Two people. Same blood test. Same ‘normal’ result. Very different health.
As a Registered Nutritional Therapist, I sit with people every week who have been told their bloods are fine, yet they feel anything but. Routine NHS testing can be a starting point but it rarely gives the full picture. Tight budgets and a medication-driven model mean we often don’t get the full blood panels that tell us the whole story.
Your results may be within the normal range but they could be a long way from optimal. The guidelines use broad ranges based on the general population, including unhealthy people. Being inside that range may help you survive. We want you to be thriving, not just surviving. That gap, between ‘not ill’ and ‘actually well’, is where functional health testing and a wellness check do their best work.
If you already suspect something is off and you want a clinician’s eye on it, you can book a free 20-minute call and we’ll talk through your symptoms and which tests would actually move the needle for you.
The thyroid example: why a single marker isn’t enough
Thyroid testing is a perfect example of where routine testing falls short. GPs will often request Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) but, less commonly, do they request both thyroid hormones T4 and, the more potent, T3 (and even if they do, the lab may not run them).
TSH tells us how loudly the brain is asking the thyroid to work. It doesn’t tell us whether the thyroid is listening, or whether it is actually producing enough hormone for you to feel well. With only TSH on the page, we can be left assuming the conversation between brain and thyroid is ‘fine’. ‘Fine’ is another word we deserve to feel better than.
For my clients, I want TSH, free T4, free T3 and thyroid antibodies, so I can see the full communication pattern from start to end. That is also the principle behind looking at fasting insulin and the wider cardiometabolic picture in clients who are tired, gaining weight or struggling with cravings: one marker is a clue, the full panel is a story.
Introducing wellness checks
A wellness check is the short-form version of working with us. You get my clinical interpretation of your test results, the context of your medical history, and a written protocol to act on. No 3 or 6-month commitment, just expert eyes on your data.
Don’t have any test results yet but want a proper health check-up? We help you choose the right tests for your symptoms, then talk you through the results and what to do next.
Two consultations. Real answers. Book a free 20-minute call and we’ll work out whether a wellness check is the right starting point for you.
What is functional health testing?
In a nutshell, functional tests illustrate how your body is actually functioning. Using stool, saliva, urine, blood and swab samples, we look at health markers that explain why you’re experiencing your symptoms and feel the way you do.
Functional tests let practitioners like me see the holistic picture: not just whether a marker is in range, but how well your systems and pathways are operating, and where the early warning signs of insulin resistance, fatty liver or rising cholesterol are showing up long before a GP would call them a diagnosis.
Different functional tests can uncover:
- Digestive breakdown, absorption, microbiome balance and gut inflammation
- Parasites, yeast, bacterial or fungal infections
- Vitamin and mineral status
- Metabolic health, including diabetes and heart disease risk
- Neurotransmitter pathways and energy metabolism
- Allergies and antibodies (thyroid, coeliac and more)
- Sex and stress hormones
- Vaginal or oral microbiome
- Detoxification and liver pathways
- Genetic predispositions and SNPs
- Environmental toxicity such as mould and heavy metals
That list is wide on purpose. Most clients arrive with a cluster of symptoms, not a single tidy box to tick. If you’re reading this and quietly thinking ‘half of that sounds like me’, a wellness check is the most efficient way to find out which panels are actually worth running, and which ones would just waste your money.
Why we test, and don’t guess
Symptoms tell us a lot but the answer is rarely clear cut. Often, we don’t know the true picture or the root cause until we test.
Functional testing gives us that clarity. Combined with your symptoms and medical history, it gives us a clear view of what’s actually happening in your body. From there, we can build the bespoke nutrition and supplement protocol that lets you hit your health goals.
That’s the difference between guessing and knowing. It’s the difference between Sue lowering her blood pressure without adding another tablet and being told for years that her numbers were ‘borderline’. It’s the difference between Dave coming off four medications by 69 and accepting a prescription for life.
Testing can keep you healthy
Feel generally well but want to stay ahead of the curve?
Does a condition run in your family, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and you want to keep on top of your risk?
Had IBS in the past, feel mostly fine now, and want to know your gut is genuinely healed?
Functional testing is built for exactly that. Conventional GP testing often won’t flag an issue until the marker, your diabetes risk, your thyroid output, your cholesterol pattern, has moved out of ‘normal’ range and far enough into trouble for a diagnosis and a prescription. That is not the approach I want for my clients.
If you feel well today, the goal is simple: stay there. Routine testing in the right hands is one of the cheapest forms of health insurance you can buy.
Let’s find out what’s really going on for your health
Three ways to take the next step, depending on where you are.
If you want to read first. Our deep-dive on cholesterol markers explained is a worked example of the kind of detail a proper test panel can give you, and the kind of interpretation you’ll get with us.
If you want answers without committing to a full programme. A wellness check gives you my interpretation of your results, a written protocol and a clear set of next steps in just a couple of consultations.
If you want a clinician walking with you for the next 3 to 6 months. Our 1-1 personalised nutrition programmes are built around your test results, your medical history and the outcome you’re chasing, whether that’s better blood sugars, lower cholesterol, more energy or finally healing your gut.
Not sure which rung is yours? Book a free 20-minute call and we’ll tell you, honestly, which tests are worth running and which level of support fits where you are.
Written by Natalie Louise Burrows, Registered Nutritional Therapist (BANT, CNHC) and founder of Integral Wellness. Natalie specialises in cardiometabolic health, functional testing and helping clients move from ‘normal range’ to genuinely well, often reducing or removing the need for long-term medication.
