Understanding your lab work beyond the "normal" reference ranges gives you so much more power in taking control of your health.
Taking charge and really understanding your routine bloodwork is one of the biggest steps you can take in being the CEO of your own health. Below are a few key points about lab work that I always tell my clients in order for them to feel empowered in understanding their own labs instead of just relying on their doctors to tell them that their levels are fine and within range:
Be sure to always fast before your lab work even if it is not required- this will give you a consistent reading on your lab results where your daily food intake will not interfere with your serum level results.
Stop taking all supplements at least 2 days before your blood draw- supplements can stay in your blood serum for a while and can effect your lab results.
Hydrate hydrate hydrate! Drink lots of water the night before and day of of your blood draw. Not only will with make the blood draw SO much easier, it will also give accurate readings on your kidney functioning.
For nutrient results you want to make sure your blood nutrient levels are in the top 1/3 of the reference range on your lab work.
Cholesterol is not alway bad- Total cholesterol 260 and below is a great place to be. Cholesterol is so important for hormone production and cellular function that it is actually more detrimental to have too low total cholesterol.
For cardiovascular health and heart disease-divide your total triglycerides by your total HDL cholesterol and you want to be below 2.0. Another very important factor to check for cardiovascular health and potential heart disease is your CRP. Not all doctors will run your CRP right off the bat but this is a much better indicator of heart disease and cardiovascular health than your cholesterol levels.
Thyroid hormones- be sure to request not just your TSH, T4, and T3 (which are usually the only levels tested) be sure to have your doctor also request to have your Free T4, Free T3, reverse T3, and Autoantibodies (anti-TPO and anti-TG).
Liver Enzymes- one of my favorite levels to check! AST and ALT you want to make sure they are below 20. The higher they get is a sign that your liver is getting over loaded with toxins and can efficiently detoxify your body.
Other great functional lab testing that I highly recommend to most of my clients is stool sample testing, Hormone saliva testing, and MRT food sensitivity testing! I would love to speak with you further about these labs and how they can help us get to the root of your dis-ease and live a life full of health and happiness for the long term!