LifeGuard Programs: Functional Medicine Testing in Minnesota
A personalized approach to metabolic and digestive health, starting with your initial consultation and followed by advanced home testing and a full review of your results.
Book Your Initial ConsultationLifeGuard Programs are a form of functional medicine testing available in Minnesota and via telehealth in selected states. Standard labs tell you whether something is broken. These programs measure how your body functions at the cellular level, where energy is made, where nutrients are absorbed, and where inflammation begins. You leave with a personalized plan built on your own biology instead of a generic protocol.
To get started, book your initial consultation. In 20 minutes, Dr. Zubkov reviews your history and recommends the LifeGuard tier built for your goals. Some patients need the full MBN Protocol instead of testing alone, and the consultation sorts out which path fits you. After your visit, you receive an email with a link to your recommended program.
Once you enroll, lab kits ship to your door and results come back in two to three weeks. Then we review every finding together and build your plan. All programs are available via telehealth to patients in Minnesota and selected states.
On This Page
What Functional Medicine Testing in Minnesota Measures
LifeGuard Programs draw from a carefully selected suite of functional lab tests, and each one measures something standard labs skip. The Metabolomix+ maps your cellular metabolism: how you process carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and whether your detoxification pathways are working. The GI Effects evaluates what lives in your gut and how well your digestive system functions. The NutrEval identifies nutritional deficiencies at the cellular level across 40 nutrients. The MRT and FAST tests find the foods and chemicals driving hidden immune reactions.
This type of functional medicine testing is available in Minnesota and via telehealth in selected states. Not every program uses every test. Your initial consultation determines which combination fits your symptoms and goals. The sections below explain what each test measures.
Home Cellular Metabolism Test
Metabolomix+
The Metabolomix+ is a comprehensive, home-based test of your metabolism. A drop of blood and a urine sample reveal how you process carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, whether your detoxification pathways work well, and many other vital metabolic data points.1
Nutritional Deficiencies and Cellular Metabolism
NutrEval Plasma
The NutrEval Plasma is both a blood and urine test evaluating close to 150 biomarkers and assessing the body's functional need for 40 antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, digestive support, and other select nutrients. Personalized recommendations are determined by an algorithm based on your test findings.2
Results inform your personalized diet, recommended calorie intake, proportions of macronutrients, frequency of eating, and recommended protein and fat sources, all calibrated to your cellular metabolism.
The Most Comprehensive Stool Test for Optimal Clinical Utility
GI Effects Comprehensive Stool Profile
The GI Effects Comprehensive Stool Profile is a group of advanced stool tests providing immediate, actionable clinical information for the management of gastrointestinal health. Its biomarkers offer valuable insight into digestive function, intestinal inflammation, and the intestinal microbiome.3
This profile reveals important information about the root cause of many common gastrointestinal symptoms, including gas, bloating, indigestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Biomarkers such as fecal calprotectin differentiate between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.4
The Most Accurate Test to Detect Food and Chemical Intolerances
Mediator Release Test (MRT)
Oxford Biomedical Technologies leads the field of diet-induced inflammation, therapy, training, and technology development. Their patented Mediator Release blood test (MRT) runs on their proprietary MRTIII instruments and identifies hidden inflammatory responses to foods and food chemicals.
Food Allergy Sensitivity + Environmental
F.A.S.T by Infinite Allergy Labs
The Food Allergy & Sensitivity Test (F.A.S.T) by Infinite Allergy Labs looks for the root causes behind food intolerances. It examines your body's responses to 88 different foods and measures key immune markers to identify both immediate and delayed sensitivities. The results show how your body reacts to specific foods, so you make dietary decisions based on your own data.
Start With Your Initial Consultation
You don't pick a tier on your own. Dr. Zubkov recommends one during your $99 initial consultation, based on your symptoms, history and prior labs. After your visit, you receive an email with a link to your recommended program.
Book Your Initial ConsultationLifeGuard Programs
Each program below starts after your initial consultation, once Dr. Zubkov recommends the tier built for your goals.
LifeGuard Basic
LifeGuard Basic runs the Metabolomix+ home test. A 40-minute follow-up session reviews your results and gives you nutrition and supplement recommendations built on them.
LifeGuard Foundation
LifeGuard Foundation runs the Genova NutrEval and Genova Methylation Panel. Together, these tests map your nutritional status and methylation pathway function at the cellular level. Methylation affects DNA repair, neurotransmitter production, detoxification, and cardiovascular health, and deficiencies show up often even when standard labs look normal.
A 30-minute session reviews your previous labs and health history, and a second 30-minute session walks through your new results and builds your personalized plan.
LifeGuard Prime
LifeGuard Prime runs the Metabolomix+ and GI Effects home tests. Once your results arrive, a 50-minute follow-up session covers every finding and gives you a nutrition and supplement plan for both your metabolic and digestive health.
LifeGuard Premier
LifeGuard Premier runs the Metabolomix+, GI Effects, and Infinite Allergy Lab home tests. A 60-minute follow-up session reviews every finding and gives you a nutrition and supplement plan.
LifeGuard Elite
LifeGuard Elite runs the Genova NutrEval, Genova GI Effects, and Oxford Biomedical Technologies MRT. A 60-minute follow-up reviews your results and gives you a nutrition and supplement plan.
A third meeting checks your new diet and reviews environmental factors affecting your health. The program also includes one session with a health coach, who gives you personal guidance and keeps you on track.
To get started, book your initial consultation. Dr. Zubkov recommends your program during the visit, and you receive your program link by email afterward.
Is a LifeGuard Program Right for You?
Good fit:
- Fatigue, brain fog, or low energy with normal standard labs
- Digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, irregular bowels, or food reactions
- Interest in understanding your metabolism before starting supplements
- Willingness to make dietary and lifestyle changes based on lab findings
- Located in Minnesota or selected states (telehealth)
- Able to complete home urine, blood spot, and stool sample collections
Not ideal:
- Looking for a quick supplement recommendation without testing
- Expecting costs covered by standard insurance plans
- Pregnant or trying to conceive (consult your OB first)
- Experiencing emergency or rapidly worsening neurological symptoms. Go directly to an ER or urgent neurology specialist.
LifeGuard Programs: Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Book your initial consultation and get answers specific to your case.
Book the initial consultation first. Dr. Zubkov uses it to recommend the right tier, or the MBN Protocol if testing alone won't address your symptoms. After your visit, you receive an email with a link to your recommended program.
LifeGuard is a standalone testing program. You complete home tests, review the results with Dr. Zubkov, and leave with a nutrition and supplement plan. The MBN Protocol goes further and starts with your nervous system. Dr. Zubkov walks you through both during your initial consultation and recommends the one built for you.
No, LifeGuard Programs are not covered by insurance. You can use HSA or FSA accounts to pay for the program and the lab tests.
After enrollment you receive video instructions that walk you through each lab kit step by step. Metabolomix+ requires a urine sample and a fingerstick blood spot. GI Effects is a stool collection kit. You complete every collection at home, with no lab appointment.
Typical turnaround for all tests is two to three weeks from the time the lab receives your samples.
No. All meetings are virtual and conducted via Zoom. Lab kits ship directly to your home.
LifeGuard Programs are available in the United States only. Dr. Zubkov sees patients via telehealth in Minnesota and selected states.
LifeGuard Basic includes the Metabolomix+ test only with a 40-minute follow-up. LifeGuard Prime adds the GI Effects comprehensive stool test and extends the follow-up to 50 minutes, providing a complete picture of both cellular metabolism and gut health.
References
- Lord RS, Bralley JA. "Clinical applications of urinary organic acids. Part I: Detoxification markers." Alternative Medicine Review, 2008, 13(3), 205-215. PubMed
- Ames BN. "Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage." PNAS, 2006. PubMed
- Mosli MH, Zou G, Garg SK, et al. "C-Reactive Protein, Fecal Calprotectin, and Stool Lactoferrin for Detection of Endoscopic Activity in Symptomatic Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2015, 110(6), 802-19; quiz 820. PubMed
- Cryan JF, et al. "The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis." Physiological Reviews, 2019. PubMed
- Sender R, et al. "Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body." PLoS Biology, 2016, 14(8), e1002533. PubMed
Dr. Alexander Y. Zubkov, MD, PhD treats patients across Minnesota and via telehealth in selected states. Minnesota communities served include Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Edina, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Bloomington, Maple Grove, Eagan, Woodbury, Lakeville, Burnsville, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Champlin, Chanhassen, Crystal, Excelsior, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetrista, New Hope, Orono, Robbinsdale, Rogers, St. Louis Park, Victoria, Waconia, Shakopee, Chaska, Coon Rapids, Blaine, St. Cloud, Stillwater, Hudson, and River Falls.
Find Out What Your Body Is Missing
Standard labs miss the cellular layer. LifeGuard Programs measure your metabolism and gut health at the cellular level, so your plan rests on real findings instead of guesswork. To get started, book your initial consultation.
Available via telehealth in Minnesota and selected states. Lab kits ship directly to your home.
Email: support@mindbodyneurology.com • Tel: 952-209-6209