Have you ever left your doctor’s office feeling frustrated because you were told your labs were “normal,” but you still didn’t feel like yourself?
It can be reassuring to hear that your results are within range. But when you’re still tired, bloated, or feeling off, you want to understand what might be going on – and what to do next.
When I review blood labs, I look at more than whether a number is “in range” or “out of range”. I’m looking for patterns and considering how the results relate to your symptoms, history, and daily habits.
I also use functional, or “optimal,” ranges as another lens for reviewing blood markers. These narrower ranges along with their patterns help to guide my questions. I talked about the difference between standard lab reference ranges and functional ranges in my January post, “When ‘Normal’ Labs Don’t Feel Normal.”
My Approach
What has changed?
First, we discuss when you last felt like yourself and what was happening around the time things changed.
We talk about more than your diet because stress, sleep, hormones, and movement habits can all affect how you feel. Sometimes a change happened gradually. Other times, you can point to a particular season of life or event when things started to feel different.
That timeline helps me understand your story and decide what questions to ask next.
What shows up together?
Knowing more about you and your habits helps me piece together your results and find those “aha” moments.
For example, if you’re getting shaky and irritable between meals, I’ll want to understand what you’re eating, how long you’re going without food, and what your blood sugar markers show. If those pieces suggest a need for blood sugar support, we can focus on habits that help.
And if your blood sugar markers look reassuring, we keep asking questions. A blood test doesn’t capture every fluctuation throughout the day or explain every symptom.
What questions are still unanswered?
Understanding what you’ve tried, and what helped or didn’t, gives us valuable information.
You may have turned over a lot of stones and still feel like you don’t have answers. Sometimes additional functional testing can provide more clues when we have a specific question to explore. Other times, the next step is a conversation with your medical provider or support from another trusted professional.
If trauma or ongoing emotional stress is part of your story, a qualified therapist may also be an important part of your support.
I’m the first to admit that I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a beautiful network of trusted providers.
Patterns over Symptoms
Two people may both feel tired, bloated, and “puffy,” yet need different starting points.
For one, I might see a pattern that suggests a need for blood sugar support. I would look at related markers, such as fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and triglycerides, alongside meals, movement, sleep, and stress.
For another, digestive symptoms and a white blood cell pattern may raise questions about a possible bacterial or parasitic infection. Together with the person’s history and other results, those clues may point toward a closer look at gut health and potentially stool testing.
I use these patterns to guide questions, referrals, and personalized nutrition and lifestyle support.
Similar symptoms. Different questions. Different support.
This is why the whole story matters for each client.
Want to Find the Best Place for YOU to Start?
If you’ve been doing “all the right things” and still aren’t getting where you want to go, it might be time to have someone help you look at the whole picture.
Book a complimentary Discovery Call and let’s talk about what’s going on, what you’ve already tried, and whether my gut-first approach might be a good fit for you.
This is not medical advice and not intended to treat or cure any disease or affliction. Please consult your medical professional before utilizing the techniques and tools listed above.
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