Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Functional health care takes a root-cause approach to health by focusing on why symptoms are occurring, rather than just managing them. Functional health seeks to restore health and wellbeing by uncovering and addressing underlying imbalances in the body.

Here is a comparison of functional and conventional health care:

Functional Health Care: Focuses on root causes of symptoms; Uses nutrition, lifestyle, and holistic strategies; Personalized, whole-body approach; Looks at early imbalances before disease develops; Emphasizes prevention and optimization; Uses functional lab testing to help people learn more about how their body is functioning at the cellular level.

Conventional Health Care: Focuses on managing symptoms; Uses medications and procedures as primary treatments; One-size-fits-all, based on general medical guidelines; Diagnoses and treats disease once it appears; Often focuses on reactive care after illness occurs; Uses standard lab tests mainly to diagnose disease.

In conventional medicine, a woman struggling with blood sugar imbalance might be told to "watch what she eats" and “wait and see” what her A1C and glucose is upon return in a few months. When her A1C and fasting glucose is high enough, she will be diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes and given medication to manage her condition. If any nutrition or lifestyle advice is given, it will likely be vague advice to “eat less sugar and exercise more”.

In functional health, we recognize early warning signs and use targeted nutrition, lifestyle, and metabolic strategies to prevent disease before it happens. We can use functional lab testing to recognize and address insulin resistance before it turns into prediabetes or diabetes. We can help a woman already diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes understand how her genetics, lifestyle, and environment are contributing to metabolic dysfunction and the exact steps to take to manage it through diet and lifestyle.

Mana Functional Health does not accept health insurance, because we want to provide the highest level of personalized care without being restricted by insurance regulations. Health insurance companies dictate what services are covered, how many sessions are allowed, and which treatments are considered "medically necessary." This approach does not align with functional health, which focuses on root-cause healing, prevention, and optimizing long-term wellness—not just managing symptoms.

By operating outside the insurance system, we can:
✨ Spend more time with you, rather than being limited to short, rushed visits.
✨ Offer comprehensive, personalized support tailored to your unique needs.
✨ Focus on nutrition, lifestyle, and holistic health strategies—areas that insurance rarely covers.
✨ Provide access to functional lab testing and holistic strategies that go beyond standard medical care.

While we do not accept insurance, some clients are able to use HSA (Health Savings Accounts) or FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts) and receive reimbursement for services. Please check with your HSA/FSA provider to see if this is an option for you.

Due to state nurse practice laws, our 1:1 consultations are provided only to patients that are located in Hawaii, California, and Florida.

If you live outside of these states, we are unable to provide 1:1 functional health services to you; however, you may participate in our group programs and classes/workshops.

At this time, our 1:1 consultation services are offered only via telehealth through our convenient, HIPAA-compliant patient portal.

Yes, we offer a variety of functional lab testing, when we believe it will be beneficial to a patient.

Functional labs are not used for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment, but they are intended to help patients understand how their body is working at the cellular level and how they can optimize their health.