Sometimes "everything looks normal" isn't the whole picture.

Standard bloodwork ordered through your family doctor is designed to screen for serious disease. It's an important starting point — but it isn't always designed to identify the early patterns, nutritional gaps, hormonal shifts, or functional imbalances that can leave you feeling unwell before anything shows up as a red flag.

As a Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario, I can order a wide range of laboratory tests and use additional assessment tools to build a more complete picture of your health — and to track how it changes over time.

Laboratory testing

I order standard bloodwork through licensed Ontario laboratories, many of which are covered through OHIP when ordered by a regulated health professional. Depending on your health goals and concerns, this may include:

• Complete blood count and metabolic panel

• Thyroid function (TSH, free T3, free T4, thyroid antibodies)

• Iron studies, including ferritin

• Vitamin D, B12, folate, and other key nutrients

• Fasting glucose, insulin, and HbA1c

• Lipid panel and cardiovascular markers

• Sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol)

• Inflammatory markers (CRP, homocysteine)

• Liver and kidney function

Specialty and functional testing

For patients where standard panels don't tell the full story, I can refer to or recommend specialty testing through accredited private laboratories. These tests are not covered by OHIP and fees vary. Options may include:

• Comprehensive stool analysis and gut microbiome assessment

• SIBO breath testing

• Salivary or dried urine hormone panels (DUTCH test)

• Food sensitivity testing (IgG panels — discussed in context of their limitations)

• Heavy metal and environmental toxin testing

• Organic acids testing

• Nutrigenomics panels - genetic insights used to personalize nutrition and lifestyle recommendations

I'll always explain what a test can and can't tell us, what it costs, and whether I think it's likely to change your care plan before recommending it. Testing should inform decisions — not replace clinical judgment.

In-office assessment tools

Beyond laboratory testing, I use a number of in-office tools to support assessment, including:

• Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature

• Physical Exams

• Body composition analysis

• Comprehensive intake questionnaires and symptom tracking tools

• Review and interpretation of previous test results you've already had done

Bringing your existing results

If you've had bloodwork, imaging, or specialist reports done elsewhere, bring them. I'm happy to review results you already have and offer a naturopathic interpretation — often there's meaningful clinical information in results that were reviewed only briefly.

A note on testing philosophy

More testing isn't always better. My goal is to order what's appropriate, explain what we're looking for and why, and use results in the context of your full health picture. You'll always know what we're testing, what it costs if it isn't covered, and how it fits into your care.