The Functional Lab Testing Series | Episode 6: Your Questions Answered – Connecting the Dots & Making Sense of Your Symptoms

EPISODE #102 — JUL 24, 2026

The Functional Lab Testing Series | Episode 6: Your Questions Answered – Connecting the Dots...
Tanya Ellie, Functional Practitioner & Health Coach

In this bonus Q&A episode of my Functional Lab Testing Series, I'm answering some of the most common questions I received throughout the series. We talk about how I think through complex symptom patterns, how to tell the difference between issues that can look similar, and why context is one of the most important pieces of functional medicine. We also discuss stress, trauma, anxiety, birth control, postpartum recovery, bloating, supplements, and why functional testing is about understanding your body (not testing everything). Whether you've listened to one episode or the entire series, this one will help you feel more confident about your next step.

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In this episode:

01:06 – Same symptoms, different root causes

03:20 – The first step if you're not sure where to start

05:01 –  Exhausted, overwhelmed, and anxious

10:31 – Why your body always feels stressed

12:24 – How trauma shows up on lab tests

17:02 – Can stress really cause physical symptoms?

18:13 – Anxiety: mental, physiological, or both?

20:33 – Why you feel puffy, inflamed or bloated

22:14 – Hormonal vs. gut-related bloating

24:33 – "Normal" hormone labs with list of symptoms

28:08 – Birth control recovery + fertility

33:08 – Why am I reacting to supplements?

26:07 – Postpartum depletion patterns

38:54 – Should you simplify or test everything?

42:22 – Why my method is so effective

I’m so grateful to have you here, friend. If you love the show, be sure to follow and leave me a review. New episodes drop every Friday!

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The Functional Lab Testing Series | Episode 5: Do You Need to Test for Mold, Heavy Metals, Toxins, Food Sensitivities, or Genetics?