Love Your Gut

Ep. 83: Do I need a GI Map? Why functional testing can help pinpoint symptom triggers when other labs are "normal"

• Heather Finley

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Have you been told “everything looks normal” on your labs, scopes, or bloodwork but you still feel bloated, constipated, or exhausted? You’re not alone.

In this episode of the Love Your Gut Podcast, I’m breaking down why the GI-Map stool test can be a game-changer when all your other results come back “normal.” You’ll learn what the test measures, why it’s different from standard stool testing, and how it connects the dots between gut function, hormones, immune health, and energy.

We’ll cover:

  • What the GI-Map actually measures (and why it’s more than just “yes/no” for parasites or infections)
  • The most common hesitations about stool testing and why they’re valid but often keep people stuck
  • Why I often prefer the GI-Map over SIBO testing as a first step
  • Real client examples of how GI-Map results explained years of frustrating symptoms
  • Who benefits most from this test (hint: if you’ve been told everything is fine but you don’t feel fine, this is for you)

If you’ve been living in the “everything is normal” camp but know in your gut something’s off, this episode will help you understand whether a GI-Map is the right next step.

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Dr. Heather Finley:

Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Heather Finley, registered dietitian and gut health specialist. I understand the frustration of dealing with GI issues because I've been there and I spent over two decades searching for answers for my own gut issues of constipation, bloating, and stomach pain. I've dedicated my life to understanding and solving my own gut issues. And now I'm here to guide you. On this podcast, I'll help you identify the true root causes of your discomfort. So you can finally ditch your symptoms for good. My goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need so that you can love your gut and it will love you right back. So if you're ready to learn a lot, gain a deeper understanding of your gut and find lasting relief. You are in the right place. Welcome to the love your gut podcast.

Hello and welcome back to the next episode of the Love Your Gut podcast. Happy first week of fall to those who celebrate, even though it was literally 97 degrees here in Texas yesterday. So we are bringing on fall as much as we can, but I'm so excited for today's episode. This is a question that I get asked often, so I thought, why not? Record a podcast episode because if I'm getting these questions, I imagine there's other people that aren't even asking that have the same questions. So I wanna start today with the story because I know so many of you see yourself in the stories that I share. Whenever I'm on discovery calls, I always hear. Some of the same phrases. I listened to every episode of your podcast and it just makes so much sense. Or you told the story about that one client and it sounded exactly like me, or I listened to your story and it sounded exactly like me. So I always like sharing stories because I wish that when I was on my own journey that I. Heard stories of people that felt like me because at the time I felt like I was the only one, and I felt like there was nobody else who had the symptoms that I did because it was kind of taboo to talk about those things at the time. And I'm glad that we are in a day and age where it's just more normalized to talk about GI symptoms, hormone symptoms, et. And then I get to share these stories with you, so we'll talk about this client who came to me after years of bloating, constipation, and fatigue. Let's call her Rachel. She had been to multiple doctors, had blood work, done the whole shebang, thyroid panels, iron panels, autoimmune panels, all the things, and she had even done multiple colonoscopies. She had also done, I think two endoscopies as well, and every single time she was told everything's normal, she would end up going back to the GI doctor and they would, try random things. Try MiraLax. Try lo fodmap. We don't know why you're having these symptoms because everything is normal. And honestly, like her GI doctor was a great doctor. It wasn't the GI doctor's fault. He's not gonna make something up, right? Like her colonoscopy truly was normal. Her blood work truly was normal. But why did she feel so bad? Why was she. So bloated by the end of the day that she couldn't button her pants. Why was she so constipated that she was having to use suppositories to go to the bathroom? Why was she dragging herself outta bed in the morning? And I hear this story, these types of stories over and over again. My labs are fine, but I'm so bloated by the end of the day. I look six months pregnant, or my doctor said everything checked out, but I still can't go to the bathroom. I tried Linzess, I tried Moeity. I tried. You name it. And so that was the case for Rachel. She came to us. She had really checked all the boxes, and I would say about 50% of our clients are in that same boat where they've checked all the boxes. The other 50% are a. Haven't necessarily had a colonoscopy or endoscopy, and I'm not here to tell you which way to go because I think that that is so unique and individual and there are definite reasons to get a colonoscopy. But I also think that there's a lot of reasons why you may not need to get one, especially if you don't have family history or some of the major signs that a colonoscopy is gonna rule out for things like. IBD or colon cancer there's a lot less invasive testing we can do first. So that is where the GI Map test often becomes a game changer. So for Rachel, it showed what all the other tests had missed. She had imbalances in her gut bacteria, she had low stomach acid, a parasite. Once we had that data, we could actually build a plan that addressed why she was feeling the way she was feeling instead of just chasing symptoms. And that's what. A lot of our clients come to us with is this symptom chasing mentality. Uh, what do I do to fix my constipation? What do I do to fix the bloating? And sometimes you have to get out of symptom chasing mode a little bit and take a zoom out. And look at what's actually driving all of this. So today I'm gonna answer your big question. Do you need a GI map? Because I don't think that everybody needs a GI map, just like I don't think everybody needs a colonoscopy. So here's what we're gonna cover. Number one, what the GI map actually is and how it's different from standards stool testing, the biggest objections and hesitations that people have, why they're valid, but they also keep you stuck. How the GI map can also reveal root causes that other tests are gonna miss, and why I often prefer a GI map over SIBO testing. Which I know is controversial. And then why this test literally never comes back normal. And how this actually is good news because it explains why you feel the way that you do even when your labs say otherwise. So by the end of this episode, you will know whether or not a GI map is a good next step for you. If you've been told everything looks fine, or if you're a practitioner and you work with clients and you're thinking about. Should I use GI Map testing? This will be a good one for you as well. So first, let's start with. Answering the big question, what exactly is the GI Map? The GI Map short for gastrointestinal microbial Assay plus is a stool test that uses DNA technology called PCR testing or QPCR testing to look at microbes in your gut, how your digestive system is actually functioning, and a lot of different things that. You're not gonna get on standard testing. This is completely different from what you might get at your doctor's office. Standard stool tests usually screen for major infections. A colonoscopy is gonna look for structural problems, polyps, tumors, et cetera. And those tests are important, especially if you're 45 plus you have red flag symptoms like bleeding or unexplained weight loss, but they primarily rule out disease. And most of the clients we work with, they don't have a disease. They don't have IBD although we do work with people with IBD, but the majority of our clients don't. So this GI map looks at function. It doesn't just ask, is there something dangerous? It asks, how is your system actually working? So it measures things like pathogens. So h pylori, parasites, harmful bacteria that might be hiding under the radar. It looks at your beneficial or keystone strain bacteria. So these are species in your gut that keep your gut barrier strong. They help you absorb nutrients. They regulate your, your metabolism. They help you digest fiber. So this can. Answer the question of why am I scared of the produce aisle? Why does fiber hate me is a common thing that we hear. It measures your opportunistic bacteria, so the ones that normally hang out quietly, but can cause problems when your system is stressed. If you've listened to this podcast before, you've heard me compare your gut to. A target parking lot, so your target parking lot has a lot of parking spaces, and the best part about the GI Map or one of the best parts is that we get to see who's parked in those parking spaces or who's not parked in those parking spaces and who's not Parked is equally as important as who is. It also includes digestion markers like elastase, which tells us about. How you're digesting protein, carbs, and fats scr, which looks at fat digestion which is really important as whether you do or don't have a gallbladder, but from a fat digestion perspective as well as fat soluble vitamins. So like vitamin D things that you can often see low on blood work. It looks at immune function with markers like secretary IGA. This is one that we really commonly see low and depleted, and then it looks at inflammation and detox markers, so calprotectin, which you may or may not have already had done. On a standard stool test at your doctor's office, that is something that they run beta glucuronidase, which often explains hormone symptoms, acne, fatigue, skin issues. So this is why I always say a GI map rarely comes back, quote unquote, normal. It's not a pass fail test, which is what your doctor is running. It's yes, you have this, no you don't. It's a map of patterns. Hence the name GI Map. It shows us where your system is struggling. Even if nothing is screamingly high or low, it matters so much about the whole picture. And when I train practitioners and gut practitioner, this is something that I emphasize so much. You cannot just treat the test because treating a test. Is not gonna get you anywhere. And if you've had a practitioner in the past and you've run a GI map and they said, oh, you have h Pylori, here's the h pylori protocol, but they didn't look at the whole picture. That's probably why you're not better when you use a test. You have to look at it in the context of somebody's lifestyle, history, symptoms, patterns, other lab work, blood work, HTMA, et cetera. So. We're looking at these subtle imbalances. They help explain why you feel the way that you do and what the next step will be. Because the reality is too, you and I could run a stool test and we could have the same. Results, which would be highly unlikely, but let's just say we had the exact same results. The way that I'm showing symptoms in my body is gonna be very different than the way that you're showing symptoms in your body because your lifestyle is different than mine. Your genetics are different than mine, and we all. Have ways that our body gives us red flags, right? It might show up for me as constipation and bloating, whereas for somebody else it might show up like acid reflux. So for example, let's say a client came in after multiple normal scopes and blood tests. But maybe you're still having reflux, skin breakouts, exhaustion. On a GI map, you may see stuff like h pylori. You may see elevations in bad quote unquote bad bacteria. You may see a detox marker like beta glucuronidase being elevated that explains these symptoms. And these can often be the missing links. So when people ask me, do I really need a GI map, my answer is, if you've been told everything's fine, but you know it's not. This test can show you what the standard labs can't. It's not about ruling out cancer or Crohn's, that is the point of a colonoscopy. It's about giving you a roadmap to fix the function of your gut so that your body can actually heal. So let's expand a little bit on what you actually learn from a GI map, because this is where it gets really eyeopening and really exciting. I love looking at these tests and love understanding why somebody feels the way that they do. This is not just a yes or no test. You're not gonna get the test back and it's gonna say h pylori. Check, elastase X, it's actually gonna show you a range, and that can be really helpful. Again, because this is a map, this is looking at all the moving parts, it's why the results never come back completely normal. There's. Always something to learn, even if it's just subtle shifts in your digestion or immune function. And we've had people come to us and do GI MAP testing that don't have GI symptoms, and they still have stuff going on and their symptoms get better because we know that the gut is connected to. Every, almost every system in the body. For example, I had a friend who was having crazy, like skin rashes and they wouldn't go away. We did a GI map and identified a couple things and her skin is fine now. Same thing with sleep. We see, I've worked with several people that have insomnia and other sleep issues, and although they don't have GI symptoms, we address what's going on in their gut. All of a sudden their sleep gets better. So let's walk through the main categories of the GI mat. The first page is gonna be pathogens and parasites. So these are the bigger, more obvious things like h pylori, e coli, parasites such as Giardia. If you've been struggling with symptoms like reflux, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, even skin and hormone stuff, it can sometimes be because these pathogens are still lingering. And what's important here is that they're not always picked up on standard stool tests, and definitely not on. Scopes, a colonoscopy cannot see h pylori or parasites living in your gut. So when people are told everything looks normal, but they still feel terrible, maybe they did go to Mexico and get a parasite, or maybe they did get e coli or salmonella from food poisoning, or maybe they have h pylori that they're getting chronically passed back and forth between their spouse. The second part is commensal or beneficial bacteria. You can think of this as your foundation. So back to the target parking lot analogy. This is who is parked in your parking spots. These microbes help to regulate your immune system, keep your gut barrier strong. They even produce vitamins, which is really cool. And when these keystone species like Akkermansia Pernit. Bifidobacteria. When these are low, you can see issues like poor metabolism, weight struggles, intestinal permeability causing food sensitivities. So diversity in who's parked in your parking lot really matters. And the more variety in these species, the more resilient your gut tends to be. The third section is opportunistic bacteria. These are like your middle ground bugs. They're not always bad, but when they're under stress or when they're in excess, they can start causing trouble, especially if you have poor digestion or after antibiotics or, um, things like strep, staph, pseudomonas. They're often the reason that symptoms flare when you're stressed or run down. And so it's really helpful to look at that. The next piece is digestion markers. This is probably my favorite part of the test because it connects the dots on why everything else in the test is off. For example, if you are not digesting fats very well. Or if you are not digesting proteins, carbs, fats, and your pancreatic elastase is low, that shows us that you have an issue upstream. So no wonder you have all these overgrowth, bacteria. You need bile, and you need adequate bile flow. It's like a dishwashing detergent to clean out bacteria in your gut. Again, this is looking at patterns, so we have to look at. How everything on the test is working together. So elastase is gonna tell us how well your pancreas is producing digestive enzymes. If it's low, your food literally isn't breaking down, and you'll feel that as bloating, gas, even nutrient deficiencies. SCR tells us how well your digesting fats, if it's high, you're not breaking down fat properly, which can indicate sluggish bile flow, greasy stools, low absorption of fat soluble vitamins like I mentioned. So a, D, E, and K. There's also a section here for immune markers. Secretary iga A is one of my favorites. It tells us how your gut immune system is functioning, and so if it's low, it means your body's really tired and you're more vulnerable to infections and food reactions. So when your food sensitivity panel came back with all the food that you normally eat. This is part of the reason why if it's really high, it shows that your body is actively fighting something. So we need to look at is it actively fighting h pylori? Is it actively fighting c diff? Is it actively fighting a parasite that matters? And then calprotectin is another marker. So this one looks at gut inflammation. If it's elevated, it may mean that your gut lining is irritated. Which can tie a lot into pain or urgency or just red flag conditions that should be evaluated further. We also see, um, anti glidden on here. So it looks at gluten sensitivity. It looks at how your immune system is responding to gluten. This does not diagnose celiac disease, but again, we're looking at patterns. If we see secretary IGA is really high and calprotectin is really high, and anti glidden is really high. I'm wondering, do you have celiac disease? Do you need to go get tested for this? So sometimes it can help us know what the next step is or where a colonoscopy or endoscopy might be indicated. And then there's beta glucuronidase. So I mentioned this earlier, but this is a detox marker, and it's one of the main ways that GI MAP connects gut health to hormone health. So when beta glucuronidase is high. Your body starts recycling estrogen instead of clearing it. And that means you may end up with symptoms like acne or PMS or heavy periods or even endometriosis or fibroids. So if you've been working on hormones, but nothing is shifting, sometimes the gut really is the missing link. And the beauty of this test is that it connects the dots, like I said, so it takes you from. I don't know why I feel this way to, oh, okay, this makes sense now. And it's always, even after now running probably 1500 of these tests or more, it's always so helpful because we know what's causing the symptoms and then we can develop a plan. So who actually benefits the most from a GI map? I'm gonna just give you a rapid fire list and see if any of these sound familiar. So, chronic bloating, constipation, diarrhea or reflux. Any hormone issues like PMS, heavy cycles, estrogen dominance, skin issues like acne, eczema, rosacea that don't improve with creams or diet elimination, chronic fatigue, or that feeling of like all my tests are normal, but. I am so exhausted. Hashimoto's or other autoimmune conditions, multiple food reactions or sensitivities. Maybe you were diagnosed with celiac and you've been gluten-free for a while and you still don't feel good. Frequent colds, infections are just feeling like your immune system is run down. Symptoms that flared after antibiotics or illness, or also symptoms that flared after food poisoning or a trip. And then honestly, anyone who has tried protocol after protocol or diet after diet and really not gotten anywhere or maybe just temporary relief. So if you heard yourself in these lists, this would maybe be a good next step for you. So conventional tests, like stool tests, et cetera, are gonna ask, is there something dangerous here? And a GI map is gonna ask, is this system actually working? And. Anytime I bring up stool tests, people also have hesitations. I get it. Stool testing does not sound glamorous, right? So I wanna talk through some of the biggest hesitations that I hear. The first one is I already did stool testing and it was normal. This is by far the most common thing that people say, and here's the difference. Most standard stool tests at your doctor's office are culture-based and they run very limited QPCR testing. That means they're essentially looking for the presence or absence of a few common pathogens, like do you have salmonella? Yes or no? Do you have GRD, I guess or no? But what those tests miss is the function of your digestive system and the whole microbial balance. I don't care if you have one thing. I wanna know how that's affecting the whole system. The giac map is gonna quantify this as a broad range of microbes, give us digestive markers, inflammation, immune. So it's not just do you have something scary? It's, is the system working? So different question. Totally different answer. The second hesitation that I hear is it's gross or embarrassing, and I just wanna normalize this. Yes, you do have to give a stool sample, but it really is one of the least invasive tests that you'll ever do. You're not fasting, you're not getting your blood drawn. There's no sedation. And you literally get to do it at home. You get the test shipped to your house and you can do it from the comfort of your own home. They send you a glove, they send you all the things to make it as least gross as possible, and five to 10 minutes of your life for the most comprehensive data that you're gonna get is worth it. It's the least fun thing you'll do that day, but hands down, worth it for. The relief that you're gonna get later. A third hesitation is cost. It's expensive and this one is real because unfortunately, insurance usually doesn't cover functional tests. So yes, it is an investment, but the way that I like to reframe it is how much have you already spent on supplements, elimination diets? Colonoscopies. Repeat SIBO protocols, random lab work. Random like one-off appointments with doctors that have just gotten you nowhere. For the most part most of our clients when they come to us, they've spent thousands of dollars and they're still stuck. So when we finally invest in the GI Map, we have a clear plan and also to speak to, if you've already done a GI map and you haven't gotten anywhere, the question I would ask you is, were you. Actually addressing your symptoms in the context of the test, or was that practitioner just treating the test with a like blanket protocol? There is a huge, huge difference, and one of the reasons that I have loved recently doing these gut health audits, about half the people that did the audits. Uploaded testing, some of them GI maps and some other stool test. And the biggest missing piece that I saw was they had not addressed. Digestion, minerals, motility, nervous system they had just addressed. You have this bacteria, you have that bacteria, and not how the whole system was working together. So we actually need to understand the whole picture so we can target the root cause. And really that saves so much money in the long run. And also emotional energy as well because we're not just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. We know why and we stop guessing. The fourth hesitation is I don't wanna find something scary, and I get that I have family history of colon cancer. I don't wanna find that either. And this one can come from a place of fear. Maybe you've had a family member diagnosed with a serious condition, or you're really worried about what you might see. And here's what I'll say is. Knowledge shrinks fear. I know I, even if I don't have symptoms as a result of my family history, I have to go get colonoscopies about every five years, and I always am worried about it and I know that. Okay. If there was something wrong, wouldn't I wanna do something about it? What we don't know, our mind tends to imagine the worst, right? The GI map is not gonna diagnose cancer. It's not that kind of test. It gives us functional data that we can translate into an action plan. Why live in uncertainty when you can actually know what's going on and what steps to take. And that's, that can be empowering, not scary. And then the last one that I hear all the time is, can I just do a SIBO test? We've had several clients recently that are like, well, I don't wanna start working with you until I do my SIBO test. And I'm like, okay, fair, valid. And. I wanna know what's causing your sibo. If you do have it, SIBO breath tests will tell you what kind of gas is present. The GI Map is gonna tell you why it keeps coming back, and I'll go deeper into that in a minute. But the short answer is this SIBO testing. Is not telling you the root cause. So here's the bottom line. If you only treat symptoms, you're gonna keep chasing them. If you only treat overgrowth or bacterial overgrowth you're gonna relapse. And if you use the GI map, you're gonna finally see a full picture of why your gut isn't working and what to do about it. And data is always gonna help you get to the plan, and that's where real healing begins. So. Let's go back to the SIBO testing versus GI Map conversation. Why would you not just do a SIBO test? And SIBO breath testing is something that maybe you've done or you've heard about, especially if bloating is your main symptom, and here's what it does. You drink a sugar solution, then you breathe into tubes over a couple hours. The test measures how much hydrogen methane, and if it's the trio smart hydrogen sulfide gas is being produced in your small intestine, there's a whole prep diet that you have to follow. It can actually be very hard to make sure you do the test correctly, and if those gases spike. At certain points, it suggests that bacteria have migrated into your small intestine where they don't belong. So yes, this test is helpful and can tell you if you have sibo, but the problem is it doesn't explain why. And I can't tell you how many clients come to us having treated SIBO 3, 4, 5 plus times because they just keep taking antibiotics, but they're not looking at if their stomach acid is too low, if their pancreatic enzymes are weak. Bile flow is sluggish, immune system is depleted. If there's another pathogen or yeast overgrowth driving the imbalance, it also doesn't measure inflammation or detoxification markers that could explain hormone symptoms, fatigue, et cetera. So that's where. Doing a GI map or another stool test similar can help reveal the whole picture of the terrain, whether possibly h pylori is suppressing your stomach acid, or if your pancreas needs a little help, or if your gut lining is inflamed and your immune system is exhausted, or if you have parasites or yeast. Just adding fuel to the fire, or if your body's having trouble detoxing. All of these things can be really helpful. So when we have that information, we can actually address SIBO and prevent it from coming back and fix the whole terrain. So if some, if stomach acid is strong, if bile and enzymes are flowing, the immune system is supported. SIBO has a much harder time sticking around and we see a lot of momentum within six to 12 weeks. If you're actually doing this correctly. So that's why I often prefer to just do a GI map. We're gonna see some clues on the GI map about what is going on with methane producing bacteria, hydrogen producing bacteria. And really our goal is to prevent a relapse. We don't want you to spend months, years doing round after round of antibiotics and herbals. So it's like treating weeds in your garden without fixing the soil. You can keep pulling the weeds, but if your soil is depleted, compacted weeds are gonna come back. And that's what happens in your gut. So that does not mean that SIBO testing is never helpful. Sometimes we will layer it in, especially if you wanna confirm hydrogen sulfide gas if that's playing a role in your symptoms, because the treatment for that is way different. But the GI map is gonna give us more foundational. Data on what to do. So the takeaway here is SIBO testing tells you what kind of gas is present. GI Map tells you why that gas keeps building up, and that's why in my practice we often prefer to use GI MAP testing. We're gonna fix the top of digestion and terrain first. The small intestine will follow. So now that you know what the GI Map measures. Let me show you how this actually plays out in real life, because that is where the biggest light bulb moments go off for our clients when the results finally explain why they've been stuck. So case number one that I wanna give an example of is chronic bloating and constipation. That's at least half of the clients that we see. So this client in particular came to me after years of alternating between constipation and occasional loose stools, which. Usually in that case is actually overflow, diarrhea, or the most severe form of constipation. She also had daily bloating, migraines, brain fog, had tried low fodmap, SIBO, herbs, multiple rounds of antibiotics, but nothing ever gave her relief. And on her GI map, what we saw was h pylori was present with a virulence factor. So this is not just a random bug. It's one that increases risk for ulcers and definitely messes with stomach acid. Low acid makes it much harder to digest protein and keeps the door open for bacterial overgrowth. So this was a big missed opportunity for her. Also her keystone species of bacteria, her akkermansia and perse specifically were low. And these are bacteria that keep your gut barrier strong. You've probably heard the term leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability. This is. Really, really important for preventing a relapse. So because of all the restricted diets, antibiotics, et cetera, her gut was so depleted, her parking lot was empty. Remember when I said earlier, it matters as much as who's not parked in your parking lot? That was the case for this client. So her gut lining was a little, leaky motility was slowed down, inflammation was higher. She also had a couple opportunistic bacteria. These aren't usually the problem in small numbers, but in her case they were really high. Definitely contributing to migraines and some of the other symptoms. And then lastly, we found methyl bacteria. And these are methane producing microbes that are strongly linked to constipation. So in her case, the constipation wasn't just quote unquote IBS. It was a combination of low stomach acid, an empty parking lot. Methane producers slowing everything down. Once we supported her digestion, rebuilt her parking lot and addressed the methane gas, her bloating and constipation started to shift, and this was not an overnight fix. I wanna be clear, this doesn't happen overnight. If you actually wanna fix the problem, it will not happen overnight. 10 weeks of addressing stomach acid, replenishing keytones targeting methane. Her bloating dropped from daily to rare. She was having daily bowel movements. Migraines decreased in both frequency and intensity. So when keystone species are low or the parking lot is empty, everything is going to slow down and this matters too. So that was a huge missing piece for her. The next and last example that I'll give is daily reflux That won't go away. So another client that had been struggling for years with reflux had tried every PPI ant acid, all the things she just kept. Being told, just increase the dose. Increase the dose. And in her gut, not to be cheesy, she knew she didn't wanna do that. She's like, I know the side effects of being on PPIs for so long and there's got to be something else that's gonna help me. So the interesting piece here, were all connect to the dots, is she had a chronic history of UTIs. She had acne. She had suspected endometriosis, brain fog, and then fatigue. All her scopes were normal and she just kept being told it was acid reflux. But her GI map told a very different story. Her h pylori was high. This is the bacteria that lower stomach acid production, which is ironic because it often leads to reflux, burping, and bloating, and without enough acid. Food is just sitting in her stomach like a brick, which is a common phrase that we hear. So all these PPIs, no wonder they weren't working. She didn't need that. She needed to get rid of the h pylori. She also had some opportunistic bacteria that were elevated. This explained why her immune system felt constantly irritated. Also possibly why her skin kept flaring, and then her elastase looked fine, but her Sato crate was elevated and this told us that she wasn't digesting fats well, pointing to sluggish bile flow, and poor fat absorption. Definitely explaining some of the skin issues she was having. The recurrent, just bloating and symptoms as well as like chronically low vitamin D, and then also vitamin E is really important for skin health, so she wasn't digesting fat soluble vitamins very well. Her beta glucuronidase was really high. This explained the acne and hormone symptoms. Her body was recycling estrogen instead of clearing it. We don't want that. And then finally, her secretary, IGA, or her gut immune system was really low. And this explained a lot of the frequent illness infections, just kind of constant immune burnout. The biggest aha moment for her was that she wasn't just dealing with random, disconnected issues, her reflux, her acne, her fatigue, even her UTIs, they all traced back to the same root causes. And one thing that I'll connect here for you is that if you have. Frequent UTIs and you have low stomach acid. Those two things are connected, and we see that all the time, especially if they are connected with candida. So after a focus protocol where we were addressing the h pylori rebuilding her parking lot. Bile support, immune support. She was tapering off the PPIs. Her reflux resolved, her skin calmed down. Uti, I stopped coming every couple months. So this isn't random. This is a map of why these symptoms cluster and why, the longer things go on, the more symptoms start popping up. So these stories, this is just. Two stories of why I love the GI Map so much because it shows people that they're not broken it, that their symptoms aren't random. There is a reason, and once you see the patterns, you can actually do something about it. So people often ask me, should I get a colonoscopy? And that's a great question. So colonoscopies rule out disease. The GI map is gonna explain dysfunction, which you understand by now. So if your scopes or labs are clear, but you still feel miserable, the GI map is a much better next step for you If you're having red flag symptoms like bleeding. Dark stools. Um, all the things that would definitely, you would wanna rule out IBD or polyps or cancer. Go get a colonoscopy, especially if you have family history. Colonoscopies, I believe save lives, and they have actually changed the age to 45. So if you have hit the age of 45 and you haven't had one, go get one. They're preventative. But the limitation is that. A colonoscopy is gonna tell you what your gut looks like, not how it's working. So that's why so many people leave their doctor's office completely frustrated. And like I said at the beginning, it's not your doctor's fault. They, that's what they're gonna see on a colonoscopy. And this is where a GI map might be able to help bridge the gap for you. When your conventional tests are ruling out danger, we're gonna be able to look at the dysfunction. So we're not necessarily looking for like. Your labs are normal or abnormal. Again, it's patterns and it's functions, so. If you're listening right now thinking that is me. I've done it all and I still don't feel normal, this is exactly where we start with our clients and get together or sometimes get tested our testing package. If someone's not ready for our full program or doesn't need our full program, they want the tools that can finally connect the dots. So let me run through a couple quick FAQs that I know are probably on your mind and then we'll wrap it up. So is it covered by insurance? Usually not because it's a functional test, but most people find the value comes from the clarity it provides. And finally, having a plan. How do you take it? I answered this, but it's a simple at-home kit, no sedation, no hospital gown, no nothing. You can do it from the privacy of your own bathroom. How long do results take? Usually about 10 to 14 business days after the lab receives your sample. So by the time we order the test, ship it to you and you complete it, you can expect like two to three weeks start to finish. Can I do this if I already had a colonoscopy? Absolutely. They're complimentary and really great to help explore further. And then how often should you test? I recommend a baseline test and then a retest later on if you wanna see where things are at. Or. Another time to retest would be, let's say you do get food poisoning or you go on a trip and get sick. It can be helpful at addressing things before they get out of control. So when you just put it all together, a GI map isn't just another test. You're gonna get a lot of data points, you're gonna get clarity, and it's gonna help you know what your next steps are. So. If you've been told everything's fine, but you don't feel fine, this might be the data that you're missing to help you connect the dots so that your plan is more targeted and not guesswork. So the main takeaway that I want you to have today is a GI Map is not about labeling or diagnosing disease. It's showing us patterns, the imbalances, the root causes that have been missed. And when we know what's really going on, we can build a plan that actually works for your body. So if you're feelings. Stuck and you're ready for next steps, we have options. You can start with a gut health audit. This does not include a GI map, but it's a great way to get a professional opinion. Allah me on whether testing like the GI map is right for you. And the best part is if you do the audit, you can apply the audit cost to any of our programs. Once I complete your audit, I will recommend next steps for you, whether that's gut tested or gut together, HTMA bundle. I'm not here to just tell everybody they need to do gut together because that's not the case. Or if you know you're ready for full support, you can apply for Gut together. This is our six month one-on-one program where of course, GI met. Map testing is a part of it. That's where we will uncover your entire case, identify what's missing, create personalized plans for you. We have monitoring to make sure you're moving in the right direction so you can finally move forward. Or you can do our testing bundle, which is gut tested. So I'll put all the links to that and the show notes. I'm always happy to answer any questions that you might have about this, but no matter where you start, you know this, you don't have to keep guessing. And you don't have to do this alum, you can have a plan that helps you to feel better. Your body is speaking to you with your symptoms, and if you have the right tools, you can finally understand what it's saying. So I hope this answers all your GI Map questions. If you have further questions, feel free to jump into my dms on Instagram and ask any questions. I'm happy to to chat further, but we'll see you next week on the next episode of the Love Your Gut podcast.

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Dr. Heather Finley

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