Reading blood work well means resisting the urge to sort everything into simply normal or abnormal. But what happens when the real diagnosis lives in the relationships between markers, not the markers themselves?
Dr. Jessica Parker is an acupuncturist and lab-work educator who teaches practitioners to read blood panels through a Chinese medicine lens. In this conversation, she joins Michael to explore the gap between conventional ranges and true optimal health.
Listen in as they trace her path from a formative year in Hangzhou, where East and West medicine shared the same pharmacy shelf, to teaching acupuncturists to read cortisol, cholesterol, and thyroid markers as stories of stress and imbalance; how spleen-chi deficiency hides inside ordinary lab numbers; and why cortisol has been unfairly demonized online.
Trust what you observe clinically, then let the labs confirm or surprise you. Blood work is simply another vital sign — one that lets the body speak in numbers, and that conversation between intuition and data is where real healing begins.
Dr. Jessica Parker, LAc
I am the owner of Root & Stem Integrative Chinese Medicine and the Founder & Executive Director of the East Bay Integrative Pregnancy Project (EBIPP). As a seasoned integrative medicine expert, I combine my extensive knowledge of acupuncture with a deep understanding of functional medicine. With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice, I have honed my expertise in diagnosing and treating complex health issues through a holistic approach.
My teaching style reflects my passion for education and commitment to advancing the practice of acupuncture. In the course “”Functional Medicine for your Acupuncture Practice,”” I draw on years of hands-on experience and ongoing research in the field. My goal is to share my insights and practical strategies with fellow practitioners and empower them to improve patient outcomes by leveraging the transformative power of biochemistry within their acupuncture practices.
Visit Jessica on her website to learn more about her work.
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