Getting routine blood work is a must if you want to understand more about your body and the symptoms you are experiencing. It can also uncover issues you might not even know your body is experiencing – hello high cholesterol! It can be confusing to know what to actually test, so today’s post will give you clear guidance on the most important blood work to get done.

As we’ve been working with more clients to balance their blood sugar with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), we’ve had them test certain metrics at the start of working together and 3 months later. It’s incredible to see the improvements – better hemoglobin A1C levels (a marker of blood sugar over the long term), improved cholesterol levels, reduced risk of heart disease, and even improved thyroid markers. (More on cholesterol testing here)

One of the most important reminders I’ll give you today is to get a copy of your blood work! Many of the ‘normal’ ranges for blood markers are not the ‘optimal’ range, so it’s nice to get a second opinion in case it’s not flagged by your GP.

Here are the most important blood markers to get tested through blood work:

Hemoglobin A1C

This is a measure of your average blood glucose levels over 3 months. A number over 5.7 indicates prediabetes and over 6.5 is considered diabetic. From an optimal perspective, we want your HbA1C to actually be below 5.3, but many people notice huge improvements in their symptoms (weight, cravings, heart health) as they get below 5.6.

Healthy Range: <5.6

Associated Symptoms with High HbA1C:

• Prediabetes, Type II diabetes or gestational diabetes. 
• Weight gain
• Poor sleep
• Fluctuating mood
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Other diabetic symptoms like dry mouth, blurred vision, nausea, lightheadedness, increased thirst

We’ve been helping clients balance their blood sugar and bring their HbA1C into the optimal range through our proven, 3-step program. You can book a time to connect here to learn more about our Balance Your Blood Sugar Program.

Ferritin

Testing ferritin is especially important for females as they are at a higher risk of iron deficiency. Ferritin is a protein inside your cells that stores iron, so measuring it indicates your iron levels. 

Healthy Range: This is a sticky point for me because the ‘normal’ range as shown on your bloodwork may not be the range that you feel your best. You can read more about my experience testing my iron here.

Associated Symptoms with Low Ferritin: You can read more about this in depth here, but the most common symptoms are:

• Fatigue
• Hair falling out
• Feeling cold
• Restless leg syndrome
• Impaired immune function

If you’re someone who has taken an iron supplement before, and it’s wreaked havoc on your stomach, I encourage you to try Ferapro from Pure Pharmacy (multiple locations in BC or ships Canada wide). I have yet to have a client on this that has had digestive problems from it, which is a win!!

Vitamin B12 

Those most at risk of a B12 deficiency are vegans and vegetarians and those with digestive issues as they may not be absorbing the B12 they’re consuming. 

Healthy Range:

The normal range in Canada is considered 153-655 pmol/L, with <220 making it unlikely to have a deficiency. In other places like Japan and the UK, doctors flag a range below 500 as possibly deficient.

Associated Symptoms with Low B12:

• Numbness or tingling in hands, legs and feet
• Anemia
• Difficulty thinking, confusion or memory loss
• Fatigue / weakness
• Anxiety or depression

Vitamin D

We could dedicate an entire post to Vitamin D, and you can read a more in-depth post here, but Vitamin D is critical for immune health, bone health and mood, to name a few!

Healthy Range:

The normal range is 75.0-250.0 nmol/L, but optimal is considered 100-150nmol/L.

Associated Symptoms with Low Vitamin D:

• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Mental health challenges like depression
• Frequent colds and flus
• Osteoporosis
• Fatigue

CRP (C-Reactive Protein)

C Reactive Protein or CRP is a marker for inflammation in the body. If this comes back high, it’s often a sign to investigate further what is going on. It could be elevated due to a simple infection or injury, or something more serious like a chronic condition. 

Healthy Range:

Less than 3 is considered a healthy range, with 10 or more being moderately elevated.

Associated Symptoms with High CRP:

• Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
• Flu or cold (CRP will just be temporarily elevated)
• IBD and other digestive concerns
• Possible cancers
• Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune diseases

Thyroid Markers (TSH, T3, T4 and Thyroid Antibodies - TPOAb and/or TgAb)

I’ve listed all of the thyroid markers here, but it is pretty tough to get anything other than TSH tested through your doctor unless your TSH number comes back WAY off. To get all of the markers, you will need to test privately (we can do that for you or an ND can too).

Healthy Range:

Similar to ferritin above, there is a significant difference between normal and optimal range for your TSH. In fact, normal TSH will often be between 0.5-4.5, while the optimal range is actually between 1-2, with many people experiencing significant hypothyroid symptoms with TSH above 2.

Some of the Associated Symptoms with High TSH:

• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight-gain
• Poor sleep
• Hair-loss
• Constipation

Testing thyroid health is my go-to when it feels like we’ve done everything else. It’s often that missing piece of the weight, energy or vitality puzzle and with the right treatment, we can often bring it back into the normal range, naturally.

Other tests that can also be helpful to get for heart health include a lipid panel and triglycerides too.

To close off, remember to get a copy of your bloodwork so that you can get a second opinion if you are told ‘everything looks normal’. You know your body best, and the chances are that if you’re experiencing certain symptoms, there is an explanation for it.