When you get your lab results back, does it ever feel like you’re staring at a foreign language? You’re not alone. For most people, labs are confusing — filled with numbers, abbreviations, and ranges that don’t tell the full story. That’s why The Body User Manual by Dr. David Quartell emphasizes one of the most empowering truths about your health: lab tests aren’t just about finding disease, they can be optimized for finding health.
Normal vs. Optimal: The Goldilocks Zone
One of the biggest misconceptions is that “normal” lab ranges equal “healthy.” Take blood glucose as an example. Many reports list “normal” as 70–100 mg/dL. But for long-term health, aiming for under 85 is often more protective. Imagine two people standing on the 50th floor of a skyscraper — one sitting safely in the middle of the room, the other leaning out of an open window. Technically, they’re both the same distance from the ground, but their risks are worlds apart. That’s the difference between “normal” and “optimal.”
Building the Foundation
Before testing for every specialty marker under the sun, it’s important to start with the foundation. Think of it like building a house before buying the doorknobs. The foundational labs cover three critical areas: metabolism, cardiovascular health, and inflammation. Once you understand these, you can expand into more advanced testing when necessary.
The Starter Pack: 5 Essential Labs
Here are the five panels Dr. Quartell highlights as the most effective place to begin:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) — the “cell counter” that measures red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
- Metabolic Panel — the “materials panel” that tracks electrolytes, proteins, and waste products in your blood plasma.
- Cholesterol Portfolio — more than just total cholesterol; it looks at particle size, type, and lipoproteins that reveal real cardiovascular risk.
- Blood Sugar Panel — helps identify inflammation and insulin resistance.
- Inflammation Panel — tracks your immediate risk and shows progress as lifestyle changes take effect.
Why It Matters
Individually, these labs are snapshots. But when you track them over time, they become a movie — telling the true story of your health. They aren’t trophies to hang on the wall; they’re tools to help you navigate choices and measure progress.
Next Steps
Some people already have a complete lab profile. For them, Dr. Quartell’s onboarding algorithm can organize results into a clear, easy-to-understand report. For others, missing panels can be ordered, or additional specialty labs (like heavy metals, food allergies, or cancer markers) can be added later.
The key is to start with the foundation, celebrate your progress, and let your labs become a feedback loop for living better.
This blog is based on insights from The Body User Manual by Dr. David Quartell and the corresponding podcast episode, where we dive deeper into how to read your labs in plain English.
Want to dive deeper? 🎧
If you’d like to hear more on this topic, head over to our podcast! You can find it here:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/NVe2F5AMyb4
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/49XijjHre4fZx0hyHTW1ko?si=9b29233112b7411a
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-5-essential-lab-tests-everyone-should-understand/id1836785050?i=1000729148241