxins, gut function and more. This also tests your ability to methylate, an important chemical ability to maximize performance. Or we can order Great Plains OATs test, which does not have genetic add-ons, but is a great test with similar features.
The Process
I order an at home kit online from Rupa Health.
Rupa will email you. You may make one payment or take advantage of Rupa’s three-month payment plan at 0%.
They will send you the kit to be done at home. Shipping materials are inside the kit for you to send to Genova or Great Plains.
Once the labs are returned, which may be 1 to 3 weeks, I will review them.
We then can set up a 60-minute meeting to review the results and create a plan of support based on the results.
The Process – Your Account
- You will create an account through Fitness Services button on this website (right upper corner).
- Choose FITNESS SERVICES again.
- On a new page, click FILTER BY PRACTIONER and pick me.
- Next choose which service you want to purchase.
- This leads you to purchasing your choice and then to the medical software OPTIMANTRA where you will fill out your personal information, insurance, etc., and sign documents related to privacy and office policies along with a fee-for-service specifically for Lab Interpretation to Win.
- When your labs have returned, you can also make your appointment through the website.
We meet for one hour when your labs have returned and after I have reviewed them. We talk about the lab results, what you need, and we devise a plan to improve your performance.
3 Month Good to Great Program
For an athlete with symptoms such as, brain fog, GI changes, fatigue, repetitive soft tissue injuries, headaches, rash, decrease in performance, etc., the 3 Month Good to Great Program is for you.
For an athlete that wants to continue working with me after starting with the Lab Interpretation Service.
This service can continue either on an every 3 month system to take advantage of the discount, or by month-to-month.
The 3 Month Good to Great Program begins by you creating an account through the PATIENT PORTAL button (right upper corner) that leads you to the medical software OPTIMANTRA where you will sign documents related to privacy and office policies along with a fee-for-service document specifically designed for the 3 Month Good to Great Program. You are asked to complete an extensive questionnaire as this gives me a mountain of information to help me understand what has led up to your health changes. Functional Medicine is all about digging deep to find the underlying cause.
Based on the questionnaire, appropriate labs will be recommended and ordered for you with your agreement.
Once the lab results have returned, we can set up our first appointment of 45 minutes online or in-person (preferred). During this time, we will discuss the labs and how they impact your health and treatment. We will develop a plan for first month.
FEATURES: You will have two meetings a month both 45 minutes with me. You will receive on a weekly basis, short videos, and simple pdfs to increase your knowledge regarding topics such as sleep techniques, fueling, which gels are the best, hydration, individualized nutrition, understanding trends in HRV, body temperature and recovery, what is chronic inflammation and the triggers behind it, what is recovery and when to recover, and more.
Each meeting or each month, depending on what you need, we will shift the process to continue your recovery.
I may recommend acupuncture, massage, a nutrition coach specifically for athletes, trainers and coaches who excel in your area of sports, even meditation and breathing training, etc.
The plan is based on you as an individual and what you need as an athlete to succeed in your sport and win.
The Process-Your Account
- You will create an account through Fitness Services button on this website (right upper corner).
- Choose FITNESS SERVICES again.
- On a new page, click FILTER BY PRACTIONER and pick me.
- Next choose which service you want to purchase.
- This leads you to purchasing your choice and then to the medical software OPTIMANTRA where you will fill out your personal information, insurance, etc., and sign documents related to privacy and office policies along with a fee-for-service specifically for 3 Month Good to Great Program.
- When your labs have returned, you can also make your appointment through the website.