Work With Me
Combining the best of western functional and genetic science with the best of natural medicine lifestyle and diet to solve your wellness mystery.
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Working with Sam has been as close to a one-stop shop as I could find in this confusing journey of discovering total health.
He is super smart and connects ALL the dots in an amazing way. I went into this expecting to feel better physically, and I do.
After just a few months, I was already able to lower my thyroid medication (under the supervision of my prescribing MD), because the protocol that Sam put me on helped me in such a way that I no longer need such a high dose.
But what I didn’t expect to happen was that one simple process that Sam gave me, gave me back the love for my mother, my daughter, and I fell in love with my husband for the first time in 16yrs of being with him! The process he turned me on to has begun to heal the underlying resentments that cause all the other systems in my body to go askew.
Sam puts it all together like I’ve never experienced.
Worth every penny.
Book a Health Strategy Call
You will walk away with clarity on which genetics labs will support you best, review what you’ve tried before, and get clear next steps to elevate your genetic health with these cutting-edge technologies.
Genetics Testing
“Lasting health comes from the interaction of our genes with our lifestyle and environment. Personalizing this connection is the future.”
– Dr. Jeffrey Bland, PhD, Father of Functional Medicine
Your "Rosetta Stone": The Complete Genetics Lab Package
This comprehensive package will help you:
- To learn how to best normalize your natural weight
- How to “STOP-THE-CLOCK” to slow the effects of aging.
- Specific insights into what nutrients you genetically need in higher doses
- What type of diet best suits your genes: Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, or High Carb?
- Your food intolerances and sensitivities to gluten, lactose, alcohol, caffeine, and salt
- Your ability to make Vitamin D from sunshine and to absorb Vitamin D into your cells
- Which lifestyle recommendations need to implement based on your unique genetics to keep your immune system supported
What is included:
- Cheek swab kits mailed to your address anywhere in the world
- Lab fees to the genetics lab
- Report generation: 5 complete reports, including all your results, what they mean, and next steps
- Personalized and prioritized lifestyle recommendations based on your genetics. These recommendations are rank-ordered based on what you need to do first, next, and last
- A recommended diet based on your genetics, including shopping lists, recipes, weekly planner, and implementation guide
- 1.5-hour Report of Findings to go over all your results, what they mean, and next action steps
- All 3 of Dr. Shay’s online courses
- Transform Stress Into Freedom
- 10 Pillars of Health/End Fatigue/Increase energy course
- Reverse screen and food/sugar cravings and addictions
Not included:
- Shipping of your completed cheek swab to the lab. Varies by country. Easy instructions included.
Test #1: Achieve your Natural Weight, a.k.a. "The Longevity" & "STOP-THE-CLOCK” Test.
Have you ever wanted to know…
- What type of weight you genetically carry?
a) Inflammatory/water weight,
b) Toxic/hormonal weight, or
c) Caloric/fat weight
- Each type of “genetic weight” and requires a different approach
- Learn your genetics to “Stop-The-Clock” to slow the effects of aging
This genetic test reveals the best ways to drop unnecessary weight and how to keep it off long-term.
This genetic test also unveils the lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise habits you need for longevity, youth, & sustained optimal weight to help you “Stop-The-Clock” from the effects of aging.
How? This test reveals the 7 drivers of all disease and aging: inflammation, free radical damage, liver detoxification, Vitamin D utilization, methylation, cardiovascular health, & fat metabolism.
To learn more, watch the my interview with Dr. Paul Beaver, Ph.D., co-founder and chief science officer of Fitgenes.
Test #2: Find your Ideal Diet
This genetic test reveals your best diet for optimal weight, energy, clear thinking, and great digestion.
How? It genetically determines your “Carb Tolerance”: how many carbs you can have at meals.
Learn what your optimal diet is:
- Ketogenic diet
- Paleolithic diet
- Mediterranean diet, or
- High carb diet
This genetics test also shows how you can adapt to higher-carb events (e.g., birthday parties, social events, and travel) and improve your digestion to reduce bloating and inflammatory weight gain.
To learn more, watch the video on this diet test.
Test #3: Understand Your Trigger Foods, a.k.a. "Is it safe for me to have gluten, lactose, caffeine, alcohol, or salt?"
5 primary food groups commonly intersect your diet, sometimes by choice and sometimes not: Gluten, Lactose (dairy), Alcohol, Caffeine, and Salt.
Your genes determine your foundational response to these food substances, and you must know what your risks are to them because these 5 are so prevalent in our food supply.
Here are some of the questions this genetic profile will answer:
- Will coffee induce anxiety/depression?
- Am I at risk for alcoholism?
- Am I lactose intolerant?
- Gluten intolerant and at risk for celiac disease?
- Will salt likely raise my blood pressure?
You will receive your complete report, including specific recommendations based on your genetics as well as resources and support materials to help you find modifications to these 5 food substances if it turns out you’re not genetically compatible with consuming them.
To learn more, go to my video on the “5 Food Groups.”
Test #4: Vitamin D Absorption
Vitamin D is getting a lot of deserved attention now as a critical factor in handling inflammation and moderating the immune response.
Vitamin D is critical to the human body, as it beneficially activates over 1000 genes (~3-5% of the human genome), particularly those related to reducing inflammation and improving your immunity.
Getting usable Vitamin D3 into your blood (acquired by sunlight, food, and supplements) is only half of the journey.
Getting Vitamin D3 into the cell is the other half journey. Vitamin D3 can only get into the cell by landing on a docking site on the cell’s surface, called the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR). If you don’t have many Vitamin D Receptors (re: if you have a yellow or red dots on your VDR genes), then Vitamin D3 will have a hard time getting into the cell to beneficially activate the genome to help drop inflammation and improve immunity.
The “Vitamin D Absorption” test tracks the 11 major genes that regulate your ability to:
- Use sunlight to convert cholesterol into Vitamin D3
- Whether your body withdraws potential vitamin D out of circulation due to overactive inflammatory genes
- Your ability to get Vitamin D3 into your cells (VDR genes) and check for the 3 VDR genes
Summary: Vitamin D is critical on so many levels. Your ability to make Vitamin D3 from sunlight is a complicated genetic journey, and not everyone can efficiently convert sunlight to Vitamin D3. Assuming you can get Vitamin D3 from sunlight, then there is the problem of getting Vitamin D3 into the cells via the Vitamin D Receptor. This genetic test will chart out the Vitamin D pathway, including your Vitamin D Receptors, and give clear guidance on how to epigenetically shift your Vitamin D genes to help you absorb and use Vitamin D3 better.
Test #5: Immunity Support Genes
This report closely looks at the genes specific to your immune and inflammation response systems and reveals exactly what the lifestyle changes and nutrients your genetic profile needs to support your immune/inflammatory system
What you can expect:
A caring professional who has 'been there.'
In-depth assessment to uncover the root causes
Advanced functional and genetic testing
Guidance and support throughout the process by someone who cares
Custom meal plan and determining your unique diet
Custom supplement protocol
Straight forward lifestyle recommendations put in order of priority so you can start feeling better ASAP
What you can experience:
Weight loss, such as dropping inflammatory/water weight
Greater resilience: More energy, no more afternoon 'dip' or post-meal fatigue
Improved sleep and better recovery
Gut health: no more bloating, embarrassing gas, diarrhea
Greater creativity, focus, and mental clarity
Better mood and emotional resilience.
Less pain & faster recovery
More confidence and optimism
Working with Sam has been the answer I have been looking for.
For years, I have worked with countless health practitioners because I knew something was simply off in my body. I’ve gone through countless tests for thyroid, cortisol, heavy metals, even DNA testing only to come up empty handed with no answers.
I started off taking the DNA tests which I love the idea of getting to the root of what my body needs. Dr. Sam was meticulous with his follow up session and the knowledge of what was going on in my body. He was the first doctor to help me realize that extra weight is not always about calories in and calories out. After years of exercising and eating meticulously I never lost weight but instead felt puffy and even inflamed.
Dr. Sam shared that the extra weight could be from inflammation causing water retention or hormonal imbalance influenced by my liver genes not detoxing hormones properly. Once I started the supplement protocol, I had a feeling there was something wrong with my digestion.
After a short consult, Dr. Sam suggested a functional test for digestion. The results were exactly what I suspected. He compiled a custom supplement protocol and my body immediately responded positively.
Within days, I noticed a shift in bloating, puffiness and less inflammation. I am so grateful that once I finish up the digestion issue I can immediately jump back into my DNA results protocol and feel confident I will be in great health.
I am beyond grateful to Dr. Sam and his caring approach to functional medicine.
Genetics Anchor Tag

10 Pillar Method™ & Functional Testing
Tired of guesswork and “Dr.Google”?
Want to get to the root cause?
Get the proper and complete analysis you deserve with Dr. Shay’s comprehensive 10 Pillars Method™ comprehensive health assessment combined with advanced functional testing to get you a customized nutrition, diet, and lifestyle plan.
The 10 Pillar Method™
This comprehensive assessment is my proprietary health optimization system for analyzing your lifestyle to achieve your long-desired health goals. Whether it be longevity, achieving your optimal weight, or resolving a chronic health issue, you’ll gain a deep understanding of your overall health and wellbeing.
A truly unique and proven system, the 10 Pillar Method™ combines my 20+ years of natural health experience to identify which lifestyle “Pillars” are crumbling and how to repair them (and in what priority) so you can feel better and achieve your health goals as quickly as possible.
What you receive in the initial consult:
In the 10 Pillar Method™ call, I will walk you through each of the “Ten Pillars of Health” so we can best determine what lifestyle changes you need to do to feel better as quickly as possible, as well as determine what functional tests are best for you.
The functional tests will tell us what underlying biochemistry has been damaged so we can customize a nutritional program specific to your metabolism.
My clinical experience has shown me that people struggle to get better because they have not been adequately evaluated in a truly holistic way, covering all 10 of the Pillars of Health. Once the ‘crumbling’ pillars are identified, you’ll receive a straightforward set of recommendations to rebuild those pillars.
- Pillar #1 – Brain & Hormones: Assesses adrenal imbalance, potential under- or over-active thyroid, xeno-estrogen exposure
- Pillar #2 – Bowel & Digestion: Assesses gut health, digestion, bowel function, evacuation, constipation/diarrhea, absorption
- Pillar #3 – Body & Genetics: Assesses old/chronic injuries, strains/sprains, accidents, inherited genetic vulnerabilities
- Pillar #4 – Burst exercise and Movement: Assesses your exercise and movement patterns to evaluate if you are doing too little, too much, lack of variety, or the wrong type of exercise and movement
- Pillar #5 – Bio-toxins and chemical exposure: Assesses toxic exposures such as heavy metals, pesticides, and off-gassing
- Pillar #6 – Bio-nutrients and Diet: Assesses nutritional deficiency, poor quality food, and if you are taking inferior quality supplements
- Pillar #7 – Breakfast & Routines: Assesses your breakfast, your morning and evening routines
- Pillar #8 – Bothers and Stressors: Assesses sources of chronic and acute stress
- Pillar #9 – Bugs and Hidden Infections: Checks out for Infections (mold, parasites, old glandular fever, H. Pylori) & beneficial bacterial balance
- Pillar #10 – Bedtime and Sleep quality: Assesses your sleep, including sleep disruption, insomnia, what to do if you wake between 1-4am each night, snoring, shift work, or other sleep problems
The 10 Pillar Method™ Call includes:
- Your in-depth, comprehensive 10 Pillar Method™ health analysis across all 10 pillars
- 60-mins of one-to-one dedicated support with me, Dr. Sam
- A detailed email follow-up including your personalized functional and/or genetics lab recommendations and customized lifestyle tips to start feeling better immediately
Part 1: Review of your 10 Pillars Method™ analysis
- I don’t know if you’ve ever had the experience of going to a practitioner who only opened your file once you first walked into the room. I have, and I didn’t like it. So I promised myself I will never do that to someone looking for help.
- Your extensive survey will be thoroughly reviewed before the consult. This ensures that I arrive at the consult with a full understanding of what is going on. This saves you a lot of time and money as I can efficiently review the answers in writing to spend the initial consult time focusing on findings, clarifications, answering questions, and next steps.
- The survey is sent via a secured link, which is HIPAA-compliant. Results are automatically sent back to me to review.
Part 2: 60-mi 0ne-to-one teleconsult
- Consults are done via a virtual meeting room.
- Consults are 1 hour long.
- During the consult, we will review in detail your survey and what your next steps will be (lifestyle changes, nutrition, and functional testing if required).
Part 3: Detailed follow-up email
- Concerned about taking notes during the call? You’ll be sent a detailed session note with findings and the next steps so we can (literally) be on the same page.
- Detailed follow-up email contains the next action steps, recommended testing, and lifestyle recommendations in order of priority to help you feel better as quickly as possible.
Mitochondria, brain, and liver testing
This test is extremely helpful if you struggle with any of the following:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Stubborn weight gain
- Anxiety/low mood
- Toxicity (glutathione pathway)
- Inflammation
This mitochondria test is a simple urine test that acts as an ’emissions test’ for your energy system.
The mitochondria are the ‘power houses’ of the cells that take raw materials (oxygen combined with fats, proteins, and/or carbs) and convert them into energy (called ATP).
The mitochondria are fragile yet efficient energy factories that need the right nutrients to supply the infrastructure of the factory (raw materials, walls, machines, security guards, maintenance crew, and the right signals from the nervous system and hormone system).
This test checks if the mitochondria have been compromised due to vandalism (infection), stress, pollution, and nutritional depletion.
Once we have the results, we will know precisely the pathways to support lifestyle and nutrition to get you feeling better at the cellular level.
This mitochondria test checks for 46 different metabolites that are placed into the following categories:
- Fatty acid metabolism
- Carbohydrate metabolism
- Energy production
- B-complex vitamin markers
- Methylation cofactor markers
- Neurotransmitter metabolism markers
- Oxidative damage and Antioxidant markers
- Toxicants and Detoxification
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after the inspection can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals
"Advanced" mitochondria, brain, and liver testing
Aside from being the best overall annual ‘functional health check’ for your metabolism, this test is beneficial if you struggle with any of the following:
- Fatigue (Long-term, debilitating, or unexplained)
- Brain Fog (Long-term, debilitating, or unexplained)
- Weight gain (long-term, unexplained, stubborn weight that does not go away despite diet and exercise)
- Anxiety/low mood (long-term, debilitating, and/or unexplained).
- Any mystery issues that have not yet been figured out by a small army of other practitioners. Anxiety/low mood
- Chronic inflammation
- When you’ve been told:
- “It’s all in your head.”
- “There is nothing wrong with you, stop complaining.”
- “You look fine, why do you always say you don’t feel well?”
The advanced mitochondria test is the ‘big gun’ of functional testing, checking everything in the normal mitochondria test, plus other vital markers that influence and control your body’s health:
- Fatty Acids: (Omega 3/6/7/9, monounsaturated, saturated, trans fats, and ratios)
- Amino Acids: 20 amino acids for metabolism, muscle, liver function, detox, and neurotransmitters
- Heavy metals: Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury
- Minerals: Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Calcium
- Anti-oxidants and fat-soluble vitamins: CoQ10, Vitamin A, beta-carotene, alpha- & gamma-tocopheral, Vitamin D (25-OH)
- Free radical marker: 8OHDG
- Inflammatory marker: Homocysteine
To learn more, Watch Dr. Shay discuss this advanced mitochondria test (called the ION Panel) on the Mitochondria Summit.
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after that assessment can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals.
Gut health & hidden infections test
This test is exceptionally supportive if you struggle with any of the following:
- Indigestion
- Bloating & gas
- Fatigue after meals
- Sugar cravings
- More intolerant to more foods or increasingly sensitive to foods.
- Brain Fog
- Difficulty losing weight
- Difficulty keeping on weight (look ‘too’ thin)
- Foul-smelling stools or gas
- Feeling ‘not right’ after food poisoning, even if it was years ago
- Feeling ‘not right’ after antibiotics, even if it was years ago
Gut testing checks the following key areas:
- Digestion:
- Do you digest fats (steatocrit or fecal fat markers)? If you don’t, you miss out on fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, and E and have likely abnormal bowel movements.
- Does your pancreas secrete sufficient enzymes (elastase maker) to digest food? If not, you’re unable to access the nutrition in your foods.
- Inflammation & gut immune system:
- Do you have gut inflammation (high calprotectin or other markers)?
- Do you have high antibodies to gluten-related foods?
- Do you have a strong enough immune system inside your gut (secretory IgA antibodies)?
- Hidden infections
- Parasites like worms or protozoa (e.g., blastocystis)
- Fungi/yeast (like candida)
- Potential autoimmune triggers (e.g., klebsiella)
- Pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Yersinia)
- Opportunistic bacteria and dysbiotic/overgrowth of bacteria.
- H. Pylori
- Normal bacteria, e.g.:
- Lactobacillus
- Bifidobacterium
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after that assessment can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals.
Stress resilience (adrenal) testing
This test is extremely helpful if you struggle with any of the following:
- Morning fatigue (tired when you wake up)
- Afternoon fatigue (energy crash starts ~2-4pm)
- Wired at night, yet tired during the day
- Trouble sleeping/insomnia
- You require stimulants (e.g., coffee, tea) in the morning
- You need stimulants (e.g., coffee, tea) in the afternoon
- Increased belly fat
- Sugar cravings
- Salt cravings
- Frequent snacking
- History of long periods of stress
- History of overwork
- You see lights, dark spots, or feel dizzy when you stand up quickly
- Increasing food sensitivities
How this test works:
- It’s a simple, at-home saliva test where you collect saliva 6 times, over the course of a normal day
- The test is then mailed back to the lab in the courier envelope that comes in the kit
- The test measures your cortisol rhythm (your ‘speedometer’) and DHEA (your repair hormone to rebuild cells damaged by cortisol)
What to look for in the results:
- Identifies if you have low-stress resilience (and you will receive subsequent lifestyle recommendations to increase your resilience)
- If your stress hormones are running too high or even too low or variable through the day
- If you have enough DHEA to help rebuild your cells and tissues from the effects of your stress
- You’ll receive nutritional recommendations based on the lab results
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after that assessment can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals.
Advanced thyroid with minerals and heavy metals
Comprehensive Thyroid Assessment (fT3, fT4, TPOab & TSH (blood spot); I, Se, Br, Li, As, Cd, Hg (dried urine)).
- This comprehensive Thyroid test is ideal to find out what your thyroid hormones are doing, including:
- TSH, Total T4, Free T4, Free T3, Thyroglobulin, and Anti-TPO antibodies. This test is critical for those concerned about autoimmunity to the thyroid as well.
- This test also stands out from other thyroid tests because it also measures critical mineral (Iodine, Selenium) and dangerous heavy metals (bromine, lithium, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) that can affect the thyroid.
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after the assessment can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals.
DUTCH hormone testing: Sex hormones, melatonin, adrenal stress resilience
One of the most comprehensive sex hormone and adrenal hormone tests are available.
Consider if you have:
- Hormone imbalances
- Unusual weight gain
- Peri-menopause, post-menopause
- Sleep issues
- Stress imbalance
- Painful periods
Includes estrogens (7 types), testosterone metabolites, Progesterone metabolites, melatonin, cortisol rhythm, cortisone rhythm, and several organic acids.
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after the assessment can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals.
Food Sensitivities and Intolerances
How to order:
- Lab testing is only available to those who complete the 10 Pillars of Health™ assessment because only after that assessment can we truly know what the best-recommended labs should be. Once you have your assessment, you’ll be given a recommended lab package specific to your needs, findings on the 10 Pillars assessment, and health goals.
I’m now 48 and my body looks and feels as youthful again as in my 30s.
Thank you so much Sam for your expert guidance on my journey to regain my health.
You’ve made the maze of complex health tests, biomarkers and what it all means navigable for me and have turned the daunting challenge to restore my health into a feasible task.
I now feel much better than I have in years and the sparkle in my eyes has made a comeback.
People have told me that I have a vibrant glow on my face and that I look 10 years younger.
Thank you again Sam and I’d highly recommend you to anyone who wants to get their health back.
Who I help
Mom preneurs who want more energy and time for their business and family
Busy, health-conscious entrepreneurs
Burned-out professionals, executives, and managers
"Biohackers" and "High-Performance Entrepreneurs" who want a professional to review labs to quantify precisely what they need to optimize their longevity, performance, brain function, and fast recovery.
Worn down ex-military, frontline public service professionals, and worn-out ex-athletes.
Engineers, computer programmers, lawyers, and other skeptical-types looking for recommendations based on available data. (e.g., advanced lab testing from 3rd party labs and a clinician who will answer their nuanced questions).
Emotional eaters. Using food to self-soothe. Food & sugar addicts.
Screen addicts (e.g., social media, video games, Netflix, smart-phones, computers, tablets, YouTube)
Why I help
Raised by burned-out mom preneur. Help mom helps the whole family.
Entrepreneurs drive innovation that can improve the world. Help entrepreneurs help the whole world.
Businesses succeed by measuring. The people within the industries grow when they measure their health (with functional labs & genetics).
Test, don't guess. "Biohackers" and "High-Performance Entrepreneurs" need a central coordinator to assess and optimize their lifestyle and lab markers instead of just doing the latest shiny biohacking trick.
To help professionals receive customized care to recover from years of wear and tear on their bodies.
The skeptical-types and I really get along as our minds are similar in constitution and outlook. I love labs and data. My skeptical-types appreciate my detailed (read "nerdy") level of analysis and ability to field their nuanced questions.
Been there. I overcame 15 years of emotional eating and sugar addiction.
Been there also. I overcame 25 years of video game addiction and screen addicts.
Dr. Shay has been instrumental in helping me with the “Stop-the-Clock” strategy.
After 15 years of sacrificing my health on the altar of work, I reached to him after an episode of chronic fatigue.
As a lawyer, I am used to an extremely high level of accurateness and detail, and Dr. Shay has proven to have exactly those attributes in his practice. After analyzing hundreds of markers and their interactions, and discussing them with his team of top specialists in each field, he delivers tailor-made, plain language recommendations.
Last time I went to speak at a conference, people came asking why I looked 10 years younger.
Some of them are now also “stopping the clock” under the direction of Dr. Shay too.
Still have questions? Email concierge@drsamshay.com.
Book your Health Strategy Call with Dr. Shay
If you’re ready to upgrade your health, resilience, and performance, book your Health Strategy Call at no cost to you to see if Dr. Shay’s proprietary 10 Pillar Method or Genetics testing is right for you.