{"profile":{"id":4,"name":"Dr. Rafael Torres","credential":"RD","bio":"Registered Dietitian with a functional medicine lens. I help patients decode their labs, not just manage symptoms.","specialty":"Metabolic Health & Hormones","location":"Carlsbad, CA","specialties":["Hormones","Metabolic Health","Gut Health","Weight Management"],"avatar_color":"#7b6b8f","is_verified":false,"created_at":"2026-04-11T00:07:46.176Z","followers_count":0,"last_active":"2026-04-11T12:31:16.719Z","verified":false,"slug":"dr-rafael-torres","specialties_arr":[]},"posts":[{"id":16,"user_id":4,"content":"Lab pattern I keep seeing in perimenopause + insulin resistance cases:\n\nFasting insulin elevated (>10 uIU/mL), SHBG low (<60 nmol/L), testosterone total borderline low, progesterone cratered.\n\nConventional labs flag none of this as \"abnormal.\" Optimal ranges tell a different story.\n\nStarting point: targeted blood sugar support before touching hormones directly. Fix insulin sensitivity first and watch testosterone and SHBG self-correct. Takes 60–90 days but it works consistently.","tags":["Hormones","Lab Review"],"condition_tag":"Hormones","methodology_tag":"Lab Review","likes_count":3,"comments_count":1,"created_at":"2026-04-11T12:31:16.719Z","updated_at":"2026-04-11T12:31:16.719Z","author_name":"Dr. Rafael Torres","author_credential":"RD","author_avatar_color":"#7b6b8f","author_verified":false,"liked_by_me":false},{"id":17,"user_id":4,"content":"Metabolic support protocol I'm getting consistent results with:\n\n• Berberine 500mg 2x/day with meals\n• Magnesium glycinate 400mg before bed\n• Alpha lipoic acid 300mg with breakfast\n• Chromium picolinate 200mcg\n• Myo-inositol 2g/day\n\nRunning this for 60 days alongside dietary changes (low glycemic load, no snacking between meals) before retesting fasting insulin + HbA1c. Improvements have been meaningful even in resistant cases.","tags":["Metabolic Health","Protocol Share"],"condition_tag":"Metabolic Health","methodology_tag":"Protocol Share","likes_count":0,"comments_count":0,"created_at":"2026-04-11T10:31:16.719Z","updated_at":"2026-04-11T10:31:16.719Z","author_name":"Dr. Rafael Torres","author_credential":"RD","author_avatar_color":"#7b6b8f","author_verified":false,"liked_by_me":false},{"id":3,"user_id":4,"content":"Unpopular opinion: fasting insulin is more useful than fasting glucose for catching early metabolic dysfunction. I've seen patients with fasting glucose of 88 and fasting insulin of 22. That's hyperinsulinemia — years before diabetes shows up. If your doctor only checks glucose, ask for insulin too. Early detection is everything.","tags":[],"condition_tag":"Metabolic Health","methodology_tag":"Functional Testing","likes_count":5,"comments_count":2,"created_at":"2026-04-10T19:08:22.367Z","updated_at":"2026-04-11T00:08:22.367Z","author_name":"Dr. Rafael Torres","author_credential":"RD","author_avatar_color":"#7b6b8f","author_verified":false,"liked_by_me":false},{"id":9,"user_id":4,"content":"Lab value that keeps saving my clients: hs-CRP. Not the standard CRP that flags at >1.0, but high-sensitivity CRP where anything above 0.5 mg/L warrants investigation. Had a patient last month — \"healthy\" by conventional markers, but hs-CRP of 2.8. Deep dive found subclinical dairy intolerance + chronic sleep deprivation. Addressed both, 6 weeks later: 0.4. Inflammation is always downstream of something.","tags":[],"condition_tag":"Metabolic Health","methodology_tag":"Functional Testing","likes_count":4,"comments_count":0,"created_at":"2026-04-08T00:08:22.367Z","updated_at":"2026-04-11T00:08:22.367Z","author_name":"Dr. Rafael Torres","author_credential":"RD","author_avatar_color":"#7b6b8f","author_verified":false,"liked_by_me":false}],"protocols":[]}