Blood Tests to Get Before Your Appointment
The Blood Tests You Should Get Before Your First Appointment (And Why They Matter for Your Health)
Have you ever wondered what’s really happening inside your body? You might feel not quite right, your blood tests are all ‘perfectly normal’, but you know that something is off-balance— the good news is there is something you can do to turn things around without having to wait for things to turn into a bigger issue. And, those ‘perfectly normal’ blood tests often reveal the clues to what is wrong, when we look at them through a lens of optimal health, rather than simply the medical absence-of-disease model of healthcare.
If you’re considering working with me—or even if you just want to get clarity on your health—there are a few essential blood tests that can reveal exactly what’s going on beneath the surface.
Getting the right blood work done before your first appointment means we can skip the guesswork and get straight into the solutions that will help you feel better, faster.
Start With These Key Blood Tests
1. Full Blood Count (FBC) – Your Body’s Red Flags
Your blood carries oxygen, fights infection, and keeps you energized. An FBC can reveal:
✔️ Signs of anemia that could be behind your fatigue
✔️ Hidden infections that may be draining your energy
✔️ Immune dysfunction that could be making you more prone to illness
If you’ve been feeling tired for no clear reason, this test alone could change everything.
➡️ Once we have your results, we can map out a plan to get your energy back on track.
2. Liver Function Tests (LFTs) – Your Body’s Detox System
Your liver isn’t just about alcohol processing—it’s responsible for hormone balance, digestion, and metabolism too.
✔️ Struggling with bloating, hormonal imbalances, or skin breakouts? Your liver might be overburdened.
✔️ Unexplained fatigue, nausea, or sluggish digestion? We need to check how well your liver is functioning.
➡️ If your liver is struggling, we’ll create a targeted plan to support it.
3. Electrolytes and Urea – Hydration, Energy, and Kidney Health
✔️ Brain fog? Fatigue? Muscle cramps? These could all be signs of an imbalance in your electrolytes.
✔️ Kidney function is key to preventing long-term health issues. If something’s off, we’ll catch it early.
➡️ With the right adjustments, you can feel sharper, more focused, and more energized.
4. B12 & Folate – The Silent Energy Killers
✔️ Feeling exhausted, foggy, or low in mood? You could be low in B12 or folate.
✔️ Even if your levels are "normal," they might not be optimal. Many people are running on empty without realizing it.
➡️ If this is what’s holding you back, we’ll fix it—and you’ll feel the difference fast.
5. Iron Studies – Because Fatigue Isn’t Normal
✔️ Are you constantly tired, even after a full night's sleep?
✔️ Feeling breathless, cold, or dealing with hair loss?
➡️ Iron deficiency can be life-changing when corrected. We’ll pinpoint what’s happening and create a plan that works for you.
6. Thyroid Function & Antibodies – The Hidden Hormone Problem
✔️ Struggling with weight changes, mood swings, or hair thinning?
✔️ Thyroid issues are often missed on standard tests.
TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
Free T4 & Free T3 (active thyroid hormones)
TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody)
TG (Thyroglobulin Antibody)
If you experience weight changes, fatigue, hair thinning, or mood shifts, this test can reveal whether your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism).
➡️ We go deeper—because getting this right could completely transform your energy, metabolism, and mood.
7. Hormone Testing for Women
For women, hormone levels fluctuate throughout the cycle, so timing is crucial:
Day 3 of the Menstrual Cycle (Early Follicular Phase)
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) – Assesses ovarian function and fertility.
LH (Luteinizing Hormone) – Helps evaluate ovulation and hormone balance.
DHEA & SHBG (Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin) – Give insight into androgen balance.
Estrogen & Testosterone – Help assess estrogen dominance or androgen excess (e.g., PCOS).
Day 21 of the Menstrual Cycle (or 7 Days After Ovulation)
Progesterone – Confirms whether ovulation has occurred and evaluates luteal phase health.
8. Hormone Testing for Men
Hormonal imbalances in men can affect energy, muscle mass, libido, and overall well-being. Key tests include:
FSH & LH – Assess testicular function and sperm production.
SHBG – Regulates free testosterone levels.
Estrogen & Testosterone – Crucial for libido, energy, and muscle health.
9. Inflammatory Markers
If you have joint pain, unexplained fatigue, or persistent health issues, checking inflammation levels can provide insight.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) – Indicates systemic inflammation and can signal infections, autoimmune conditions, or chronic disease risk.
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) – Another measure of inflammation in the body.
10. Lipid Profile
Total Cholesterol
LDL-C ("bad" cholesterol)
HDL-C ("good" cholesterol")
Triglycerides (probably the most important marker on the lipid panel)
LDL is not really the ‘bad guy’ and HDL is not really the ‘good guy’, but over the years they have developed these reputations. There is debate around what the ideal ratio of LDL-C to HDL-C should be, and even what the acceptable thresholds are for cholesterol. I sit firmly in the middle ground, clinical data from my patients, and evidence from studies suggests that lower is not necessarily better when it comes to cholesterol. However - high cholesterol is not desirable either, it is usually a marker of something else going wrong in the body.
I hear people say all the time that their high cholesterol is genetic, they inherited it from their parents. Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that makes you prone to potentially very high cholesterol levels, and will cause high cholesterol in childhood (ie below the age of 10 a child with FH will show elevated cholesterol). However, high cholesterol is very common in today’s society - and just because your parents had high cholesterol - it doesn’t mean that YOUR high cholesterol is genetic and inherited from them and that you have FH. Your high cholesterol is far more likely to be caused by the same lifestyle and dietary influences as the vast majority of our population, it is more likely that you’re part of the population dealing with a tsunami of high cholesterol diagnosis that is driven by a diet containing processed foods, insulin resistance, lack of exercise, chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances.
11. Autoimmune Marker
ANA - This test screens for autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions. If you experience joint pain, skin rashes, or chronic fatigue, it’s worth testing.
What Happens Next?
If you’re ready to get clarity on your health, here’s what I recommend:
1️⃣ Book a consultation with me today so we can go over your results, and determine if further testing may be warranted.
2️⃣ Get your blood work done—Use this as a general guide on what to request if you don’t already have recent bloodwork from your GP or other health providers you might be seeing.
3️⃣ We’ll analyze your results together and create a custom plan based on your unique needs.
Most people wait until they feel really bad before they take action—but you don’t have to. The best time to figure out what’s happening in your body is now—before symptoms become bigger problems.
✅ Your health is your foundation. If something feels "off," let's find out why.
Click here to book your consult now, and let’s get started.
Why Book With Me?
💙 You deserve personalized care. No more guesswork, no more generic advice—you’ll get a plan that’s tailored specifically to you.
💡 I specialize in getting to the root cause. If you’ve been feeling "off" but haven’t found answers yet, we’ll uncover what’s going on.
🚀 This is about more than just lab results. It’s about transforming how you feel—every single day.