Working with a functional medicine professional can be exciting and rewarding. At the beginning of your journey, your doctor may start with a few simple tests to see what contributing factors are responsible for your current situation. Later on if you find that you have implemented lifestyle changes and you are not seeing the results your doctor expects, testing may be exactly just what the doctor orders!! Below are the four tests most frequently used by Dr. Jordan Leasure at her clinic in Illinois. If you’ve completed any of these please share your experiences below.

1. ORGANIC ACID TEST

This is one of Dr. Jordan’s favorite tests for a variety of reasons. It’s easy to complete - just pee in a cup at home! It gives a TON of information - Dr. Jordan calls it the “poop of the poop”. Essentially it measures metabolites - a fancy word for the end products of your metabolism - when you create energy and eliminate waste. It gives an overall look at your...

We all have times we feel on edge. Overwhelmed, burned out and run down. Those feelings can manifest in some individuals as depression and others as anxiety. You may notice you’re having trouble concentrating, even impacting your sleep. Do you eat right, workout and meditate, but you’re still not feeling like yourself? We may have the answer.

Inositol. Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. Inositol is a sugar alcohol but contrary to the name it is neither a sugar nor an alcohol! More confused? Let’s start at the beginning.

Inositol is found in many foods - mainly fruits like cantaloupe and oranges[2]. It is found in bran, nuts and seeds in its phaylate form which is unfortunately indigestible by humans so we don’t get much inositol from our diets.

Inositol serves many functions in the human body from helping to give a cell its shape to giving instructions to a nerve and even breaking down fats! As a clinician we use it primarily for clients with...

September is officially here, and we all know what that means: school is back in session. For parents, this means taking your children to football, dance, cheerleading, swimming, piano lessons, tennis, tutors and much more. Your kids become overwhelmed with homework, reading, working on book reports, and studying for daunting tests. As a result, we are more vulnerable to stress and anxiety. Sometimes we need an extra boost, and luckily, L-Theanine can provide just that.

What is L-Theanine?

L-Theanine is a relaxing and non-dietary amino acid found pretty much exclusively in teas Camellia sinensis (mostly green and black tea) and is known to promote relaxation without sedation. The crucial difference seems to be not in whether the tea is green or black, but how young the tea leaves are at harvest. Theanine is found in highest concentrations in the buds and young leaves of the tea plant (1). It is available as a supplement that helps relieve anxiety. Theanine should be...