UNLOCKING YOUR HEALTH

This guide is for women who feel unheard or dismissed.

Let’s turn confusion into clarity and frustration into empowerment… together.

I've spent years trying to chase my own health and advocate for the right tests. Not all practitioners understand why a full thyroid panel, for example, is so crucial in getting to the root of imbalances and autoimmune conditions. This guide exists because I believe every woman deserves the opportunity to understand her body, advocate for herself, and make informed decisions about her health.

Understanding lab results is one of the most powerful tools for taking control of your health. Too often, we’re told everything looks “normal” without context. But what if “normal” isn’t optimal? Holistic health emphasizes catching imbalances early, interpreting results with a focus on vibrant wellness rather than just the absence of disease. Learning to interpret my labs became a necessity when vague symptoms like fatigue and brain fog were dismissed, only to find answers through comprehensive testing.

This guide is for women who feel unheard or dismissed. Each test has been chosen to offer insights into key aspects of health: inflammation, cardiovascular risk, nutrients, and hormones. Armed with this knowledge, you can have more productive conversations with providers, make informed choices, and feel confident in your wellness journey. Let’s turn confusion into clarity and frustration into empowerment… together.

I began requesting my own labs a few years ago after having a few practitioners fight me on getting specific things done. For instance, I often encountered resistance when asking for a full thyroid panel instead of just a TSH test. A full thyroid panel is essential for understanding the root causes of imbalances and identifying autoimmune conditions, yet it’s frequently overlooked in traditional medical settings. This experience taught me the importance of advocating for my health and seeking practitioners who value a comprehensive approach. By learning to interpret my own lab results, I was able to uncover underlying issues and take proactive steps toward healing and wellness.

You may have an amazing practitioner who listens and helps you in this area — or you may be struggling with an autoimmune condition and find out your practitioner isn’t even drawing the necessary labs to monitor this consistently.

I found Ulta Labs to be a great place to hunt down different lab tests (and they have tonsss of bundles to save a lot of $$ in the process). You may also find that your insurance will cover this, so feel free to do some digging.

I simply go online, search for the tests I want done, and check out — then I click the link to schedule my blood draw at a local lab (like Labcorp or Quest) and head in for my own appointment. For example — this Sunday I ordered some labs and scheduled the draw for right after school dropoff Tuesday. I was there for all of 10 minutes and it was done. Now I just wait for the email notification that my labs are ready and I can log in to check them out. I promise — it’s way more simple than you think.

Below you’ll find the three bundled labs I typically request. There are MANY additional options in lab configurations, but I’ll break these down and show you optimal results for the ones I selected.

TEST: Advanced Cardiovascular Health - Basic

**personal opinion: regardless of other panels being drawn, always make sure to run a CBC and CMP. These comprehensive tests are crucial and provide a broad overview of overall health, revealing vital information about blood cell counts, organ function, electrolyte balance, and metabolic status, which can help identify underlying issues or guide further testing. I pulled this bundle because it included those tests with the Lipid panels I also wanted to run for baseline numbers.

Apolipoprotein A1 + B (#7018)

  • Purpose: Measures levels of Apolipoprotein A1 (associated with HDL cholesterol) and Apolipoprotein B (associated with LDL cholesterol). These proteins provide a clearer picture of cardiovascular risk than a standard lipid panel.

  • Normal Ranges:

    • Apo A1: 120-180 mg/dL

    • Apo B: 50-100 mg/dL

    • Apo B/A1 Ratio: Ideally < 0.6

  • Considerations:

    • Low Apo A1 may indicate poor HDL functionality, linked to inflammation or oxidative stress.

    • High Apo B suggests increased cardiovascular risk, often due to poor diet or metabolic dysfunction.

CBC (Complete Blood Count) (#6399)

  • Purpose: Assesses overall health by measuring red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets.

  • Key Components and Ranges:

    • WBC (White Blood Cell Count): 4.0-7.0 × 10^3/µL (lower range indicates reduced inflammation without immune suppression).

    • Hemoglobin: 13.5-15.5 g/dL for women, 14.0-17.0 g/dL for men (optimal oxygen transport).

    • Platelets: 150-350 × 10^3/µL.

  • Considerations: Persistent deviations may indicate underlying inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, or immune challenges.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) (#10231)

  • Purpose: Measures blood sugar, kidney function, liver enzymes, and electrolyte balance.

  • Holistic Optimal Ranges:

    • Glucose (Fasting): 75-85 mg/dL.

    • BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen): 10-15 mg/dL.

    • Creatinine: 0.6-1.1 mg/dL.

    • AST/ALT (Liver Enzymes): < 25 U/L (higher values may indicate inflammation or toxicity).

  • Considerations: Prioritize hydration, balanced nutrition, and toxin elimination if abnormalities are present.

hs-CRP (#10124)

  • Purpose: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein detects low-grade inflammation.

  • Holistic Optimal Range: < 0.5 mg/L (lower is better).

  • Considerations: Elevated levels may signal chronic inflammation linked to lifestyle, diet, or environmental exposures.

Lipoprotein Fractionation, Ion Mobility, Cardio IQ™ (#91604)

  • Purpose: Provides advanced LDL and HDL particle analysis for cardiovascular risk assessment.

  • Holistic Optimal Ranges:

    • Large, buoyant LDL: Higher levels preferred.

    • Small, dense LDL: Minimal levels preferred.

    • Large HDL: Higher levels preferred.

  • Considerations: Focus on reducing small LDL through healthy fats, low sugar intake, and anti-inflammatory practices.

Lipid Panel with Ratios (#19543)

  • Purpose: Measures total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.

  • Holistic Optimal Ranges:

    • Total Cholesterol: 150-200 mg/dL.

    • LDL: 50-100 mg/dL.

    • HDL: > 60 mg/dL.

    • Triglycerides: < 80 mg/dL.

  • Considerations: Aim for a Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio < 3.0 for optimal cardiovascular health.

TEST: Thyroid Health - Advanced Lab Panel

**personal opinion: Many practitioners rely solely on TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) to assess thyroid health, but this provides only a small piece of the puzzle. TSH reflects communication between your brain and thyroid but doesn’t reveal how well your thyroid is producing hormones or how your body is using them. A comprehensive thyroid panel, including Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies, offers a deeper understanding of your thyroid's overall function. This broader view can uncover imbalances like low hormone production, poor hormone conversion, or autoimmune activity that may be contributing to symptoms like fatigue, weight changes, or mood shifts. Testing more thoroughly ensures we address the root cause of your health concerns, not just the surface symptoms.

TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
Purpose: TSH measures the pituitary gland's signal to the thyroid to produce hormones, indicating overall thyroid function and efficiency.
Optimal Range: 0.5–2.0 mIU/L (lower end of the range preferred for optimal function).

Free T3 (Triiodothyronine)
Purpose: Free T3 reflects the active thyroid hormone available for cellular energy production and metabolism, directly impacting energy and well-being.
Optimal Range: 3.5–4.5 pg/mL.

Free T4 (Thyroxine)
Purpose: Free T4 measures the inactive thyroid hormone available for conversion to T3, serving as a reserve for metabolic needs.
Optimal Range: 1.1–1.8 ng/dL.

Reverse T3 (RT3)
Purpose: Reverse T3 is a metabolically inactive form of T3 that can block the action of Free T3, often rising in response to stress or illness.
Optimal Range: 10–15 ng/dL.

Reverse T3/Free T3 Ratio
Purpose: This ratio assesses the balance of active to inactive thyroid hormones, offering insight into whether Free T3 is effectively utilized or blocked.
Optimal Ratio: Below 10:1 (calculated as Free T3 ÷ Reverse T3).

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO-Ab)
Purpose: TPO antibodies indicate an immune attack on the enzyme essential for thyroid hormone production, often associated with autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto's.
Optimal Range: < 9 IU/mL (undetectable or very low levels are ideal).

Thyroglobulin Antibodies (Tg-Ab)
Purpose: Tg antibodies reflect immune activity against thyroglobulin, a protein crucial for thyroid hormone storage, commonly linked to thyroid autoimmunity.
Optimal Range: < 4 IU/mL (undetectable or very low levels are optimal).

TEST: Vitamins & Minerals - Basic Plus

**personal opinion: Mineral balance is foundational for hormone production and regulation because minerals act as cofactors for nearly every enzymatic process in the body, including those involved in hormone synthesis, activation, and detoxification.

For example, magnesium is essential for converting inactive thyroid hormones into their active forms, while zinc and copper are critical for maintaining the balance of reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Iron supports oxygen transport to hormone-producing glands, and vitamin D plays a pivotal role in hormone receptor sensitivity.

Imbalances in one mineral often disrupt others, leading to a cascade of hormonal dysfunction. A comprehensive mineral panel provides insights into your body’s current state, helping to identify deficiencies or excesses that could be contributing to hormonal imbalances.

Magnesium

What it Indicates: Magnesium is crucial for over 300 enzymatic processes, including hormone production, detoxification, and stress management. Deficiency can disrupt progesterone production and increase estrogen dominance.
Healthy Levels: 2.3–2.7 mg/dL (holistic standard; traditional labs often use 1.8–2.4).
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Prioritize magnesium-rich foods: leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and cacao.

  • Use magnesium glycinate or magnesium malate supplements as needed for gentle absorption.

Prealbumin

What it Indicates: Prealbumin is a marker of protein and nutrient status. Low levels can reflect poor dietary intake or chronic stress affecting digestion and absorption.
Healthy Levels: 18–30 mg/dL.
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Ensure adequate protein intake from clean sources like pastured poultry, eggs, and fish.

  • Address gut health to improve nutrient assimilation.

QuestAssureD™ 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (D2, D3)

What it Indicates: Measures vitamin D levels critical for hormone regulation, immune health, and bone strength. Low levels impair calcium and magnesium balance.
Healthy Levels: 50–80 ng/mL (optimal for hormone health and inflammation reduction).
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Spend 20 minutes in sunlight daily and consider a high-quality D3/K2 supplement (K2 is essential for proper calcium distribution).

  • Pair vitamin D intake with magnesium for better utilization.

Transferrin

What it Indicates: Transferrin is a protein that binds and transports iron in the blood. Low levels may indicate poor protein synthesis or liver dysfunction, while high levels often suggest iron deficiency.
Healthy Levels: 200–330 mg/dL.
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Support liver health through dandelion, milk thistle, and avoiding processed foods.

  • Balance with iron-rich foods and cofactors like copper.

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

What it Indicates: Essential for energy production, neurological health, and hormone synthesis. Low levels can mimic hypothyroid symptoms and contribute to fatigue and poor metabolism.
Healthy Levels: 500–1,000 pg/mL (holistic; traditional labs may use 200 as the minimum).
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Prioritize B12 from animal-based foods like liver, eggs, and wild-caught fish.

  • Use sublingual methylcobalamin B12 supplements if needed.

Ferritin

What it Indicates: Ferritin is a measure of your body’s iron storage. Low ferritin can indicate iron deficiency, leading to fatigue, hair loss, and poor energy. High ferritin may suggest inflammation or oxidative stress.
Healthy Levels: 50–90 ng/mL (holistic standard; traditional ranges may consider lower levels acceptable).
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Low levels: Increase dietary iron through grass-fed red meat, liver, dark leafy greens (with vitamin C for absorption). Avoid iron supplements unless guided, as they can exacerbate inflammation.

  • High levels: Focus on reducing inflammation and oxidative stress by increasing magnesium, whole food vitamin C, and reducing processed food intake.

Folate (Serum)

What it Indicates: Folate, a B vitamin, is essential for DNA synthesis and cell repair. Deficiency can contribute to hormone imbalances and poor methylation, affecting estrogen detoxification.
Healthy Levels: 15–20 ng/mL (holistic range; traditional labs may use lower minimums).
Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Low levels: Consume folate-rich foods like leafy greens, asparagus, avocados, and lentils. Opt for food-based folate rather than synthetic folic acid found in supplements.

  • High levels: Could indicate unmetabolized folic acid from synthetic sources; avoid fortified foods and prioritize whole foods.

**NOTE: Folate and folic acid are often confused, but they are not the same. Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in whole foods like leafy greens, while folic acid is a synthetic version found in fortified foods and many supplements. For individuals with MTHFR gene mutations, their ability to methylate—or activate—B vitamins is impaired, meaning they cannot efficiently convert folic acid into its usable form, methylfolate. This can lead to an accumulation of unmetabolized folic acid, which may interfere with natural folate absorption and contribute to health issues. Choosing methylated B vitamins or natural folate sources supports proper methylation and avoids these complications and is generally recommended whether you have an MTHFR mutation or not.

Iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)

What it Indicates: Iron levels show circulating iron, while TIBC reflects the body’s capacity to transport it. Elevated TIBC often points to iron deficiency, while low TIBC may signal excess iron or poor liver function.
Healthy Levels:

  • Iron: 70–120 µg/dL.

  • TIBC: 250–370 µg/dL.
    Suggestions for Improvement:

  • Balance iron with cofactors like copper and magnesium to improve utilization. Avoid iron supplementation unless directed by a practitioner.

  • Focus on foods rich in bioavailable iron (heme sources) and pair with vitamin C to enhance absorption.

An additional note on minerals and supplementation:

When it comes to maintaining mineral balance, standalone mineral supplements, like zinc alone, can disrupt the delicate interplay between essential nutrients, leading to imbalances in other minerals like copper, magnesium, or iron. Minerals work synergistically in the body, and supplementing one without considering the others can create unintended deficiencies or excesses.

This is why I recommend Young Living's Mineral Essence, a balanced, bioavailable blend of essential minerals. This comprehensive formula ensures that minerals are absorbed and utilized in harmony, supporting overall wellness and minimizing the risk of disruptions in the body’s natural mineral balance. It’s an excellent way to nourish your body holistically without the risks associated with isolated supplementation.

If you simply want to browse and check out other lab tests, you can do so here: