What is functional nutrition?

Functional nutrition is really no different than the medical nutrition therapy Kelli practices with all her 1:1 clients, teaching them how nutrition influences their health. However, functional medicine is an emerging area of healthcare which utilizes a variety of lab tests to assess the body systems as a whole. As an RD, Kelli can order tests to create plans for treatment of health conditions, or simply to help clients better understand their health risks.

“Medicine and health care are undergoing a paradigm shift. We are seeing more and more demand from our patients to look at their complex cases from a holistic rather than a mechanistic or reductionist perspective. In order to do this we need to have diagnostic methods that focus on physiological function as a marker of health, rather than merely the presence of pathology or tissue change as a marker of disease.”

- Blood Chemistry and CBC Analysis, Dicken Weathersby N.D., Scott Ferguson N.D.

  • Vitamins and minerals act as enzymes and catalysts to fuel reactions in the body. We cannot ignore their role in health and disease.

  • Hormones act as chemical messengers impacting nearly every organ system. Micronutrients, lifestyle and environmental toxins are three major influences on hormones.

  • We are all born with a unique genetic blueprint. Our lifestyle and environment determine how our genes will be expressed. Having knowledge of our genetics can help us better understand our health risks.

  • The strains of bacteria in our gut impact our health in many ways including neurologically and hormonally. Testing these can help us better determine which specific gut protocols fit our needs.

Functional Nutrition Panels

Basic

Assess key micronutrients, anemia panel, glycemic control, full thyroid panel and inflammatory markers. This panel provide a great baseline of biomarkers to track over time.

Intermediate

Assess your micronutrients, fatty acids, antioxidants, amino acids, full thyroid panel, comprehensive cardiovascular health, glycemic control and CBC/CMP. See below for full list of markers.

Schedule a discovery call to learn more about Memberships, which provide access to on-going lab ordering and coaching, at your own pace. Starting at $149/month.

Advanced

Dive deeper into genetics, gut and hormone health along with all other markers from the intermediate panel.

While Kelli loves running and interpretting functional labs, she also believes in the power of lifestyle medicine. Be sure to check out her podcast, blogs and social media to learn more about lifestyle habits to be incorporating if labs are not within your budget. Schedule a discovery call to learn more about the process of ordering labs, which can be done as a 1:1 client, as a part of a membership or as a separate package.

Micronutrients, Fatty Acids, Antioxidants, Amino acids

These vital compounds make up the building blocks to your cells, influencing hormones, neurotransmitters, energy levels and many disease processes.

100+ biomarkers

Anemia Panel

Take a holistic approach to anemia.

Ferritin, Iron, UBIC, TIBC, Transferrin, Transferrin Saturation.

Glycemic Control

Assess for insulin resistance, a common condition in women with PCOS and adults experiencing weight gain, fatigue and anxiety.

Insulin, Fasting Glucose, Adiponectin

Comprehensive Cardiovascular Panel

Go further than just cholesterol and triglycerides by assessing the oxidation of LDL, inflammatory markers and APO proteins.

MTHFR Gene

Assess for a common variant (present in 40% of people) in this gene which can contribute to less efficient methylation. Poor methylation when unaddressed can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, infertility, misscariage and other disease states.

Full Thyroid Panel

Monitor thyroid health while also ruling our thyroid autoimmunity, a condition rising among women.

T3, T4, Free T3, Free T4, TSH, Anti-TPO, Reverse T3, Anti-TG

Gluten Sensitivity (Celiac) Panel

Assess for genetic risk of developing Celiac Disease or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (note, this test is not a diagnosis but a risk to guide your choice to include gluten or test an elimination). Also see if your body is currently producing antibodies to gluten.

Gut Health Assessment

Stool tests can provide information about the digestive system's health and function, including: gut flora balance, nutrient absorption, intestinal inflammation, intestinal microbiome, and potential digestive disorders.

Hormone Analysis

Urine hormone tests helps us gain insight into your adrenal and sex hormone levels.

Stages of HPA-Axis Activation. This system helps of deal with stressors. Once we hit late-stage depletion, we feel exhausted, depressed and depleted.

Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP) and Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A variety of markers which provide additional insight into the body’s acid-base balance, hydration status, adrenal health and metabolic health.

Food Sensitivity Panel

In certain individuals with more extreme inflammatory symptoms, a food sensitivity panel may be appropriate to guide dietary interventions.

Kelli defines chronic stress as any of the following: too much or too little movement; negative and fear-based thinking too often; not enough rest, recovery and self care time; being in a calorie deficit or low nutritional state for too long. Chronic stress impacts the adrenal gland, the thyroid gland and vitamin/mineral status. Do you need a stress check?

3 x 4 Genetics

Kelli believes knowledge is power. When we have the knowledge of our genetic risks, we can take more intentional action. However she also believes having the baseline bloodwork panels above is more important to see where you are currently at. The genetic panel can be added on to the basic, intermediate or advanced panels for

“I really enjoyed taking back control of my health last year. Coaching with Kelli encouraged me to try new things, including getting my bloodwork done. It was eye opening to say the least. I started getting off fast food and finally cooking at home. It took almost three years for me to realize there was a problem with inflammation. I’m now in the best shape of my life and have gained the muscle and confidence I was looking for.”

-Danny

“Identifying which root causes to rule in, and which to rule out has given me so much more confidence in the protocols and steps I was implementing to manage my symptoms.”

-Taylor

Schedule a free discovery call with Kelli to see if functional labs are the next right step in your journey.

Common Questions

  • Since Kelli will create personalized orders according to each person's needs, she does not include lab prices on her website. However she is very transparent about prices and provides wholesale labs for her members. Email, instagram message or schedule a call for an estimate if you have specific labs you would like. Her favorite company Vibrant America does have a $200 minimum order, labs liek thyroid could be ordered individually from other companies.

  • Yes! Functional nutrition appointments can be scheduled directly through Kelli. These are $200 for members or $300 for non-members. These appointments are typically 90 minutes including tons of resources to guide your plan and 30% off any recommended supplements discussed.

  • This really depends on the lab and what interventions are being used. For most of my clients, I am running the larger lab panels (like micronutrients) yearly. For smaller tests like thyroid, insulin, iodine, anemia we may check more frequently.