Get Clear on Your Biochemistry
Why I Recommend Running a Comprehensive Lab Panel Every Year
Because feeling your best starts with knowing what’s going on inside.
Your body is constantly changing, and so are your needs. Whether you are navigating fertility, parenthood, natural aging, perimenopause, work stress, or simply trying to feel better in your skin, it is easy to miss subtle signs that something is off. That is where lab testing comes in.
I recommend running a comprehensive panel once a year to get a full picture of your metabolic, hormonal, and nutritional health. These labs offer insight into your energy levels, immune function, inflammation, blood sugar balance, and so much more. They help us get clear on what your body needs—so we’re not guessing or chasing symptoms.
Let’s walk through what’s included in my annual labs and why it matters:
Iron Panel (Ferritin, Iron, TIBC, Transferrin)
Iron plays a big role in how you feel every day. It impacts energy, brain function, thyroid health, and even mood. Ferritin, which reflects your iron storage, can drop long before anemia shows up, especially for women with heavy cycles or digestive issues. Looking at these four markers together helps us understand whether you are absorbing iron properly and storing enough to truly thrive.
Core Nutrients (Vitamin D, B12, Folate, Magnesium)
These are foundational for immune strength, energy, sleep, stress resilience, and hormone production. When they are low, you may feel foggy, tired, or off. The good news is that these levels are often very responsive to personalized nutrition and targeted supplement support.
Inflammation (hs-CRP, Homocysteine, ESR, Uric Acid)
Chronic, low grade inflammation can fly under the radar while still impacting your metabolism, brain, skin, and joints. These markers help us catch it early before it shows up as something bigger.
Blood Sugar + Insulin (HbA1c, Glucose, Insulin)
Even subtle shifts in blood sugar can affect your energy, mood, cravings, and weight. These three tests help us see how your body handles carbohydrates and insulin, which is key information if you are working on body composition, brain clarity, or hormone balance.
Thyroid Health (TSH, Total T3/T4, Free T3/T4)
Your thyroid is like the control center for metabolism, temperature, digestion, and energy. This full panel shows us how well your thyroid is functioning, not just whether it falls within a “normal” range.
Heart + Metabolic Health (Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, ApoB, Lp(a), Ox-LDL)
These go deeper than a standard cholesterol test. We look at genetic risk factors and inflammatory markers that give a clearer view of your cardiovascular risk.
Note: Ox-LDL is currently unavailable in NY State.
Core Panels (CBC with Differential, CMP, GGT)
These tests help us check in on hydration, kidney and liver function, electrolytes, white blood cell activity, and protein status. They form the base of a full-body health check.
Hormones (Cortisol, DHEA-S, Testosterone, Free Testosterone)
These give us a snapshot of how your stress and sex hormones are functioning—important if you’re feeling burned out, low libido, or like your energy just isn’t bouncing back the way it used to.
Timing Matters: These Should Be Fasted Labs
To get the most accurate picture—especially for glucose, insulin, and lipids —these labs should be drawn fasted. That means no food or drink (except water) for 8–12 hours before your appointment. You can still take most medications and drink water prior to these labs.
Why It’s Worth It
You catch imbalances before they turn into symptoms
You get a true baseline to track progress over time
You can personalize your food, supplements, and lifestyle in a way that actually works
Reference Range vs. Optimal Range: Why I Look Deeper
When I review your labs, I am not just scanning to see whether you are “in range.” Standard reference ranges are designed to flag disease. They are wide, population based, and often include people who are not thriving.
Instead, I evaluate your results through a functional lens, looking for optimal ranges that reflect true health and vitality.
For example,
A ferritin of 20 might be considered normal on paper, yet it can leave you feeling exhausted and struggling to focus.
A fasting glucose of 99 is still technically acceptable, but it can be an early sign that blood sugar regulation is starting to shift.
A TSH of 4.0 may not be flagged on a standard report, even though you might already feel cold, sluggish, or foggy.
Start with Clarity. Stay Ahead of Symptoms.
This shift in perspective helps us catch imbalances earlier and fine tune your nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement plan before small signals turn into bigger issues. It is about getting ahead of things rather than waiting for a diagnosis.
Testing once a year gives us the information we need to support your health in a proactive way. You do not have to wait until something feels wrong to take control. This approach is about feeling empowered, informed, and aligned with what your body needs most.
If you are ready to get curious about what is happening beneath the surface and start building a roadmap that truly reflects you, I would love to support you.
Ready to run your labs?
Have questions? Book a complimentary discovery call and get your questions answered—I’m happy to answer your questions and help you get started.
Current regulations prohibit me from providing services to individuals living in Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee. For this residing in these states, Functional Health is a great alternative for you. 