Why You Still Feel Awful Even When Your Labs Are ‘Normal’
And how functional nutrition finds what conventional medicine often misses
You’ve heard it before: “Your labs look fine.”
Yet you’re still exhausted. Bloated. Moody. Foggy. And wondering if it’s all in your head.
(Spoiler: it’s not.)
Let’s talk about why so many women are dismissed by conventional medicine — and how functional nutrition digs deeper to help you finally feel better.
1. Normal vs. Optimal — It Matters
Most standard lab results use broad reference ranges designed to detect disease — not dysfunction. But functional nutrition looks for optimal ranges — where your body actually thrives.
✅ Example: A TSH of 4.5 might be “normal,” but many women feel best when it’s closer to 1.0–2.0.
2. Your Symptoms Aren’t Just “In Your Head”
You’re not lazy. You’re not dramatic.
Your body is waving red flags — even if your labs don’t match up.
Commonly dismissed symptoms include:
Fatigue after 8+ hours of sleep
Weight gain despite clean eating
Cold hands/feet, constipation, thinning hair
Anxiety or mood swings around your cycle
These are signs something deeper is going on — often involving your thyroid, gut, or hormones.
3. The Functional Nutrition Approach: Deep Listening + Root Cause Insight
At Mariposa FNC, I don’t rush you through a 10-minute visit or brush off your concerns with “your labs are normal.”
I listen — really listen — to your story, your symptoms, and how they’re impacting your life. Because healing starts with being heard.
I specialize in digging deep to find the root cause behind why you feel off. My approach includes:
Interpreting blood work through a functional lens — using optimal ranges, not just “normal” ones
Ordering a full thyroid panel if your doctor won’t — including TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies
Running GI-MAP testing to uncover gut imbalances, parasites, or infections
Using DUTCH hormone testing to evaluate your cortisol rhythm and sex hormone balance
Reviewing your food, mood, and digestion journal to find patterns lab work can’t detect
Functional nutrition isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s personalized care rooted in curiosity, connection, and identifying what’s really going on — so you can finally feel like yourself again.
4. My Story: Normal Labs, But Anything But Normal Life
Before I became a functional nutritionist, I spent years being told my labs were “fine.”
But I didn’t feel fine. I felt like I was fading.
It wasn’t until a practitioner ran a full thyroid panel — and I began working with a functional nutritionist who addressed my gut health — that I finally found answers. And relief.
5. What You Can Do Right Now
If you're feeling dismissed or stuck, here are a few steps to start moving forward:
Ask for a full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, TPO/TG antibodies)
Start tracking your symptoms, energy, digestion, and mood daily
Consider working with a practitioner trained in functional nutrition (👋 that’s me!)
If you’ve been gaslit, ignored, or told “you’re fine” — please know this:
Your symptoms are real. And there is a better way forward.
You deserve to feel vibrant — not just “within range.”