Functional Testing

Tired of guessing? When it comes to your health, guessing just isn’t good enough.

When your symptoms don’t add up — or nothing seems to stick — it’s time to dig deeper.

Functional testing helps us move beyond the surface to uncover what’s actually driving issues like bloating, fatigue, anxiety, skin flare-ups, hormone imbalances, and that constant “something just feels off” feeling.

By using data, not guesswork, we’re able to create a personalized plan that’s targeted, efficient, and tailored to your body’s unique needs — so you can stop spinning your wheels and FINALLY feel better.

At Validated Nutrition, we use two powerful tools (GI MAP & HTMA)
to help make that happen:

functional lab testing

GI MAP (GI Microbial Assay Plus)

Uncovers bacterial overgrowths, pathogens, inflammation, and digestive imbalances behind symptoms like bloating, fatigue, food sensitivities & more.

💩 What is the GI MAP?

The Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus (GI-MAP) is a cutting-edge stool test that uses advanced DNA technology (qPCR) to identify what’s going on inside your gut — from pathogens to digestion to inflammation.

In other words?
We get real answers about your health... through your poop 💁‍♀️

🔍 What does the GI MAP test for?

This incredibly comprehensive stool sample analysis screens for:

Pathogens & microbes:

  • Bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens

  • H. pylori

  • Fungi and yeast (like Candida)

  • Opportunistic and overgrowth bacteria

  • Your “good” bacteria and overall microbiome balance

Digestive & gut function markers:

  • Fat digestion

  • Pancreatic enzyme output

  • Liver and detox function

  • Gut immune response (secretory IgA)

  • How you respond to gluten

  • Intestinal inflammation

🤔 Who is this test for?

The GI MAP is for anyone who’s tired of guessing and wants real answers — especially if you're dealing with:

  • Food sensitivities

  • Gas, bloating, or irregular bowel movements

  • IBS or IBD

  • Acne, rosacea, or eczema

  • Fatigue or brain fog

  • Autoimmune conditions

  • Anxiety or low mood

Basically, if you’ve been told “everything looks normal” but you don’t feel normal — this is for you.

🧠 Then what?

We don’t just run the test and leave you hanging.

Using your GI MAP results, your health history, and a holistic + psychological approach, I’ll create a personalized protocol that includes food, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle shifts designed to support healing at the root.

So you can get back to…
✅ Feeling energized
✅ Eating with freedom + knowing exactly what to eat
✅ Ditching the bloat + bathroom stress
✅ Living symptom-free — with confidence!e

HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)

Reveals how stress and mineral imbalances are impacting your energy, mood, hormones, digestion, and overall resilience.

✨ What is HTMA?

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a functional test that uses a small sample of hair to measure your mineral levels and heavy metal exposure — giving us insight into how your body is managing stress, energy, metabolism, and nervous system balance over time.

Unlike bloodwork (which shows a moment-in-time snapshot), HTMA reveals longer-term patterns in how your body is functioning behind the scenes.

In other words?
It’s like reading your body’s mineral blueprint — and it explains a LOT.

🧪 What does HTMA test for?

HTMA shows us:

Mineral status:

  • Key minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, and more

  • Whether you're balanced, depleted, or dealing with excesses

Mineral ratios (aka stress + metabolic patterns):

  • Nervous system regulation (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic dominance)

  • Adrenal function and burnout

  • Thyroid and metabolic function

  • Blood sugar balance

  • Hormonal tendencies (especially estrogen dominance)

Toxic heavy metals:

  • Arsenic, lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, etc.

🧍‍♀️ Who is this test for?

HTMA is a great fit if you:

  • Feel wired but tired, or completely burned out

  • Are bloated, constipated, or sensitive to everything

  • Deal with brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, or mood swings

  • Are stuck with weight that won’t budge or cravings that won’t quit

  • Want to prep your body for pregnancy, support postpartum, or ease through perimenopause

  • Have “normal” labs but still don’t feel like yourself

💡 Then what?

You’ll receive a personalized protocol built around your mineral patterns and health history — using mineral powders, gentle detox support, and targeted nutrition to get your body back in balance.

So you can get back to…
✅ Feeling clear-headed and calm
✅ Waking up with energy (and keeping it all day)
✅ Pooping regularly and eating without fear
✅ Feeling resilient — not rundown
✅ Supporting your body through every season of life

Not sure which test is right for you? You don’t have to!

I’ll figure out what makes the most sense once we’ve chatted about your symptoms and health history (in a discovery call and/or first session). Sometimes we use both — sometimes just one. It’s all based on you.