Parsley Health Review: A Functional Medicine Journey

Part 1 – Before My First Appointment

Deciding to invest in your health is a significant step.

My journey with Parsley Health began with a recommendation from a trusted functional medicine health coach. At first I was a bit skeptical about the benefits of all-online medical membership plan and whether it would be worth the cost for me. So I did some research into what Parsley Health had to offer.

Membership Benefits

These are the benefits included in a functional medicine membership with Parsley:

Five functional medicine appointments over a one-year period, with the first two lasting one hour and the remaining three scheduled for 30 minutes
Five health coaching sessions
An online portal for questions between appointments
The ability to order labs and receive personalized recommendations
Lab fees and supplements are not covered, but are discounted through Parsley and some labs are covered by insurance

Normally the monthly membership is $199, but there was a Black Friday deal for $171 per month. There is an option to pay for the 1 year plan up front and save the cost of about 1 month. I opted for a month-to-month plan because there is no commitment and you can cancel at any time. Compared to other functional medicine memberships, and considering the length of the appointments and the 5 coaching sessions, this is a very reasonable cost.

Will the quality of care meet my expectations? We’ll see…

Choosing a Practitioner

I was a bit disappointed to see that I only had 2 options when selecting a practitioner. Practitioners must be licensed in the state in which they practice. While I had limited options in Virginia, the practitioner I selected holds four board certifications and impressive credentials. This level of practitioner definitely exceeded my expectations for an all-online practice.

Preparation for the First Appointment

There were several questionnaires to fill out prior to my visit, but it only took 20-30 minutes. I did list all of the supplements that I am taking (it’s a long list), so that took some time. While the site said to not upload any labs unless the doctor asks for them, I wish I’d uploaded my most recent labs for her to see.

My goals with Parsley are to tackle my autoimmune issues, optimize my cardiovascular health, and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. While I’ve been using many functional medicine principles, it was time for me to recruit a partner with deeper skills and a fresh perspective to help me navigate my own healing journey.

Why Does a Health Coach need Coaching?

You may wonder if I see the health coaching benefit from Parsley as a valuable service for me. After all, I’ve been a board certified coach for three years now. As a coach, I see the power of coaching every day.

We all, including coaches and even medical practitioners, need to allow for the time and space to process what’s going on with our health. If we want make good decisions for our health in today’s culture and toxic food environment, we must be very intentional about it. That’s where health coaching shines. I have had a coach myself for a while now and have seen how it’s helped me to stay committed to my goals – even through the temptations and schedule upheaval of the holidays.

So, YES, I am very excited about having a coach through the Parsley membership!

The Greatest Wealth is Health – Virgil

I am encouraged and hopeful that this model that Parsley Health has created will make functional medicine accessible to more people while maintaining a personalized touch. And while the membership is not cheap, I believe that it will be a good investment in my future health.

My DIY healthcare approach served me well in the past, but at 50 I see that I need a seasoned partner to navigate this new phase of life.

Check out the next part of my review to learn how my first appointment goes.