Turning 30—and taking charge

At a glance:

Function member: Fernando, 30

Function focus: Thyroid

Biomarkers out of range: Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) and Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO).

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After trading firefighting for a desk job, Fernando noticed a gradual shift in his health.

Though he ate healthy and worked out, he couldn’t shake the fatigue that followed him day to day.

Just being behind a computer, as the years progressed, I noticed my energy levels started to drop.

He woke up already groggy, and mornings were rough until he had a cup of coffee. He started missing days at the gym because of fatigue. Something felt off.

Fernando’s social media feed had been buzzing with talk of low testosterone—enough to make him start questioning his own levels.

With his 30th birthday around the corner, Fernando decided to celebrate the milestone by tackling his health, starting with testing.

Beyond the basic checkup

Fernando had only ever done one lab test before—a regular checkup that didn’t flag anything. When his girlfriend, a holistic health coach, told him about Function, he was intrigued. While the average annual physical tests for 26 biomarkers, Function gives members access to testing for 100+ biomarkers annually, and follow-up testing for 60+ 3-6 months later.

I wanted to dive in and see what was going on. I wanted to get a baseline.

He was also thinking ahead to having a family in the future—if his testosterone was an issue, he wanted to know now.

When Fernando’s Function results came back, he found out his testosterone was fine—but a few other biomarkers needed attention.

Fernando had above-range levels of two thyroid biomarkers: Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) and Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO).

He learned that high levels of thyroid antibodies can signal an autoimmune thyroid condition. They can even appear before the onset of thyroid hormone dysfunction—but within traditional healthcare, thyroid antibodies are usually checked only after an abnormality is found in thyroid hormones like Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Thyroxine Free (T4 Free). 

Function flagged these early findings. Even though Fernando’s thyroid hormone levels were in range, the Clinician Notes on his results explained that there was evidence his immune system may be starting to target his thyroid. 

Hungry for more information, he also sought out a stool test. The results revealed intestinal inflammation, a likely contributor to the persistent fatigue he’d been experiencing. 

The jumpstart he needed

Getting his test results helped Fernando look at his daily habits and work-life balance with fresh eyes.

The long hours at work, the late bedtimes—they had added up. 

I just wanted to kind of take advantage of everything that was thrown at me at the time. Wanting to get work done and trying to take advantage of all these opportunities and not going to bed early—I think that's kind of what messed me up.

He was ready for a change.

He started using his standing desk more consistently during the day to break up long periods of sitting, a habit linked to better metabolic and cardiovascular health and a lower risk of  thyroid issues.

His diet also changed—he decided to cut out dairy and gluten, which can contribute to gastrointestinal inflammation in some people, and increased his fiber intake for overall health.

He also started taking rest as seriously as he took his career.

Too little sleep can affect thyroid hormone levels as well as cognition, mood, cardiovascular health, immune system function, metabolism, and cancer risk. Chronic stress can also have a negative impact not just on thyroid function, but whole-body health—potentially affecting everything from the immune system and metabolic function to depression and anxiety risk. 

So Fernando started going to sleep earlier and built in opportunities throughout his work day to unplug and go outside.

I block out time to just step outside on my porch and feel the sun, and just take a little break.

And now, when the work day wraps up, he truly relaxes.

Since I live in Miami, I made it a priority to go to the beach more often and take evening walks with my girlfriend. That was my way of relaxing and decompressing. I know there's a lot of things that we need to get done, but I try to unwind at the end of the day.

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Results he could feel—and see

The tweaks Fernando made added up. His fatigue faded, and his follow-up labs with Function showed improvement in both his TgAb and TPO levels, with his TPO now in range. 

Others noticed the change, too.

People are seeing a different light in me.

His transformation has even encouraged many of his friends and family to either test or make their own health changes.

I'm so happy that I was able to show that making small changes can definitely affect your body.

Fernando wanted others to experience the same clarity and empowerment that had changed his life. So he cold-emailed Function about career opportunities.

Today, with renewed energy and focus on the future, Fernando works as a growth strategist at Function—and he’s on a mission to help others own their health.

I definitely want to encourage people. I'm feeling great, and I think you should also be able to feel the same way. You definitely have the power in your hands to make some changes. The body is so capable of getting back on track if you give it the right inputs.

*This add-on test is available for an additional cost and is not included in the $499 membership.

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