What Labs Should I Ask My Doctor For? Basic Blood Work (& Beyond) | Ep 386

Nov 18, 2025

Explore the often-overlooked insights of routine blood work and why 'normal' results can miss vital health clues. Learn about key lab markers like fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1c that reveal early signs of metabolic dysfunction. Discover the importance of testing for thyroid antibodies to catch issues like Hashimoto’s well in advance. Erin dives into the significance of GGT for assessing oxidative stress and the role of nutrient tests like vitamin D and ferritin in evaluating overall wellness.

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INSIGHT

Functional Vs. Conventional Lab Ranges

Traditional lab reference ranges often indicate disease vs. normal, not optimal health.
A functional lens uses tighter ranges to screen for early imbalances before disease.

ANECDOTE

Mother's Annual Checkup Example

Erin recounts advising her mother about routine annual labs and what's missing.
She used that example to explain why a CMP/CBC/lipid/TSH order is insufficient.

ADVICE

Ask For More Than The Baseline

Ask for more than the CMP and CBC at annual checkups if you want preventive insight.
Screen for patterns of imbalance, not only for disease, to intervene earlier.

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Most people walk out of their routine doctor’s appointments with “normal” labs and zero clarity about why they’re tired, inflamed, or not feeling like themselves. In this episode, Erin breaks down what your CMP, CBC, and lipid panel actually measure, and why routine bloodwork often misses the early signs of metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, thyroid issues, and nutrient depletion.

So what are the best add-on markers to ask for that will give you a genuinely comprehensive picture of your health? From fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1c, to thyroid antibodies, ANA, HS-CRP, ferritin, vitamin D, and GGT, Erin provides critical context about each of these – and how each one uncovers clues your doctor’s standard panel never will.

P.S. Download our FREE bloodwork checklist for the exact labs Erin recommends in this episode.

In this episode:

Why “normal” blood work doesn’t always mean “optimal,” and how functional ranges reveal imbalances years before disease
The must-have trio for evaluating metabolic health beyond fasting glucose: insulin, hemoglobin A1c, and uric acid
The #1 liver marker missing from most CMPs and how it reflects toxin load, oxidative stress, and glutathione depletion
Why TSH alone is an incomplete thyroid screen, and how thyroid antibodies can detect Hashimoto’s years earlier
How markers like ANA, ferritin, HS-CRP, and RBC magnesium work together to uncover hidden inflammation and autoimmune activity

Resources mentioned:

FREE GUIDE: The 19 Blood Tests You Should Ask For

Apply to work with us 1:1 here!

Episode 212: A Functional Medicine Approach to Labs

FOR OUR FULL LIST OF LINKS + RESOURCES, HEAD TO:

https://www.thefunktionalnutritionist.com/podcast/386-bloodwork-labs

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