Functional Medicine
Women's Health
Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. By combining current science and evidence-based practices, functional medicine provides a natural, holistic and patient-centered approach to health care. GLOW 365 specializes in functional medicine for women’s health.
Begin your journey to optimal health.
Initial Consultation
The Women’s Health Initial Consultation is the first step in creating your individualized, comprehensive treatment plan. Nurse Practitioner Jill Crotty will conduct a complete examination, collecting current history, past medical history, family history, review of medications, vitamins and supplements as well as assessment of your nutritional and lifestyle path to determine your current level of health and identify areas of concern to develop a plan of care.
Diagnostic Testing
Lab work may be recommended to help us determine your current state of health and existing imbalances. Some of our tests must be collected in a lab, others can be collected in the comfort of your home and submitted by mail. The functional labs we use incorporate current laboratory science that look at individual biochemistry and hormonal pathways to assist us in understanding complex health conditions and directing health care in the most efficient way. There are many functional lab tests we can utilize depending on each individual woman.
Creating Your Personalized Plan
After the initial consultation and completion of lab work, a personalized diet and treatment plan will be created to empower you in your health journey. Using the functional lab tests as markers to determine specific pre-disease conditions and genetic predispositions, we help you understand how your body works in a deeper and more meaningful way. You will also learn how your family history, environment, and diet affect your health, working preventatively to help you reach optimal health outcomes. Supplementation recommendations will be determined by the Nurse Practitioner to aid in your goals. Medications may also be recommended.
Initial Consultation • $150
Follow Up Women’s Health • $100 per visit
Conditions We Evaluate and Treat
Our functional medicine solutions are appropriate for women 18 years and older.
Lethargy
Acne
Stress
PMS
Irregular / Painful Periods
Perimenopause
Menopause
Nutritional Deficiencies
Food Sensitivities
Hormone Levels
Specialized Testing
We rely on various functional lab tests depending on the symptoms and needs of each individual patient. The types of tests that are particularly important for the conditions we treat include the below options. The specific lab work ordered will be determined by your practitioner during your initial consultation.
Dutch Testing
This innovative test shows a complete picture of hormones and their metabolites, including cortisol circadian rhythm, to assess adrenal health and melatonin. It is useful for women who are considering taking or are currently taking bioidentical or synthetic hormones or for perimenopausal women. It can tell us not only how much estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc. she is making but how it is being detoxified and broken down in a healthy or not-so-healthy way. This information can help us be aware of the risk for breast or uterine cancer for each woman individually.
The Dutch test is also a more accurate way than saliva testing to measure free cortisol and to monitor hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) regulation, which is how our brain and adrenals communicate. Since we know that our hormone balance is closely connected to our HPA axis, it is important to test them at the same time to get the big picture.
Blood Testing
Serum lab testing of hormones is an easy, inexpensive way to get an overview of a woman’s health. Some of the typical blood tests that can be important include complete sex hormone testing, complete thyroid panel with antibodies, a chemistry panel, iron/ferritin/homocysteine and vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Other specific lab tests are also considered individually.
Food Sensitivity
Food sensitivities are recognized to be correlated with many chronic health conditions, such as IBS, eczema, fatigue, and others – but with proper identification and elimination of offending foods, many experience relief from their symptoms.
A food sensitivity blood test measures your IgG reactivity levels for different kinds of food, using a small sample of blood. High IgG reactivity for a certain food indicates there’s a possibility that food may be involved with causing your symptoms. An elimination diet followed by methodically trying the eliminated foods one by one after a period of avoidance is the best way to identify food sensitivities. Blood tests for intolerances usually measure the levels of antibodies called IgG antibodies in the blood (different from the IgE antibodies involved in an allergic reaction).
Cortisol Testing
The adrenal glands, otherwise known as the “stress glands,” enable our bodies to cope with stress and survive. Shaped like two tiny pyramids, they sit atop the kidneys and from this central location mobilize the response to changes in our environment.
Whether stress comes from outside in the form of a natural disaster, or from within like the anxiety we experience before public speaking, it’s the adrenals’ job to help us adapt to the situation.
Adrenal glands that are out of balance can lead to:
High Cortisol: Results in insomnia, anxiety, sugar cravings, feeling tired but wired, increased belly fat & bone loss and night sweats
Low Cortisol: Causes chronic fatigue, low energy, food and sugar cravings, poor exercise tolerance or recovery & low immune reserves
Patients can conduct a saliva cortisol test or a urine cortisol test to assess adrenal hormones. This involves collecting four non-invasive samples over the course of one day, from which our lab is able to generate results with a diurnal cortisol curve. This four-point graph reveals cortisol levels throughout the day and allows your nurse practitioner to pinpoint issues with adrenal gland function.
