Testing
With its science based emphasis, nutritional therapy supports the use of tests for identifying possible nutritional, biochemical and metabolic imbalances underlying the client signs and symptoms.
When necessary I will advise testing and explain you my recommendation. Although a valid tool to pin point the cause of imbalance there is no obligation for you to undertake any testing.
Testing costs are not included in the consultation and programs fees. They are, sometimes paid for or refunded by insurance companies, but are mostly the responsibility of the individual. However, the cost for the interpretation of test results is already included in the consultation and program fee.
Functional Testing
The functional tests that I might recommend are: gastrointestinal profiles to evaluate digestion, absorption, gut flora and colonic environment including presence of yeast infections, parasites and inflammation.
Nutritional profiles to evaluate the level of different nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals in your body.
Metabolic profiles to assess various cellular processes and the efficiency of metabolic function. These include chronic fatigue evaluation, metabolic syndrome profile, cardiovascular risk assessment, cardiovascular health profile.
Hormonal profiles including adrenal stress profile, thyroid screen, female hormone profile, male hormone profile, and osteoporosis risk assessment.
Immunology Testing
Food intolerances are common problems in many clients. The symptoms are wide and varied and include among many others: anxiety, headaches, bloating, asthma, diarrhoea, lethargy and weight control problems.
An intolerance test provides a powerful tool for the detection of adverse reaction to foods, beverages and additives and whilst elimination diets can be used to identify intolerances, this process is often long and not suitable for every client.
Other immunology tests available are coeliac profile and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity profile.
Toxic elements testing
Our daily exposure to an increasingly toxic environment can disturb our biochemistry and affect many of our systems. Although the body has mechanisms for transforming, eliminating or storing the many toxic chemicals encountered during our lifetime, these mechanisms may be inadequate for susceptible people such as the elderly, children, individuals with inadequate nutrition or those who are physiologically stressed.
Chronic low level exposure to toxic metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminium and cadmium is particularly damaging as it often results in organs specific accumulation compromising their physiology.
Toxic metal screenings might be used to evaluate the toxicity load of an individual and as a tool to monitor progress during a nutritional program which aims to support natural detoxification.