Health/Wellness,  Podcast Episodes

Functional Medicine 101 for Hormone Imbalance: The Testing You’re Probably Missing

June 10, 2025 /

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by “normal” labs but abnormal symptoms—low energy, painful periods, weight gain, mood swings, or an MIA cycle—you’re not alone. And you’re not imagining it. What you are missing might be a deeper, more personalized look at what’s really going on under the surface.

In this post, I’m walking you through the functional medicine approach to hormone imbalance, the two key types of testing I use with my clients (HTMA + DUTCH), and how this deeper dive helps us stop guessing and finally get real answers.

What Is Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine is about getting to the root cause of your symptoms—not just managing them. Instead of slapping on a band-aid (like birth control for period problems or an iron pill for fatigue), we zoom out and ask:

Why is this symptom happening in the first place?
What is your body trying to communicate?

Your body is always talking to you—through cravings, PMS, skin issues, sleep struggles, and more. Functional medicine is how we learn to listen.

I often describe it like this: Imagine trying to fill a bucket with water, but there’s a hole in the bottom. Traditional medicine might just keep adding more water (supplements, meds, etc.), but functional medicine says: “Hey… let’s patch the hole first.” That’s where the healing begins.

Why I Use Functional Testing With My Clients

In my practice, functional lab testing helps us skip the guesswork. We get real data, real clarity, and a real plan tailored to your body.

There are two specific tests I use over and over again with clients because they give us the deepest insight:

1. HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)

This simple at-home test tells us:

  • Your mineral levels (like magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium)
  • Heavy metal exposure or build up (things like mercury, aluminum, arsenic)
  • How your thyroid, metabolism, adrenals, and blood sugar systems are functioning
  • Whether your body is in a state of stress or inflammation

Your minerals are the spark plugs for your hormones. If they’re depleted, hormones can’t function properly—and most women I work with are missing key minerals without even knowing it.

HTMA also gives us a 3–4 month view of your body’s internal patterns, not just a snapshot like a blood test.

2. DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones)

This is my go-to hormone test. It gives us insight into:

  • Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol levels
  • How well your body is detoxing estrogen
  • Patterns of stress hormone production (including burnout or dysregulation)

This test helps us understand not just what your hormone levels are, but how they’re being used and cleared by the body—which is a game-changer for issues like estrogen dominance, PCOS, low libido, and PMS.

Who Should Consider These Tests?

If you’re dealing with:

  • Fatigue that won’t go away
  • Brutal PMS or mood swings
  • Period problems (missing, irregular, or heavy cycles)
  • Weight gain that doesn’t budge despite effort
  • Secondary infertility or trouble getting pregnant after birth control
  • Brain fog, low libido, or just feeling off…

…then HTMA is a great place to start.

DUTCH testing is especially helpful for those dealing with fertility issues, intense PMS/PMDD, or wanting to know exactly where their hormone levels stand—but it’s not ideal if you’re currently breastfeeding, on hormonal birth control, or have just come off birth control in the last 3 months.

Why This Matters

When you have the right data, we don’t waste time guessing.

Instead of throwing random supplements at your symptoms or hoping things “just get better,” we get to design a custom, root-cause plan based on you.

It’s how we go from feeling like a hot mess to finally feeling like ourselves again.

Want to Know What Testing Is Right for You?

If you’re curious about what’s really going on behind your symptoms and want a personalized path forward, you can apply to work with me here.

I’ll help you determine which test (or combination) is the best fit and walk you through exactly what’s going on—so you can stop guessing and start healing.

Want more like this?
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode: Hormone Imbalance? Why Functional Medicine Might Be the Missing Piece

And don’t forget to grab my free Hormones 101 Secret Podcast if you haven’t yet—it’s a bite-sized way to start understanding your body, your hormones, and the steps to reclaim your energy.