Lab Options I Offer

Basic Lab Work

Labs can save us from wasting time and money which may otherwise be spent troubleshooting in the dark and give us the reassurance that our symptoms are not “all in our head.”

There’s a lot that we can do before we turn to labs – depending on where you are in your health jo. But I want to make sure that I’m offering my clients the resources to make our work together as valuable as possible.

I find that many doctors don’t run routine comprehensive (i.e. functional) blood work unless asked, but most are happy to order a variety of tests to get a snapshot of your general health if you ask them to.

And if you don’t have a doctor who is willing to run labs for you, there are options for ordering your own labs and paying out of pocket (unless you live in a few specific states like NY, NJ, and RI).

In this post, I’ve compiled a list of recommended blood tests that anyone who wants to monitor their health might be interested in getting done, and give a brief explanation as to why a person might want to know those particular values.

If you want to know more about which tests would be important for your particular needs, consider working with me one-on-one so we can personalize your plan.

**Remember, none of this is individualized advice and must not replace the advice you get from your doctor. Please use this information for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any health condition.**

RECOMMENDED BASIC LAB TESTS

Panel Comprehensive Metabolic – provides an overall picture of your body’s chemical balance and metabolism.

Lipid Profile – gives an overall picture of cardiac risk and can help determine if dietary changes are necessary, includes:
-Total cholesterol
-HDL and LDL
-Triglycerides
-If History of Heart Disease: NMR profile, ApoB

C-Reactive protein (hsCRP) – one measure of general inflammation, if high can indicate possible autoimmune disorder, infection, and/or need for diet change

Blood Sugar Profile – gives an overall picture of the body’s use of glucose, may indicate a need to change dietary carbohydrate intake (either increase or decrease)
-Fasting glucose
-Hemoglobin A1c
-If Blood Sugar is an issue: Fasting Insulin

Thyroid Panel – helps evaluate thyroid gland function and diagnose thyroid disorders
-TSH – “Functional” range is between 1.0-2.0
-Free T3 & Free T4
-Reverse T3 – if high, can explain thyroid symptoms when TSH and free T3 are normal
-If Hashimoto’s is a concern: Thyroid auto-antibodies (TPO, thyroglobulin)

Vitamin D – I consider the optimal range to be between 30-50 ng/mL, though there is some controversy here. Low vitamin D levels are often found in patients with autoimmune disease, poor immune function, bone disorders, and mental health issues.

Complete Blood Count – includes iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation %, and information about the size and color of the red blood cells. Can identify anemia, infection, elevated immune activity, B12 deficiency, and/or iron storage diseases

Vitamin B12 and Folate Panel – Can help diagnose a nutritional cause of anemia or neuropathy, may indicate need for diet/supplement changes, may be related to methylation defect such as MTHFR

NOTE: ALL TESTS SHOULD BE DONE FASTING. DO NOT EXERCISE IN THE MORNING BEFORE THE TEST.

If your doctor will not order these tests for you, most people can order tests online if they are willing to pay out of pocket. See the link below for details on ordering your own labs directly!