When Labs Say You’re Fine—But You Don’t Feel Fine
I get asked about labs and bloodwork all the time:
“Is the bloodwork my doctor does enough?”
“They said my labs look fine, but I don’t feel fine! Why???”
“Is bloodwork actually going to help, or is it a waste of time and money?”
These are questions I hear from clients, Instagram followers, and friends—and they are all valid.
Most people are frustrated because their doctor tells them their labs look “normal” when they feel anything but fine. This is usually because most doctors use conventional lab ranges and look at labs in isolation. At Loving Health, we focus on functional or optimal lab ranges and looking at the body as a whole, functioning system.
Conventional vs. Functional Lab Ranges
Conventional lab ranges are based on the average results of the population using that lab. They reflect what is common, not necessarily what is optimal, and are designed to detect established disease.
Functional lab ranges are narrower, “optimal wellness” ranges based on research, clinical data, and patterns in healthy populations. They help spot early imbalances before disease develops and focus on supporting energy, digestion, mood, hormones, and resilience.
Functional ranges are determined by:
Reviewing studies on healthy physiology
Analyzing clinical data from people with strong metabolic, hormonal, and immune function
Observing client outcomes and repeat testing
Identifying where the body functions most efficiently
Why Labs Alone Don’t Tell the Full Story
Labs are only as helpful as the interpretation behind them. Patterns and context matter more than single numbers. That’s why so many people feel frustrated with “normal” lab results—they’re missing the bigger picture.
Introducing the Loving Health Lab Analyzer -
While my clients can upload labs to their profiles and have access to my thoughts on them, I was often asked via DMs, emails, or friends to “just take a quick look” at their results. Unfortunately, I can’t do that personally for everyone.
That’s why I created the Loving Health Lab Analyzer. It allows anyone—client or not—to interpret labs through my lens using functional ranges. You’ll get insights and education without paying for a full 1:1 consultation. I recommend using it only if your labs are from the last month, so results are accurate and actionable.
I can hear it now…“Pey, that’s great! Since I don’t have labs, what labs should I get?!”
The Top 5 Labs I Recommend:
1. CBC (Complete Blood Count)
A CBC shows oxygen delivery, immune activity, and inflammation. It looks at red and white blood cells and platelets—often revealing patterns related to fatigue, stress, or frequent illness before anything is flagged as abnormal.
2. CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel)
A CMP evaluates blood sugar trends, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function. It provides context for hydration, mineral balance, detox pathways, and overall metabolic stress.
3. Full Thyroid Panel
A conventional thyroid panel often only includes TSH and T4—but a full functional panel adds Free T3, Free T4, Total T3, Total T4, TPO antibodies, and sometimes Reverse T3 and Thyroglobulin antibodies. This helps reveal thyroid signaling, hormone conversion, and immune involvement—important for fatigue, mood, hormones, temperature regulation, and metabolism.
4. Free Copper Percentage
Calculated from serum copper and ceruloplasmin, often with zinc included to assess the zinc-to-copper ratio. This helps determine how much copper is unbound and potentially contributing to oxidative stress. Imbalances can affect nervous system function, sleep, mood, and hormone balance.
5. Ferritin (or Full Monty Panel, if budget allows)
Ferritin reflects iron storage and is critical for energy, immune resilience, and thyroid support. A full iron panel (“Full Monty”) adds context by assessing iron transport and availability—not just storage—helping explain fatigue, hair loss, or shortness of breath.
You can ask your healthcare provider to order these labs, or use a direct-access service like Ulta Labs. Ulta Labs is generally the most cost-effective of the services my team uses (Fullscript, Evexia, or labs ordered from other providers). And the best part—you don’t need a practitioner to order them! You can do the whole process on your own.
Labs aren’t just numbers—they tell a story when viewed together. Learning to see patterns rather than focusing on isolated results can turn labs into a powerful tool instead of a source of frustration.
That’s why I created the Loving Health Lab Analyzer: to give clear, educational insight into your labs so you can understand what your body may be communicating.
If you ever have any questions, just contact our team via the Contact Us page or email support@lovinghealthfm.com.
Pey
Lead Practitioner
Loving Health LLC
