Today on the show Erin highlights the differences between functional medicine and conventional medicine in terms of how we approach lab testing. While oftentimes healthcare can be cost prohibitive for some, Erin discusses how you can utilize very basic lab work—that doctors will run and is covered by insurance—through a functional lens. Tune in to hear the differences in functional and conventional lab interpretations, limitations of conventional lab reference ranges, and real world examples of how to approach common lab markers with a functional lens.

If you’re new to the concept of functional medicine and functional nutrition, this episode will whet your whistle and provide you with tons of additional resources to dive into more deeply. If you’re a dietitian, nutrition professional or other health provider looking for ways to help your clients in a more efficient and effective way (and you’re not already taking a functional approach), this can help you understand what it’s about!

In this episode:

-The underbelly of going viral [3:09]

-Allow me to reintroduce myself [8:03]

-Why practitioners (& patients) will benefit from utilizing a functional lens approach [11:41]

-How functional medicine interpretation of lab testing differs [17:05]

-The problem with conventional lab reference ranges [25:19]

-Using blood sugar markers to illustrate the difference between functional & conventional lab reference ranges [27:03]

-Viewing basic vitamin D labs through a functional lens [37:08]

-How we look at hormone lab work in YHR [43:49]

-Limitations of only looking at hormones through blood tests [45:50]

FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO: https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/212-functional-medicine-labs