A couple of months ago, I was sitting in the gym café, unsure of what to do after getting a diagnosis of low sodium from Function Health.
If you haven’t heard of it, Function Health is a pretty new company that offers over 100 lab tests with insights from top doctors. They focus on personalized health and wellness, particularly with an emphasis on metabolic health and functional medicine.
You've more than likely heard of their medical director, Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. I have been following him and many other medical doctors like him for many years, learning about the latest in medical research relating to how food, exercise, environmental factors and more influence the body and mind. You may have heard of the term "functional medicine". Dr. Hyman and other MDs, as well as other proponents of functional medicine seek to address the root causes of diseases rather than just treating symptoms. So that you are clear on the definition of Functional Medicine specifically: it focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of health issues, rather than just treating symptoms. Dr. Hyman has played a significant role in teaching and mentoring many other doctors in this field and he's one of the leading voices in the space.
Why do I personally care about functional medicine and why am I sharing this with you? I am passionate about preventing illness and achieving optimal health for myself and my loved ones, while also raising awareness for others, especially given the current healthcare crisis. I prefer to stay up-to-date with the latest medical research, and functional medicine aligns with that. Like many of you, I've experienced loved ones lose their life from cancer, heart attacks and so many of us suffer today from attention issues and depression, to name a few. I am deeply intrigued by how food, exercise and other factors help prevent these conditions. I also have years of experience paying out of pocket for medical care and also using medical insurance to find hopeful solutions to my own health issues but none of the options provided (and there were very few offered) truly resonated with me.
About a year ago I got an email informing me about Function Health. I paid for the membership, which I found affordable and comprehensive, but I didn't move forward with testing for eight months due to fear!! It wasn't until end of December 2024 that I made the appointment via the Function Health app.
Function Health offers metabolic testing and personalized health solutions to help individuals optimize their well-being. They use science backed tools and assessments to analyze a persons health at a deeper level, focusing on their unique biology and needs.
What I most love about the testing is it serves as a baseline for optimal health. For example, my recent test results showed that I am low in sodium, which had apparently been causing many other issues in both my mind and body, including sleep problems, major focus issues, debilitating headaches and mood swings. While I am still working on improving these areas, I have made significant progress. I'm sleeping more deeply most nights, I'm waking up less, I am focusing significantly better throughout the day and I am able to workout much harder and more frequently. I've been working out since age 14 and it has alwasy been the #1 passion in my life. For years, as I've gotten older, especially within the past few years, I thought I had to significantly change or even stop some of my workouts and slow down.
Many of us play guessing games with our health, relying on what has worked for others and we tend to self-diagnose. We do this when we don't find answers we are looking for, right? Well, now there is a solution that works.
Don't take my word for it. Learn more for yourself by checking them out:
(I don’t receive a discount or commission from Function Health when you use this link, but they will know I referred you which is nice.)
In this blog post, I talk a lot about my sodium story but you may also be curious to know that I've also switched up my eating and exercise habits and routines after seeing my test results and after learning about better ways to eat and exercise. I'll be writing more blog posts on those topics. For now, here is my low-sodium story...
My Low-Sodium Wake-Up Call
That day, I ran into Mike—my fellow mid-40s gym addict and heated Yoga Sculpt classmate. He strolls into class like a beast, often after already crushing a Cycle class, which everyone knows is a sweat-inducing, sodium-sucking killer. And somehow, mid-class, he’s casually doing handstands like they’re nothing.
So, I stopped him in the café and asked:
"Mike, how do you do it? What do you eat and drink before, during, and after class to have so much energy? I was recently diagnosed with low sodium, and I don’t want to slow my workouts down. What do you do that I need to do?"
Without hesitation, Mike pulled an LMNT packet from his bag—grapefruit flavor (now my favorite)—and tossed it onto the table.
"Take this," he said with a nod. "I add it to my water before class and take another packet after class."
My New Grapefruit Addiction
At that moment, I was feeling lightheaded from sweating too much and desperately needing sodium. So, I tore open the packet, added it to my water, and took a sip.
Instantly, I was hooked.
That night, I went home and immediately ordered a sample box—plus a full box of Grapefruit LMNT packets. Since then, I’ve been working out like my 20-year-old self—basically, like Mike. (Reminds me of that old cereal/milk commercial… "Be like Mikey." Does anyone remember that?)
What is LMNT?
Co-founded in 2018 by Robb Wolf, a former research biochemist, LMNT has exploded in the fitness and wellness space. They focus on direct-to-consumer electrolyte products, and—come to find out—many of my clients already swear by it.
I’ll be adding more to this story soon, but for now, I’m off to see clients!
If you’d like to try LMNT, use this referral link to get an additional sample box with your order:
So, that is my low-sodium story as of today. I am enjoying experimenting with the new addition of salt to my food and water and will be getting further tests from Function Health soon to so that I am no longer guessing when it comes to my health.
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