FUNCTIONAL TESTING:

Question!

What tests are ordered?
What do they capture?
What do they show?

In Nutritional Therapy, we look at health through a north-to-south approach; meaning we consider how digestion, absorption, and elimination work together to support the entire body. When those foundations are compromised, it can influence hormones, energy, immune function, mood, and overall resilience.

Functional testing like HTMA and GI-MAP can serve as helpful tools in that process. These tests don’t provide diagnoses, but they offer insight into patterns and imbalances that may help guide nutritional and lifestyle support more intentionally.

*HTMA looks at mineral patterns in the body by analyzing a small hair sample. Minerals play a foundational role in how the body functions; influencing stress response, energy production, blood sugar regulation, and hormone signaling.

Rather than measuring “normal” or “abnormal” values, HTMA helps us observe patterns and relationships between minerals, which can offer insight into:

* stress and adrenal response
* metabolic balance
* mineral deficiencies or imbalances
* how the body may be adapting to stress over time

Functionally, HTMA can help inform nutritional strategies that support balance, resilience, and foundational health.

HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)

The GI-MAP is a comprehensive stool test that looks at what’s happening inside the digestive tract; the starting point for so many systems in the body. Because digestion is where nutrients are broken down, absorbed, and used, gut health plays a major role in energy, immune function, hormone balance, and inflammation.

This test provides insight into:

* digestive function and enzyme activity
* gut bacteria balance
* inflammation markers
* pathogens or imbalances that may affect digestion

From a functional standpoint, the GI-MAP helps us understand how well the gut is doing its job so we can better support digestion, absorption, and elimination — the true foundation of overall wellness.

GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus)

test results: examples

HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)

What am I looking at?

HTMA Report (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)

This report shows mineral patterns within the body, offering insight into how foundational systems may be functioning over time. Rather than focusing on a single “high” or “low” value, we look at relationships between minerals to understand stress response, metabolic trends, and how the body may be adapting to daily demands. These patterns can help guide nutritional strategies that support balance, resilience, and long-term wellness.

HTMA Mineral Chart

This visual chart highlights how minerals interact with one another which can reflect things like stress load, energy production, blood sugar balance, and hormone support. By looking at these patterns together, we’re able to identify areas where the body may benefit from additional nutritional or lifestyle support, always within the context of your symptoms and lived experience.

What am I looking at?

GI-MAP Report

This report offers a detailed look at digestive function, which plays a central role in overall health. It helps us understand how well the body is breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and maintaining balance within the gut microbiome. Because digestion is the starting point for so many systems; including hormones, immunity, and energy, this information can be incredibly valuable when building a personalized wellness plan.

Functional Gut Marker Chart

These markers give us insight into how the digestive system is functioning at a deeper level, including areas related to inflammation, enzyme activity, and gut balance. From a functional perspective, this allows us to support digestion from the ground up; helping ensure the body is able to properly utilize the nourishment it receives.