What’s the Best Probiotic?
(It Depends — Here’s Why)
One of the most common questions I get is “What probiotic should I take?”
The honest answer is that the best probiotic for you depends on what’s happening in your gut. Different strains do very different things, and in some cases probiotics can make symptoms worse if they’re not the right fit.
Many people have already tried one or two probiotics before finding this page — sometimes with little improvement, or even more bloating — which is usually a sign that the type of probiotic didn’t match what the gut actually needed.
This is why, when possible, I recommend starting with testing. A GI-MAP stool test allows us to see what bacteria are already present, whether certain microbes may be overgrown, and what type of support is most likely to be helpful.
That said, if testing isn’t possible right now, there are a few probiotic types that tend to be better tolerated and more broadly supportive for many people.
The product links below open through my Fullscript dispensary.
Fullscript allows me to provide professional-grade supplements at a 20–25% discount once you create a free account, with pricing visible after sign-up.
Your discount is automatically applied to all future orders.
Saccharomyces boulardii (a.k.a. Sacc B or S. Boulardii)
Saccharomyces boulardii is different from most probiotics because it’s actually a beneficial yeast rather than a bacteria.
Instead of permanently colonizing the gut, it works temporarily while you’re taking it, which makes it easier for many people to tolerate — especially if traditional probiotics tend to cause bloating.
Sacc B may be helpful for:
Supporting healthy stool consistency
Helping maintain balance when yeast or opportunistic organisms are present
Supporting gut barrier and immune function
Providing support after antibiotic use or travel
Why it’s often well tolerated
Because it’s a yeast, it doesn’t permanently colonize the gut, which is one reason many people tolerate it well.
It’s often used as short-term support rather than a long-term daily probiotic.
Best for: Inconsistent digestion, post-antibiotic support, or when traditional probiotics tend to cause bloating.
Note: product links open through my Fullscript dispensary, so pricing is visible once you create a free account. My dispensary discount (20–25% off retail) is applied automatically.
Spore-Based Probiotics (Megasporebiotic)
Spore-based probiotics work a little differently than traditional probiotics.
These organisms are naturally protected by a spore shell, which allows them to survive stomach acid and reach the intestines more effectively. Rather than trying to replace existing bacteria, they help support a healthier gut environment so beneficial bacteria can rebalance more naturally.
This can make them a helpful starting point for people who have reacted poorly to traditional probiotics in the past.
Spore-based probiotics may be helpful for:
People who experience bloating with traditional probiotics
Supporting gut balance without introducing very large amounts of bacteria
Situations where digestion feels sensitive or reactive
Supporting microbial diversity over time
Best for:
Sensitive digestion, probiotic intolerance, or supporting gut balance without introducing large amounts of new bacteria
My favorite is MegaSpore:
Traditional Lactobacillus & Bifidobacterium Blends
These are what most people think of when they hear the word “probiotic.”
For some individuals, these blends can be helpful for general digestive and immune support. However, they aren’t always the best starting point, especially if bloating, gas, or histamine sensitivity are already present.
Traditional probiotic blends may be helpful when:
Digestion is relatively stable
Probiotics have been well tolerated in the past
The goal is general maintenance rather than symptom support
As with all probiotics and supplements, individual response can vary.
Best for: General digestive and immune support when digestion is relatively stable and probiotics have been well tolerated in the past.
A Final Note on Probiotics
Probiotics can be helpful tools, but they aren’t always the first place I start. In many cases, mineral balance, digestion, or the gut environment itself needs support before adding bacteria.
This is why testing can be so helpful — it allows us to choose the right support at the right time instead of guessing, and often prevents unnecessary trial and error.
If you’re unsure where to start, GI-MAP stool testing can help take the guesswork out of the process and make probiotic choices much more targeted.
NutrEval
NutrEval is a blood and urine test that identifies key nutritional deficiencies. The NutrEval evaluates overall nutritional status to determine personalized supplementation needs for antioxidants, B-vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, digestive support, and other select nutrients.
NutrEval testing is effective for client concerns such as:
Mood disorder
Depression
Anxiety
Fatigue
Digestive Complaints
Chronic Pain/Inflammatory Conditions
Musculoskeletal
Migraine
Cardiovascular Risk
Weight Issues/Dietary Guidance
General Health and Sports Fitness Optimization
To see a sample NutrEval report, click here
Toorder your own NutrEval click here
GI MAP
Functional gut testing · For women tired of guessing
Finally know what's actually going on in your gut — without another appointment.
At-home GI-MAP stool test collection kit + a recorded video walkthrough of your results from a functional practitioner + a personalized plan to fix your symptoms — so instead of guessing what's wrong with your gut, you finally know.
No waiting months to get in to an office. No scheduling. Just answers.
Kit shipped to your door · Results in 2–3 weeks · No appointment required
I loved the video review of my results. You were patient with all my questions and extremely supportive. Being able to go through you to get these tests and not cost an arm and a leg, has been life saving. I truly appreciate all that you have done for me!
— J.E.
You've tried everything
And your gut is still running the show.
You've tried probiotics. Maybe more than one kind. You've added fermented foods, bought the expensive bone broth, tried cutting back on sugar or dairy to see if it helped. You've asked your doctor about it and been told your labs look "normal" — or handed an IBS diagnosis and sent home with no real plan.
If any of this sounds familiar...
- • You're bloated no matter what you eat, and it's worst by evening
- • You have unpredictable digestion — some days fine, some days miserable, with no pattern you can figure out
- • You get reflux, gas, or burping that supplements don't seem to fix
- • You've noticed foods you used to tolerate now bother you
- • You feel like every gut protocol works for a week or two, then stops
- • Your skin, mood, or energy feel connected to your gut, but you can't prove it
- • You're tired of being your own science experiment
You're not imagining it. Your gut is trying to tell you something — and guessing at what it needs hasn't worked because guesses aren't data.
Here's what most people miss
Your gut isn't a mystery.
It's a data problem.
Most gut protocols you've tried were built on symptom-matching: you have bloating, so try this probiotic. You have reflux, so take a PPI. You have IBS, so…
Eat more fiber. Eat less fiber.
Eat less meat. Just kidding, go carnivore. No, go plant-based.
Cut FODMAPs. Add fermented foods. Avoid fermented foods.
No wonder your gut is confused. You are too.
But the same symptom can come from a dozen different underlying causes. Reflux from H. pylori is a completely different problem than reflux from too much stomach acid. "IBS" is a label — not a cause. And without knowing what's actually happening in your gut, every protocol is a guess.
This is why the supplements didn't stick. Why the elimination diets might give you a couple good weeks and then stop working. Why the protocol that worked for your friend made you feel worse. You weren't doing it wrong — you were just working without data.
The GI-MAP changes the conversation. It's a stool test that uses DNA-level technology (qPCR) to identify the actual microbes, infections, inflammation markers, and digestive function happening in your gut right now — so instead of guessing, you can see.
And instead of waiting weeks for a doctor's appointment just to walk out with a prescription — or at best, a rushed list of supplements you don't even know what they do — you get a recorded video walkthrough of your specific results, explaining what they mean, what matters most, and exactly what to do next.
What you'll actually see
A full picture of what's
happening underneath.
The GI-MAP analyzes over 40 markers across the major categories that drive gut dysfunction — a complete picture of your microbiome, digestion, inflammation, and immune function in a single at-home test.
Beneficial Bacteria
Is your microbiome population actually healthy? We'll see the commensal strains that keep digestion, immunity, and mood in balance.
Opportunistic & Pathogenic Bacteria
Including H. pylori — the most common cause of ulcers — along with overgrowths that drive bloating, reflux, and inflammation.
Parasites, Viruses & Fungi
Often missed on standard testing, these are frequent drivers of stubborn gut symptoms, skin flares, and unexplained fatigue.
Inflammation Markers
Like calprotectin — a direct measure of how inflamed your gut is right now, not a guess based on symptoms.
Digestive Function
Are you actually breaking down and absorbing your food? Enzymes, fat digestion, and stomach acid function are all assessed.
Immune Markers
Like secretory IgA — your gut's immune front line. Low or high tells us very different things about what's happening.
The difference: you're getting a lab-grade gut panel shipped to your door — and the interpretation comes as a recorded video you can rewatch as many times as you want.
Ready to see what's actually going on in your gut?
See the Package →What you'll receive
Here's what a real
report looks like.
No mysterious PDF you have to decode alone. You'll get a detailed, color-coded breakdown of every marker — with a recorded video walking through what your specific results mean and exactly what to do next.
A small preview of what you'll receive.
The Package
Everything you get —
delivered on your time.
A complete gut health assessment from collection to protocol, without having to schedule an appointment or make time for a call.
- ✓ At-home GI-MAP test kit shipped directly to your door — everything you need to collect a small stool sample when it's convenient, drop in the prepaid mailer
- ✓ No waiting weeks (or months) for an appointment. Order today, your kit arrives within days — no scheduling delays standing between you and answers
- ✓ A detailed health history + symptoms assessment so your results are interpreted in the context of your story — not just the lab values
- ✓ Leaky gut / intestinal permeability marker (zonulin) included — your GI-MAP will include an additional zonulin marker (a $95 value) for insight into intestinal permeability, especially relevant if you're dealing with autoimmune flares, skin issues, or stubborn food sensitivities
- ✓ Personalized recorded video walkthrough of your results — not a live call where you're struggling to understand in real-time. Watch on your time, replay, share with your spouse, come back to it later
- ✓ Detailed written report translating your results into plain language
- ✓ A customized 3+ month personalized plan with specific next steps for diet, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation — no guessing
- ✓ 48 hours of follow-up questions in writing after you receive your results, with the option to continue support if you want it
- ✓ Up to 25% off professional-grade supplements through Fullscript (ongoing, all orders)
- ✓ 15% off Cellcore detox products
No live meeting required.
Everything delivered virtually, on your time.
GI-MAP Test + Practitioner Interpretation + Personalized Plan
$799
Results in 2–3 weeks after lab received your sample
Is this worth it?
$799 sounds like a lot.
Here's the honest math.
If you've already spent months (or years) guessing — the elimination diets that didn't stick, the probiotics that ended up in a drawer, the expensive cleanses, the doctor visits at $300+ plus lab costs — you've likely already spent much more than $799 on not-knowing.
Most functional health offerings (including some of my own) are bundled into longer-term programs — memberships, multi-month packages, or signature coaching programs. Those make sense if you're looking for ongoing 1:1 support and accountability over months. But if you mostly want clarity — the test, the interpretation, the plan — without committing to a full program, that's exactly what this package is for.
This package gives you:
- ✓ The test itself, with free expedited shipping ($600+ or more elsewhere, plus shipping costs and slower turnaround)
- ✓ No separate intake appointment — your health history is collected through digital forms instead of an appointment just for intake ($300–$500+ plus months of waitlists at many functional clinics)
- ✓ Professional interpretation of your results ($300+ at most clinics, where you sit through a one-time appointment trying to remember everything they said)
- → Yours: a recorded video you can rewatch as often as you need.
- ✓ Zonulin / leaky gut marker included (typically a $95 add-on) — adds intestinal permeability assessment so you're not paying for a second test later
- ✓ A custom plan built for you (instead of waiting — and paying — for one or two more separate appointments)
- ✓ Priority direct access for 48 hours after your results — instead of waiting 2–3 weeks and another appointment cost to ask a question, you get quick written answers to your follow-up questions
- ✓ Ongoing Fullscript + Cellcore supplement discounts — yours to keep, often $150–300+ in savings on a typical 3-month gut protocol alone
All this for $799. Delivered without having to make a single appointment.
You're not paying for a test. You're paying for answers — and a plan you can actually follow.
A note on availability
I take on a limited number
of GI-MAPs each month.
If you've been sitting on the fence about this, every week of waiting is another week of not-knowing. The sooner you collect, the sooner you have real answers.
The video review was nice. I liked that I had it available to watch several times and take my time understanding the information. Kelly did a great job walking through the lab results. All the recommendations were realistic to follow and not overwhelming.
— Corey
The question everyone asks
"What if my results come back normal?"
In hundreds of labs I've interpreted, I have yet to see a GI MAP that didn't reveal something actionable.
Sometimes it's an obvious driver — H. pylori, a parasite, low beneficial bacteria, an inflammation marker that finally explains the bloating. Sometimes it's quieter — digestive enzymes that aren't pulling their weight, a secretory IgA that's tanked from years of stress, a zonulin elevation that points straight at why your skin keeps flaring.
Even the cleanest reports tell us something useful: they rule out specific causes and sharpen where to look next. That's still progress you can't get from another guess.
You will not walk away from this with nothing.
How it works
From order to answers,
here's what to expect.
Order your test
Complete checkout and your GI-MAP kit will be on its way. You'll receive an email inviting you to set up your secure client portal through Practice Better.
Complete your intake
Watch for a few short forms in your portal — your health history, symptoms, and goals. These give me the full picture so your results are interpreted in your context, not just lab values. You'll also receive detailed instructions on how to prepare for collection.
Collect at home
When your kit arrives, collect a stool sample at your convenience and drop it in the prepaid mailer. No lab visit, no appointment, no waiting room.
Get your plan
About 2–3 weeks after the lab receives your sample, you'll receive a recorded video walkthrough of your results, a detailed written report, and a personalized 3+ month plan — including supplement recommendations from professional-grade brands I trust (discounted for you through Fullscript + Cellcore). All delivered digitally. No call or appointment required – just direct written support when you need it.
Honesty check
Is this right for you?
This is for you if...
- ✓ You have gut symptoms — bloating, reflux, unpredictable bathroom days, food sensitivities that keep multiplying — that haven't resolved no matter what you try
- ✓ The skin flares, the mood dips, the energy crashes — you've started to suspect they all trace back to your gut, and you're done writing it off as a coincidence.
- ✓ You've got a long history with antibiotics, restricted diets, or both — and you suspect your gut never fully bounced back.
- ✓ You've been told your labs are "normal" but feel anything but
- ✓ You want data-driven, root-cause answers, based on what's actually happening in your body
- ✓ You're tired of rushed appointments where you feel unheard — you want results delivered in a format you can actually absorb, on your time
- ✓ You want a personalized plan (diet, lifestyle, and short-term supplementation) to help rebalance your gut based on your results
This is probably not for you if...
- ✕ You want a quick fix — a round of antibiotics, a prescription, or one supplement to "just make it stop"
- ✕ You want weekly 1:1 live calls or visits with your practitioner
- ✕ You're currently pregnant or breastfeeding (GI-MAP protocols often aren't appropriate during these stages — HTMA is usually a better starting place)
- ✕ Your symptoms are more hormonally driven — worse around your period, tied to perimenopause, or follow a cyclical pattern (DUTCH may be a better starting place)
- ✕ You feel like you've already tried everything and aren't open to a fresh approach — even one built specifically from your results.
The experience was great! Kelly answered any questions I had and was very helpful throughout. The personalized protocol is great because it's within a good budget and not too many to have to take. I will be doing further testing in the future.
— Katrina L.
About the practitioner
Kelly Shea
FDN-P · Health by the Numbers
I'm a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who works with women navigating exactly what you're navigating right now.
I started in this work the same way most of my clients find me — frustrated. It took me years to figure out what was going on with my own body: cystic acne, hormone imbalances, stubborn weight gain, losing half my hair, insomnia that wrecked me. I'd been told my labs were "fine" while my symptoms told a different story. I'd tried elimination diets, probiotics, and doctor visits — even naturopathic ones — that ended with "cut carbs," "move more," or a prescription I didn't want to take. I felt like no one truly understood what I was going through — like I was just supposed to accept feeling this way.
When I finally discovered functional testing — including a GI-MAP — I got real answers in a matter of weeks. Not perfect answers, not a miracle, but data. And from that data, a plan that actually made sense for my body. If I'd started here in the beginning, I would have saved myself years of time, money, and frustration.
That's the work I do now. Over the last several years, I've interpreted hundreds of functional lab panels for women looking for the same kind of clarity. The recorded video format exists because most of my clients don't have time for another scheduled call — they need real answers, delivered in a way that fits their life.
In health,
Kelly
Questions
What you might be wondering.
What happens after I order?
How long do I have to use my test after purchasing?
Do I need to do anything to prepare?
How does the at-home collection work?
How long until I get my results?
Do I really not have to get on a call?
And your questions still get answered. You'll have 48 hours of direct access after receiving results to submit follow-up questions in writing.
What if I have more questions after my 48-hour window?
Is this test HSA eligible?
Are there payment plans available?
Can I do this while pregnant or breastfeeding?
What if my results are "normal"?
Are supplements included in the cost?
Still have questions?
One last thing
Your gut has been trying
to tell you something.
You don't have to keep guessing at what it needs. After hundreds of gut panels, here's what I keep seeing: the women who stop guessing and start testing are the ones who finally stop cycling through protocols that don't work.
You can order today and have your kit within a few business days.
GI-MAP Test + Practitioner Interpretation + Your Personalized Plan
$799
Everything delivered on your time. No appointment required.
Order My GI-MAP →In health,
Kelly
You can also complete your purchase directly through your Practice Better portal. Check out on Practice Better →
Hormone Testing
Functional hormone testing · For women tired of guessing
Finally know what's actually going on with your hormones — without another appointment.
At-home DUTCH hormone test kit + a recorded video walkthrough of your results from a functional practitioner + a personalized plan to address your symptoms — so instead of guessing what's wrong with your hormones, you finally know.
No waiting months to get in to an office. No scheduling. Just answers.
You've tried everything
And your hormones are still calling the shots.
You've tried seed cycling. Maybe a few rounds. You've cut out caffeine, added magnesium, tried a new birth control — or come off of it. You've asked your doctor about the PMS, the fatigue, the irregular cycles, and been told your labs look 'normal' — or handed an antidepressant and sent home with no real plan.
If any of this sounds familiar...
- Your PMS is getting worse, not better — and the week before your period feels unrecognizable
- You're exhausted by 3pm but wired at 11pm, no matter how 'good' your sleep hygiene is
- Your cycle is irregular, missing, or has gotten unpredictable in the last year or two
- You suspect perimenopause but your bloodwork keeps coming back 'fine'
- Mood swings, anxiety, or low motivation feel out of proportion to what's actually going on in your life
- You're gaining weight — especially around the middle — that doesn't respond to diet or exercise
- You've got acne, hair thinning, or low libido and you're tired of being told it's just stress
- You feel like every protocol works for a week or two, then stops
You're not imagining it. Your body is trying to tell you something — and guessing at what it needs hasn't worked because guesses aren't data.
Here's what most people miss
Your hormones aren't a mystery. They're a data problem.
Most hormone advice you've been given was built on symptom-matching: you have PMS, so try this supplement. You're tired, so cut carbs. Your cycle is irregular, so try this birth control. You think it's perimenopause, so wait it out.
Eat more protein. Eat less protein.
Cut out caffeine. Keep caffeine but only in the morning. Just kidding, do mushroom coffee.
Try ashwagandha. Avoid ashwagandha if your cortisol is low. Wait — is your cortisol low?
No wonder your hormones feel confusing. You are too.
The same symptom can come from a dozen different underlying causes. PMS from low progesterone is a completely different problem than PMS from estrogen that isn't clearing properly. 'Hormonal' is a label — not a cause. And without knowing what's actually happening with your hormones, every protocol is a guess.
This is why the supplements didn't stick. Why seed cycling gave you a couple decent months and then stopped. Why the protocol that worked for your friend made you feel worse. You weren't doing it wrong — you were just working without data.
The DUTCH test changes the conversation. It's an at-home dried urine test that shows not just your hormone levels but how your body produces, metabolizes, and clears them — plus your cortisol rhythm across the day, melatonin, and key markers of oxidative stress and nutrient status. So instead of guessing, you can see.
And instead of waiting weeks for an appointment just to walk out with a prescription — or at best, a rushed list of supplements you don't even know what they do — you get a recorded video walkthrough of your specific results, explaining what they mean, what matters most, and exactly what to do next.
Here's what most people miss
Your hormones aren't a mystery. They're a data problem.
Most hormone advice you've been given was built on symptom-matching: you have PMS, so try this supplement. You're tired, so cut carbs. Your cycle is irregular, so try this birth control. You think it's perimenopause, so wait it out.
Eat more protein. Eat less protein.
Cut out caffeine. Keep caffeine but only in the morning. Just kidding, do mushroom coffee.
Try ashwagandha. Avoid ashwagandha if your cortisol is low. Wait — is your cortisol low?
No wonder your hormones feel confusing. You are too.
The same symptom can come from a dozen different underlying causes. PMS from low progesterone is a completely different problem than PMS from estrogen that isn't clearing properly. 'Hormonal' is a label — not a cause. And without knowing what's actually happening with your hormones, every protocol is a guess.
This is why the supplements didn't stick. Why seed cycling gave you a couple decent months and then stopped. Why the protocol that worked for your friend made you feel worse. You weren't doing it wrong — you were just working without data.
The DUTCH test changes the conversation. It's an at-home dried urine test that shows not just your hormone levels but how your body produces, metabolizes, and clears them — plus your cortisol rhythm across the day, melatonin, and key markers of oxidative stress and nutrient status. So instead of guessing, you can see.
And instead of waiting weeks for an appointment just to walk out with a prescription — or at best, a rushed list of supplements you don't even know what they do — you get a recorded video walkthrough of your specific results, explaining what they mean, what matters most, and exactly what to do next.
What you'll actually see
A full picture of what's happening underneath.
The DUTCH test analyzes 35+ markers across the major categories that drive hormonal symptoms — a complete picture of your sex hormones, cortisol, sleep, and detox pathways in a single at-home test.
Sex Hormones
Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA — not just the levels, but how your body is metabolizing each of them.
Estrogen Metabolism
The often-missing piece. You can have 'normal' estrogen on bloodwork and still feel terrible if it isn't clearing through the right pathways.
Cortisol Rhythm
Free and total cortisol mapped across the day — so we can see whether your stress response is high, low, or out of rhythm.
Melatonin & Sleep
Melatonin (6-OHMS) gives a window into your sleep signaling, which is often disrupted long before sleep itself feels 'off.'
Organic Acids
Markers for B vitamins, neurotransmitters, gut yeast, and mitochondrial function — the puzzle pieces standard labs skip.
Oxidative Stress
8-OHdG, a direct marker of cellular oxidative stress and DNA damage — which quietly accelerates hormonal aging.
The difference: you're getting a lab-grade hormone panel shipped to your door — and the interpretation comes as a recorded video you can rewatch as many times as you want.
Ready to see what's actually going on with your hormones?
What you'll receive
Here's what a real report looks like.
No mysterious PDF you have to decode alone. You'll get a detailed, color-coded breakdown of every marker — with a recorded video walking through what your specific results mean and exactly what to do next.
A small preview of what you'll receive. → Watch a 7-minute example walkthrough
The Package
Everything you get — delivered on your time.
A complete hormone assessment from collection to protocol, without having to schedule an appointment or make time for a call. Every DUTCH package includes:
- No waiting weeks (or months) for an appointment. Order today, your kit arrives within days — no scheduling delays standing between you and answers
- At-home DUTCH test kit shipped directly to your door — everything you need to collect at home when it's convenient, drop in the prepaid mailer
- A detailed health history + symptoms assessment so your results are interpreted in the context of your story — not just the lab values
- Personalized recorded video walkthrough of your results — not a live call where you're struggling to understand in real time. Watch on your time, replay, and share it with your partner, your doctor, or anyone else helping you make decisions
- Detailed recommendations translating your results into plain language — covering diet, sleep, lifestyle, supplements, and follow-up labs
- A customized 3+ month personalized plan with specific next steps for diet, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation — including EndoAxis, my preferred hormone-support line for DUTCH cases — no guessing
- 48 hours of follow-up questions in writing after you receive your results, with the option to continue support if you want it
- Up to 25% off professional-grade supplements through Fullscript (ongoing, all orders)
No live meeting required. Everything delivered virtually, on your time.
Choose Your Package
Three options based on what your body needs.
Not sure which is right for you? See the comparison just below the packages, or email me at kelly.shea.fdnp@gmail.com and I'll help you figure out the best starting point.
DUTCH Complete
The full hormone + cortisol panel.
On dutchtest.com, the lab alone runs $499 — your package adds interpretation + a full plan.
Best for: Postmenopausal women, women on hormonal birth control, women with predictable cycles, or anyone who wants a complete look at sex hormones and cortisol rhythm at a single point in time.
Includes: Sex hormones & their metabolites, 4-point cortisol rhythm, melatonin, organic acids, and oxidative stress marker — plus everything in the package above.
Order DUTCH Complete →DUTCH Plus
DUTCH Complete + cortisol awakening response.
On dutchtest.com, the lab alone runs $650 — your package adds interpretation + a full plan.
Best for: Women whose biggest concern is cortisol-driven — insomnia, waking at 3am, can't fall asleep, burnout, anxiety, or recovery from chronic stress. The detailed cortisol picture matters most here.
Includes: Everything in DUTCH Complete plus additional salivary cortisol samples for the cortisol awakening response (CAR) — the most detailed picture of HPA axis function available.
Order DUTCH Plus →DUTCH Plus + Cycle Mapping
The most complete picture — hormones across the cycle and detailed cortisol.
On dutchtest.com, the lab alone runs $700 — your package adds interpretation + a full plan across the cycle.
Best for: Fertility challenges, PCOS, irregular or unpredictable cycles, partial hysterectomy (uterus removed, ovaries intact), endometrial ablation, Mirena IUD with ongoing symptoms, or symptoms that shift across the cycle (PMS, spotting, migraines, mood) — and cortisol-driven concerns like insomnia, 3am wakeups, or burnout layered on top.
Includes: Everything in DUTCH Plus plus nine additional urine collections across the cycle to map estrogen and progesterone patterns from follicular through luteal phase.
Order DUTCH Plus + Cycle Mapping →Still deciding?
Which package is right for you.
For many women, testing hormones at a single point in the cycle is enough. In other cases, symptoms fluctuate enough that we need to map hormones across the cycle. And sometimes, the most important question is what your cortisol is doing.
Start with DUTCH Complete if:
- You're postmenopausal
- You're on hormonal birth control
- You have predictable cycles with stable timing
- Cortisol & sleep aren't your main concern
- You want a clear, complete first look at sex hormones
Choose DUTCH Plus if:
- You wake at 3am and can't fall back asleep
- You can't fall asleep — wired but tired at night
- You're recovering from chronic stress or burnout
- You have anxiety or panic-feeling stress
- Cortisol is the bigger story than sex hormones for you
Add Cycle Mapping (DUTCH Plus + CM) if any of these apply:
- Fertility challenges or trying to conceive
- PCOS or irregular / unpredictable cycles
- Shifting or short luteal phases
- You're cycling without regular bleeding (partial hysterectomy, ablation, Mirena IUD)
- You're unsure when to test because of long or short cycles
- Your symptoms change across the cycle — PMS, spotting, migraines, mood shifts
Cycle Mapping adds nine collections across the cycle so we can see estrogen and progesterone patterns from follicular through luteal phase — not just a single point in time.
Still not sure? Email me at kelly.shea.fdnp@gmail.com with a quick description of what's going on and I'll point you to the right starting place.
Is this worth it?
$650-$950 sounds like a lot. Here's the honest math.
If you've already spent months (or years) guessing — the supplements that didn't stick, the cycle apps that just tracked the chaos without explaining it, the doctor visits at $300+ plus lab costs, the bloodwork that came back 'normal' while you felt anything but — you've likely already spent much more than this on not-knowing.
Most functional health offerings (including some of my own) are bundled into longer-term programs — memberships, multi-month packages, or signature coaching programs. Those make sense if you're looking for ongoing 1:1 support and accountability over months. But if what you actually want is clarity — the test, the interpretation, the plan — without committing to a full program, that's exactly what these packages are for.
What you're getting in any DUTCH package above:
- The test itself, with shipping included ($499-$700 on dutchtest.com, depending on the panel)
- No separate intake appointment — your health history is collected through digital forms instead of an appointment just for intake ($300-$500+ plus months of waitlists at many functional clinics)
- Professional interpretation of your results ($300+ at most clinics, where you sit through a one-time appointment trying to remember everything they said)
- Yours: a recorded video you can rewatch as often as you need.
- A custom plan built for you covering diet, sleep, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation (instead of waiting — and paying — for one or two more separate appointments)
- Priority direct access for 48 hours after your results — instead of waiting 2-3 weeks and another appointment cost to ask a question, you get quick written answers to your follow-up questions
- Ongoing Fullscript supplement discounts — yours to keep, often $150-300+ in savings on a typical 3-month hormone protocol alone
All of this without having to make a single appointment.
You're not paying for a test. You're paying for answers — and a plan you can actually follow.
How it works
From order to answers, here's what to expect.
Order your test
Complete checkout for the package you chose and your DUTCH kit will be on its way. You'll receive an email inviting you to set up your secure client portal through Practice Better.
Complete your intake
Watch for a few short forms in your portal — your health history, symptoms, and goals. These give me the full picture so your results are interpreted in your context, not just lab values. You'll also receive detailed instructions for how to prepare and time your collection (and if you ordered Cycle Mapping, when to start within your cycle).
Collect at home
When your kit arrives, collect your dried urine samples on the timing instructions provided (DUTCH Complete is collected over a single day; DUTCH Plus adds salivary cortisol samples; Cycle Mapping is collected over the course of your cycle). Drop the samples in the prepaid mailer when finished. No lab visit, no appointment, no waiting room.
Get your plan
About 2-3 weeks after the lab receives your samples, you'll receive a recorded video walkthrough of your results, a detailed written report, and a personalized 3+ month plan — including supplement recommendations from professional-grade brands I trust (discounted for you through Fullscript). All delivered digitally. No call or appointment required — just direct written support when you need it.
Honesty check
Is this right for you?
This is for you if...
- You have hormonal symptoms — PMS, irregular cycles, perimenopause, fatigue, mood, sleep, weight, skin, libido — that haven't resolved no matter what you've tried
- You've been told your labs are 'normal' but feel anything but
- You suspect cortisol or stress is part of the picture, but no one has ever actually looked at your cortisol rhythm
- You want data-driven, root-cause answers based on what's actually happening in your body
- You're tired of rushed appointments where you feel unheard — you want results delivered in a format you can actually absorb, on your time
- You have a history of hormonal birth control and your cycles haven't fully regulated since coming off — and you want to see what's actually happening underneath
- You're a man dealing with fatigue, low motivation, weight gain, low libido, or symptoms of declining testosterone or DHEA — DUTCH Complete works just as well for men as for women
- You want a personalized plan (diet, sleep, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation) to help rebalance your hormones based on your results
- You want a clear, detailed picture of your hormones to bring to your doctor — whether you're considering BHRT or just want results-driven information for the next conversation with your provider
This is probably not for you if...
- You want weekly 1:1 live calls or visits with your practitioner
- You're currently pregnant or breastfeeding (DUTCH testing isn't appropriate during these phases — HTMA is usually a better starting place)
- Your symptoms point more clearly to gut dysfunction (bloating, reflux, food sensitivities, unpredictable digestion) — GI-MAP may be a better starting place
- You feel like you've already tried everything and aren't open to a fresh approach — even one built specifically from your results
- You're looking for a birth control prescription (or another medication) to mask the symptoms rather than understand what's actually driving them — DUTCH is for women who want to look at the root cause
About the practitioner
I've been where you are.
I'm a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who works with women navigating exactly what you're navigating right now.
I started in this work the same way most of my clients find me — frustrated. It took me years to figure out what was going on with my own body: cystic acne, hormone imbalances I couldn't get answers to, stubborn weight gain, losing half my hair, insomnia that wrecked me. I'd been told my labs were 'fine' while my symptoms told a different story. I'd tried elimination diets, supplements, and doctor visits — even naturopathic ones — that ended with 'cut carbs,' 'move more,' or a prescription I didn't want to take. I felt like no one truly understood what I was going through — like I was just supposed to accept feeling this way.
When I finally got functional hormone testing done — including a DUTCH — I got real answers in a matter of weeks. Not perfect answers, not a miracle, but data. I could finally see what my estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol were actually doing — and from that data, a plan that actually made sense for my body. If I'd started here in the beginning, I would have saved myself years of time, money, and frustration.
That's the work I do now. Over the last several years, I've interpreted hundreds of functional lab panels for women looking for the same kind of clarity. The recorded video format exists because most of my clients don't have time for another scheduled call — they need real answers, delivered in a way that fits their life.
In health,
Kelly
Questions
What you might be wondering.
What happens after I order?
You'll receive an email inviting you to set up your secure client portal through Practice Better, where all communication will take place. You'll be asked to complete a few short intake forms (health history, symptoms, goals) so your results are interpreted in full context. Your kit collection instructions, shipping and tracking information, and final results will all be sent directly to your portal.
How does the at-home collection work?
Your DUTCH kit arrives with clear instructions. For DUTCH Complete, you'll collect four small dried urine samples over the course of a single day. DUTCH Plus adds salivary cortisol samples on top of that. Cycle Mapping is collected over the course of your cycle on specific days. The collections themselves take just a few minutes each. Once you're done, drop everything in the prepaid mailer. No lab visit, no appointment needed.
How long until I get my results?
Typically 2-3 weeks after the lab receives your samples. Once your results are in, I'll send your personalized video walkthrough, written report, and full recommendations — all delivered through your client portal.
Do I really not have to get on a call?
Correct. I built this format specifically because most of my clients don't have time for one more thing on their calendar. Everything is delivered virtually through your client portal — your results video, your written report, and your personalized plan — so you can absorb it on your time, not on someone else's schedule.
And your questions still get answered. You'll have 48 hours of direct access after receiving results to submit follow-up questions in writing.
What if I have more questions after my 48-hour window?
You'll have the option to book additional support if you want it, but most clients find the video walkthrough and written report answer everything they need.
Do I need to do anything to prepare?
Yes — DUTCH has specific prep requirements (timing within your cycle if you're cycling, hydration guidance, certain supplements to pause beforehand, etc.). Full prep instructions will be sent through your portal after you order, and any questions that come up during collection will be answered promptly.
I'm on hormonal birth control — can I still test?
Yes. DUTCH Complete is a good fit for women on hormonal birth control. We won't see your natural cycling hormones (the pill suppresses those), but we will see your cortisol pattern, your androgens, your DHEA, your melatonin, and what your body is doing with the synthetic hormones you're taking. This is especially useful if you've been on BC for a long time and are starting to wonder what's actually going on underneath.
I just came off birth control — when should I test?
It's generally recommended to wait until you've had at least three natural cycles return before testing — that gives your body time to settle into its own rhythm so we're capturing your hormones, not the residual effects of the pill.
If three cycles have come and gone and your cycle still hasn't returned (or is highly unpredictable), Cycle Mapping is usually the better choice so we can see what's happening across multiple weeks instead of guessing at a single timing point. Email me if you're not sure which fits your situation.
Can men do DUTCH?
Yes — DUTCH Complete works just as well for men as for women. We'll see testosterone, DHEA, and how those hormones are being metabolized, plus cortisol rhythm and the rest of the panel. Useful for men dealing with fatigue, low motivation, weight gain, low libido, sleep issues, or symptoms of andropause.
Is this test HSA eligible?
Many clients are able to use HSA funds for functional testing, though eligibility depends on your specific plan. A receipt is available upon request.
Can I do this while pregnant or breastfeeding?
DUTCH testing isn't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding — hormones are shifting too dramatically during those phases to get an accurate baseline, and the protocols we'd build from it often aren't appropriate during pregnancy or nursing. If you're in this phase, HTMA is often a better starting place.
What if my results come back 'normal'?
In the DUTCH panels I've interpreted, I have yet to come across one that didn't reveal something actionable — whether that's an estrogen metabolism pattern, a cortisol rhythm that's off, low progesterone, an oxidative stress marker, or organic acids pointing to nutrient gaps. Even a 'clean' report provides valuable information — it rules out specific imbalances and helps direct next steps. You'll still receive a full interpretation and recommendations for next steps based on your symptoms and findings.
Still have questions?
Email me at kelly.shea.fdnp@gmail.com.
One last thing
Your body has been trying to tell you something.
You don't have to keep guessing at what it needs. After hundreds of lab panels, here's what I keep seeing: the women who stop guessing and start testing are the ones who finally stop cycling through protocols that don't work.
You can order today and have your kit within a few business days.
DUTCH Test + Practitioner Interpretation + Your Personalized Plan
Three package options to fit what your body needs.
Everything delivered on your time. No appointment required.
In health,
Kelly
Organic Acid Test (OAT)
The Organic Acids Test (OAT) is a comprehensive test that gives metabolic insight into a person’s overall health. There are dozens of markers on the organic acids test including vitamins and antioxidants, oxidative stress, energy production, detoxification, neurotransmitter levels, oxalates, and intestinal yeast and bacteria. The test is a simple, non-invasive, at home urine test that gives a great deal of information.
To order your own OAT test kit with practitioner interpretation, click here.
Effective for client concerns such as:
Mood Disorders
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Fatigue
Chronic Stress
Inflammation
The report assesses important metabolic pathways and includes personalized micronutrient recommendations for vitamin and mineral cofactors, as well as digestive support recommendations based on a persons individual biochemical metabolism.
MRT Test
MRT Food Sensitivity Testing
Find out which foods are quietly driving your inflammation.
If you feel like you're eating well but still don't feel your best - bloated after meals, foggy in the afternoon, dealing with skin flares or headaches you can't trace - food sensitivities may be part of the picture. The MRT can help you identify foods that are causing internal inflammation, so you stop guessing.
What the test does
A different kind of food sensitivity test.
The Mediator Release Test (MRT), offered through Oxford Biomedical Technologies, is a patented blood test that measures how your white blood cells respond when exposed to 176 different foods and food chemicals.
Rather than measuring antibodies (like IgG panels do), MRT directly quantifies mediator release - the actual inflammatory output of your immune cells. That's a meaningful difference, and it's worth understanding why.
How the test works
White blood cells, mediators, and why this matters.
Every food-induced inflammatory reaction in your body - whether immediate or delayed, whether it triggers digestive symptoms or migraines or skin issues - ultimately comes down to one thing: your white blood cells releasing inflammatory mediators.
These mediators are chemicals like cytokines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and histamine. They're what your immune cells (neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and lymphocytes) release when they encounter something they consider a threat. Mediators are the substances that actually cause the symptoms you feel.
Most food sensitivity tests measure antibodies (IgG, IgA), which are only one possible pathway of an immune reaction. Many sensitivity reactions don't involve antibodies at all. MRT skips the antibody question entirely and measures the inflammatory response itself.
Here's how the test runs:
- A blood sample is drawn and sent to Oxford Biomedical Technologies.
- In the lab, your white blood cells are exposed to 176 different foods and food chemicals, one at a time.
- Using patented flow cytometry technology, the lab measures the volume changes in your white blood cells - which indicates mediator release - in response to each substance.
- Each food and chemical is then categorized as non-reactive (green), moderately reactive (yellow), or reactive (red) based on how much your immune cells responded.
The result is a color-coded report showing your most reactive foods, moderately reactive foods, and least reactive (safest) foods - including common triggers like gluten, dairy, eggs, and corn, plus food chemicals like dyes, MSG, aspartame, and salicylates.
About the lab
Why Oxford Biomedical Technologies.
The lab matters as much as the test itself. Oxford Biomedical Technologies developed the MRT and holds the patent on the technology, which means no other lab in the world runs this exact test.
What sets Oxford apart:
- Federally and State of Florida licensed medical reference laboratory
- Patented MRT III technology combining advanced flow cytometry with their proprietary "Ribbon Method" - the only instrument capable of measuring subtle volumetric changes in individual white blood cell populations simultaneously
- Decades of clinical research, including studies on IBS, IBD, migraine, and fibromyalgia
- Used by registered dietitians, functional medicine practitioners, and integrative MDs worldwide
This isn't a direct-to-consumer test you'll find on Amazon. It's a clinical-grade test that requires a practitioner to order, and there's real nuance in how to apply the results - whether that's straightforward elimination of reactive foods, or a more structured approach like the LEAP protocol.
Symptoms that may point to food sensitivities
Reactions you may not realize are food-related.
Food sensitivity reactions are often delayed by hours or even days after eating, which is why elimination diets alone rarely give clear answers. Common symptoms include:
- Digestive discomfort, bloating, or IBS-type symptoms
- Migraines or chronic headaches
- Skin issues like eczema, rashes, or acne
- Fatigue or brain fog
- Joint pain or stiffness
- Mood or focus changes
- Sleep disturbances
Food sensitivities are rarely the only cause of these symptoms, but they often act as an ongoing stressor that makes other health issues harder to resolve.
Why MRT pairs well with GI MAP
Address the foods and the gut together.
Food sensitivities and gut health are tightly linked. A compromised gut barrier ('leaky gut') allows undigested food particles to cross into the bloodstream, where the immune system reacts to them - creating sensitivities. Those sensitivities then fuel more inflammation, which keeps the gut barrier compromised.
It's a self-perpetuating loop. Without addressing the gut, food sensitivities tend to keep developing. Without addressing the reactive foods, the gut never gets the inflammation break it needs to heal.
MRT
Identifies which foods and food chemicals are currently driving inflammation, so we can pull them out short-term and lower the inflammatory load.
GI MAP
Identifies the underlying gut dysfunction - pathogens, dysbiosis, gut immune function, 'leaky gut', inflammation markers - that's contributing to sensitivities in the first place.
Together, they give a much more complete picture and a clearer path forward. Learn more about GI MAP testing here.
MRT and autoimmune conditions
Lowering one of the inputs that fuels autoimmune inflammation.
Food sensitivities are a known driver of intestinal permeability, and intestinal permeability is one of the recognized contributors to the development and flaring of autoimmune disease.
For clients with Hashimoto's, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, or other autoimmune conditions, identifying and temporarily removing inflammatory food triggers can:
- Lower overall inflammatory burden
- Reduce immune system overactivation
- Support gut barrier repair (which directly impacts autoimmune activity)
- Make it easier to evaluate the impact of other interventions
MRT doesn't diagnose or treat autoimmunity, but it gives a targeted way to reduce one of the inputs that keeps autoimmune inflammation running hot.
What's included
The full package.
MRT 176 (the largest panel)
$695
- MRT 176 test kit shipped to your home (blood draw done at a local lab)
- Full MRT report and interpretation guide from Oxford Biomedical Technologies
- Personalized video walkthrough of your results
- Guidance on integrating results with other testing or symptoms
Why interpretation matters
The goal isn't a permanently restrictive diet.
One of the biggest mistakes with food sensitivity testing is removing too many foods or staying restricted for too long. The goal of MRT is strategic, temporary removal of reactive foods to reduce inflammation and give the body a chance to stabilize - followed by structured reintroduction.
Practitioner interpretation helps:
- Prioritize which foods to remove first
- Prevent overly restrictive eating patterns
- Build a realistic reintroduction plan
- Identify patterns that may point to underlying gut or immune issues
- Integrate results with other testing and symptoms
Without interpretation, many people eliminate unnecessary foods or struggle to put the results to use.
Is MRT right for you?
This may be a good fit if:
- You feel like you're eating well but still don't feel your best
- Your symptoms seem inconsistent or hard to trace to specific foods
- Digestive, skin, or inflammatory symptoms persist despite dietary changes
- You want a structured way to identify food triggers without endless elimination diets
- You have an autoimmune condition and want to reduce dietary inflammatory load
This may not be the right fit if:
- You're looking to confirm a known food allergy (MRT tests sensitivities, not IgE allergies)
- You aren't able to have blood drawn
- Your current diet is already extremely limited
- You aren't willing to temporarily remove reactive foods during the testing phase
- You live in New York State and aren't willing to travel out of state for the blood draw (state regulations require this)
Common questions
FAQ
How is MRT different from an IgG food sensitivity test?
IgG tests measure a single antibody. MRT measures the actual inflammatory response (mediator release) from your white blood cells when exposed to foods and chemicals - regardless of which immune pathway is involved. That makes it a more comprehensive measure of what's actually triggering inflammation in your body.
How is the blood draw handled?
Once you order, the kit ships to your home. You'll bring it to a designated blood draw location local to you (Oxford has a draw locator that I will send you after ordering), and the sample is shipped to Oxford for analysis. Results typically come back quickly - within a few business days.
How long do I need to avoid reactive foods?
This will depend on your overall goals and what else is going on, but I generally start with a timeframe of 3-6 months. The goal is to bring inflammation down enough to allow structured reintroduction - not permanent avoidance. Most foods can come back into the diet over time.
Will MRT diagnose a food allergy?
No. MRT is designed for food sensitivities (delayed inflammatory reactions). True IgE allergies require different testing through an allergist, and if you have a known food allergy you should continue to avoid that food regardless of MRT results.
Should I do MRT or GI MAP first?
If you have to choose one, I'd start with GI MAP. Many clients ultimately benefit from both - and running them together gives the most complete picture.
What you'll receive
A look at the sample report.
Below is an example of the MRT report you'll get from Oxford Biomedical Technologies. The actual report does not include the practitioner interpretation and individualized analysis that comes with this package - but this gives you a sense of the broad range of foods tested and how reactivity is displayed.
Sample MRT report. Your results will be color-coded by reactivity, with green = least reactive, yellow = moderately reactive, and red = most reactive.
One last thing
You don't have to keep guessing.
If you've been chasing symptoms for a while and food keeps feeling like part of the picture - but you can't pin down which ones - MRT can give you something concrete to work with. Not a permanent list of foods to avoid forever. A starting point.
- Kelly
HTMA
Functional mineral testing · For women whose labs keep saying "normal"
Your bloodwork came back normal. You're still exhausted.
At-home hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) + a recorded video walkthrough of your results from a functional practitioner.
Find what standard labs miss.
Hair collection at home · Results in 2–3 weeks · No appointment required
After only a couple months being on my protocol, I have new hair growth, my afternoon energy levels have increased and my anxiety is almost nonexistent. Learning to listen to what my body needs has been life changing!
— S, in NC
You've done the work
And you're still feeling off.
You eat well. You take your supplements. You've cut back on caffeine, tried magnesium, gone to bed earlier. Maybe you've gotten bloodwork — maybe more than once — and been told everything looks "normal."
But you don't feel normal.
Some of these might hit close to home...
- • You're exhausted by mid-afternoon, no matter how well you slept
- • You wake up between 1 and 4 a.m. and can't get back down
- • Your stress tolerance has dropped — small things feel like big things
- • Your hair is thinning, your nails split, your skin feels different than it used to
- • Your blood sugar swings — you crave sugar or salt constantly
- • PMS, perimenopause, or postpartum changes feel harder than they should
- • You feel depleted from a stressful season your body never quite bounced back from
- • You're preparing for pregnancy and want to know what's actually going on
- • You're not sure if it's burnout, hormones, or something else entirely
You're not imagining it. Your body's been compensating for a long time — and standard bloodwork doesn't capture what it's been doing in the background.
Here's what most labs miss
Minerals aren't just nutrients.
They're the electrical regulators of your body.
When your doctor runs bloodwork, they're seeing what's circulating in your blood today. That's a snapshot — useful, but limited. It tells you very little about how your body has been coping over the last several months. It doesn't explain the pattern.
But your body doesn't run on snapshots. It runs on minerals — magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, copper, and the ratios between them. They drive thyroid signaling. Adrenal response. Blood sugar regulation. Mood and nervous system tone. Hormone production. Detox pathways. Cellular energy.
When minerals are out of balance, your body compensates. It pulls from reserves. It shifts its strategy. It adapts in ways that eventually show up as symptoms — but not before months or years of quiet adjustments.
That's where Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) changes the conversation. By analyzing a small hair sample, HTMA reveals what your body has been doing behind the scenes for the last 3–4 months — your mineral reserves, your stress adaptation, your metabolic patterns, and trends in heavy metal exposure.
Not what's circulating today. What your body has actually been living through.
And instead of getting back a confusing chart you have to interpret alone — or stacking guess-based supplements that may fight each other — you get a recorded video walkthrough of your specific patterns, what they mean, and a personalized 3+ month plan to gently rebalance.
What you'll actually see
A complete picture of how
your body has been functioning.
HTMA isn't about chasing one mineral at a time. It reveals the patterns underneath your symptoms — the ratios, the compensations, the long-term trends that explain why you feel the way you do.
Mineral Status
Your levels of magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, and more — the foundation for everything from energy to mood to hormones.
Critical Ratios
The relationships between minerals — often more telling than any single value. Calcium-to-magnesium, sodium-to-potassium, zinc-to-copper, and others reveal how your body is actually functioning.
Metabolic Pattern
Are you a slow oxidizer or a fast oxidizer? This pattern shapes how your body uses energy — and dictates what your body needs to feel balanced.
Stress Adaptation
Your nervous system's history written in your hair — how your body has been handling stress over the last 3–4 months, including patterns common in burnout and prolonged depletion.
Heavy Metal Trends
Trends in exposure to mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, and other metals — and how your body has been managing the load.
Cellular Function
What your minerals are doing at the cellular level — thyroid signaling, blood sugar regulation, adrenal output, and the building blocks of how your body produces energy.
The difference: you're not getting back a chart with numbers and color codes you have to figure out alone. You get a recorded video walkthrough of your specific patterns — and a personalized plan to gently rebalance them.
A few things you might not know
Why minerals matter more
than most people realize.
PMS headaches are often influenced by elevated copper relative to zinc — a ratio standard labs don't measure.
Zinc status plays a key role in hormone balance, immune function, and skin healing — yet most adults are deficient and don't know it.
Magnesium deficiency is extremely common due to modern farming and soil depletion — even when your diet looks "good on paper."
Stress alone can significantly shift mineral balance over time — meaning a stressful season three years ago can still be showing up in your symptoms today.
Ready to see what your body has been telling you?
See the Package →What you'll receive
Here's what a real
HTMA report looks like.
No mysterious chart you have to decode alone. You'll get a detailed, personalized breakdown of your patterns — with a recorded video walking through what your specific results mean, and exactly what to do next.
The Package
Everything you get —
delivered on your time.
A complete HTMA assessment from collection to plan, without a single scheduled appointment.
- ✓ At-home hair collection kit mailed to your door — easy collection (about 1 teaspoon of recent growth, cut from underneath layers so it's not visible)
- ✓ A detailed health history + symptoms assessment so your patterns are interpreted in the context of your story — not in isolation
- ✓ Comprehensive written report breaking down your mineral patterns, ratios, metabolic type, and heavy metal trends in plain language
- ✓ Personalized recorded video walkthrough of your results — no live call, ever. Watch on your time, replay, share with your spouse, come back to it later
- ✓ A 3+ month personalized plan — diet, lifestyle, and targeted supplement recommendations matched to your metabolic pattern
- ✓ Option for a custom supplement blend built specifically from your results (great as a personalized prenatal or all-in-one) — available through Vykon if you want it
- ✓ Direct access to me for 48 hours after your results — ask follow-up questions in writing and get real answers, not a scheduling link
- ✓ Up to 25% off Fullscript supplements — ongoing, all orders
No scheduling appointments.
Everything delivered virtually, on your time.
HTMA Test + Practitioner Interpretation
$299
Results in 2–3 weeks after the lab receives your sample
HTMA also works beautifully for kids.
If you're noticing mood swings, focus issues, eczema, sensory sensitivity, or unexplained cavities in your child, HTMA can reveal the foundational patterns underneath — without loading them up with guess-based supplements. The same package and process applies.
If you've been telling yourself "I'll figure this out eventually," every week is another week your body keeps compensating. The sooner you collect, the sooner you have a real plan.
Is this worth it?
$299 sounds reasonable.
Here's why it's actually a deal.
If you've been navigating fatigue, mood, sleep, or hormone issues for any meaningful stretch of time, you've probably already spent $299 — and then some — on things that didn't move the needle.
A round of expensive supplements someone in your DM's recommended.
The functional medicine consult that ended with "let's run a panel" — and then another bill.
The thyroid herbs you tried for three months.
The mineral water, the sea salt protocols, the magnesium glycinate, the trace mineral drops, the adrenal support stack.
Some of those were probably fine. Some may have helped. But without knowing your actual mineral patterns — your ratios, your oxidation type, your stress adaptation — you've been guessing. And guessing gets expensive in a different way: time, energy, and the slow grind of feeling almost-better but never quite right.
This package gives you:
- ✓ The test itself — comprehensive HTMA panel from a clinical lab
- ✓ A detailed personalized report translating your results into language you can actually use (no chart-decoding required)
- ✓ A recorded video walkthrough of your specific patterns — yours to rewatch as you implement
- ✓ A 3+ month plan matched to your metabolic type, not generic recommendations
- ✓ Direct access for follow-up questions — instead of waiting weeks to book another appointment, you get quick written answers
- ✓ Ongoing 25% off Fullscript supplements — yours to keep, often saving $100–200+ over a typical 3-month protocol
You're not paying for a hair test. You're paying to stop guessing.
Why interpretation matters
A chart full of numbers
isn't a plan.
A HTMA report on its own is missing a crucial piece of the puzzle: someone who knows what to do with the data.
Mineral balancing isn't about chasing individual numbers — it's about:
- ✓ Understanding your metabolic type (slow vs. fast oxidation) — different types need distinct support, and getting this wrong is the most common mistake
- ✓ Supporting your ratios in the right order — minerals influence each other, so the sequence of what you support first matters
- ✓ Avoiding the trap of stacking supplements that fight each other — well-intentioned protocols often slow each other down
- ✓ Moving the system gradually — overcorrecting causes its own symptoms, even when the intention is right
I interpret your HTMA in the context of your symptoms, history, diet, stress load, and goals — so you're not left alone with a chart. After hundreds of mineral panels, I've seen what works, what doesn't, and where the patterns lead. That's the part you can't get from an AI summary.
I can't believe it, but I'm sleeping through the night for the first time in decades.
— Mary
Honesty check
Is this right for you?
This is for you if...
- ✓ You've been dealing with fatigue, sleep issues, mood shifts, or hormonal changes that don't show up clearly on bloodwork
- ✓ You want data-driven answers, not another guess-based supplement
- ✓ You'd rather watch a recorded video on your time than sit through a scheduled appointment
- ✓ You're preparing for pregnancy, postpartum, or recovering from a depleting season of life
- ✓ You're willing to make gradual diet, lifestyle, and supplement changes based on your results
- ✓ You're a parent looking to understand what's underneath your child's mood, focus, or skin issues
- ✓ You want a clear plan, not a stack of supplements someone in your DM's said you should try
This is probably not for you if...
- ✕ You're looking for a one-size-fits-all supplement recommendation
- ✕ You want a fast, dramatic protocol — HTMA work is intentionally gradual and gentle
- ✕ You want weekly 1:1 live calls with your practitioner (this is intentionally low-touch)
- ✕ You're not in a position to make any changes right now (HTMA only helps if you're ready to act on what we find)
- ✕ You have significant concerns about removing a small hair sample for testing
About the practitioner
Kelly Shea
FDN-P · Health by the Numbers
I'm a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who works with women navigating exactly what you're navigating right now.
I came to this work the same way most of my clients find me — frustrated and depleted. For years I struggled with hormone imbalances, hair loss, insomnia I couldn't fix, and a level of fatigue that no amount of "rest more" or "manage your stress" could touch. My labs kept coming back "normal." My naturopath told me to cut carbs and move more. My OB told me my hormones looked fine. I was working out more, eating clean, taking the supplements everyone said to take — and feeling worse, not better.
When I finally ran the right functional tests — including HTMA — I started to see the pattern. My minerals were depleted in specific ways my bloodwork couldn't show. My body had been compensating for years, and the slow drain was finally surfacing as symptoms I couldn't ignore. From that data, I built a plan that actually made sense for my body — not a generic protocol, not a one-size-fits-all stack of supplements.
The results weren't immediate or dramatic. They were gradual — energy returning in the afternoons, sleep slowly deepening, mood stabilizing, hair growing back. The pattern shifted because the underlying chemistry shifted. That's how mineral work goes. Slow, steady, real.
That's the work I do now. Over the last several years, I've interpreted hundreds of functional lab panels for women looking for the same kind of clarity. The recorded video format exists because most of my clients don't have time for another scheduled call — they need real answers, delivered in a way that fits their actual life.
In health,
Kelly
Questions
What you might be wondering.
What happens after I order?
How does the at-home hair collection work?
How long until I get my results?
Do I really not have to get on a call?
What if I have more questions after my 48-hour window?
Will this show heavy metal poisoning?
Can I do this while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Is mineral balancing a huge commitment?
Is the supplement blend included?
Is this test HSA eligible?
Important: If you'd like to pay with an HSA card, please check out through my Practice Better client portal here instead of the standard checkout — the standard checkout often won't process HSA cards correctly. A receipt is available upon request either way.
What if my results are mostly normal?
Still have questions?
One last thing
Your body has been compensating
for a long time.
You don't have to keep guessing at what's underneath. After hundreds of mineral panels, here's what I keep seeing: the women who finally test instead of trying one more thing are the ones who stop cycling through protocols that don't work and start feeling like themselves again.
It doesn't happen overnight. But it happens with a plan.
You can order today and have your kit within a few business days.
HTMA Test + Practitioner Interpretation
$299
Everything delivered on your time. No appointment required.
Order My HTMA →In health,
Kelly
You can also complete your purchase directly through your Practice Better portal. Check out on Practice Better →
bloodwork misses.