“Why does my doctor say I’m fine when I don’t feel fine?”
A thing I commonly do with clients prior to ordering lab work is to ask for any recent labs they may have run, including any blood chemistry panels. Usually, I hear, “Oh, my doctor said my blood work looks fine…which is frustrating because I don’t feel fine.”
Why does this happen?
Well…lab reference ranges are set based on the results of every person who took that test, and then adjusted to include 95% of the testing population - which leaves 5% to actually be out of range…which means 2.5% will be “high” and 2.5% will be “low”.
Why is this a problem?
Go to any busy shopping mall or street corner or anywhere you can see large crowds of people congregating or milling about…how many people look healthy to you?
Now…go look up health statistics. Disease and mortality rates. Life expectancy rates. Obesity rates. We’re not a terribly healthy population, are we?
Now…consider that the average American adult aged 19-64 takes 12 prescription drugs per year and seniors over 65 take an average of 27…drugs that are meant to keep lab values falling within a specific “healthy” range.
Now…also consider that virtually every public water system, lake, and river is contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs and over-the-counter drugs that are urinated out or carelessly discarded down the sink or toilet.
So now do you understand why your blood chemistry can look “just fine” even though you don’t feel "just fine"?
For the people in the back row…
Lab reference ranges are based on a sick, chronically-stressed, drug-addicted society. To be diagnosed with a disease, you need to be sicker than the sick people who took the test. If you’re not, then you’re told “there’s nothing wrong with you” and sent away with a mix of anger, despair, and confusion.
One of the real dangers with this model is that you may exist in a state of dis-ease for years - decades even - yet have lab work come back that says you're okay...and so you never really change any behaviors that are driving your dis-ease; you just manage your symptoms with over-the-counter or pharmaceutical drugs - which can REALLY mess things up over time.
The bio+logical solution…
I use much narrower “optimal” ranges for my clients based on what we know to actually represent optimal health, because I want to be able to identify things before you get to the “uh-oh” stage, which tends to fall right in between the “hmmm…” stage and the “Oh shit!” stage. In other words - I tolerate less and expect more in the hopes of catching something before it starts to cause dis-ease.
This is one of the many reasons why my program is vastly superior to conventional methods when it comes to helping you overcome chronic dis-ease. My methods, standards, and testing can identify trouble long before it shows up in your doctor's office.
I run conventional blood work through a blood chemistry analysis program that generates a 20+ page report designed to not only compare against the optimal ranges for a healthy person, but it also helps identify problems, patterns, probable causes, other labs and markers to correlate with, nutritional/supplemental therapies, and lifestyle interventions that can be helpful for correcting your imbalances. This report can be printed and taken to your doctor or healthcare professional for discussion when trying to get to the root of your dis-ease.
To schedule a consult and have me look over your blood chemistry, keep reading.
Blood Chemistry Analysis ~ $149
Blood chemistry analysis is included as a service for my clients enrolled in Gut Check and the Vitality Project. If you’re not quite ready to enroll in those programs but would like me to analyze your blood work, email me a copy of your most recent blood work (ideally no older than 3 months) and I’ll evaluate your results and email you back a comprehensive report and summary of the findings. This service also include a 30-minute consultation to discuss the results. When signing up for this service below, you’ll be asked to schedule the 30-minute consultation. Please allow at least a 72 hour difference between when you plan on emailing the results and the consult date. So for example, if you plan on emailing your results immediately after signing up, then make sure to schedule at least 72 hours out for the consult so I have time to prepare your report.
If you don’t have any current blood work, you can either go through your doctor to order it or you can order it yourself at the links provided below “Order Your Own Blood Chemistry”. Once you have the results, follow the instructions above to schedule a consultation. Please note that the $149 Blood Chemistry Analysis fee is for the report and 30-minute consult only. It does not include the cost of labs, nor does it include a treatment plan. I recommend ordering the labs first, and wait to receive the results before scheduling an appointment.
My email address is jason@biologicalhealthandnutrition.com
Below are some screenshots of what the report looks like.
Below is a list of recommended markers to run when ordering blood work. If you have insurance, you can ask your doctor to order ALL of these markers and hopefully, your insurance will cover the cost. If your doctor won’t (most will only order a CMP, CBC, and a Lipid Panel only, and maybe TSH for thyroid) then click on the links below under “Order Your Own Blood Chemistry Panels” to order them yourself online.
It’s very important to note that if you have thyroid issues, you MUST order a full thyroid panel in order to properly evaluate thyroid function. Most doctors will only order TSH, which tells you very little. If you are ordering labs through your physician, make sure they order ALL the markers listed under “Full Thyroid Panel”. If they won’t, you can order them on your own below.
(Note: I don’t recommend ordering some markers through your doctor and some on your own, as the blood draws will end up being done at different times, and there are all kinds of moment-by-moment variables that can affect your blood chemistry. Because of this, it’s preferrable for your results to be reflective of the same moment in time in order to be able to accurately correlate the findings. I also don’t recommend serum hormone testing, and as such, I will not evaluate any other lab markers that you order on your own other than the ones listed below unless otherwise approved by me ahead of time.)
Recommended Blood Test Markers
COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL (CMP)
Glucose, Uric Acid, Creatinine, BUN, eGFR, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, CO2/Bicarbonate, Calcium, Phosphorus, Total Bilirubin, Serum Iron, ALT, AST, GGT, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), LDH, Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin total
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT PANEL (CBC)
WBC, RBC, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, Neutrophils %, Lymphocytes %, Basophils %, Eosinophils %, Monocytes %, Platelets
LIPID PANEL
Total Cholesterol, LDL HDL, VLDL, Triglycerides
FULL IRON PANEL
TIBC, UIBC, Iron Saturation, Serum Iron, Serum Ferritin
FULL THYROID PANEL (must include all of the following:)
TSH, Free T4, Total T4, Free T3, Total T3, T3 Uptake, Reverse T3, TPO Antibody, TBG Antibody,
ADDITIONAL TESTS:
Hemoglobin A1c, Insulin, Homocysteine, CRP quant and hs (Cross-reactive Protein), B12, Folate RBC, Methylmalonic Acid serum (MMA), Zinc, Copper, Ceruloplasmin, Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy, Calcitriol 1,25 di-OH Vitamin D, Magnesium RBC, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin.
Order your own blood chemistry panels here:
(Links will take you to “Blood Lab Testing System” - an online lab ordering company where you can set up a free account and order your own blood work. Please make sure to read their FAQs for more detailed instructions and information. In some cases, the lab may require that you have fasted for 12-24 hours prior to collection, so read the instructions carefully. Bio+Logical Health and Nutrition/Jason Boyd is not affiliated with Blood Lab Testing System in any way and is not responsible for any interactions or purchases with them, nor do I receive your results from them. Also, the lab may change up specific marker offerings on any of the panels at any time, so please be sure to check what is being offered against the above list to make sure you’re covered. There are many other online lab companies that provide this service as well, so feel free to use another if you like. Just make sure that all the markers listed here are covered.)
The easiest and least expensive way to order all the markers/panels is to order this Comprehensive Lab Panel (which covers the CMP 14, CBC, Full Iron, Lipid Panel, and Thyroid Complete Panels, as well as Hemoglobin A1c, Homocysteine, hsCRP, Fibrinogen Activity Factor, LDH, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy).
Other markers to be considered:
If for some reason you’d like to order panels separately, they can be found here:
The Blood Chemistry Analysis report and consultation are offered for educational purposes only, to help you understand the meaning of your blood chemistry test results. Bio + Logical Health and Nutrition/Jason Boyd will not use them to diagnose you or treat you specifically for disease, nor will any specific treatment plans be given - so please do not ask. The information provided here or in any consult is not to be construed as medical advice.