Decoding Acne With The Organic Acid Test

WEBVTT
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:06.400
Welcome to Naturopathic Beauty's Clear Skin Sessions, where we heal your acne from the inside out.
00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:08.880
Welcome to the Clear Skin Sessions.
00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:09.439
I'm Dr.
00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:10.880
Stacey Shillington.
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:12.480
I'm a naturopathic doctor.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:16.239
I've been helping women heal their acne for over 20 years.
00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:27.199
This podcast is for you on your clear skin journey to give you insights, tips, and tricks on how to heal your acne because it is not easy to heal acne.
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:36.719
There are so many different underlying causes that can contribute to the inflammation, which is acne, and that is what I'm going to help you decode.
00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:41.359
Especially in this episode, I'm going to talk about the organic acid test.
00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:47.840
So this test is not used by many practitioners because it is complicated.
00:00:48.240 --> 00:01:09.280
This is a urine test, and what it does is it detects certain metabolites in your urine and it tells us how your body is being affected by detox pathways, mitochondria, infections, nutrient deficiencies, so many things, all by seeing, you know, these organic acids in your urine.
00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:11.040
It is an incredible test.
00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:12.239
It tells us so much.
00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:20.640
And so I want to give you a top line today of how this test is so exciting for acne, all the things we learn.
00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:27.359
So, of course, I have Holly Corcum Sears with me today, who is one of the coaches in my program.
00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:37.359
We've been working together for many years, and she is a huge, you know, source of knowledge, and you know, she helps many women heal their acne.
00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:38.879
So welcome, Holly.
00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:40.719
Hi, Stacey.
00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:44.799
Happy to be here again talking about one of my favorite tests.
00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:48.319
Yeah, yeah, the oat test, it's exciting.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.959
And you know, for many years as a naturopathic doctor, I was actually scared of it.
00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.480
I did not use the oat test for quite a few years when it first came out.
00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:01.519
I went to my first, because back then we did not have the internet.
00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:03.519
We did not really have a lot of things.
00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:09.439
I went to my first conference, they went through the oat test, and my head just about exploded.
00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:17.919
And I was like, oh my gosh, I have to like put aside an entire like week to dig into this test to really understand it.
00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.759
And I just I didn't have a solid week available to learn about the test for quite a while.
00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:26.159
So I put it on the back burner.
00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:33.680
Um, and then when I pulled it out again and started using it, I was like, oh my gosh, this test is incredible.
00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:39.199
It tells me so many things that I need to know to really treat my patients well.
00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:44.319
So I'm really happy that this test is part of what we do.
00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:55.360
I think it's one of the things that really makes us stand out as healers because it gives us insight that a lot of other tests are just not able to give us.
00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:10.560
And one of the things that really changed my practice from starting to use this test is the ability to see if there's any toxins being excreted from mold colonization in the body.
00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:14.639
So mold exposure is a massive thing.
00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:21.199
And it's it's really underdiagnosed, it's under-treated, and so many people have mold.
00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:29.360
Holly, I don't know, do you know the statistic on how many people out there are walking around, you know, with mold colonized in their body?
00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:40.800
I think probably a lot of them, especially because in North America, especially, we build our homes with paper and stone, like in our dip rock or drywall.
00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:48.800
And I guess the stats say that like 90% of homes in North America have some water damage somewhere.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:04:02.080
And depending on your genetics and how many other things that you have going on, toxicities in the body, some people are very affected by, say, a dribble in a sink in a bathroom they don't even use.
00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:10.560
And then there's some people, like usually our husbands, that can live in a house that's made of mushrooms and they're not, you know, affected at all.
00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.000
But until we test, you never know because it's very stealth.
00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.079
It's not something that we can see in blood work.
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:34.160
So I do think, especially people who are generally unwell and have a lot of different health issues, mold and mycotoxins is often one of the original issues or an issue that's making their immune system not function as well as it should.
00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:39.040
And I think there's people just don't recognize it as a problem as much as they should.
00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:48.160
Yeah, and I think it's especially a problem in our, you know, demographic of patients, because our patients are very poor detoxifiers.
00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:58.079
People that have acne, people that have skin conditions, they do not detox well, which means if you're exposed to mold, then you're just not going to be able to handle it.
00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:08.560
Your system is not as robust as, you know, other people's some systems out there, like our husbands, who can basically do anything and not flinch.
00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.360
Whereas we're like so sensitive to everything.
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:16.240
So that's the one really big thing that changed my practice.
00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:21.279
When I started to run the O test and I started to treat mold, and we see it all the time.
00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:24.800
What percentage of our patients would you say have mold?
00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:28.240
I know it's kind of a guess.
00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:32.800
At least 30%, but maybe up to 50.
00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:39.120
And we'll talk about why there can be like the difference between mold exposure and mold colonization.
00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:49.920
And, you know, there could be maybe not mold growing in them, but an exposure, an ongoing exposure could be causing issues that we don't see in the organic acid test.
00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:58.879
But definitely if we see that there are signs of fungal overgrowth in the organic acid test, it's definitely causing a problem at that point.
00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:09.600
And I say probably 30, 25, 35% of our clients, we see with the oat test come back with some fungal overgrowth markers.
00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:11.279
Yeah, we're seeing the mold there.
00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:23.600
And usually it's probably been there for a while, you know, because obviously it's causing damage because if we're seeing organic acids in the urine that signify that there's mold colonization, then there's damage being done in the body.
00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:28.319
So, you know, it tells us that yeah, we need to act on this like right away.
00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:29.839
And, you know, we do.
00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:31.600
It's a big part of our treatment protocol.
00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:37.120
So I think that that's one of the my favorite things about the organic acid test.
00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:42.160
And Holly, is that your favorite thing, or do you have a different favorite thing about the organic acid test?
00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:44.560
It is my favorite, it is my favorite thing.
00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:54.800
My other favorite thing within the organic acid test is it, you know, similar to mold is yeast or candida overgrowth, because we do we don't really test for that in the blood.
00:06:54.959 --> 00:07:05.279
We can see it like as symptoms, you know, different symptoms of candida, or you've had, you know, positive um yeast infection tests recurrently over and over again.
00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:11.439
Um, and in the stool testing in the GI map, we can see it if it's very heavy in the colon.
00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:22.399
But if we don't see it in the GI map, it doesn't mean that there's not systemic candida overgrowth, which is what we can see in the markers of the organic acid test.
00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:25.439
And that's like those those kind of come together.
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:37.120
The first kind of eight or nine markers, I think, on the organic acid test are uh mold, and one of them is arabanose, which is um a marker of candida for yeast overgrowth.
00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.439
Yeah, and a lot of people make that mistake.
00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:44.480
They think that they get the GI mapping test and they'll be able to tell whether or not they have candida.
00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:49.439
And that's the GI mapping test is not a reliable test for candida.
00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:54.240
I mean, it really only detects if there's candida growing in the large intestine, really.
00:07:54.399 --> 00:08:00.800
So, and candida, as we know, this is a systemic infection and it's behind a lot of acne.
00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:02.480
Absolutely.
00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:17.839
Um, so the other thing that I really think is interesting about the organic acid test, this is something we see a lot of, and there are I don't even know if there's another test that really tests for this, and this is oxalates.
00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:26.480
Oxalates are they're very damaging to the body, and they are produced by so many different things.
00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:29.360
They're produced by yeast, they're produced by mold.
00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:36.240
If there's bile insufficiency, um, you know, they're a marker of poor detoxification.
00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:45.759
And oxalates are often behind the really inflamed, painful cystic acne because oxalates are like little jagged crystals.
00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:51.919
And when you have a lot of little jagged crystals accumulating in your body, it's gonna cause pain.
00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:53.919
It's gonna cause inflammation.
00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:00.480
And as people that are prone to acne, our pain and our inflammation shows up right on our face.
00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:16.159
So when we understand that oxalates are an issue, you know, then we can put together a plan to really, you know, heal this, you know, to dump oxalates and also to make changes so that oxalates don't build up anymore.
00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:21.120
And I I we see a lot of oxalates in our patients.
00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:21.840
Yeah.
00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:23.360
We do, we do.
00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:30.720
And and we typically, you know, we can use this to guide us to suggest people doing a low oxalate diet in the short term.
00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:33.519
But uh the oxalates in the food are not the problem.
00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:38.080
Just like when we were talking before about histamine intolerance, the histamine is not the problem.
00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:41.200
It's the body's ability to get rid of it.
00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:46.159
And often when it comes to oxalates, it's because of mold and mycotoxins and more detox.
00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:55.759
So we do remove oxalate foods in the short term, but um the the problem long term relates back to other things that are going on for sure.
00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:04.399
Yeah, like if you suspect oxalates and you think, well, I'm just gonna go on a low oxalate diet for the rest of my life, like that's not a solution.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:05.759
Not a solution at all.
00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:09.519
We need to address what's actually happening in the body.
00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:13.200
And I think this is, you know, this is like my mantra.
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:14.879
This is what I live by.
00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:17.679
Like, what is actually happening in the body?
00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:20.000
This is I'm I'm obsessed by this question.
00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:25.840
And for me, those band-aid solutions, like let's just remove oxalates from the diet, that that does nothing.
00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.799
It does nothing, it doesn't solve the problem.
00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:36.320
So, you know, I just get really fired up about that because it's it's a real thing.
00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:37.200
It is.
00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:42.320
Um, okay, so this brings us to detox pathways.
00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:47.840
And this is something that the organic acid test can give us a lot of insight into.
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.120
There's two different parts of the detox pathway.
00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:54.080
There's phase one and there's phase two.
00:10:54.399 --> 00:11:01.440
And depending on which phase is over or underperforming, we need to treat that differently.
00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:08.080
So in this test, we are able to see what the liver is doing, how the body is detoxing.
00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:16.159
For instance, if we do see that oxalates are high, then we know that sulfation is probably not happening well in the body.
00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:20.960
Um, then we also have markers for glutathione as well, which represents phase one.
00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:23.919
So we know if there's adequate glutathione happening.
00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:28.960
We know if there's adequate N-acetylcysteine, which is a precursor to glutathione.
00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:39.759
Um, there's actually a lot of different markers in the oat test that can guide us to decipher what is happening from a detox perspective.
00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:46.559
And as I said earlier, you know, acne patients are really, really poor detoxifiers.
00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:48.559
Wouldn't you agree, Holly?
00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:50.480
Totally.
00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:57.759
Another thing that we can see in this test that I find really interesting is mitochondrial function.
00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:12.159
So, you know, a lot of, and this can go hand in hand with with mold and other toxin exposures, but we do have a number of two actually sections in this test that look at um mitochondrial.
00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:16.480
So your mitochondria are your cells produce energy.
00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:27.600
Um, and you know, we can feel not great, we can, you know, not be able to overcome, you know, things that we have going on, like acne or the reasons that we're having acne.
00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:36.960
And it can guide us as to like how to support mitochondria if that's an issue, especially in the short term to get people feeling better.
00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:45.519
Yeah, because if you're if your mitochondria isn't working properly, you're not producing enough energy, you're not producing enough ATP.
00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:49.759
And ATP powers your entire body.
00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:57.200
So we're talking like if if you don't have enough ATP, that zit on your face, it's not gonna heal very quickly at all.
00:12:57.360 --> 00:12:59.360
It's gonna stick around forever.
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:04.879
Your skin's gonna be really dull because you're not going to be exfoliating, you know, properly.
00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:08.879
Like things are just going to be slow within your body.
00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:16.879
And, you know, another thing that happens is oxidative stress starts to build up when the mitochondria are not functioning properly.
00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:19.840
And when we have oxidative stress, there's a lot of fatigue.
00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:24.720
And then there's also damage that starts to happen to this in the different systems of the body.
00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.639
So this is a big one.
00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:39.039
And, you know, it's something that we want to catch earlier rather than later, because if you have these poor detox pathways, if you have, you know, fatigued mitochondria, then you're you're gonna start aging rapidly.
00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.799
It's not gonna be pretty.
00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:49.279
We need to, you know, get that oxidative stress under control to heal your skin and to prevent premature aging for sure.
00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:51.679
So, yeah, Holly, I totally agree.
00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.480
The mitochondria, it's another really big one.
00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:09.919
And then, I mean, we can just go on and on for days with what this test reveals because then we can also take a look at neurotransmitters and we can see what's going on with your serotonin levels, your dopamine levels.
00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:16.480
Are you in a state of fight or flight, burnout, um, you know, anxiety?
00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:20.240
These are things that we can actually see in the organic acid test.
00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:23.679
And, you know, I think with a lot of our patients, we see a lot of anxiety.
00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:26.879
We see a lot of high HVA to VMA ratio.
00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:33.120
And, you know, it's it's a sure sign that, you know, our patients, they're stuck in sympathetic overdrive.
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:34.159
Wouldn't you say?
00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:42.080
Wouldn't don't you like find that, you know, the acne, the person that has the acne, we're all very similar in a certain way.
00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:43.039
Totally.
00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:49.759
And to be honest, when I we we do organic acid tests with uh pretty much every single one of our clients at the moment.
00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:59.200
And I don't think I've ever seen or very rarely dopamine and serotonin in our patient population in within the optimal range.
00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:00.480
They are all low.
00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:10.240
Sometimes they're overgrown, which doesn't happen very often, but if those not overgrown, but they're too high, but that's can be related back to bacterial overgrowths and things like that.
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:14.639
It doesn't mean that they're actually, you know, producing too much on their own.
00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:22.000
It's it's more likely most people we see very low serotonin and dopamine for sure.
00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.480
Yeah, and you know, that's really interesting.
00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:27.679
And I think this is something that people might find interesting.
00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:44.320
If you have, if your neurotransmitters are not balanced, you're experiencing anxiety, you're experiencing depression, often it's because there are infections in your gut, and these infections prevent certain enzymes from operating properly.
00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:46.559
So they're not able to convert.
00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:52.480
You know, like we're not able to convert DOPAC into HVA, for instance, properly.
00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.320
So, you know, we'll get build up, a buildup of certain neurotransmitters.
00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:12.000
So we're able to understand, often just by seeing the neurotransmitters, what infections are doing and what the mold, how it's behaving in the body to really upset your nervous system, your mood, and how you're you know engaging in day-to-day life.
00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:17.200
It's pretty crazy that we can see all that and understand all that from this test.
00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:18.320
It's pretty great.
00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:26.799
And another part that I find really interesting is, and it's a bit more Oh, Polly, I'm not hearing you.
00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:28.720
You turned your mic off.
00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.320
Oh, I didn't mean to do that.
00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:56.159
So another thing that another small piece that's a bit science-y that I really like for acne patients specifically is the fatty acid and ketone oxidization place, because there can be a lot of women who don't deal with fats very well on a cellular level, not so much because we do test um fat digestion in this in the stool test in the GI map, but and we also look at lipid markers in the blood work.
00:16:56.480 --> 00:17:07.759
But on a cellular level, if you're not dealing with fatty acids, fat from your diet, et cetera, very well, that can come out as very dry skin or very oily skin.
00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:20.480
You know, and we do see those um issues come up in the oat with women with PCOS because they often don't deal with um, you know, fats and fatty acids very well.
00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:32.480
So it can be a piece to help us in the short term do something like supplementing L-carnitine or, you know, changing different things up to help support that part of things as well.
00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:41.680
Yeah, no, that's a, you know, and when you're unable to break down your fats properly, that's gonna lead to lymphatic stagnation.
00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:44.720
So there's such a direct correlation between the two.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:55.680
So if you're getting a lot of acne on your neck area, around your ears, you know, a lot of that acne that keeps coming back in the same spot over and over again, that's lymphatic acne.
00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:59.680
And often that can be because you're not breaking down your fats properly.
00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:10.400
And when we take a look at your organic acid test, we see this on a cellular level and we're able to help you do it more efficiently, and that's gonna help clear up the lymphatic acne as well.
00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:15.359
So that's a really, a really interesting thing to note.
00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:17.519
And then there's also nutrient deficiency.
00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:24.559
So we're able to actually see, you know, what's going on with nutrient levels in the body, specifically B vitamins.
00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.799
And I think this is really interesting, and it's unlike blood.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:39.519
Like, for instance, if you're testing B vitamins in blood, you know, you see what's there, but you're not seeing seeing how those nutrients are being used in the body.
00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:55.759
So often if we're looking at the organic acid test and we see everything is okay, but B6 is remarkably low, it's because the body's utilizing B6 rapidly, and usually it's usual utilizing B6 to deal with some type of infection.
00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:00.960
Often, if there's yeast, we're gonna see B6 deficiency because it's being overutilized.
00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:07.359
It's not that you need to consume more B6 all the time, although that's helpful in the short term.
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:15.200
It's not that you're not absorbing it, but it's that your body's utilizing it too quickly because there's an imbalance in the body.
00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:22.799
So that's what I like about looking at nutrients and the organic acid test is it tells us the functionality.
00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:26.000
It's not necessarily about what you're consuming.
00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:41.920
So that's that's why it's good, you know, to take a look at blood work and also the organic acid test because we're seeing what's going on, you know, more on the surface level with the blood, and then we're seeing what's going on in a cellular level with the organic acid test.
00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:45.279
So it's nice to be able to take a look at both of them together.
00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:46.240
Yeah.
00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:47.279
Exactly.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:48.319
Totally.
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:52.319
Um and I yeah, exactly.
00:19:52.480 --> 00:20:02.160
The nutrient thing, we can sometimes see in the blood that women are like really high in B12 in their blood, even though they're not doing like a huge supplementation of it.
00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:08.240
But then we can see, for example, in the organic acid test that their methylonic acid is high.
00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:13.279
And that goes high when the body has an increased need for B12.
00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:25.279
So we can see that there's like something happening, there's a disconnect between what's going into the body and what the body's able to use and need on a cellular level.
00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:32.160
So, you know, that can guide us as to different things that we can do for treatment in those clients.
00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.559
So it's very interesting stuff.
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:36.480
It's really interesting stuff.
00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:43.599
And to be honest, we could sit here all day and tell you about different markers and what the different markers mean.
00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:52.240
And Holly and I could honestly go back and forth for hours because there's there's 70 different markers, the organic acid test.
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:58.559
And it's like one marker doesn't just mean one thing, it can be interpreted so many different ways.
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:03.519
And honestly, I learned something new about the organic acid test all the time.
00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:10.640
Like it's one of those things where you keep on learning, you keep discovering, oh my gosh, this is connected to that.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:12.160
Oh, that makes so much sense.
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:16.000
And you know, it's just like new things are opening up all the time.
00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:27.920
The longer you read the test, the more tests that you read, and of course, the more patients that you treat, you know, you just keep learning, which is what I really love about the work that we do.
00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:28.960
It's challenging.
00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:31.039
There's never a boring moment.
00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:32.160
Totally.
00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:32.960
I I love it.
00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:34.480
I love opening those tests.
00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:39.359
And there's it's one of those tests also that it's very difficult to read on your own.
00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:54.480
So it's you do really need to be working with somebody that's really has the knowledge into what each of those 70 markers mean and how they're they're related to each other because it's very difficult to take that information on your own and and go do something with it.
00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:55.039
Yeah.
00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:55.680
Oh, yeah.
00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:56.880
You definitely need guidance.
00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:03.359
I know sometimes we, you know, our patients, they they ask us for their test results before their scheduled appointment.
00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:10.480
And so we send it to them and they take a look at it, and they're just like, I can't, I can't even, like, I don't even know what I'm seeing when I look at this.
00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:14.480
And I'm like, I know I felt like that too when I first saw this test.
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:16.400
It is crazy.
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:19.920
But this is what we do, and this is what we love.
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:29.359
And this is such an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to really, you know, and you know, what we do is we heal acne.
00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:35.119
That's that's what we do, but oh my god, we do so much more than heal acne.
00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:38.640
We like reboot the entire system.
00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:44.319
Like, truly healing acne is not about, you know, doing this, doing one or two things.
00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:52.319
It's about an entire system reboot because acne is is like a mirror of what is going on in your body.
00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:56.000
And when you have acne, there are deep imbalances.
00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:03.519
Like acne is really inflammatory, it's really there on your face and it requires some digging.
00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:05.119
It requires investigation.
00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:12.480
It really requires, you know, a lot of I don't know, what's the right word, Holly, that I'm looking for?
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:14.000
A lot of work.
00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.720
It is, it's work to heal acne.
00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:17.119
It is.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:23.039
There's no quick fix, there's no magic bullet supplement that we are going to give you to heal your acne.
00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:35.440
And if you're searching for that magic bullet, definitely, you know, you don't want to work with us because we are we are like into like the the most extreme makeover that you've ever experienced.
00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:37.039
Yes.
00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:38.000
Wouldn't you say?
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:38.720
Like, aren't we?
00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:40.079
Yes, it's amazing.
00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:40.880
I know.
00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:44.000
Like we do like the extreme makeover.
00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:50.319
But you have to be ready to uh you have to be ready to take that journey with us.
00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:50.960
It's right.
00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:52.720
It's an amazing journey.
00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:57.839
But if you are not ready, you have to get ready.
00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:07.359
If you're not ready to take like the full journey, do the seven-week clear skin program because that addresses the foundations of clear skin.
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:12.559
And I tell you, once you go through that program, I mean, you'll get great results from doing that program.
00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.720
But then you may want to go deeper.
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:16.240
You may want to go deeper.
00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:19.200
And uh that's when we do testing like this.
00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:33.200
And usually with the oat testing, we do a GI mapping test as well because the oat test will tell us if there's, you know, some bacterial infections, they'll tell us if there's a yeast infection, but they won't, it won't tell us specific strains.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:37.759
And the GI mapping is going to tell us exactly what's going on in the gut.
00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:42.799
So using the bull both of them together is really a nice, it's a nice pairing.
00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:44.480
It gives us a lot of information.
00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:51.119
And then we also do the functional blood work, and Holly's like so good at the functional blood work.
00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:52.640
She loves it so much.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:55.920
You really do.
00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:56.880
I do.
00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:58.079
It's my favorite.
00:24:58.480 --> 00:24:59.039
I know.
00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:06.160
And maybe let's talk about how the oat test differs from the mycotox.
00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:09.519
Yeah.
00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:11.200
I'll let you take that one away.
00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:16.000
Yeah, so I know a lot of people uh hear about mycotox testing.
00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:18.240
So that's specific to mold.
00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:31.440
Whereas in the oat, we look at all of the different functions in the body, how all the different processes in the body, uh more or like, and how um, you know, what's going on with each of those.
00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:45.039
And if there's been mold exposure and there's mold colonization, so there's mold growing in your body, not just that you've been around mold, and that mold is causing issues, we will see those that happen in the oat.
00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:52.480
But if you've been exposed and it's not yet colonized within your body, it could still be causing issues.
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:59.680
So if we suspect that there's mold, we would also sometimes we also do what's called mycotox testing.
00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:15.440
And that tells us specifically exposures to different types of mold, like okra toxin, gliotoxin, those and each of those types of molds, we can kind of use different things to specifically detox those.
00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:19.680
Some some binders work better for some types of mold.
00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:25.039
Some types of mold we know come from different types of water damage.
00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:31.920
So, you know, it could be linoleum uh water damage or or gyrock water damage, that sort of thing.
00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:35.119
And some are much more toxic than others.
00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:44.960
So I sometimes like to combine the two of them, but we usually start with the organic acids test because if it's a big problem, we'll see it there.
00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:56.240
But if we are working with people and you know things are not moving, then usually we go and do a mycotox panel and that can show us what the level of mold exposure was.
00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:06.400
And then that can help us work a little bit deeper at getting that um problem sorted out and getting rid of it in within the body.
00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:09.279
Yeah, so I yeah, absolutely.
00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.440
Sometimes when people come in, they're really sick.
00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:15.920
You know, there's a some mysterious things happening and we just can't figure it out.
00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:19.119
You know, the mycotox test is often a good place to go.
00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:33.599
And there's also the environmental toxin test, too, that we can consider running, which is, you know, going to give us a look into, you know, phthalates and glycosphate and you know, so many different toxins that are out there.
00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:37.200
And again, acne patients were poor detoxifiers.
00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:45.519
So we are more prone to toxin accumulation than people that you know detoxify really well.
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:51.680
So I would say our patient population is very, very special and very sensitive.
00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:59.599
And, you know, it's it's important to take a deep look at these things and then know how to deal with them as well.
00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:06.640
So so I think I think we've done a really good job of explaining the organic acid test.
00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:09.440
Anything that you think we've forgotten, Holly?
00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:16.240
No, I think it's just it can be a test that's great for anybody, not just acne sufferers.
00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:23.039
And that's why we like to use it as opposed to going straight to mycotox or environmental, you know, toxin testing.
00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:28.319
It gives us kind of like a general overview of the entire body.
00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:32.319
And if there's, you know, a little bit of an issue here, then we can maybe go deeper.
00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:34.240
But, you know, it's it's a really great test.
00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:42.240
It can be really science-y, which is hard why it's hard for us not to go down too many rabbit holes when we're having this conversation about how much we love it.
00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:57.279
But just, you know, if you're somebody coming to us to help with your acne, um, it's something that can give us a really great overview of how the body's functioning in general, different than what we see in stool or blood.
00:28:57.599 --> 00:28:58.240
Yeah.
00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:00.000
Yeah, absolutely.
00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:04.160
So I think that wraps up our discussion for today.
00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:16.000
Um, if you want to know more about working with us, about getting these tests done, and it's funny because I do get messages and people ask me, can I just do the tests on their own without working with you?
00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:17.599
No, we do not do that.
00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:22.319
We work with, you know, we're so passionate about helping you heal.
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:27.680
So I don't give you these tests just on their own because they're too complicated to interpret.
00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:36.799
And, you know, often we really need to understand imbalances and work with you for a period of a few months to figure out and to heal your body.
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:44.160
It's not something like you take a look at the organic acid test, you figure out like the five supplements that you need to take and everything's good from there.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:46.960
No, it's it's a system, it's a process.
00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:55.359
So to find more, to find out more about what our process looks like, there's a link in the show notes to Clear Skin Mastery.
00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:57.200
That's a free masterclass.
00:29:57.359 --> 00:29:59.759
Watch that masterclass, it gives you a more in depth.
00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:03.200
Depth under explanation of how we work.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:08.880
If you're not ready to do the tests, but you still want to start healing, that's okay too.
00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:11.519
My seven-week clear skin program is amazing.
00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:16.880
It's a great price point for those that just aren't ready to dive in and do the full journey.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:19.519
And the link for that is in the show notes as well.
00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:21.759
So I think that's all for today.
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:27.440
Holly, thank you so much as always for coming on to talk about this amazing test.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:29.920
And thank you for having me.
00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:31.519
Oh, it's always a pleasure.
00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:36.240
It's I think it's way more fun when it's both of us on the podcast rather than just me talking.
00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:39.839
So we just we love you too.
00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:43.920
Yeah, but I I think you're funnier than I am.
00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:45.359
You're more entertaining than I am.
00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:48.880
Not always.
00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:49.759
Not always.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:50.720
Not always.
00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:52.400
All right, my dears.
00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:55.920
So thank you so much for joining us on this podcast.
00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:01.839
I hope that it has given you an aha moment, made you think about what's really going on behind your acne.
00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:06.480
But most importantly, this test can really help you understand and solve it.
00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:08.880
So have a beautiful day.
00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:14.400
And don't forget to check out the links in the show notes for the next step on your clear skin journey.
00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:19.039
If you have enjoyed this podcast, be sure to, you know, give me a like.
00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:23.920
And if you could leave a review, that would be amazing because that's how we reach new people.
00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:31.359
And when you do give us a review, we will give you the first module of the seven-week clear skin program for free.
00:31:31.519 --> 00:31:35.839
This is an amazing deal, so check out the link in the show notes to learn how to do that.
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:39.440
Have a beautiful day, everybody, and we will see you soon.
00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:40.400
Bye.