In a nutshell, what separates me is that I combine very deep diagnostics, primary-literature-level research skills, zero tolerance for quackery, and extreme practicality for the Indian context, while being obsessively cost-conscious and outcome-focused. I am not trying to be “just another functional practitioner”; my entire process is built to be more rigorous, more transparent, and more precise than what most people are used to. I use a much broader and more advanced diagnostic framework than most practitioners (190+ blood biomarkers plus optional Organic Acids, Amino Acids, genetics, gut microbiome, cancer screening, etc.), and I actually know how to synthesise all of that into a coherent picture instead of just ordering tests for the sake of it. For each important blood marker, I have personally reviewed 20-30 studies and set staggered ranges myself, with clear explanations of what typically happens at different levels of that marker, so you get state-of-the-art interpretation rather than generic “normal range” comments. I analyse far more data per patient than is typical, and I pay attention to fine details that materially affect diagnosis and protocol success: exact timing and preparation rules before testing, correct test methods, correct tubes, and the precise nutrient forms and doses that were used in clinical trials. I have a strict “no-quackery” policy: I do not use non-validated tests (like IgG food antibody panels, hair heavy metal tests, pseudoscientific interpretations of microbiome, genetics, and organic acids, Lipoprotein subfractions, etc), and I avoid interventions that lack solid human-trial data (like eliminating foods based on igg food tests, various “detox” protocols, detox food baths, intravenous doses of various vitamins stem cells exosomes, peptides) because every bad test and unproven intervention wastes your time, money, and hope and pulls us away from what actually works. I am extremely sensitive to cost, and I go to great lengths to decide which specific brands and combinations give you the best balance of quality, safety, evidence, and price, including actively partnering with labs and companies to bring costs down and make logistics easier for you. When I recommend an intervention, I can supply links to relevant clinical trials or epidemiology for every single product or strategy, and I don’t know many people in this space who do that consistently. My protocols are not based on influencer content or course notes; they are built by directly reading and evaluating the primary literature, something I have trained myself to do intensively over many years. Most medical experts are either strong clinicians or strong researchers; my practice is specifically designed to blend both skill sets into one system. I have genuine, hands-on expertise across a very wide range of symptoms, diseases, and test types under one roof, and I also act as a “practitioner’s practitioner” by advising other practitioners on their difficult cases, which constantly deepens my exposure to complex scenarios. A very high proportion of my clients end up giving detailed testimonials, including many challenging cases where people had seen multiple doctors and practitioners for years without success and still managed to see meaningful progress within weeks to months when we worked together. Another difference is my philosophy around food and restrictions: instead of handing you long elimination lists and making your relationship with food worse, I use diagnostics to identify root causes and then select interventions that improve your tolerance and resilience so you can enjoy a wider variety of foods over time, not a narrower one. When I design your plan, I do not dump a random list of changes on you; I categorise and rank everything very clearly (for example: root-cause drivers, symptom relief, disease-risk reduction, performance optimisation) so you always know exactly which action targets which problem and what is “must-do now” versus “can be done later” if budget or bandwidth is limited. On a more human level, I started this journey as a patient with multiple health issues myself. I did all of this first to fix my own health and my family’s health, so I have a lot of empathy for how confusing, frustrating, and overwhelming this process can be. That personal experience shapes how I communicate, how I structure protocols, and how I support people through difficult changes. Finally, regarding the fact that I am not a doctor: I do not claim to replace your primary care physician, nor do I practice medicine in the conventional sense. My role is as a specialist in diagnostics-driven root-cause analysis and protocol design, sitting alongside your doctors, not against them. When pharmaceuticals are clearly indicated and strongly evidence-based, I work with qualified doctors to get those prescribed rather than pretending supplements can do everything. If you are looking for a quick, generic plan with minimal investigation and 1-2 “token” supplements, I am probably not the right choice. If you want a deeply analytical, research-backed, cost-conscious, and highly structured process that has helped many people get breakthroughs in very stubborn, long-standing issues, then that is exactly what my practice is built to deliver.

This is exactly why I offer a 15-minute introductory call to every prospective client. In that call we go through your history, current diagnosis, and key symptoms so that I can tell you honestly whether I am a good fit to work on your case. You can first review the list of conditions, symptoms, and diseases mentioned on the website to see whether your issues broadly fall within that scope, and then use the introductory call to get a more precise sense of whether my approach is appropriate for your specific situation.

While most clients do see around 40-70% improvement across their main symptoms, there are always exceptions, and it is important to have a clear plan for those cases as well. When someone does not improve as expected, I treat that as valuable feedback rather than a dead end. In the first round we can only address a finite set of issues based on the information and tests available at that time. The second round is often even more powerful than the first because I get to see your “before-after” test results, observe which recommendations you could or could not follow, and understand which interventions clearly helped and which did not move the needle. This allows me to fine-tune and personalise your protocol further. In some cases, issues that do not respond to the initial plan are driven by factors that blood work alone does not fully capture. That is where deeper layers of testing such as organic acids, amino acids, genetics, and gut microbiome analysis become useful to uncover more hidden drivers. Parallel to this, I continuously upgrade my diagnostic and treatment frameworks by integrating new high-quality scientific studies using a combination of my own research skills and advanced technology. This means the quality of analysis and protocols you receive tends to improve over time with each new client and each new iteration. Compared to practitioners who mainly rely on what they learned in medical school or a handful of courses, my practice is built around continuously translating the best available science into better patient outcomes on an ongoing basis. So if you are not in the early responder group, we still have structured, evidence-driven next steps rather than simply “giving up.”

Chronic diseases and long-standing symptoms almost never work in a simple “fix once and forget forever” way. Some issues that are driven mainly by clear deficiencies, toxicities, hormonal imbalances, or infections can improve very significantly and remain better for a long time once corrected, but if you go back to living exactly the way you did before we started, many of those problems are likely to resurface over time. The goal of my work is to identify which diet, lifestyle, and supplement changes need to become part of your long-term baseline so that your risk of symptoms and diseases stays as low as possible as you age. The comprehensive testing we do, along with (ideally) your genetic data, helps us understand which levers are critical for you in the long run. As we get older, many systems naturally weaken, and if you also have genetic vulnerabilities, it becomes even more important to consistently support those weak links instead of assuming that a short burst of intervention will protect you for life.

Yes, this is one of the core strengths of my process. I help you clearly prioritise your issues into major, moderate, and minor categories. Based on this, we build a targeted, stepwise action plan aligned with your goals, capacity, and budget. I also organise all interventions into specific buckets (for example: Insomnia bucket, Diabetes bucket, Heart disease bucket, Menopause bucket, etc), so you always understand why each change is being made and which items are “must-do now” versus “can be added later.”

My approach is the result of a 10+ year journey of dealing with my own complex health issues and working with many clients, combined with deep immersion in the scientific literature. I have already been through the phase of “just fix diet and lifestyle and take 1-2 supplements” and, in many real-world cases, that is simply not enough to get the level of improvement people actually want. What we use to fix your issues is not based on belief or minimalism for its own sake, but on what your tests, symptoms, diagnoses, and the best available clinical trial data indicate. A large part of my practice involves replicating, as closely as possible, what has been shown to work in high-quality studies: if a trial used three compounds at specific doses to achieve a particular improvement, it is unrealistic to expect the same result from one of those compounds at a much lower dose. Similarly, if you have nine significant symptoms and the evidence suggests we need six or seven targeted products to address them, using just one or two will usually underdeliver. That said, diet and lifestyle are always foundational in my plans, and I am constantly working to keep pill burden as low as possible while still staying true to the evidence. If you are willing to follow a structured, scientific, step-by-step process, you will often be surprised by the level of improvement that is actually possible.

The first time we work together, I deliberately cast a wide net across multiple body systems because I need a comprehensive baseline of where you stand today. This approach does three very important things at once: it helps identify problems you are not yet aware of, it allows us to see how different organ systems are interacting with each other, and it gives us access to advanced markers (beyond just basic tests) that help us detect issues much earlier and with more precision. Comprehensive testing is mainly a “first-round” requirement. On follow-up, we usually re-test only the markers and systems that were abnormal or borderline the first time, and selectively add new tests only if your symptoms or history demand it. This strategy means you discover hidden problems early, you get advance warning about minor issues that could become major later, and I get a deep systems-level understanding of your body, which leads to more accurate and effective protocols. I am very conscious of cost in all this, which is why I have personally designed the panels I use at Aarthi Scans and worked with them to optimise pricing. If you try to run the same list of tests at other high-quality labs, the total cost is typically 2-3x higher for the same or even fewer markers, so the “big panel” is actually a cost-efficient way to get a very detailed picture in one shot.

Various amino acid and organic acid imbalances can reflect different problems which cant be picked up with bloodwork alone, deficiencies of various individual amino acids cause a wide variety of symptoms and contribute to worsening severity of different diseases. Certain things can be diagnosed only with organic acids. So if the note I have put under the organic acids amino acids testing section resonates with you, get it done.

If finances are not a major constraint for you, it is a useful additional screening tool to consider. Independently of that, if you have a significant family history of cancer (especially in first-degree relatives) or someone in your immediate family currently has cancer, it is a strong candidate to add before we speak. If you do not have such a history, you can still wait until after our first consultation: if, based on your test results, symptoms, and clinical history, I feel your risk profile justifies it, I will clearly tell you and you can decide whether to proceed.

Yes, but selectively. My primary focus is always on diet, lifestyle, and evidence-based nutraceuticals. However, there are some conditions where we either do not yet have strong evidence for diet and supplements alone to provide sufficient benefit, or where safe and well-studied pharmaceuticals clearly outperform non-pharmaceutical options. In such situations, I work with a doctor colleague who can provide a prescription for appropriate medications when needed. I will always explain the risk-benefit profile and the rationale behind any pharmaceutical I suggest, and then you can decide whether you are comfortable proceeding.

I do not write detailed, ready-made diet charts or recipe books as part of the consultation, but I do provide a very clear and practical dietary framework tailored to your case. Specifically, I help you understand which nutrients you are deficient in, give you a validated food list highlighting the richest sources of the nutrients you need to focus on, and clearly outline which food categories to prioritise and which to avoid. If your condition calls for a specific dietary pattern (for example, DASH for high blood pressure, low-FODMAP for IBS, etc.), I counsel you on how to implement that in real life. When certain foods have evidence for improving specific symptoms or conditions that you have, I highlight those for you as well. I also guide you towards apps that you can use to log your intake, track calories and macros, and monitor patterns. Based on all this, you can construct a personalised diet plan. If you create a plan using my guidelines and want my feedback, I do review that as part of the process, but I do not sit and design full meal-by-meal diet charts myself. If despite all this you still cannot make your own diet plan, I can connect you with a nutritionist/coach who can do the same for you.

Yes. First, I usually recommend practical tools and strategies to make adherence easier without immediately needing a coach, such as using specific apps for reminders and habit tracking, and using pill planners for supplement compliance. If, despite these supports, you still find it difficult to stay consistent, I can connect you with a suitable health coach who can provide more frequent accountability, hand-holding, and weekly support to help you implement the plan.

This varies a lot from person to person. It depends on:
- How many symptoms and diagnoses you come in with, and
- How many biomarkers are significantly off.
Fewer issues usually means fewer supplements and a lower monthly cost. If you choose to run more categories of tests, I will naturally be able to recommend more targeted diet, lifestyle, and supplement interventions.I am very cost-conscious and always look for the most economical options without compromising on safety or efficacy. I also structure your entire protocol in a ranked, prioritised way and group each recommendation into clear categories, so you know exactly:
- What each product is for, and
- Which ones are highest priority for your goals and budget.

The number of products depends on how many problems you want to address at the same time. Typically, the first 3 months are more intensive: we “go all out” to correct the main issues identified in your history and test results. After that, we transition you to a maintenance plan, which usually involves fewer products at lower doses. Genetic testing is especially useful for identifying which nutrients or compounds you are more likely to need long term. If you choose multiple categories of testing, I will obviously recommend you even more precise diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations. Everything is laid out in a ranked, prioritised format and grouped into clear buckets, so you always know why you are taking each product, which ones are short-term vs likely long-term, and which are most important if you want to minimise pill burden.

If you want me to be very specific about which supplements and which diet and lifestyle changes are critical for you for the rest of your life, then genetic testing becomes extremely valuable. Your genetic data gives us insight into lifelong vulnerabilities and helps me be much more precise about which long-term supports are truly non-negotiable for you and which can probably be tapered or discontinued once your biomarkers and symptoms stabilise.

I only recommend an iHerb product when a comparable product that meets my quality standards is not available in India. I have been importing supplements for over 10 years, so my recommendations are based on both quality and real-world experience of cost and logistics. The reason iHerb has an order limit of around ₹4,500 is that, beyond this value, Indian customs often classifies the parcel as a business shipment rather than a personal one, which triggers higher duties and more paperwork. iHerb also collects the required customs duty upfront (around 45%) and usually delivers within 7-10 days, which makes the process predictable and relatively hassle-free. One important operational point: the address on the KYC document you upload to iHerb must match your current physical address, otherwise the order may not go through. In contrast, ordering directly from the supplement company’s own website may look cheaper at checkout, but the real problems often start once the parcel reaches India. Customs may misclassify the parcel as a “gift” instead of a purchase, which can attract around 90% duty, or they may add the shipping cost into the dutiable value and charge customs on product + shipping together. I have personally faced both scenarios multiple times, and in some cases parcels were held up for weeks, requiring a physical visit to the customs office to get them released. For all these reasons, iHerb (despite some apparent limitations) is usually the fastest, most predictable, and, in practice, the cheapest and least stressful way to source specialised products that are not reliably available in India.

When a client is not in a city covered by Aarthi Scans, I generally use Lal Path Labs as the next preferred option. If that is your situation, after our introductory call I will share a tailored list of tests from Lal Path that best matches the panels I usually run with Aarthi, so you still get a high-quality and reasonably comprehensive work-up.

I am happy to use existing results as long as they are recent and reliable. As a rule of thumb, if your reports are less than about one month old, I will accept them and then only ask you to add the markers or panels you have not already done. If the results are older than that, or if the methodology/lab quality is questionable, then I will usually ask you to repeat the tests according to the panel described in my PDF so that we are working with a clean, consistent, and up-to-date baseline.

No, you do not need to delay your scheduling because of those conditional add-ons. If you do not already know your IgE or any other such value from previous testing, just ignore those optional add-ons for now. Once your new test results are in and I have reviewed them, I will tell you clearly which of those conditional add-ons apply to you and whether anything extra needs to be added to your protocol.

All blood work and the organic acids/amino acids tests typically arrive within about 7-10 days. GIMAP (gut microbiome) and genetic tests usually take around 1 month to come in, but in some cases they can take up to 2 months depending on logistics and lab processing times.

A large number of markers become difficult or impossible to interpret correctly if they are not drawn in the morning under the specified conditions. For this reason, I strongly recommend arranging your tests on a day when you can go in the morning, even if that means using a holiday, leave, or a specially planned day. If key timing-related rules are not followed, I may have to disregard certain results or ask you to repeat them.

Ideally, you book both Aarthi and Lal Path collections for the same morning and use the same first-morning midstream urine to fill both sets of containers as instructed, one after the other. If, for any reason, coordinating both labs at the same time is not practical, then do them on separate days, but still follow the first-morning midstream instructions for each.

If I have explicitly mentioned that a certain rule must be followed for a given test, please treat that as mandatory. If that rule is broken, there is a real risk that the result becomes misleading or uninterpretable, and I may have to ask you to repeat that specific test. In some cases I know exactly how a particular violation tends to influence a marker and can mentally adjust for it; in other cases, if I am not confident about the impact, I will not rely on that result and will recommend a repeat.

For minerals and metals specifically, the main issue is avoiding contamination from talc or powder and from certain glove materials. Aarthi phlebotomists typically use sanitiser on bare hands and do not use gloves, which is ideal. Lal Path’s own protocol recommends powder-free gloves, so if the phlebotomist can confirm they are using powder-free gloves, that is acceptable. If a technician wants to use talc or visibly powdered gloves for a metals/minerals draw, you should politely insist on following the no-powder requirement or ask for a supervisor; if the lab still refuses, it is better to reschedule than to risk contaminated results.

Each testing category (blood work, organic/amino acids, GIMAP, genetics) is designed to inform a specific layer of your protocol, and those layers cannot realistically or safely be implemented all at once. Even if my schedule were completely free, I would still sequence these reviews rather than dump every intervention on you in one shot. In practice, this means we usually start with the blood work (and sometimes one additional category), get your initial protocol in place, and then, every couple of weeks as the next test category is reviewed, we refine or add targeted layers based on that new data. So your start date is not pushed back until “everything” is ready; instead, your plan is built in structured phases that are easier to implement and adjust.

Yes. During our first full consultation, I will clearly specify which core markers you should definitely repeat at the 3-month mark. This way you have a clear minimum re-testing plan that is cost-conscious but still clinically meaningful.

Helping you identify which supplement or change is most likely causing a side effect is included in the main package; you do not need to book a separate paid consult just for that. If you start a new product or set of products and notice something clearly negative, send me a text describing what you started, what you are feeling, and when it began, and I will guide you on what to pause or adjust.

At the moment, I personally handle many different aspects of my work: managing my team, maintaining the website and social media, teaching students, staying up to date with medical research across a wide range of conditions, analysing detailed lab panels, creating protocols for existing clients, and consulting with other companies and projects. This naturally makes my schedule very full, which is why there can be a longer waiting period before you get a slot. That said, I am actively working on reducing this waiting time by hiring more support, systematising more of my processes, and using technology to streamline analysis wherever possible, so that over time it becomes easier and faster for people to work with me.