1. Mineral Status Since minerals are the foundation of overall health and wellbeing, it is extremely valuable to gain insight into an individual's mineral status. The Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) gives insight into the utilization of 15 key minerals in the body, 8 toxic elements (think heavy metals), and 14 additional elements (like trace minerals, etc). By looking at individual mineral status, a very personalized approach to rebalancing can be considered and applied.
2. Heavy Metal Status The HTMA also gives insight into heavy metal status in the body. Through repeated testing, patterns can indicate whether the body is able to rid itself of toxic levels or is holding onto the toxic elements for some reason (likely due to continued exposure or poor detox pathway function).
Understanding the presence of heavy metals can give insight into other factors such as detox pathway function, the utilization or depletion of other minerals, overall metabolic function, and more! Through the recognition of specific toxic elements and metals, we can do a deep dive to consider the source of the toxic elements in an individual's life. Whether it be in the water, household environment, the workplace, etc and come up with an individualized plan to address the concerns!
3. Iron Status The blood panels I utilize (such as the Full Monty Iron Panel) take into account iron status in the body from a variety of perspectives. For example, we look at the relationship of Copper to Iron, since they work closely with one another. We also look at patterns of stored iron, active iron, and other markers that influence iron metabolism. This one blood panel alone contains over 13 different markers for a full-picture of Iron metabolism!
4. Insight to Overall Metabolic Health Simply by looking at mineral patterns, heavy metal patterns, and iron status, we can gather a lot of information about an individual's overall metabolic health and how the body is able to create energy and heat. When certain minerals are depleted or being utilized more than others, we create an individualized protocol to bring those back to balance to increase energy production and foundational function in the body.
5. Insight to What Minerals & Nutrients The Body Utilizes Most Certain HTMA patterns can indicate whether an individual is a fast or slow oxidizer. Dependent on metabolic type, an individual may utilize certain minerals and nutrients more so than other individuals. This can be valuable in creating individualized protocols and nutrient recommendations. For example, some individuals may do better with more salt while others do better with more magnesium (same goes for other minerals and nutrients). We can gather this information from the mineral and element patterns on the HTMA. Pretty neat, eh?
Overall, I LOVE the different perspectives we can gain from functional lab testing. While many doctors are only able to order a small number of tests and markers (that an individual's insurance will approve or that they think are valuable), here we can get all the information we need from a variety of perspectives and have a better shot at getting to the root!
Interested in Functional Lab Testing?
All of my clients get the HTMA and additional testing is recommended based on individual goals and preference. We can discuss your main health and wellness goals and determine which forms of functional labs will be of most value to you. You can book your free discovery call or learn more about my services HERE today!
Cheers to happy minerals,
Lex
**Please note: the HTMA is NOT interpreted like other lab tests. High/low values do not necessarily indicate high/low amounts in the body. Work with a qualified and educated practitioner to review your results and create an individualized plan. None of this is medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat or cure disease.**
@harenholistics
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