If you feel poorly and not yourself, yet the doctor says your labs are “normal,” you’re not alone. Many people experience unexplained symptoms—fatigue, brain fog, weight changes, digestive issues and sleep disturbances—without clear answers from traditional medical testing.
Here’s the thing: just because your lab work falls within a reference range doesn’t mean your body is functioning optimally. You know your body best, and if something feels off, it’s worth digging deeper.
I have great compassion for today’s medical practitioners. I know that in my area, doctors are so busy that they rarely have time to sit and listen. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t helpful, but sometimes there isn’t the opportunity to tell them our whole health history.
When I think about health confusion, two clients come to mind:
Lisa gained an unwanted 60 pounds after menopause and Virginia, at age 70, was quickly losing weight that she didn’t want to lose. Both visited their doctors several times and had multiple labs drawn. Both women were told that there was nothing wrong with their lab work, but they knew something was off and felt like they had no answers.
So, what can you do when your doctor says your lab tests look fine, but you don’t feel fine? Here are three practical steps you can take:
Step 1: Start with Foundational Nutrition and Lifestyle Changes
The best place to start is with your own nutrition and lifestyle shifts. These changes can have a significant impact on how you feel, and they’re often the low-hanging fruit that gets overlooked.
- Move daily to keep your blood, lymphatic system and digestion flowing and keep your body removing toxins efficiently.
- Remove alcohol and sugary drinks—alcohol can interfere with liver detoxification, and sugar can put you on an energy rollercoaster.
- Cut out ultra-processed foods, especially those that contain sugar and inflammatory seed oils that interfere with digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Prioritize sleep as it’s critical for cell repair and detoxification across all body systems.
By giving these changes at least 4 weeks, you’ll have a solid foundation to assess whether further steps are needed.
Neither Lisa nor Virginia had made any foundational health changes when they came to see me, so we made immediate improvements in several areas of nutrition and lifestyle that had them sleeping better, corrected digestive issues and better mental outlooks. While these benefits were much appreciated, the changes did not move the needle with their issues.
Step 2: Get Targeted Testing
If you made lifestyle and nutrition changes for at least 4 weeks, yet still feel poorly, maybe it’s time to investigate more in-depth testing. A few lab tests to consider are:
- Thyroid health: Thyroid changes can happen to anyone, especially as we age, so this is an important area to investigate. If you’re already on thyroid medication and have unwanted symptoms, updated lab results may show that your dosage needs adjusting.
- Blood sugar & cholesterol: Diet changes can influence how your body processes nutrients and chemicals. If you take multiple medications for issues like high blood pressure and diabetes, diet and lifestyle changes may cause an over-medicated situation. You may need a review of your lab markers.
- Stool, breath and urine tests: These can provide great insight into gut health, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, parasites, bacteria overgrowth and detoxification that may not appear on routine blood tests.
Many doctors don’t run these tests unless specifically requested, so be sure to inform your doctor of your symptoms and why you suspect you may benefit from additional testing.
As a nutrition therapist, I help clients understand which tests might be beneficial, how to request them from your doctor and how to interpret results from a holistic nutrition perspective. Should your doctor not be willing or able to run these tests, we can run them for you.
Both Lisa and Virginia went back to their doctors with additional lab test requests. Both doctors agreed to include more blood work but would not run stool tests. The additional blood work showed systemic inflammation which led me to believe that information from stool testing might be valuable.
We ran the stool tests, and both showed high levels of H. pylori bacteria. Lisa’s test also showed an extremely high level of candida albicans (yeast), which may have encouraged her afternoon sugar cravings. Both elevated bacteria levels lead to intestinal dysbiosis and may have caused systemic inflammation.
Step 3: Work with a Nutrition Therapist for a Personalized Plan
If you optimized your lifestyle and gathered data through targeted tests, but are still struggling with symptoms, you can take a deeper dive with a nutrition therapist.
A nutrition therapist helps connect the dots between diet, lifestyle and underlying imbalances. Here’s a few ways that nutrition therapy can help:
- Support energy production by addressing deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin D and/or other key nutrients.
- Improve cell repair and immunity through targeted nutrition, such as increasing vitamin C and collagen.
- Support digestive health by identifying issues like slow motility, which can naturally occur as we age, and recommending the right foods and supplements.
- Address medication-related nutrient depletions, such as CoQ10 depletion from statins or selenium deficiencies linked to thyroid medications.
- Review your current lab tests to look for patterns of dysfunction.
- Provide a realistic plan based on lifestyle to evaluate what is and is not working and adjust as needed.
Together, a nutrition therapist helps create a personalized plan that addresses your symptoms and helps restore balance in your body over time.
Lisa and Virginia received their own personalized plans for nutrition, exercise and supplements based on their individual lifestyles and test results.
After several weeks, both women noted positive changes with their weight as well as how much more energy and less fatigue they experienced overall. Lisa was thrilled to see how much more control she had over her food intake and health.
How Do Nutrition Therapists Work with Doctors?
You may be thinking, “If my doctor already gives me advice on diet and health, why would I need a nutrition therapist?” Great question! We love to work with medical teams and here’s how we work alongside them:
- We help implement the nutrition and lifestyle protocols recommended by your doctor and provide feedback on progress. This can include specific diets – like AIP or low FODMAP – exercise, sleep hygiene and more.
- We may suggest specific food and supplement recommendations to correct nutrient deficiencies, including those that may be caused by medications for diabetes, high blood pressure and other health issues.
- We have the time to educate you so that you understand why certain changes matter, giving you confidence in your health decisions.
- We can request additional lab testing and can offer testing that doctors might not be able or willing to run.
- We provide accountability and support to you when you feel stuck. We also track what’s working and what needs adjusting so you can see the whole picture.
Doctors often have limited time to dive deep into your health journey, so they may look to nutrition therapists to fill in the gaps, ensuring you get the personalized care you want and specific tools that you can use for your long-term health.
Both Lisa and Margaret’s doctors were provided with copies of the stool tests, protocols and personalized plans to keep them in the loop.
The personalized nutrition therapy plans gave Lisa and Margaret the tools they needed to recognize if their issues re-occurred and what they could do immediately to rectify the issues. Overall, personalized nutrition therapy empowered both Lisa and Margaret to continue their health journeys when traditional medicine had no more answers for them.
Next Steps: Let’s Get You Feeling Better
If you’ve been struggling with symptoms like brain fog, poor sleep, weight fluctuations, digestive issues or just feeling “off,” you don’t have to navigate it alone.
You deserve to feel your best—let’s make it happen together!
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Have you tried lots of things, but are still confused about your health issues?
Let’s figure out what’s really going on with your health. Schedule a free consultation with me to discuss your health challenges and see how personalized nutrition therapy can help you feel like yourself again.
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Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.
The information presented here is intended to help you make informed decisions about your health and
is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor.
