It is estimated that that up to 2 million Canadians have food allergies. A food allergy is an abnormal response by the immune system to a food trigger. Development of food allergies is dependent on a number of factors including timing of exposure to the allergenic food, frequency of consuming the allergenic food, and the integrity of the gastrointestinal system. Food allergies are implicated in a wide variety of conditions, some of which include migraine, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic ear infections, eczema, psoriasis and recurrent infection.

We use saliva and blood tests for both children and adults. For adults a standard blood draw is used, for children we use a finger stick that uses only a few drops of blood. (This is available for adults as well!)

Accurate testing requires the patient to eat a wide range of foods within 3 weeks of assessment for IgG exposure to be present. The test provides a report of whether the levels of antibody to the various foods suggest that each one is “safe” to eat, best to eat in moderation, or to avoid entirely.

Hormone imbalance in women is usually associated with PMS, infertility, fibroids and other female hormone-related problems. Menopausal women often suffer from hot flashes, insomnia, decreased libido, irritability and weight gain.

In men, age-related male hormone changes have not been considered problematic, because fertility in men persists until an advanced age. More careful evaluation in males, however, shows progressive age-related changes, including decreased muscle mass and strength, decreased vigor or low energy, decreased libido, insomnia, nervousness, depression and hair loss.
These changes usually begin in a man’s forties and fifties and point towards hormone imbalances and deficiencies which may be considered the male equivalent of menopause, which is called andropause.

Our panels can define the hormonal state with exquisite accuracy which, in turn, provides specific insights for appropriate intervention to relieve hormonal imbalance and PMS-related symptoms. It also permits us to individualize hormone. Currently female hormone therapy is not individualized to the needs of each woman, because current diagnostic tests do not provide sufficient data.

We feel the 24-hour urine sample is more accurate because it smooths the well-known circadian fluctuation in hormone levels. Our comprehensive urine hormone test provides valuable info on 12 hormones with the potential to add-on human growth hormone, the 2/16 ratio, thyroid hormones, and urine minerals.

A recent concept in hormone-related cancer prevention is the measurement of the ratio of two estrone metabolites: 2-hydroxyestrone and 16a-hydroxyestrone. A decrease in the 2/16a ratio is associated with an increased risk of breast and cervical cancer. The 2/16a ratio is not included in the standard hormone assay but is available as an add-on.

Common methods of calculating your cholesterol levels can be quite misleading. Approximately 50% of people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels. We use highly specialized, FDA approved labs that

Of course, your healthy lifestyle plays a key role in prevention, but so do screening tests that examine your:

Measuring your blood sugar levels simply tells you after the damage is done, which is too late. We check for early-warning signs such as:

We know that you can’t avoid stress, so we better equip you to manage it. We ask you to complete an online assessment that will help us work with you to develop a systematic coping strategy.

Adrenal Stress Index
The adrenals are two small glands, each weighing 3 to 5 grams, that are located above the kidneys. The adrenals have one of the highest rates of blood flow per gram of tissue, and the highest content of vitamin C per gram of any tissue in the body.

The human adrenal gland does not secrete its steroid hormones at a constant level throughout the day. The hormones are actually released in a cycle, with the highest value in the morning and the lowest value at night. This 24-hour cycle is called the circadian rhythm. An abnormal adrenal rhythm can influence many functions of the body, some of which are described below.

Energy production
The Adrenal Stress Index panel measures stress hormones and insulin, to help ferret out the causes of fatigue, cravings and obesity.

Muscle and joint function
Abnormal adrenal rhythms are known to compromise tissue healing. Reduced tissue repair and increased tissue breakdown can lead to muscle and joint wasting with chronic pain.

Bone health
The adrenal rhythm determines how well we build bone. If the night cortisol level is elevated and the morning level is too high, our bones do not rebuild well, and we are more prone to osteoporosis. Stress is the enemy of the bones. In postmenopausal women, the effect of stress worsens due to female hormone imbalances.
 
Immune health
Short- and long-term stress is known to suppress the immune response in the lungs, throat, urinary tract and intestines. With the reduction in the surface antibody (called secretory IgA), the resistance to infection is reduced and allergic reactions are believed to increase.

Sleep quality
The ability to enter REM sleep cycles and experience regenerative sleep is interrupted by high cortisol values at night and in the morning. Chronic lack of REM sleep can reduce a person’s mental vitality and vigor and induce depression.

Our healthcare system faces the ongoing challenge of increasing rates of chronic disease and poor patient compliance. As efforts to support preventive medicine evolve, so does the need to develop novel approaches to motivate patients to make relevant and lasting behavior changes and move away from the one-drug-fits-all model.

What's in your DNA?
Each of us is born with our own genetic code, a unique set of instructions stored inside our cells. These instructions tell our bodies how to function over the course of our lifetimes.

What are genetic markers?
Think of genetic risk markers as bits of DNA that vary from person to person. These markers are part of what makes each of us unique. They also reveal patterns in your DNA that relate to certain health conditions and medication responses.

How do we look at your DNA?
Genetic science has come a long way in recent years. Now, genetic tests based on a simple saliva sample can tell you about key points in your genetic code and how they affect your risk of many health conditions.

Is your DNA your destiny?
Most of your genes work together with the environment around you, including your behaviors and the influences you are exposed to on a regular basis. That means the choices you make can shape how much your genes affect your health.

Genetic testing is revolutionizing preventative medicine. By knowing an individual’s genetic predisposition for common and preventable conditions, we can develop preventive health strategies that motivate patients towards behavior change while making more precise treatment and monitoring decisions, and guide which medications are most likely to be safe and effective for a given patient.

This innovative testing is being used by premier medical centers in the US and Canada such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Duke Medical Center and Scripps, and have gained endorsements of national physician groups.

A recent poll found that 91% of Americans would pursue a genetic test. Our offering has created an enormous amount of awareness.

Acute significant exposure to toxic elements is rare and may even constitute a medical emergency, whereas chronic low-level exposure often goes undetected. Toxic elements appear in urine immediately after exposure, which makes urine element testing useful for assessing potential toxicity. Although urine is the primary route of elimination, toxic elements are incorporated into hair, bone or other tissues when exposure is excessive or continual.

The sequestration of toxic elements in body tissue stores may eventually result in symptoms. For example, mercury and lead accumulation can cause higher rates of Parkinsonism, cognitive decline, depression, nausea, fatigue, developmental delays, naeurological and movement disorders. Cadmium toxicity is associated with increased risk for osteoporosis, kidney damage and cancer.

Many symptoms of chronic heavy metal toxicity are similar to those of neurological, kidney and digestive disorders making it nearly impossible to identify the root cause without testing. Analysis of the levels of toxic metals in urine after the administration of a metal detoxification agent is an objective way to evaluate the accumulation of toxic metals.

Overwhelming scientific evidence confirms that vitamin deficiencies are associated with disease processes and the overall condition of one’s health. Vitamin, mineral and antioxidant deficiencies have been shown to suppress immune function and contribute to chronic degenerative processes such as arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

This body of research has been reaffirmed by the Journal of the American Medical Association

‘Although the clinical syndrome of vitamin deficiencies are unusual in western society, suboptimal vitamin status is not. Because suboptimal vitamin status is associated with many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and osteoporosis, it is important for physicians to identify patients with poor nutrition or other reasons for increased vitamin needs.’ (June 19, 2002-Vol 287, No 23). 

Our micronutrient testing offers a unique means to scientifically assess the intracellular requirements of micronutrients that play an important role in your overall health and wellness Our tests measure the biochemical function of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants, providing a powerful clinical assessment tool.
 
Our panels are designed to provide you with the most comprehensive nutritional analysis available.