Monitoring key health markers such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose levels annually can help you stay on top of your health.
You go for your “annual bloodwork.” You’re told everything’s fine. Your doctor moves on.
But you still feel tired, foggy, bloated, or burned out — and you’re left wondering what’s missing.
Spoiler: a lot.
Most standard checkups track a handful of surface-level markers. But if you actually want to understand what’s going on in your body — and stay ahead of issues before they become problems — you need a more strategic panel.
At YFS (Your Form Sux), we look beyond “normal” lab ranges. We look at optimal function — and we track it with a systems-based lens. Whether you’re optimizing performance, managing stress, or recovering from burnout, these are the markers we care about most.
🧬 1. Fasting Insulin
Everyone checks blood sugar (glucose). But insulin often starts climbing years before glucose does — and high insulin = early insulin resistance.
Why it matters:
- Early sign of metabolic dysfunction
- Tied to weight gain, cravings, energy crashes, hormone imbalance
- Key predictor of type 2 diabetes risk
What we look for: Fasting insulin ideally under 8 µIU/mL
⚖️ 2. HbA1c + Fasting Glucose
A1C shows your average blood sugar over 3 months. Fasting glucose shows your daily baseline.
What we look for:
- Fasting glucose: 4.2–5.2 mmol/L
- A1C: below 5.4% for optimal health
🔥 3. hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)
Why it matters:
- Linked to heart disease, joint pain, fatigue, slow recovery, and brain fog
- Early marker for chronic disease risk
What we look for: hs-CRP under 1.0 mg/L
💢 4. Homocysteine
An overlooked marker related to methylation, B-vitamin status, brain health, and detox.
What we look for: Levels between 5–9 µmol/L
🌡 5. Thyroid Panel — Full, Not Partial
Your average checkup might only test TSH. We go deeper and track:
- TSH
- Free T3
- Free T4
- Reverse T3
- Thyroid antibodies (TPO + TG)
Why it matters: Full panels help us catch low thyroid function before it tanks your energy, mood, or metabolism.
🩸 6. Vitamin D (25-OH D)
Low vitamin D impacts immune function, hormones, inflammation, and mood.
What we look for: 100–150 nmol/L for optimal levels
⚙️ 7. Lipid Panel (But We Go Deeper)
We assess more than just LDL and HDL:
- LDL particle size
- Triglycerides
- HDL ratio
- ApoB (advanced marker)
Why it matters: These ratios reveal insulin resistance and inflammation risks, not just heart disease.
🛠 Bonus: Functional Add-Ons Based on Your Goals
Depending on symptoms and training, we might add:
- Cortisol patterns (via DUTCH or saliva)
- Sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA)
- Micronutrients (zinc, magnesium, B12, ferritin)
- GI markers (gut testing)
- Nervous system metrics (HRV, vagal tone)
So, Why Doesn’t Your Doctor Order All of This?
Because the traditional model is reactive, not proactive. It’s meant to catch disease — not optimize function.
At YFS, we track early shifts and build personalized plans to keep your system in sync.
Bottom Line: You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Track
Feeling “fine” isn’t the same as functioning optimally.
If you’re serious about performance, energy, recovery, or long-term health, annual labs should be your dashboard — not your diagnosis.
Want to know where you really stand — and what to do about it?
Book your functional assessment at YFS and let’s build a lab strategy that actually tells you something useful.
