What Labs Should Every Woman Run Annually? (And What Most Doctors Miss)

When it comes to your health, a lot of women are told, “Your labs look normal.”

But you still feel:

• Tired
• Off
• Low energy
• Moody
• Not like yourself

And that’s because “normal” labs don’t always tell the full story.

What I’ve found working with hundreds of women is this:
The right labs, interpreted the right way, can explain almost everything you’re feeling.

So if you’re a new patient (or perhaps a previous patient but it’s been a while since your last visit, these are the labs I would run first.

The labs I recommend (and what they actually tell us)

1. Morning Cortisol

This is one of the first things I want to see.

It tells us about:

• Your energy
• Your stress response
• Your “get up and go”

If cortisol is off, you’ll often feel:

• Exhausted
• Burnt out
• Unmotivated

It’s extra important to run your cortisol numbers and find the best way to support it that’s rooted in data and not what an influencer on social media is trying to sell you. You could actually be doing more harm than good. When we support this properly, it can make a huge difference in how you feel day-to-day.

2. Lipids (Cholesterol Panel)

This is more than just “high” or “low” cholesterol.

I use this to understand:

• Are you eating enough healthy fats?
• Are you digesting fats well?
• How is your body handling carbs?

Two key things I look at:

• Triglycerides (I like these around ~75)
• Cholesterol to HDL ratio (around 3–3.3)

This gives me a much better picture of your metabolic health.

3. Blood Sugar (HbA1c + Insulin)

This is foundational.

These markers tell us:

• How stable your blood sugar is
• If there’s insulin resistance starting
• How your body is handling carbs over time

When blood sugar is off, it can impact:

• Energy
• Cravings
• Hormones
• Inflammation

These are numbers doctors are using when they recommend a GLP-1. We’ll show you what they really mean and how to use your body and supplements (if necessary) to get you back on track. 

4. Hormones (Progesterone + Estradiol)

These should be run on days 19–21 of your cycle.

I’m looking for:

• Estrogen dominance
• Low progesterone

Both are very common — and very treatable.

When these are off, you might experience:

• Mood swings
• PMS
• Poor sleep
• Irregular cycles

5. Nutrients (Magnesium, B12, Folate)

These are some of the most common deficiencies I see.

• Magnesium → involved in hundreds of processes in the body
• B12 + Folate → critical for energy, mood, and brain function

Many women are low here — even if they eat well.

I typically like to see:

• B12: upwards of ~1000
• Folate: around ~20

And many people do better with methylated forms (like 5-MTHF).

6. CBC + CMP (Foundational Labs)

These give us a lot of insight quickly.

CBC (Complete Blood Count):

• Shows immune system patterns
• Can indicate if the body is under stress or burdened

CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel):

• Protein levels (I like ~7 — very important for women)
• Creatinine (muscle mass + how your body is handling training)
• Bilirubin (can give insight into how you’re processing fats)

These are simple, but incredibly useful. These labs allow me to guide you in terms of what kind of exercise to do to reach your goals and where to prioritize your lifestyle changes. 

7. Thyroid (TSH + Free T4)

Thyroid health plays a huge role in:

• Energy
• Mood
• Metabolism

I typically like to see: 

• TSH below ~2.5
• Free T4 around ~1.1–1.2

When thyroid and cortisol are both supported properly, it can completely shift how someone feels.

Why this matters

These labs aren’t random.

Together, they tell us:

• How your body is producing energy
• How you’re handling stress
• Where there are deficiencies
• Where things are out of balance

And most importantly: They give us a clear, personalized plan

You don’t need more guessing. You need better information.

When you run the right labs and actually understand them, everything becomes more clear and much easier to fix.

If you’ve never looked at your labs this way, this is exactly what we do inside our Restart Nutrition Care Package — we run comprehensive labs and walk through them together so you know exactly what your body needs.