Mission Functional Medicine

08/30/2026

Sometimes healing means finding a new way to do the things you love.
I recently had surgery, and recovery has temporarily changed my life in a big way. I can’t put any weight on my right leg for six weeks. Going back to work 7 days after surgery, doing my job and just activities of daily living has been a little stressful. I knew I needed to do something to help deal with the added stress of recovery and anticipation of discovering if the surgery WORKED!

It has also been a personal reminder of something we talk about frequently at Mission Functional Medicine: managing stress isn't just about meditation, supplements, or getting more sleep. Sometimes it's about maintaining connection with the people, animals, places, and activities that bring us joy and give our nervous system a chance to settle.

Recovery may require us to change how we do the things we love for a while. It doesn't necessarily mean we have to give them up.
Hope you enjoy the videos of me with my 1000 pound stress reducer.
What is something in your life that helps you decompress when you're going through a stressful time?

08/11/2026

❤️ Is Your Cholesterol Telling the Whole Story?

🫀 In a large study involving 136,905 hospitalizations for coronary artery disease, almost half of the patients had an LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL when they were admitted.

So what else should we be looking at?

Depending on your individual risk, additional testing may include:

• ApoB — estimates the number of atherogenic particles in your bloodstream
• Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a) — an important, largely inherited cardiovascular risk factor
• Urine albumin/creatinine — can provide additional information about cardiovascular and kidney risk
• Fibrinogen — involved in blood clot formation
• MPO & Lp-PLA2 — biomarkers associated with vascular inflammation
• F2-isoprostanes — biomarkers of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation

⭐ One test in particular deserves more attention: Lp(a).

The new 2026 ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guidelines recommend that Lp(a) be measured at least once in adulthood.

Know your LDL—but don't assume one cholesterol number tells you everything about your cardiovascular health.

Talk with your healthcare provider about your individual cardiovascular risk and whether additional testing is appropriate for you.

❤️ Prevention starts with knowing your risk.

06/10/2026

Don't miss this talk! It's free and the information is priceless. So many people ask me where to find information about mold testing, this is your chance!

05/29/2026

For patients that are signing up for the hormone class, check your portal for the discount code! If you are a patient and signed up without the code last night, don't worry we know who you are and we will contact you!

05/19/2026

05/10/2026

Great new home hacking tool! For those of you who have SIBO and need an inexpensive way to test progress, check out Food Marble. You can run dozens of tests for the same cost it is for traditional testing. It is not FDA certified for a home diagnosis but it is a great option to track progress. They also have validation studies showing that it has good accuracy.

Your personal breath tester to identify food intolerances and reduce digestive symptoms. Ideal for managing IBS and SIBO, all from the comfort of home.

04/08/2026

🧬 A New Way to Think About Aging & Chronic Disease

Emerging research is shedding light on a process called ferroptosis—a form of cell damage driven by fragile cell membranes that are rich in polyunsaturated fats. The double bonds in the polyunsaturated fats are vulnerable to damage.

This then leads to lipid peroxidation, leading to cellular damage and contributing to conditions like:
– Type 2 diabetes
– Fatty liver disease
– Cardiovascular disease
– Elevated Ferritin
– Neurodegenerative disorders

One area of growing interest is the role of C15 (pentadecanoic acid), a healthy saturated fat that may help support cell membrane stability and reduce susceptibility to this type of damage. These levels are very influenced by diet. Full fat dairy is a great source of C15.

Low levels of C15 have been associated with poorer metabolic health and increased disease risk.

The Good News is you can test your C15 levels!

Genova Diagnostics offers testing.

At Mission Functional Medicine, we can order this test for our patients and pass along our discounted rate:
👉 $159 for patients

Non-patients can also order directly through Genova:
👉 A little over $200

💊 There is also a commercial product called Fatty15 that may help raise C15 levels if they are low.

If you have unexplained elevated ferritin (test negative for Hemochromatosis), or have NASH, prediabetes, or diabetes, consider checking your C15 levels.

03/29/2026

Chronic stress isn’t just “in your head” — it’s deeply affecting your body.

Let's talk about STRESS! What's your favorite stress reducing activity?

Below is some information about why we need to care about stress.

Cortisol, our main stress hormone, is essential for survival. It helps us respond to challenges, stay alert, and manage energy. But when stress becomes constant, cortisol stays elevated — and that’s where problems begin.

Over time, excess cortisol becomes catabolic, meaning it breaks the body down instead of building it up. It works against anabolic hormones like testosterone and DHEA, which are responsible for repair and growth.

Chronic high cortisol can:
• Suppress key hormones like growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and reproductive hormones
• Disrupt thyroid function by reducing the conversion of T4 to active T3
• Increase blood sugar while interfering with insulin in muscles
• Promote fat storage — especially around the abdomen (visceral fat)
• Weaken bones by inhibiting bone-building activity
• Dysregulate the immune system

This is how ongoing stress can contribute to fatigue, weight gain, hormone imbalance, and increased disease risk.

Bottom line:
Short-term stress helps you survive. Chronic stress slowly breaks you down.

Managing stress isn’t a luxury — it’s a key part of protecting your long-term health.

03/17/2026

I wanted to share an idea I had to inspire myself and my family to increase our healthy habits. I created the healthy habits bingo game! 10 dollars for bingo and fifty dollars for the most bingo squares. My eleven year old is champing at the bit he is determined to win. Hoping this inspires us to be healthier. If you like the idea try it out with your family and friends!