Natalie Ball is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and the founder of Encompass Care, an integrative primary care and functional medicine practice licensed in Colorado and Connecticut. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.
More about Natalie →17 articles
Fatigue, bloating, brain fog and cycles that have changed usually have more than one contributor. Here is how I work through gut, thyroid and hormone patterns together — and when advanced testing actually earns its place.
Read moreWhat a functional medicine evaluation actually consists of: an hour of history, selective laboratory testing ordered only when it changes the plan, a written roadmap, and what it costs.
Read moreConnecticut's cannabis tax changes on October 1, and adult-use purchases will carry about 20% in combined tax. Registered medical patients remain exempt. Here's the honest math — including when a card isn't worth it.
Read moreCreatine is the most-discussed supplement in perimenopause right now. The research is genuinely encouraging in one specific area — and considerably weaker in the ones being marketed hardest.
Read moreAn FDA advisory committee voted to recommend six peptides for compounding — overriding its own scientists. Here's what that vote did, what it didn't do, and what the human evidence actually shows.
Read moreConnecticut recognizes more than 30 qualifying conditions for medical cannabis. The research base is strong for some of them, thin for others. Here's an honest look at what's actually been studied.
Read moreA November 2025 reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative finally breaks cardiovascular risk down by age. The picture for a 52-year-old looks nothing like the picture for a 72-year-old — and the original study never separated them.
Read moreShort movement breaks and simple, nausea-friendly meals — practical support for people on GLP-1 medications, without requiring a gym or a meal plan.
Read moreWhat peptides are, broadly how they work, and how peptide management fits into ongoing care — without the specifics that only make sense once we know your history.
Read moreStress isn't just a feeling — it's a measurable physiological state. Here's a practical starting point for recognizing dysregulation and rebuilding baseline regulation.
Read moreOrganic acids are metabolic byproducts that reflect how your core systems are running — energy production, neurotransmitter metabolism, and nutrient sufficiency.
Read moreBoth are comprehensive stool panels. Neither is universally better. Here's what each one is actually built to answer, and how I decide which fits.
Read moreThe GI-MAP uses DNA analysis to identify gut organisms with far more sensitivity than a standard stool culture — but it's not a routine test, and it isn't for everyone.
Read moreA standard hormone panel shows one point in time. The DUTCH test shows how estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol are made, used, and cleared throughout the day.
Read moreA ferritin of 18 is inside the reference range and still low enough to leave many women exhausted. Here's how I read iron studies, and what I look at alongside them.
Read moreTSH is a good screening test and an incomplete picture. Here's what the other thyroid markers add, and when ordering them actually changes what we do.
Read moreShort sleep measurably changes insulin sensitivity within days. If you're working on metabolic health while sleeping six hours, you're working against yourself.
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