Root Cause Resources + FAQs

Find your answers to the most common questions that I get asked as a functional medicine practitioner. Quick, concise answers are categorized by main health topic below, but click into the “full answer” links for more detailed answers and helpful resources about functional medicine, gut health, hormones, stress physiology, and many more holistic topics. Healing starts with empowerment, and empowerment starts with evidence-based education. Submit your questions anytime!

Functional Medicine 101

Learn about what functional medicine is (and isn’t), root causes, and why it takes a systems-based approach to healing.

Yes, especially if you have stubborn health issues like fatigue, gut problems, hormone imbalances, insomnia, and weight loss, consider seeing a functional medicine practitioner in Texas. Read the full answer…

Start by seeking practitioners with formal functional medicine training and vetted certifications. Read the full answer…

Most routine labs are built for triage, catching clear, conventionally defined disease. Standard panels often miss early, subtle dysfunction… Read the full answer…

Yes, outcomes research shows people choosing functional medicine care report bigger improvements in quality of life including energy, mood, and daily function than those in conventional care. Read the full answer…

Functional medicine looks at how your body’s systems work together, not as isolated parts. By taking a detailed health history, using targeted advanced labs, and mapping nutrition, stress, sleep, and environment, we uncover hidden imbalances in gut, hormones, and metabolism that conventional testing can miss. Then we build a clear, stepwise plan. Read the full answer…

Nervous System, Hormones, & Stress 101

Learn how your brain, stress response, and hormones influence health and dysfunction throughout your whole body system.

Common signs include fatigue, trouble sleeping, brain fog, sugar or salt cravings, lower immune function, irritability, and feeling “tired but wired,” especially at night. Read the full answer…

High cortisol doesn’t always feel like boundless “power through” energy. It can be surprisingly draining. Read the full answer…

Yes, functional medicine excels at long-COVID recovery by uncovering and addressing hidden drivers, including mitochondrial damage, lingering inflammation, stress-hormone dysregulation, gut-brain imbalance, and micronutrient gaps. Read the full answer…

Gut Health 101

Learn about obvious and hidden gut imbalances as a central player in digestion, immunity, inflammation, hormones, and more.

Bloating on a healthy diet often signals underlying gut and digestive dysfunction. It’s usually not the food’s fault. Read the full answer…

Yes. Your gut and brain are closely connected through the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication system linking nerves, hormones, and immune signals. Read the full answer…

Detox, Heart, & Metabolism 101

Learn how your liver, heart, and mitochondria work to clear toxins, creates energy, and regulates blood sugar, bodyweight, and more.

Yes. There are natural, evidence-based ways to improve high blood pressure and cholesterol. Functional medicine offers a clear framework that addresses their root causes like blood sugar imbalance, inflammation, and overwhelmed stress physiology. Read the full answer…

Early signs of blood sugar and insulin imbalance often show up long before diabetes and HbA1c shifts. Read the full answer…

Mold-related illness can mimic many conditions. Common signs are stuffy nose, cough, sinus pressure, itchy eyes, rashes, fatigue, and brain fog. Read the full answer…

Functional Labs & Supplements 101

Learn about advanced lab tests and supplements: what they show, when they’re helpful, and are they worth your time and money.

Yes, a functional medicine stool test is helpful for anyone with gut-related symptoms like bloating, acid reflux, or irregular bowel habits. Read the full answer…

Feeling worse after starting new supplements is common when the root causes aren’t addressed in the right order. Read the full answer…

To know if supplements are working, give each one a clear job, a trial window, and a way to measure results. Track symptoms and functional metrics like sleep quality or heart-rate variability, confirm with functional labs when needed, and if nothing changes in 4 to 12 weeks, adjust, stop, or work with a well-trained practitioner. Read the full answer…

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