Stop Chasing Symptoms — Fix the Root

In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Brad Montagne sits down with Hali Laricey, a certified functional wellness coach and functional bloodwork specialist, to show why chasing symptoms keeps you stuck, and how to use everyday lab work to spot the real root causes. From interpreting CBCs and CMPs through a functional lens to connecting lab patterns with gut dysfunction, toxicity, autoimmunity, and hormone chaos, this episode arms you with practical steps to stop guessing and start healing.Hali shares how she moved from food only coaching to pattern-based lab analysis, why most ranges your doctor uses are too broad to catch problems early, and how to talk to your provider so you get the right tests, the right way.You’ll learn:✅ Why “normal” labs can still mean “not well”, and how functional ranges catch problems earlier✅ How to read TSH trends (and why a rising “in-range” TSH still matters)✅ Why autoimmunity is often a toxicity + gut-barrier problem not “mystery” infections✅ How gut flora, leaky gut, and impaired detox set the stage for chronic illness (including Lyme)✅ What your CBC with differential can reveal about hidden stress and immune patterns✅ The real-world link between diet, processed oils/carbs, and systemic inflammation-------------------00:00 – Intro: Why this conversation matters for chronic illness recovery01:14 – Meet guest Hali Laricey & her “always ask why” origin story03:30 – Weight loss, regain, and why food-only plans fail without root-cause work03:52 – “Organic junk food” & the illusion of health06:20 – Functional vs conventional lab ranges (and why patterns > one-off flags)07:19 – The problem with “you’re fine at 4.4, sick at 4.5”: TSH done right09:37 – Why many clinics don’t review your history—and what that costs you10:51 – Missing sex/age on requisitions = misleading results (yikes)11:48 – If they don’t take a real history, they can’t help you—period12:19 – Reading CBC patterns: when flip-flopped neutrophils/lymphocytes matter13:21 – The four detox organs you’re never told about (and why skin/lungs are elimination, not detox)15:22 – Autoimmunity simplified: toxic load + leaky gut → immune misfires17:22 – Infections are opportunistic; the terrain (gut/toxicity) comes first19:09 – Why “just take B12” often misses the point (and what diet has to do with it)21:43 – How B12 is normally produced & why vegetarians need a different plan22:44 – How to get the right labs & a free checklist from Hali23:54 – When your doctor says “everything’s normal” but you don’t feel well, next steps-------------------✨ Stop chasing symptoms. Learn to see the patterns in your story, your diet, and your labs, then fix the root.Follow & Connect with Dr. Brad:📲 Instagram: @healthfullyu🌐 Website: healthfullyu.com/podcasts▶️ YouTube: Your Health ReclaimedFollow & Connect with Hali Laricey:📲 Instagram: functionalwellnesswithhali📲 Facebook: functionalwellnesswithhali