Function Health

Function Health Real, practical advice for people of any age looking to take control of their health.

When people say..Why should I listen to you?You’re not a doctor. This Is my response. Never underestimate the experience...
22/12/2025

When people say..

Why should I listen to you?
You’re not a doctor.

This Is my response.

Never underestimate the experience of a person who was drowning but learned to swim in order to save their own life.
No doctor can offer that type of perspective.

I learned to swim. I had no choice.
There are plenty of us out there.

This is the new age of health advice. Real world experience from people who’ve been to the lowest depths and managed to not only survive - but thrive.

Your doctor is financially incentivised to put you on pills for life and get you out of their office in 15 minutes. They are paid to “manage” disease, not fix it.

When your incentive is to celebrate next Christmas with your family, but disease threatens to take that away - you don’t settle for band-aids.
You simply can’t afford to.

This week marks 2 years since the Christmas that was supposed to be my last. I feel better than ever and expect to be around for many many more.

I got advice that saved my life, but I had to go looking for it. And first I had to take responsibility for fixing what I broke.
That’s how it starts.

If you’re battling chronic disease and only getting 15 minutes of your doctor’s time - then you have to decide that you’re worth more.
Once you make that mindset switch, then you’re off to the races 💪

Make 2026 the year you stop settling for poor health.
You can do it - and I’m in your corner.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy, happy new year ❤️

Just to confirm..I said it first, then Science confirmed it.😜
20/12/2025

Just to confirm..
I said it first, then Science confirmed it.
😜

Looking for a healthy change that will give you bang for your buck if you’re not ready to overhaul your diet?Change what...
16/12/2025

Looking for a healthy change that will give you bang for your buck if you’re not ready to overhaul your diet?

Change what you cook with.

You probably won’t even notice, but your insides will thank you.

Highly processed “seed oils” such as vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil - all the ones that take pride of place on the supermarket shelves - are contributors to a host of metabolic issues.

Without getting too sciency, they contain a substance called linolaic acid, which drives weight gain, inflammation and chronic disease.

Before they get to the shops, they’re heated to extreme temps, then bleached, treated with hexane (a chemical solvent) deodorised, and de-gummed.

Sounds delicious right?

And they’re in absolutely bloody everything, from chicken nuggets to muesli bars and even a loaf of bread.

If you’re feeling brave, have a look on YouTube at the way this stuff is processed.
I have a feeling you might lose your appetite. 🤮

So what’s the alternative?
Fortunately there are plenty.

Butter, lard, tallow, olive oil (make sure it’s extra virgin and in a glass bottle) or coconut oil. All the stuff your grandmother used to cook wth (and never got sick 😉)

Get the rubbish out of your frypan, then start keeping and eye on food labels - and you’ll be making big strides towards improving your health.

Easy peasy 🤙🏽

10/12/2025

This one’s a little personal..

If you’ve been diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes, or full blown Type 2 Diabetes, your GP has most likely told you that you’ll have it forever, and the only way to keep it under control is to take a drug called Metformin for the rest of your life.

That’s what they told me, and pretty much everyone I’ve ever spoken to who is in the same boat.

Does it help “manage” your diabetes?
Yes it does.
It helps keep your blood sugar low, and activates an enzyme called “AMPK”, which is basically your body’s metabolism switch.

Does it have side effects?
You bet it does.
Common side effects include bloating, headaches, fatigue and brain fog.
In addition, it can tank your testosterone levels, and most concerning - it depletes your body of minerals. Namely B12, Folate and cQ10.

My advice? The minute your doctor tells you that you’re stuck with Diabetes for life - walk out the door. 🚪

This disease can be cured - quickly and for free.

Read that again ⬆️⬆️

Dr Ben Bikman is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of Diabetes and Insulin Resistance.

Watch this video. Understand that with some commitment and lifestyle changes, you can rid yourself of this death sentence and feel better than you have in years.

Curious?
Ready to start?

Hit me up and I’ll give you the blueprint 💪

I’ve touched on these topics subtly in the past, but I think it’s probably best that I just come out and yell it.. 📣 - P...
05/12/2025

I’ve touched on these topics subtly in the past, but I think it’s probably best that I just come out and yell it.. 📣

- Perindopril DOES NOT cure High Blood Pressure

- Alopurinol DOES NOT cure Gout

- Lipitor DOES NOT prevent Heart Disease

- Metformin DOES NOT cure Diabetes

- Somac DOES NOT cure Acid Reflux

To actually cure a disease (and yes - all these ⬆️ ⬆️ are 100% curable), you have to find and treat the ROOT CAUSE of the problem.

For example - in a majority of cases the root cause of high blood pressure, gout, and diabetes is Insulin Resistance.
I’m willing to bet you didn’get tested for it before being handed your script for a lifetime supply of pills 💊 💊

That’s why many people have more than one of these issues at once - they all stem from the same root cause.

Picture this..

Your car is making a horrible noise, and I mean really bad. Something is definitely wrong under the bonnet.

So naturally you take it to a mechanic.

He takes a look at it for 10 minutes, and hands you a pair of earmuffs.
“Problem solved!” he proudly says.

So, technically I guess he could be right.
You put the earmuffs on and you no longer hear the loud noise (the symptom).
I guess if you cant hear it, then it’s no longer a problem right?

Obviously not. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Of course, your engine still has a major issue which he hasn’t addressed (the Root Cause). And sooner or later - KABOOM 💥

This is essentially what your doctor does when they give you medication. It’s a band-aid so you don’t notice the symptoms anymore, but believe me - the issue is still there.

You’d expect more from a mechanic, so why don’t you expect more from your doctor?

Insist on a better standard of care.

Get what you’re paying for.

Ask yor doctor to identify amd fix the root cause. And if they can’t (or won’t) then get a new doctor.

Your diseases ARE curable. You can treat them and ensure they never come back.

Or you can just take pills (the earmuff option) while the root cause continues to do damage in the background.

Until one day…. 💥

**As always, this is for information purposes only. Do not stop or change medications without medical supervision **

But also, don’t be afraid to ask why your doctor isn’t trying to cure your disease rather than just treat it 🤔

This is probably the best advice I can give someone suffering from a health issue, or even starting to experience sympto...
26/11/2025

This is probably the best advice I can give someone suffering from a health issue, or even starting to experience symptoms.

Test. Don’t guess.

There is so much info you can get from a simple blood test. But generally, doctors will order the bare minimum.

So here’s a list of blood tests you can ask for, and what they’ll tell you.

1. CBC (complete blood count). This counts the number of red and white blood cells in your body. It’s helpful with identifying issues such as anaemia (low red blood cell count) as well as the presence of certain infections.

2. CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel). The main benefits of this test are checking your kidney & liver function, plus electrolytes and protein levels.

3. HBA1c. In layman’s terms this is a 3 month average of your blood sugar levels. This is how your doctor will test for type 2 diabetes. But it doesn’t give the full story (more on this shortly..)

4. Iron studies. As the name suggests, this measures your body’s iron levels. However, if you get this done - make sure your doctor tests for not only serum iron, but also Ferritin (stored iron) and TIBC (total iron binding capacity) to measure how iron is transported. If you have low energy during the day or suffer from muscle weakness - this is a must.

5. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate). Big long name, but basically this looks at your red blood cells and helps detect inflammation and in conjunction with other tests can help detect infection, autoimmune conditions and some cancers.

6. C-Peptide & HOMR-IR. I’ve grouped these together because they both test for insulin resistance. They provide slightly different information so it’s worth getting both done. This is a must for confirming type 2 diabetes (HBA1c on its own is not enough). In addition, we know that things like high blood pressure, weight gain, skin tags and blurred vision can all be traced to insulin resistance.

7. Fasting insulin. The calculations from this test will work in conjunction with the tests above to get a complete picture of insulin resistance and how your pancreas is functioning.

8. HS-CRP (high sensitivity C-reactive protein). Another one with a big name. It’s a way of measuring inflammation in your body. The “HS” stands for High Sensitivity. It uses a more sensitive method than a normal CRP test and can detect smaller inflammation increases. If you’re suffering from weight gain, joint soreness, fatigue, or gut issues (constipation, bloating, or any other gut discomfort) - I’d be willing to bet inflammation is at the heart of the problem.

9. Urinalysis. Not a blood test, but very good for checking your kidney function. If you have itchy skin, nausea, get easily dehydrated or have fluid build up in the ankles - get this done. Also a good idea to get your iodine checked as part of this urine test.

10. Homocysteine. This looks at deficiencies in B vitamins (B6, B9, B12). High levels are an increased risk factor for cardiovascular issues. Chronic fatigue is the big symptom, but things like mouth sores, pins & needles, and feeling dizzy or lightheaded are also signs that your levels could be high.

11. Lipid panel. This measures your LDL & HDL cholesterol as well as your triglycerides. As we’ve discussed ad nauseam - don’t fall for the outdated “good” and “bad” cholesterol nonsense, but definitely pay attention to the HDL and triglycerides. They are by far the most accurate indicators of cardiovascular risk. Scroll back through this page for more info on cholesterol.

12. Lastly, test your essential minerals. Especially magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. A big portion of the population are deficient in these, and they can affect things like energy levels, vitamin D and calcium absorption, anaemia and shortness of breath.

As you know, we deal in root cause here - not band aids. Getting an accurate picture of what’s happening in your body will help you work out how to fix the issue for good.

This is just a snapshot of the tests available. If you’re having a specific issue, hit me up and I can recommend the right tests to ask for.

And if you’re on the path to taking control of your own health - I’d strongly recommend picking up a copy of a book called “Common sense labs” by Dr Ken Berry.

Lastly, if your doctor tells you that you don’t need a certain test or they outright refuse to order them - politely remind them that they work for you. If you’re convinced that a particular test will help you - then don’t take no for an answer. Too much information is always better than not enough 💪

Whatever you say Doc 👌Getting dietary advice from a doctor who received ZERO nutrition training in medical school is lik...
25/11/2025

Whatever you say Doc 👌

Getting dietary advice from a doctor who received ZERO nutrition training in medical school is like coming to me for mechanical advice because I’ve driven a car before.

Note: Do NOT come to me for mechanical advice. Bad idea..🤣

Wrapping up our series “Why the 🤬 am I not losing weight?”Today, something I guarantee that you’ve never been told about...
17/11/2025

Wrapping up our series “Why the 🤬 am I not losing weight?”

Today, something I guarantee that you’ve never been told about as a reason for weight gain..

Vitamin & Mineral deficiencies.

It’s a looooooong list, so I’m going to summarise some of the most common.
Hopefully this will be enough to get you curious so you can then start assessing your own specific situation.

Here are some common deficiencies.

Magnesium - affects Insulin sensitivity, contributes to high blood pressure,
chronic fatigue, and cortisol levels.

Potassium - digestion problems, chronic fatigue, kidney problems, high blood pressure, reflux.

Vitamin D - immune system function, muscle soreness, bone weakness, hypothyroidism (leading to weight gain).

Copper, Zinc & Chromium - affects insulin sensitivity (leading to weight gain)

Iron - metabolism (via oxygen transport and cell energy production)

Folate (vitamin B9) - essential for amino acid metabolism.

Now this ⬆️ may just look all too confusing.
But here’s the good news.
Single ingredient, nutrient dense foods contain all this stuff.

So eat right, sleep right, and you’ll see results.

Do all this, AND hit the gym - you’ll supercharge your results.

Commit to eating real food and doing regular exercise for 90 days - you’ll be UNRECOGNISABLE 💪💪

Next up in our series “Why the 🤬 am I not losing weight?”Because you’re focussing all your energy on the gym and not eno...
08/11/2025

Next up in our series “Why the 🤬 am I not losing weight?”

Because you’re focussing all your energy on the gym and not enough on the frypan. 🍳

The weight loss gurus will have you believe that if you “eat less and move more” the weight will just fall off.

It’s not true.
And you know it’s not true because you’ve tried it over and over again.

Sure, you starve yourself and drop a couple of kilos, but like clockwork it always comes back. And you blame yourself for “falling off the wagon”.

In reality though, you just went back to doing what you’d always done. You never really changed anything.

You need to eat real, single ingredient food which balances your hormones and keeps your body in a continuous state of using fat as fuel.

Stop starving yourself.

Stop throwing money away on pre-workout (spoiler alert - you’re being scammed 🤦🏻‍♂️)

Stop skipping meals in favour of bu****it protein shakes.

Stop snacking on granola bars which are chock full of seed oils, preservatives and inflammatory garbage. I don’t care if the wrapper says it has 20g of Protein… it’s junk food.

And stop finishing at the gym and going out for beers and a shnitty to reward yourself for a great workout.

If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.

Your body exists in one of two states -
fat burning mode, or fat storage mode.
No amount of tricep curls will cause your body to make the switch.

It’s the food you eat which activates the hormone signalling. And it’s correct hormone signalling that is going to get the weight off - and keep it off.

That’s it.
Thats the secret that none of the gurus or gym bros are telling you.

If it has one ingredient - steak, egg, carrot, apple - then eat it.

If it has multiple ingredients that you don’t recognise - don’t eat it.

Here endeth the lesson.

Get your butt off the treadmill and into the kitchen.

You’ll see results like magic.

So, lets kick off our series “Why the 🤬 am I not losing weight”?…We’ll start with the issue that is probably the culprit...
05/11/2025

So, lets kick off our series “Why the 🤬 am I not losing weight”?…

We’ll start with the issue that is probably the culprit for 80% of you guys, and yet you’re unlikely to have ever been told about it.

INSULIN RESISTANCE

If doctors mention it at all, they will most likely say that insulin resistance is just about blood sugar.

But here’s what they don’t tell you:

- Essentially, insulin is your fat storage hormone. If it’s always high, your body can’t access your fat stores to use as fuel.

- It also lowers progesterone, which means worse PMS, irregular cycles, and even infertility.

- It slows your thyroid conversion (T4 → T3), leaving you tired, cold, and struggling to lose weight even if your blood tests look “normal.”

- It blocks critical nutrients like magnesium, chromium, zinc, and B vitamins that you need for ovulation, energy, and blood sugar control.

- It disrupts sleep and cortisol, causing those frustrating 2–3 AM wake-ups. When cortisol is elevated, fat burning stops 🛑. No “ifs”, “ands” or “buts”.
Read this ⬆️ twice.
3 times if you need to.

- It fuels inflammation that shows up as joint pain, brain fog, and skin issues.

This is why so many people (especially women) feel like they’re doing everything right (dieting, exercising, cutting calories) and STILL can’t lose weight, balance hormones, or feel like themselves again.

Insulin resistance can be reversed. With the right labs, nutrition, and strategy, your body will finally respond.

Most people today are unknowingly Insulin resistant. And the effects go far beyond stopping weight loss.

It silently disrupts nearly every organ system in the body.

But here’s what few realize: insulin resistance is now one of the most common hidden causes of bad skin: acne, skin tags, dullness, premature aging.

When insulin levels stay high, it drives inflammation, excess oil production, and collagen breakdown. Your skin is literally showing you what’s happening inside your cells.

So anyway - with today’s focus being weight loss, what can you do about insulin resistance?

Here’s where to start.

- Eat real food. Cut out the processed junk.

- Reduce your eating window. Don’t eat before the sun comes up and don’t eat after the sun goes down.

- Cut out snacking. Eat until you’re full during your main meal times. Let your digestion system rest (and your insulin drop) in between these times.

- More protein and fat on your plate, less carbs and sugar. The less sugar your body has to deal with, the lower the insulin spike.

- Prioritise sleep - quality & quantity. Sleep allows you body to heal and repair.

If you take positive steps towards addressing insulin resistance, you’ll not only start stripping the kg, you’ll improve a stack of other health markers at the same time 💪

If you have weight to lose, then it’s common to think that just eating less and going to the gym will fix everything.If ...
02/11/2025

If you have weight to lose, then it’s common to think that just eating less and going to the gym will fix everything.

If only it were that simple..

The reason you make short term gains and then the weight always seems to come back is that you haven’t addressed the root cause.

You need to look at things like;
- Insulin resistance
- Hormone imbalances
- Vitamin & mineral deficiencies
- Autoimmune diseases

None of these issues will be solved by going to the gym, doing a HIIT class or getting up at 4am to walk before work.

Let me be clear - getting stuck into exercise is a great decision and you should be applauded for it 👏
It’s a great complimentary tool for improving your overall health, but it’s a small piece of the overall puzzle.

If you want to get off the weight loss/ weight gain roundabout - you need to find out why your body is storing fat.

Oh, and by the way - weight loss doesnt necessarily equal health. Plenty of people starve themselves or flog themselves at the gym - and manage to lose some weight, but still have low energy, gut problems, aches & pains, and a range of other issues.

We’ll spend this week discussing how you can identify the root cause of your problem and actually fix it so that it never comes back.

Focussing on weight loss won’t necessarily fix your health, but focussing on health will defintely result in weight loss. 💪

29/10/2025

You’ve heard of industries being “disrupted”?
Smart people come along with new ideas and ways of doing things better.

Well, the medical profession is next on the list.

I’m critical of doctors because they have one solution to pretty much any medical issue - to put you on drugs.
They do this because it’s what they’re taught in medical school - nothing about prevention, nothing about cure.

And while they’ve been in charge of looking after us we’ve become fatter, sicker, and living shorter lives than we ever have.

It’s time for a change.

Doctors like Peter Attia are only interested in prevention and cure. Treating disease and keeping it away by looking at exercise and nutrition.
These great doctors are all around if you’re looking to actually improve your health, not just put band aids on.

I’ve said it before - if your doctor only talks about treatment and not cure, reversal and prevention - then you don’t have a doctor, you have a drug dealer. 💊 💊

Address

Muswellbrook, NSW

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Function Health posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram