Data Collection: Lab Tests
In-office measurements are performed during the appointment if they are applicable to your health concerns. These tests include the following:
InBody Advanced Body Composition Analysis - a fast, easy and accurate method of measuring lean muscle mass, body fat, resting metabolic rate, visceral fat and hydration levels. Data from this test is used to create your macro-based meal guidelines and exercise recommendations. Read more about InBody analysis here.
Koenisberg Test (a.k.a. Urinary Adrenal Stress Test) - a simple, fast and easy urine test to measure if your body is in a "burnout & exhausted" or "tired but wired" stage.
Cost: Included in visit fee.
The Ultimate Performance & Longevity Panel is for patients who wish to take a proactive and preventative approach to their health. This comprehensive panel measures over 50 health markers and includes an assessment of the following areas:
Metabolic, Thyroid, Inflammatory, Liver, Electrolytes, Renal (Kidney), Cholesterol, Vitamins, Minerals, and Cortisol.
Female and Male Hormones may also be added at an additional cost.
Specimen: Blood
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: Canada
Cost: $610-$650
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
The Metabolic Discovery Panel is for patients who wish to take a closer look at how blood sugar regulation, inflammation, leptin resistance and thyroid function may be playing a role in their weight loss progress. This panel includes the following tests:
CRP - high CRP values can indicate inflammation in the body.
Glucose & Insulin - elevated glucose and/or insulin 3+ hrs after a meal give clues to how long it takes for your blood sugar levels to return to normal.
HgA1c - a useful test to measure your risk of developing diabetes.
Leptin - a hormone made in fat cells that tells your brain that your body is full and to stop eating. High levels of leptin may indicate that your brain's ability to recognize this hormone is impaired, therby signalling that you are starved and you should eat - a condition called leptin resistance.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) - elevated levels can point toward an underactive thyroid, making you feel fatigued and contributes to difficulty in losing weight.
Lipase & Amylase - detects the level of two digestive enzymes (amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starches and sugars and lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats).
Specimen: Blood
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: Canada
Cost: $190-$195
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
When investigating the cause of chronic fatigue, it is important to consider thyroid function and vitamin deficiencies. This panel includes the following tests:
TSH, Free T4 - complete thyroid hormones to assess whether the thyroid is under-performing, thereby causing fatigue, cold hands/feet, dry skin, puffiness in the face, and weight gain.
Vitamin D - mainly produced in the body through sun exposure, vitamin D plays a role in areas such as the immune system, muscle growth, energy levels, and bone health.
Vitamin B12 - because it is found in mostly animal products, vegetarians and vegans should monitor vitamin B12 if they are experiencing fatigue.
Ferritin, Iron/TIBC - a test measuring how much iron we having in storage on reserve. Iron carries the oxygen we breathe to the rest of the body. Low levels of ferritin cause
Specimen: Blood
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: Canada
Cost: $160-$165
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
Saliva testing is a non-invasive, simple and reliable method of testing hormone levels. Hormone levels in the saliva represent the amount of hormones actually delivered to tissues in the body, unlike blood which represents hormone levels that may or may not be delivered to tissue in the body.
It is far more relevant to test the amount of hormones delivered to the tissues, as this is a reflection of active hormone levels in the body. Saliva measures the biologically active (a.k.a. "free" hormone or bioavailable) levels in the body, blood measures the biologically inactive (a.k.a. "bound" or non-bioavailable hormone) levels in the body.
Hormones are powerful molecules essential for maintaining physical and mental health. Estrogen is commonly thought to be a female hormone and testosterone important for males, but males and females need both, plus many other hormones such as the stress hormone cortisol, that need to be in balance for optimal health. An imbalance of any combination of hormones can throw physical and mental health out of balance. One size does not fit all when it comes to hormones. Hormones are like fingerprints; in order to achieve optimal health, a patient’s individual imbalances must be identified. Saliva hormone testing can help identify these imbalances. Read more about saliva hormone testing and view a sample test report here.
​Saliva hormone & cortisol testing can be used to determine hormonal imbalances in women and men with symptoms that include:
Hot flashes, night sweats
Weight gain
Anxiety, nervousness, depression, irritability
PMS - breast tenderness, headaches
Irregular menstrual cycles
Heavy and/or painful periods
Vaginal dryness
Insomnia
Increased facial and/or body hair, acne
Feeling overwhelmed and burnout, forgetful
Always tired
Salt/Sugar cravings
Dizzy spells and headaches
Decreased stamina and poor recovery after exercise
Specimen: Saliva
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: USA
Cost: $195-$325 (based on the test profile)
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
The DUTCH Plus offers a comprehensive analysis of sex hormones, cortisol levels, and their metabolites. It also includes markers for nutritional deficiencies, oxidative stress, gut health, melatonin, and more. Health care providers can use this test to optimize hormone health and address symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, and mood swings.
This test is recommended when you are looking for information about:
Sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone) production and metabolic patterns
Adrenal hormones (DHEA and cortisol) production and metabolic patterns
Diurnal free cortisol and cortisone patterns
Melatonin production through the night
Micronutrient availability and oxidative stress (targeted organic acids panel)
Fatigue (especially on waking)
Insomnia
Chronic fatigue
Depression or anxiety (especially on waking)
High-stress lifestyle
Loss of resiliency
Read more about the Dutch Plus Test and view a sample test report here.
Specimen: Saliva & Dried Urine
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: USA
Cost: $520-$550
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
Food sensitivity is not a disease but may play a role in causing disease or worsening certain symptoms. Symptoms associated with food sensitivities develop slowly over time and can create inflammation. The RMA FSTâ„¢ IgG Food Sensitivity Test can help identify potential food sensitivities and take the guess work out of your diet.
You can develop a food sensitivity at any age. Food sensitivities often develop over many months and are thought to be triggered by the production of IgG antibodies in the immune system, causing a level of inflammation in the body that can persist for a long time.
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Symptoms that may be related to food sensitivities include:
Digestive - abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea
Skin - unexplained rashes, redness, itching, eczema symptoms
Pain - joints pain, muscle stiffness, migraine headaches
Brain - mood disturbances, behavioural issues
Lungs - chronic bronchitis and asthma symptoms
Metabolic - difficulty losing weight
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Identifying which foods you may have a sensitivity to is difficult, because the body can have a reaction and produce symptoms in just a few hours, or it can take a few days. The IgG Food Sensitivity Test (FST) may help you make it easier to identify these foods through a simple blood test. Read more about food sensitivity testing and view a sample test report here.
Test Profiles:
LifeLabs FSTâ„¢ Basic+:
The panel reports on 101 foods, including the most common food sensitivities in all categories: milk (cow, goat and sheep), eggs, corn and wheat.
LifeLabs FSTâ„¢ Vegetarian+:
Tests over 165 foods including all of the vegetarian foods offered in the Enhanced+ panel, as well as dairy and eggs, but excludes yeast, Aspergillus niger, and apricot, as well as the foods listed in the fish/seafood and meat categories.
LifeLabs FSTâ„¢ Enhanced+:
Our most comprehensive panel, tests for 211 most common foods, including 80+ foods not available in the Basic panel. This panel is especially popular with patients who eat less meat, wheat and refined sugar. This panel has the potential to identify more foods that the patient may be intolerant to; thereby providing you more robust information.
Specimen: Blood
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: Canada
Cost: $265-$337 (based on the test profile)
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
The GI-MAP® (Microbial Assay Plus) is a comprehensive stool test that relies on quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology to detect parasites, bacteria, H. pylori, fungi, reveal underlying causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, and more by targeting the specific DNA of the organisms tested.
Research overwhelmingly indicates that gut health impacts overall health. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in mediating the effects of diet and other factors on digestive, immune, metabolic, skin, brain, and neuroendocrine health. Results allow practitioners to personalize gut healing protocols that optimize overall health. Get to the root cause of your chronic conditions with GI‑MAP.
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Read more about GI-Map testing and view a sample test report here.
Specimen: Stool
Where your sample will be shipped to and tested: USA
Cost: $570-$590
*There is no HST on lab tests. Please note that fees for lab tests do not include the consultation fee to review your test results.
My ultimate goal is for my patients to be confident that they are in control of their health now, and in the future. In order for me steer you in this direction, I need to collect data to track the progress of your hard work.
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I use innovative functional tests and often collaborate with family doctors for conventional blood tests when developing an optimal treatment plan for my patients.