1. Get Full Testing Up Front: Stop Guesswork, Start Clarity

My fastest clients didn’t drip‑feed tests. They didn’t wait to start with one test, then another.

They ran all recommended testing from the start.

Why? Because full data = fast results.

In conventional medicine you often see: order one test, do an intervention, wait. It works sometimes — but it leaves many clients stuck in “round two, round three, round four” cycles.

In functional medicine we aim higher: start with a comprehensive picture, then build a precise roadmap.
Picture this: you’re holding a beach ball. You look at one side. You see red and white. Your gut says “you need a red‑and‑white protocol!”

Then you look again—you see green and white. Now you pivot. Then another side—blue and white. Now you change again. What are you doing? You’re just chasing stripes on the ball.

Instead — flip the ball once. See all the stripes. That’s testing up front.

What this looks like in practice

When an early client asked me: “Can I just test for Candida first?” I told her: “Sure. But if Candida is only one layer and you miss H. pylori, heavy metals, mold, low stomach acid, you’ll just bounce back.”
So here’s what the top‑healing clients did:

• They completed all recommended labs at the beginning (based on symptoms and history).

• They used a “lab‑chooser tool” (yes, our program calls it that) to decide which labs they actually need.

• They let the data guide them — not a cookie‑cut diet or one‑size‑fits‑all protocol.

Key Benefits

• No more guesswork. You know what’s driving your gut, sinus, skin, hormone or autoimmune issue.

• You avoid doing protocols in the wrong order. (You treat mold first? Or heavy metals first? You don’t have to guess.)

• You save time, money and energy by being strategic.
  If you skip this step, you risk repeating the cycle: “OK, I did this protocol. Felt better. Then plateau. Then try something else.”
  Don’t waste months or years. Test smart. Start with clarity.

2. If Mold Is Present — Tackle It Early

Here’s the truth nobody likes to say: mold is everywhere. And when it’s a part of your root‑cause picture — it drags you down.
In my clinic we see more and more clients where mold exposure is a major component, especially when their diet and supplements “should have worked but didn’t.”
If you delay testing for mold, and you delay remediation — you’re effectively fighting with one arm tied behind your back.

What the fastest healers did

• They took the mold self‑assessment quiz early. (Yes it lives inside the program for a reason.)

• They tested for mold/mycotoxins where appropriate. (Urine, OAT, home environment testing.)

• They acted — even when the shift felt scary. They chose remediation, avoidance or environmental shifts.

Real story

I had an 8‑year‑old client with chronic leg pain, migraines, and extreme light sensitivity. They remediated the home. Symptoms didn’t budge. Then we asked: which places did he go weekly? Three spots. They tested avoidance. Two spots failed. Symptoms dumped dramatically. His migraines dropped 80%. Leg pain cut in half.
Pivoting environment + testing + action = breakthrough.

Why this matters

Mold exposure adds a heavy layer of burden:

• It suppresses immunity.

• It creates inflammation.

• It makes digestion worse, detox slower, hormones imbalanced.
  Trying to heal without addressing mold is like running uphill in quicksand. If you know it might be present, don’t wait. Make it part of your upfront plan.

3. Stay Open to Pivoting — Because Healing Isn’t Linear

This third habit is less sexy but crucially powerful: stay open to change. Healing isn’t “set it and forget it.” It’s “set it, monitor it, adapt it.”
Our fastest clients had one thing in common: when the data (labs + symptoms) said, “pivot,” they did. They didn’t stubbornly stick to a protocol because “but I already did that.” They responded.

What this looks like

• A protocol finishes. You don’t feel full results. Instead of staying stuck, you ask: “What’s the pivot?”

• The practitioner suggests a shift: maybe the order of protocol needs changing, maybe a different lab, maybe an environmental tweak. Instead of resisting — you agree.

• You treat shifts as short‑term tests. You monitor results. You iterate.

Why some people get stuck

Here are things I hear:

“I’ve already done that diet change. Why are we doing it again?”
“I don’t believe mold is affecting me.”
“If this didn’t work right away, it never will.”
These thoughts kill momentum. They keep you in the “waiting” zone indefinitely.

Reframe it

• Think: “This is just a test — for 4–8 weeks. Then we’ll know.”

• Think: “If it works, my life improves. If not, I’ll pivot again. No guilt.”

• Think: “My body is giving me clues. I’m listening.”
  Yes, it can feel scary to think you might have missed something, or change looks hard. But the alternative — staying stuck — costs more time, more frustration, more money.
  Your body wants to heal. You just have to stay flexible enough to let it.