Is Your Wellness Plan Actually Working? Here’s How to Know.

You eat clean, move your body, prioritize sleep, and feel good most days. So… does that mean your health is thriving?

Not always.

The truth is, how you feel is super important—but it’s only part of the story. Symptoms are a later manifestation of what’s going on inside your body. What’s happening beneath the surface is also important to know and can help guide your future direction.

That’s where lab testing comes in.

Why Testing Matters

When I see patients, it’s important to know what people are experiencing and what they wish to address. In fact, with every new patient, I always ask what they wish to get out of the visit. This helps guide and personalize the care they receive. A comprehensive review of systems helps us get a full picture of what might be going on:

• How is your energy throughout the day?

• Are you sleeping well?

• What about your focus, digestion, and mood?

• Do you experience joint aches, brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue after exercise, or any other symptoms?

All of these are clues. But then I go deeper. Because even when someone is eating well and taking care of themselves, they may still have subtle imbalances that are holding them back.

The truth is: we’re all different. Our bodies process nutrients, toxins, stress, and inflammation in very different ways. Personalized medicine is important here.

The Core Labs to Check:

To truly understand how your body is functioning—and to optimize your health in both the short and long term—here are some foundational labs I recommend:

1. Basic labs

• Comprehensive metabolic panel – this gives the function of the liver, kidney, electrolytes, protein and albumin levels

• CBC – complete blood count – look for anemia, platelets, white blood cell distribution and others.

2. Nutrient Panel

Are you eating a diverse enough diet to get all the macro and micronutrients you need?  And if you are, are you absorbing the nutrients you’re eating? Also, not all food is as nutrient dense as it used to be. Here are some key vitamins and minerals I often check:

• B12 and homocysteine – look at both amount of B12 and functionality (is the B12 effective at working as a co-factor to break down homocysteine?)

• Magnesium

• Zinc

• Iron

• Vitamin D

• Iodine

• Selenium

• Omega-3 fatty acids

3. Inflammatory Markers

Chronic, low-grade inflammation is often silent—but it’s a major driver of chronic disease. I often include:

• High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP)

• ESR

• Uric acid

• Ferritin (an iron marker that can also signal inflammation or oxidative stress)

• Autoimmune panels if indicated

4. Advanced Cardiovascular Labs

It’s important to beyond standard cholesterol testing.

• ApoB

• Lipoprotein (a)

• LDL particle size and number

• Lp-PLA2, oxidized LDL, among others

• In addition to total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, TGLs

• Genetic testing, when indicated

5. Hormone Health

Hormonal balance affects everything from metabolism to mood to ability to focus and maintain healthy weight and sexual health. Important hormones to check:

• Thyroid panel

• Insulin

• Cortisol

• Estrogen

• Progesterone

• Testosterone

6. Metabolic Markers

These give insight into how your body processes glucose and responds to insulin—long before disease shows up. 

• Fasting glucose

• Insulin

• Hemoglobin A1c

7. Other labs to consider if needed

• Genetic testing

• Microbiome panels

• Heavy metals and toxin levels

Personalized, Not One Size Fits All

Even two people on identical diets can have dramatically different results. Why? Because our microbiomes differ.Our detox pathways and liver enzyme activity vary. Our inflammatory

responses are different.And our ability to utilize nutrients isn’t the same.

That’s why personalization matters. You could be doing all the right things—eating well, exercising, sleeping 7 hours, managing stress—and still be missing something essential.

The Bottom Line

Feeling good is a great sign. But if you want to optimize your health—not just coast—go deeper.

Test, don’t guess. Understand your own physiology. Use that knowledge to personalize your plan. Correct abnormalities and fix imbalances, before they become anything more significant. This is where it gets fun, and we figure out what each person needs to thrive. That’s the path to long-lasting, resilient health. And it’s a lifelong enjoyable ride!

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