10/02/2025
5 Labs to optimize for your health
A lot of women come to me asking about running a DUTCH testābut before diving into specialty hormone testing, there are a handful of baseline labs (usually covered by insurance) that give us so much insight into hormone health and overall well-being.
Donāt get me wrong I love a DUTCH test but girl letās set the foundation first!
Hereās the key: Iām talking about optimal ranges, not just āin range.ā You can have labs that arenāt technically flagged as abnormal but still arenāt supporting you in feeling your best.
Here are my top 5:
Fasting Insulin
This number often creeps up years before fasting glucose or HbA1c shift. As hormones change with age, blood sugar balance gets trickier. ā
Optimal: under 10
hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)
A marker of systemic inflammation. If itās above 1, it can throw a wrench in your hormones, energy, and metabolism. ā
Optimal: under 1
Ferritin
Your iron storage. Too low = fatigue, hair loss, heavy periods; too high = oxidative stress. ā
Optimal: 70-100
Free T3
This is your active thyroid hormoneācritical for metabolism, energy, and menstrual cycle regularity. Donāt just check TSH! ā
Optimal: 3-4 pg/mL
Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports hormone signaling and immune balance. ā
Optimal: 60-80
Bonus: Liver Enzymes (ALT/AST)
Your liver (via ALT/AST) is what clears and metabolizes hormonesāif itās sluggish, hormone balance will be too.
Before diving into advanced testing, check these foundations. Most of us will find room for improvement here and optimizing them can make a huge difference in how we feel.
