My experience with functional care through Parsley Health
My health is critical for optimal performance in all areas of my life and Parsley Health is an important part of my health journey. The time that I spend maximizing my health and fitness pays dividends in how better I look, feel and more productive I can be.
“Traditional” Doctors Brushed Me Off
When I first moved from Los Angeles to New York City two years ago for my current job that requires a lot of international travel, I found myself in a constant cycle of travel-sick-travel-sick. I felt like my face was consistently swollen, particularly around my eyes but also in my cheeks, and let’s be honest, vanity was driving a lot of my health concern as well. I went to see an opthamologist, who referred me to an allergist, who referred me to a dermatologist. I felt at each step that the doctor thought I was making up my symptoms and just pushing me off to be someone else’s problem. My appointments all felt rushed, and like no one really wanted to hear me out.
Parsley Provided Personalized Attention I Wasn’t Getting Elsewhere
I was starting to feel hopeless but decided to give Parsley Health a try. With Parsley, you get to select a holistic doctor and a health coach that work in tandem to help you reach your health goals. You are presented with detailed bios to select from and are able to change if you don’t feel comfortable with the person you selected. I’ve been working with my doctor, Susan Glassman, and coach, Amanda Perrin, for over two years and love having people that know me and me history. What immediately struck me was how much personal time and attention I received from Dr. Glassman (yes, she is an MD). She listened to me and told me that my symptoms were real. My first appointment was a full hour and follow ups are 45 minutes. I always have the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time.
My Parsley Journey
The journey started with a complete blood panel (much more detailed than anything a traditional doctor would order) and a gut microbiome (stool) test. Parsley doctors don’t simply look at whether you are in the “normal” range, but look for trends and where you are on the high/low end of certain ranges. They don’t accept being on the margins, but rather look for ways to optimize. I have a full blood panel done every couple of months before I meet with my doctor and coach, and my supplements are adjusted accordingly.
From my gut microbiome test, we were able to determine the best prebiotics and probiotics for me to be taking. We have improved deficiencies in several areas and reduced the number of supplements I have to take over time. Most importantly, I stopped getting sick and the external symptoms subsided as well. What I have learned is there isn’t always a smoking gun illness causing symptoms but they could be caused by small deficiencies here and there that a traditional doctor would never take the time to uncover or treat.
Ongoing Care
Now that my general heath has improved, we’ve moved on to optimizing my fitness, which includes nutrition and workout plans to achieve the ideal body fat and muscle mass percentage. I was doing too much cardio which was leading to diminishing returns, but my health coach has helped me to find a strength training plan that I actually enjoy (she’s the one that told me about Katie Austin!). A lot of the products that I find and write about here were recommendations from my holistic doctor or health coach.
Other Reviews and Customer Experience
As someone who does a lot of research before committing to things, I did the same for Parsley. What I found was a lot mixed reviews. Some people had experiences like mine, and others thought it as a scam and waste of money. What I will say is that your journey will be highly impacted by the doctor and health coach that you choose, so take the time to read through the profiles and and choose someone that aligns with what you are looking for. While they recommend staying with one care team (I do as well, so that they really get to know you, your history, and your goals and best serve you), take the time upfront to make sure you are working with the right team and don’t be afraid to make a change early one. I do find the website a little difficult to navigate, but it is manageable. You are able to message your team at any time, but you do need to open up a “ticket” through the Parsley website rather than message them directly (they will pick up the ticket and respond). They stay true to their commitment to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours. A lot of people complain about scheduling. Like all doctors, appointments fill up so make sure to schedule your follow up immediately following each appointment and it should not be an issue. I find the customer service to be accommodating - as when I was unable to schedule my first appointment for several months, they extended my membership by that same amount of time (just message and ask). Similarly, because you have a certain amount of appointments within the membership year, if you’re unable to schedule them all within the year, just ask for an extension (I was just successful with this).
Parsley Membership
There are different tiers of Parsley membership, and some health insurance even cover it as part of their plan. Because my insurance does not cover it, my holistic doctor provides me with a bill to use after each appointment to apply for out-of-network coverage. Most of it is not covered by my insurance, but honestly it is worth it given the improvements that have been made to how I look and feel. My first year I did the full care package which I believe is 5 doctors visit and 5 health coach appointments ($199/month). I am now on my third year and have the middle maintenance package ($130/month) which is 4 doctors visits and 4 health coach appointments. The lowest tier is $99/month and includes 2 doctors visits and 2 health coach appointments. Personally, I think the extra $31 a month for double the amount of appointments is a great deal. You can pay upfront in one annual payment or pay monthly. Note that if you choose to cancel during the year and paid for the whole year, you will need to finish out the year and won’t receive a refund. The monthly payment plan gives you a bit more optionality if you just want to test it out.
Give it a try with $150 off your membership by using my referral link!
Note: I will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for each referral using my link above.
