After 40, your body starts speaking a language you never learned.

The unexpected weight gain, low energy, and hot flashes make you feel like a stranger in your own skin. It’s like you’ve been dropped into a country where you don’t speak the language. Disoriented, lost, and with no way to ask for directions.

Fortunately, there’s a way to translate and understand what you’re going through.

It’s bloodwork.

To help understand why bloodwork is so important, I want to share something personal with you.

I’m blind.

Well, not technically according to my doctor. But let’s just say that without contacts, you’d be reading an email that lokode mesothing lkei tsih.

I often think how fortunate I was to have been born in the 1990s and not a few generations earlier when there wasn’t much help for people with poor eyesight like me.

And I compare this to the way many women I’ve worked with over the past 10 years feel. That they feel “blind” not being able to understand what’s happening and what they’re feeling.

Maybe you feel similar?

Bloodwork is the pair of glasses that helps you finally see what’s going on. Because what you’re feeling isn’t just random…there’s a specific reason and your bloodwork tells the story.

I know you might be thinking, “I just had bloodwork done and my doctor said everything was normal.”

That’s great but isn’t it frustrating that “normal” doesn’t match how you actually feel?

Because the normal bloodwork your doctor ordered usually isn’t enough to tell the full story.

Let’s look at why that could be the case.

Normal bloodwork often covers:

And a few other markers to check your blood sugar, A1C, and inflammation.

These are incredibly important tests for your health but they often miss the main reasons for the symptoms you're feeling.

Even if your bloodwork included thyroid (TSH) or hormones (estrogen), a single marker doesn't tell the full story. Your body is an interconnected system. It will make whatever changes it needs to maintain balance, even if that means sacrificing other areas of your health.

For example, if you want to test your thyroid levels, testing your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) isn’t enough. Ideally you’d also test:

And even nutrient levels such as iron, selenium, vitamin D, and zinc.

If you want to get comprehensive bloodwork done, here are the tests I’d recommend. Organized by category so you can bring this list to your doctor or order them yourself:

After you get this bloodwork for the first time, you now have your baseline numbers. Now you can begin to make nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and supplement changes to help combat what your bloodwork told you about your symptoms.

Then retest every 3-6 months. That's how you can finally see the changes you're making reflected in real numbers.

Getting this bloodwork done is easier than you might think. Here are a few ways to do it.

First, you can ask your doctor by sharing something like this:

“I’m experiencing symptoms that overlap between peri/postmenopause, thyroid dysfunction, and metabolic changes including fatigue, sleep disruption, and unexpected weight gain. I’d like to get thorough baseline bloodwork done so we can rule out thyroid issues, insulin resistance, nutrient deficiencies, and properly assess my hormone status. Would you be open to ordering a more comprehensive panel?”

“I understand. Given my symptoms and family history, I’d really like a fuller evaluation for peace of mind. Is there a reason these wouldn’t be appropriate in my case?”

And if your doctor does say no, that’s ok! There are still other ways to get what you need.

The second way is to order the bloodwork panels yourself. There are websites such as PrivateMD Labs, Ulta Lab Tests, and Life Extension that allow you to buy the different tests yourself and have them filled at your nearest Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp.

Yes, they're out-of-pocket but they're more affordable than you'd expect.

And having answers to what you’re experiencing? Worth every penny.

Comprehensive bloodwork brings everything into focus.

No more guessing about which diet, exercise plan, or supplements might work. Instead, you'll finally know exactly what your body needs.

If you’re tired of wondering what’s going on with your health and wasting your time (and money) with diets, exercise, and supplements that haven’t done what you hoped they would…

Then get these blood tests done and you can go from guessing to knowing.

Your friend and coach,

Ben Miknis

P.S. This is a big topic and can often leave you with more questions than answers. Reply with any questions, I’m happy to answer every single one ◡̈