Blood Labs & Testing

11 curated episodes

58 min · Dec 2025 · #288

Women’s Hormones Explained: Energy, Mood, PMS, and Why “Normal” Labs Miss the Problem

Dr. Anjali D'Souza — District Center for Integrative Medicine; Integrative & functional medicine physician

PMS, fatigue, and brain fog are data — not noise. Why standard hormone panels miss functional problems, what progesterone and estrogen do day-to-day, and which labs matter.

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105 min · Dec 2025 · #287

Male hormones and men's health

Dr. Jesse Mills — UCLA Men's Clinic; Director

Testosterone isn't just about libido. How to tell reversible low-T from real deficiency, why lifestyle changes often work before prescriptions, and what labs can mislead.

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70 min · Nov 2025 · #286

Understanding electrolytes: Decoding blood & urine tests and focusing on the right things

Dr. Rich Joseph — VIM Medicine / Restore Hyper Wellness; Internal medicine physician & CMO; Stanford School of Medicine

CBC, electrolytes, and urinalysis decoded as feedback loops. What MCV reveals about iron vs. B12, what white cell trends tell you about stress, and why urinalysis is underused.

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89 min · Nov 2025 · #285

Immune health: inflammation, white blood cells, and resilience

Dr. Sharon Bergquist — Emory University; Physician & Director, Emory Healthy Aging and Resilience Center

Immune resilience isn't the same as immune strength. Why chronic inflammation is a metabolic problem, how the immune system ages, and what daily habits shift your baseline.

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50 min · Sep 2025 · #281

Thyroid test results explained

Dr. Angela Mazza, DO — Metabolic Center for Wellness; Integrative endocrinologist

TSH alone is a poor proxy for thyroid health. Why reverse T3 matters, how to interpret the autoimmune thyroid triangle, and why perimenopause changes everything.

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88 min · Aug 2025 · #279

Kidney function explained: tests, risks, and habits

Dr. Richard Johnson, MD — University of Colorado School of Medicine; Professor of Medicine & nephrologist

Creatinine, albumin in urine, and heat stress as early kidney risk signals. Why the Western diet accelerates age-related kidney decline and which habits protect function.

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64 min · Jul 2025 · #277

Key blood test results that tell you about your pancreas health

Dr. Robert Lustig, MD — UCSF; Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics & endocrinologist; author of Metabolical

Proinsulin and C-peptide reveal pancreatic stress that fasting glucose misses. The link between mitochondrial dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's — and how to reverse it.

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63 min · Jun 2025 · #276

Women's hormones blood test results: menopause and fertility

Dr. Natalie Crawford, MD — Fora Fertility, co-founder; Double board-certified OBGYN & Reproductive Endocrinologist

AMH, FSH, and estradiol tell different stories at different life stages. When to test, how oral contraception distorts results, and why menstrual history matters as much as labs.

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70 min · Jun 2025 · #275

Micronutrient blood test results explained

Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD — Longevity Rx / Nutritional Research Foundation; Physician & nutrition researcher; author of Eat to Live

Micronutrient deficiencies drive disease long before symptoms appear. Which deficiencies are most common, why supplements often fail, and what testing actually reveals.

47 min · Jun 2025 · #274

Bloodwork 101: blood test results explained

Dr. Anjali D'Souza, MD — District Center for Integrative Medicine; Integrative & functional medicine physician

Normal lab ranges reflect average populations, not optimal function. Which biomarkers are worth testing beyond basics, how to read trends over time, and what to do when off.

Read the companion article →

80 min · Sep 2024 · #265

How do you know if you are healthy and what your labs tell you? | Dr. Robert Lustig

Dr. Robert Lustig, MD — UCSF; Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics & endocrinologist; author of Metabolical

Most blood labs are not durable, revealing, or changeable. Why fasting insulin, uric acid, and ApoB are among the most valuable markers to get.