Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness
  3. Features

What I learned tracking nutrition and fitness data with Function Health

Optimizing your health to live 100 healthy years

By
Function Health
Function Health

I’ve always been incredibly passionate about optimizing my health through lifestyle changes, such as nutrition and fitness. I like to think of general health and well-being as something that can be divided into two parts: things in my control and things out of my control. Though I can’t control certain portions of my health, such as genetics and family history, I (and you) can control my daily habits.

Often, people underestimate just how powerful changes to your nutrition and exercise habits can be to support your health. These things matter more than you’d think, and Function Health is here to help you see why. This new longevity platform, designed to empower everyone to live 100 healthy years, can help you optimize your daily health habits and support a healthier, longer life. Here’s what I thought about this innovative new health program.

Recommended Videos

Why data collected by Function Health matters

Function Health platform
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

Data is essential to improving your health and fitness. With this in mind, the Function Health process begins with an initial set of lab tests (broken into two separate visits) that include over 100+ blood lab tests. Each of these blood tests provides insight into some component of your health, such as testing nutrient or electrolyte levels in your blood. By collecting this data, doctors can examine which areas of your health could use additional support to help you feel and perform your best (and live as long as possible).

Electrolytes

For example, the Function Health lab panel includes testing for six essential electrolytes: magnesium, sodium, chloride, carbon dioxide, potassium, and calcium. In the short term, understanding where your electrolyte levels fall can help you adjust your food and supplement intake to enhance your athletic performance and improve your daily feelings. Electrolyte levels are critical in supporting muscle function. Therefore, maintaining optimal electrolytes can help you crush your workouts and support your body in recovery.

In the long term, this data can help you adapt your long-term habits and learn to select foods that help your body get all the electrolytes needed to thrive. Without lab testing, many of us wouldn’t know where our electrolyte levels fall (at least not until symptoms of a deficiency were severe).

Nutrients

Nutrient testing is another key component of the Function Health lab testing. The blood panel checks levels of essential vitamins in your body, such as zinc and omega 3. Function Health says, “Just as plants need nutritious soil and fertilizer to develop, humans need nutrients for survival, growth, and reproduction. Nutrients give us energy, fuel our hearts and minds, strengthen our immunity, and promote vitality. Imagine a garden that is well taken care of: properly watered, cared for, and fertilized. Now, imagine one that doesn’t have the safekeeping of a good gardener. Someone who feeds their garden with poor soil and drenches the plants with processed, unnatural nutrients will see that, slowly (or quickly), that garden will fall into disrepair. It is the same thing for the body.”

After reading this description, it’s easy to understand why tracking nutrient levels in the blood is helpful. Testing biomarkers such as vitamin D or omega 6 levels can change your health choices. For example, my Function Health lab testing showed my omega 6: Linoleic acid levels were too high.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “What does this mean?” Function Health doesn’t expect that we know exactly what this means. The detailed descriptions underneath each portion of your lab testing explain what each test means and its importance. In this case, I learned that my linoleic acid levels were higher than they should be for optimal health. This data reminds me to be more mindful of the seed-based oils I consume (often found when dining out), such as soybean oil, and to look for options with healthier cooking oils, such as olive oil.

Owning your own health

Close-up of a man wearing an Apple Watch on his arm, health and fitness app
Tim Foster / Unsplash

Function Health’s motto, encouraging users to “own their health,” fits precisely what I got from using this platform. After reviewing your lab results, the doctors on the team will create a personalized clinical summary with recommendations for starting to take control of your health. My “action plan” results provided a list of healthy foods I should try to incorporate into my diet and foods I should limit.

The action plan also provided five supplement recommendations based on my results. Of course, making these changes takes time, and Function Health recognizes it. For that reason, a retesting portion of the lab work is included in the platform fee so you can check in on how your habit changes and adjustments have improved your nutrient and electrolyte levels.

Overall, I feel this platform has exceptional value for anyone who wants to find more ways to make healthier choices, whether they’re looking to improve their cardiovascular fitness or want to make healthier choices generally to live a long and happy life. Knowledge is power, and this platform gives you insight into what’s going on inside your body. Remember that health tools like Function Health should be used in conjunction with advice from your doctor or healthcare professional.

LEARN MORE

Emily Caldwell
Emily Caldwell
Contributor
Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving…
Topics
Tired of shaky workouts? Meet the MERACH UltraWalk W60 Plus – a walking pad built to last
Animal, Canine, Dog

Finding time to exercise is hard enough. The last thing you need is fitness equipment that feels unstable, sounds like it's about to fall apart, or struggles to keep up with your pace. Yet that's exactly what many budget walking pads deliver. Lightweight frames, noisy motors, and limited performance often turn what should be an enjoyable workout into a frustrating experience.

The MERACH UltraWalk W60 Plus aims to change that. Instead of simply offering another compact walking pad, MERACH has built a treadmill-grade under-desk fitness machine designed for long-term reliability, stability, and everyday convenience. Whether you're walking while working, squeezing in a quick cardio session, or looking to stay active without leaving home, the W60 Plus is engineered to make movement feel effortless.

Read more
From wheelchair to walking: The power of mindset, movement, and never giving up
Sometimes it's the hardest roads that lead us to a deeper sense of purpose
Steph Zee Christmas Secret Music Video Steph Green

I never expected I'd have to learn how to walk again. That journey took me from writing for doctors and magazines to spending thousands of hours researching health and autoimmune disease. When we have excellent health, many of us don’t give it much thought until those sneaky symptoms start to show, and one day it all comes crashing down. Now, our health becomes one of the most important priorities. When we feel good, we can be more productive and chase our dreams. When our health declines and we don’t feel so good, one of our biggest dreams is just to feel better. 

I became a health writer 12 years ago, shortly after graduating with my creative writing degree and getting a diagnosis of the autoimmune bone condition, ankylosing spondylitis. In an effort to improve my health, stay mobile, and help prevent my bones from calcifying and fusing, I spent thousands of hours studying everything from nutrition and naturopathy to conventional medicine and holistic healing. I heard this somewhere, so I can’t take credit, but I like to say I went to “save my ass university”, because pain and illness are some of the biggest motivators.

Read more
I tried Magic Mind for a month and here is what happened to my productivity
Does Magic Mind really help with your productivity or is it just another buzz.
Furniture, Business Card, Paper

I am proudly an all-brown beverage man. I say it often: I am coffee in the morning, bourbon in the evening, and Pepsi/Coke in between. I know what you're thinking: What about water? Well, all of those are mostly water. And who wants to drink the same thing they bathe in? That sounds gross. All jokes aside, the coffee addiction is real, and I am not alone. Who thinks they can truly conquer a day without a hard shot of caffeine? I would get it in an IV if it were feasible to do on the subway instead of a cup to go. But that doesn't have to be the only way you develop your productivity. Instead, you can look to the more natural and healthy methods to maintain and increase your effectiveness. I got my hands on some Magic Mind recently, one of the many different products that claim to elevate brain health, increase mental performance, and, of course, replace the coffee without losing the energy boost. But does it work?

The scientific hoolah

Read more