Feeling “Fine” But Not Well? The Functional Medicine San Diego Approach to Finding Your Root Cause

Quick Answer: Why You Can Feel Awful With “Normal” Labs

Here’s the short version:

• You can feel tired, bloated, anxious, or “off” even when your standard bloodwork looks “normal.”

• Traditional labs often check for disease, not for how well your body is actually functioning.

• Functional medicine lab testing looks deeper at hormones, gut health, detox pathways, vitamins, minerals, and inflammation to find the root cause of why you don’t feel well.

• Once we know what’s really going on, we can build a personalized plan so you have more energy, better digestion, a clearer mind, and a body that finally feels like “you” again.

As I often tell my clients:

“You don’t have to wait until you’re ‘sick enough’ for a diagnosis to start feeling better. We can start supporting your body now, before it breaks down further.”

I’m Neely, owner of Sweat Society in Hillcrest, and as a twice-certified Integrative Health Practitioner and personal trainer, my job is to help you move, eat, and live in a way that actually works for your body—not against it.

What I Hear Every Week in My Hillcrest Studio

If you walked into my studio on University Avenue between Hillcrest and North Park, you’d hear the same story over and over again:

• “My doctor told me everything looks normal…but I still feel exhausted.”

• “I’m doing ‘all the right things’ and I’m still asking, why am I so tired?”

• “I feel bloated every night, but all my tests come back fine.”

• “They said, ‘You’re just stressed’ or ‘That’s just getting older.’”

If that sounds familiar, you’re exactly who I had in mind when I started offering Functional Medicine San Diego lab testing and root-cause health coaching.

What Functional Medicine Really Is (And How It’s Different From Traditional Care)

Looking for Optimal, Not Just “Normal”

Traditional care is designed to catch disease. Functional medicine is designed to find dysfunction long before it becomes disease.

Instead of asking, “Are you sick enough to treat?” I ask, “How can we bring your body back into balance so you feel your best again?”

That means looking at:

• How your hormones are actually functioning

• Whether your digestive system is inflamed or imbalanced

• How well your detox pathways are working

• Whether you’re truly absorbing the nutrients from your food

Root Cause Health vs Symptom Management

If you’re constantly chasing symptoms—fatigue, headaches, bloating, low mood—you might get temporary relief, but the problem always returns.

Functional medicine asks:

• Why are you inflamed?

• Why are you tired?

• Why are your hormones off?

Once we understand the why, we can use nutrition, lifestyle changes, and targeted supplementation to actually rebalance your body instead of just masking symptoms.

My Story: Why I Started Looking Deeper Than Standard Labs

From Kinesiology to Integrative Health Practitioner

I’ve spent over 19 years working in fitness, rehab, and nutrition here in San Diego. My background includes:

• B.S. in Kinesiology: Fitness, Nutrition, & Health from San Diego State University

• Certified Integrative Health Practitioner, Level 2 (with a focus on functional medicine lab testing)

• Long-term experience in personal training, holistic nutrition, and rehab therapy

Over the years, I kept noticing the same pattern: clients would do everything “right”—workouts, better food choices, better sleep—and still feel stuck.

That’s what pushed me toward functional medicine and deeper lab testing.

What I Learned Working With Real Clients in San Diego

When I started looking at functional labs alongside my clients’ stories, everything clicked:

• The “healthy” woman walking around Balboa Park every morning but crashing at 3 pm? Severe nutrient deficiencies and hormone imbalance.

• The client commuting between Mission Valley and downtown, living on coffee and takeout? Sky-high stress hormones and poor detoxification.

• The person doing all the “right” workouts but still inflamed? Gut bacterial imbalance and food sensitivities.

Once we saw the root causes, we could create a plan that worked with their bodies—not against them.

The Signs Your Body Is Whispering (Or Yelling) for Help

Exhausted but Wired – The “Why Am I So Tired?” Question

If you’re asking “why am I tired” all day—and then feel wired when you finally go to bed—your body is sending you a clear message.

Common signs I see:

• You wake up tired even after a full night’s sleep

• Afternoon crashes that make it hard to focus at work

• Reliance on coffee, energy drinks, or sugar just to get through the day

• Feeling tired and anxious at the same time

These are often related to stress hormones, blood sugar imbalance, sleep quality, or nutrient deficiencies—all things we can see through functional medicine lab testing.

Bloating, Skin Flares, and Other “Annoying but Normal” Symptoms

A lot of people write these off as “just how my body is”:

• Bloating after almost every meal

• Heartburn or reflux

• Constipation or loose stools

• Eczema, acne, or random rashes

• Seasonal allergies that seem to get worse each year

These are red flags for gut health issues, food sensitivities, or chronic inflammation. They might not show up on a basic blood test, but they show up clearly on functional labs that look deeper into the gut and immune system.

Mood Changes, Brain Fog, and Hormone Imbalances

Mood and hormones are tightly connected. If you feel:

• More irritable than usual

• “Flat” or unmotivated

• Prone to anxiety or low mood

• Foggy and forgetful

it’s not “all in your head.” We often find imbalances in sex hormones, thyroid function, or stress hormones that explain exactly why you feel off.

How Functional Medicine Lab Testing Helps Find Your Root Cause

Deeper Biomarkers Than a Standard Blood Panel

Instead of asking, “Are your labs in range?” we ask, “Are your systems balanced?”

Functional medicine lab testing may look at:

• Stress hormones and cortisol rhythm

• Gut bacteria, yeast, and parasites

• Food sensitivities and inflammation markers

• Detoxification markers and liver support

• Vitamin, mineral, and omega-3 levels

This gives us a clear picture of what’s happening beneath the surface.

At-Home Lab Testing: Easy, Private, and Actionable

All of the lab testing I offer is done in the privacy of your own home:

1. We decide together which test (or tests) make the most sense for your symptoms.

2. You receive your kit at home with simple instructions.

3. You mail it back to the lab.

4. Results come to me, and we schedule a session (in-studio in Hillcrest or virtual) to go through everything in detail.

Examples of What We Can Uncover

I’ve seen functional labs reveal:

• Low-level gut infections that explain lifelong bloating

• Hidden food sensitivities behind chronic headaches and fatigue

• Hormone imbalances that line up perfectly with mood swings and sleep issues

• Heavy inflammation that shows why recovery from workouts is so slow

When clients finally see their results, they usually say,

“This is the first time anything actually explains how I feel.”

What a Root-Cause Assessment With Me Actually Looks Like

Step 1 – Comprehensive Intake and Listening to Your Story

We start with a detailed intake session where we talk about:

• Your energy, digestion, sleep, mood, and hormones

• Your history with doctors, medications, and previous lab work

• Your work schedule, stress levels, movement routine, and food patterns

A big part of my job is simply to listen with the intention of understanding—not dismissing—your experience.

Step 2 – Choosing the Right Functional Lab Tests

Based on your symptoms and history, I help you decide which functional lab testing San Diego options make the most sense:

• A gut test for bloating, IBS-like symptoms, or skin issues

• A hormone and metabolism panel for energy, mood, and weight changes

• A vitamin and mineral test if you’re already eating well but still feel depleted

You don’t need to know which tests to pick—that’s my job.

Step 3 – Your Personalized Rebalancing Plan

When your results arrive, we sit down together and walk through each section:

• What’s out of balance

• How it connects to your symptoms

• What we’re going to do about it

Your plan might include:

• Food and lifestyle adjustments

• Targeted supplementation

• Support for your training program or rehab therapy

• Stress management strategies that actually fit your life

My goal is to give you a plan you can follow—even with a busy San Diego schedule.

Everyday Life in San Diego That Can Stress Your Body

Busy City Living: Hillcrest, North Park, and the “Go-Go-Go” Lifestyle

If you live or work around Hillcrest, North Park, or Mission Hills, you already know how fast-paced life can be:

• Grabbing coffee on the way down University Avenue

• Late nights working or socializing in the city

• Sitting most of the day, then jumping straight into intense workouts

That constant “on” switch keeps your nervous system in overdrive, which can lead to:

• Sleep disruption

• Elevated stress hormones

• Increased inflammation

Functional medicine helps us see how this lifestyle is impacting your body—and what we can do to support you.

Sunshine, Inflammation, and the Southern California Schedule

San Diego sunshine is amazing, but:

• Long days outside without proper hydration

• Weekend hikes in Mission Trails or runs along the Embarcadero

• Stacking workouts on top of stress and under-fueling

can all contribute to low-grade inflammation, low energy, and delayed recovery.

Balancing your nutrition, stress, and movement with what your labs show is where root-cause work really shines.

“I will always encourage you to eat some form of carbs throughout the day for adequate energy intake, especially if you are engaging in a consistent workout routine. - Neely”

How Functional Medicine Fits With Training, Rehab, and Nutrition

Connecting Functional Lab Testing and Holistic Personal Training

Because I also offer personal training San Diego and holistic personal training San Diego, I can blend your lab results with your workouts:

• If your stress hormones are high, we may focus on restorative movement and strength over high-intensity intervals.

• If your recovery markers are low, we adjust your training so you can still make progress without burning out.

For clients doing partner personal training or working with me as a female personal trainer, this integrated approach can make the difference between spinning your wheels and finally feeling strong and energized.

Supporting Rehab Therapy and Pain Relief From the Inside Out

Many of my rehab clients come to me for rehab therapy, post-injury rehab training, or low back pain therapy in San Diego using NerveOTX and neurological muscle re-education.

When we layer in functional medicine, we can:

• Reduce the inflammation that’s slowing their recovery

• Support tissue repair with proper nutrients

• Improve energy so their body has the resources to heal

Pain isn’t only mechanical—it’s also metabolic and inflammatory. Addressing both sides creates much better outcomes.

Who Functional Medicine Lab Testing Is (and Isn’t) For

When You’re Ready to Go Beyond “Fine”

Root-cause work is for you if:

• You’ve been told “everything is normal,” but you know something is off

• You’re willing to look honestly at your habits, stress, and environment

• You want education, not just a protocol handed to you

• You’re ready to actively participate in your healing process

When a Different Specialist Might Be a Better Fit

Functional medicine is not a replacement for urgent medical care, diagnosis, or treatment of disease.

If you’re dealing with:

• A medical emergency

• A new, severe symptom (like chest pain or sudden vision loss)

• A condition that requires immediate medical intervention

You should always see your primary care physician or visit urgent care first.

As an Integrative Health Practitioner, I don’t diagnose or treat disease—I help you support your body’s natural ability to rebalance itself using nutrition, lifestyle, and functional testing.

Getting Started With Root Cause Health in San Diego

How to Work With Me at Sweat Society

I see clients in person at my private studio in Hillcrest, right off University Avenue, and virtually across San Diego and beyond. Whether you’re near Balboa Park, downtown, or out in Mission Valley, we can work together.

We might combine:

• Functional medicine lab testing

• Nutrition and wellness coaching

• Holistic personal training

• Rehab and pain relief therapy techniques

so that all pieces of your health are moving in the same direction.

Simple First Steps You Can Take Today

While lab testing gives us the deepest insights, you can start supporting your body right now by:

• Prioritizing 7–9 hours of sleep in a dark, cool room

• Eating balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and fiber at each meal

• Getting daily movement—even a walk through Hillcrest or around Balboa Park helps

• Drinking enough water, especially if you’re training or out in the sun

If you’re ready to stop being told you’re “fine” and actually feel well, functional medicine lab testing and root-cause health coaching can guide the way.

FAQs – Functional Medicine, Root Cause Health, and Lab Testing in San Diego

1. What’s the difference between functional medicine lab testing and regular bloodwork?

Regular bloodwork is designed to flag disease and extreme dysfunction. Functional medicine lab testing looks at a wider range of markers—hormones, gut health, inflammation, nutrient status—to show how well your systems are actually functioning, not just whether they’re “in range.”

2. Can functional medicine help if I’ve already tried everything?

Many of my clients feel like they’ve tried everything before they come to see me. When we layer in functional lab testing, we often uncover things that were never tested before—like gut imbalances, hidden food sensitivities, or nutrient deficiencies—which finally explain why previous efforts didn’t work.

3. How long does it take to feel better using this approach?

It depends on how long you’ve been feeling unwell and what we find on your labs. Many people start noticing changes in energy, digestion, and mood within the first 4–8 weeks of following their personalized plan. Deeper healing can take several months, but we track progress along the way.

4. Do I have to live near Hillcrest to work with you?

No. I work with clients in person in Hillcrest and virtually throughout San Diego and beyond. Because the lab tests are done at home and mailed in, you don’t have to be physically close to the studio to benefit from functional medicine lab testing and coaching.

5. Will my functional medicine plan include nutrition, movement, and lifestyle support?

Absolutely. Your plan is never just about supplements. We’ll look at your nutrition, daily routines, stress levels, movement, and sleep—and we’ll connect them to your lab results so everything is working together toward your root-cause healing.

You Don’t Have to Settle for “You’re Fine”

You deserve more than a five-minute appointment and a shrug.

If you’re tired of feeling tired, frustrated with being dismissed, or stuck in a cycle of chasing symptoms, a Functional Medicine approach can finally connect the dots.

Through deeper lab testing, personalized protocols, and support that integrates nutrition, movement, and rehab, we can uncover why you feel the way you do—and take clear, doable steps to change it.

You don’t have to live at 60% and call it normal. Your body is talking. I’m here to help you understand what it’s saying, and give you a roadmap to feeling better—rooted in science, experience, and a whole lot of support.

Claim Your Customized Plan: 

Stop guessing. Start thriving. 

Book now and experience the difference of holistic, evidence-based personal training.