If you feel like there’s something going on with your body even though you’ve been given a clean bill of health from your doctor, you’re not alone.
When I was in my teens, I bounced around from doctor to doctor with exhaustion but my lab tests always came back normal and I was told I was healthy.
But I sure didn’t feel super healthy then…in fact, I felt pretty terrible but in a way I couldn’t exactly put my finger on. I knew there was more to what I was feeling, and I hear about similar experiences from my clients all the time.
I ended up seeking out naturopathic support and through this experience uncovered a gluten sensitivity. This was a big part of what was causing my health issues, but it’s not the case for everyone. The key was finding support to walk me through the journey of learning to listen to my body and uncovering the root cause of my fatigue.
So how does it happen that you’re told you’re healthy even though you don’t feel that way? And no, it’s not because your conventional doctor is wrong. Their area of expertise is looking for, diagnosing, and treating disease. This is life saving and crucial for so many medical conditions and situations. I’ve personally had my life saved by antibiotics and will always be grateful for that!
BUT…. there’s a HUGE spectrum between optimal health (i.e. feeling amazing) and getting diagnosed with a “disease”.
You might find that your symptoms or issues fit into this BIG grey area. Or, even if you do have a clinical diagnosis, you might feel like your issues don’t all fit into that specific label.
Ultimately, you know your body better than anyone else.
If you have a sense that your body isn’t at 100%, it usually means there IS something going on. It’s just a matter of getting the right support to uncover your root issue and address it.
Top Ways To Find Out What’s Going On:
When things don’t seem clear-cut there are a lot of ways to learn more about what’s really going on with your body.
- Functional lab tests – these specialized saliva and stool tests look for markers of “function” in your body and systems. This is completely different than looking for disease. Instead it’s about uncovering areas or systems of your body that are functioning less-than-optimally. For example, a functional stool test can look into whether your body is making enough enzymes to break your food down, uncover a yeast overgrowth or inflammation in your gut, and even give you an idea of how balanced, or imbalanced, your gut flora is.
- Exploring food sensitivities – there is a specific process for doing this and getting really great feedback on which foods work, and don’t work, for your body. It’s called the elimination diet and food challenge test.
- This process is especially helpful if you have digestive issues, fatigue, eczema, auto-immune conditions and even mental health issues like depression and are wondering if food is linked to your issue.
- If the hands on experience doesn’t appeal, there’s also the option of doing a skin prick test to screen for immune reactions and sensitivities to over 100 foods.
- A solid health history – this goes beyond the foundational questions of checking off whether or not you have some symptoms, your family history, what surgeries you’ve had and allergies & medications. A really good functional health history also takes YOU into account, including your thoughts and feelings about what’s going on. It also looks for underlying root causes of your symptoms and how they may be connected.
Take Action Now
You can start tuning into your body on your own today. Choose one or two top health issues and take time aside and journal about the following:
- What was going on for you when things changed with your health (i.e. at work, in your relationship, moving homes, etc.)
- What are YOUR thoughts on, and feelings about, what’s going on for you and your body?
This is a great start! Then, to be guided through a comprehensive health history, understand what functional lab testing may be a good fit for you, or be supported through the elimination diet and food challenge test, you’ll want to link up with a naturopathic doctor or integrative practitioner like me.
If you’re curious to uncover what’s really causing your health issue, I invite you to reach out to me for a complimentary Health Insight call.
Together we’ll dive into what’s going on for you and your body, what you want to make happen, and talk about first steps and strategies to sail through the barrier that’s been holding you back.
It’s a powerful experience and totally obligation-free. Simply email me at info@drvivianlord.com.
I look forward to hearing from you!
All the best,
Vivian