Your Blood Tests Are “Normal” So Why Don’t You Feel Well?
If you’ve ever been told your bloods are “normal” but you still don’t feel great, you’re not imagining things. As a nutritionist specialising in hormone health, gut health and fatigue, I see this daily when working as an online nutritionist with clients across New Zealand.
One of the biggest gaps in modern healthcare is the difference between “normal” blood test ranges and optimal levels and understanding this can be a game‑changer for your energy, hormones, mood, metabolism, and long‑term health.
What Does “Normal” Actually Mean?
When your GP orders blood tests, your results are compared against a reference range. A reference range simply tells us what is common, not what is ideal.
So if your result falls inside that range, it’s considered “normal” even if it’s right at the very bottom or top of the range and your body is struggling.
What Do I Mean by “Optimal”?
Optimal ranges are narrower and are based on:
Functional and integrative medicine research
What supports best body system function
Levels associated with better energy, mood, fertility, and metabolic health
This means we are aiming for where the body tends to function best, before symptoms or disease appear.
Think of it like this, we service our cars to support longevity and keeping the mechanics running well to prevent breakdown.
Normal range = your car technically runs, it might not run well but it gets you from A to B with the engine light on.
Optimal range = your car runs smoothly, efficiently, no warning lights and won’t break down next month.
Now how this relates to your health: you may be getting through each day with the “must do’s” but getting home and not having the energy to make dinner let alone exercise - this can feel almost impossible. Then waking up the next day to do it all again.
Why This Matters (Especially If You Feel “Off”)
Many people are told everything is fine, yet experience:
Fatigue or burnout
Brain fog
Poor sleep
Hormonal symptoms
Weight changes
Anxiety or low mood
What I often see in clinic as an Online Nutritionist, their blood work is normal but not optimal. Small shifts outside the optimal range can still have big impacts on how you feel.
Prevention Vs Reaction
Standard healthcare is excellent at diagnosing disease, managing acute problems and treating clear pathology.
Where it often falls short is early intervention. By the time markers are outside the “normal” range, symptoms are usually well established.
Optimal ranges allow me to:
Identify trends early
Support the body before burnout or disease
Personalise nutrition, lifestyle, and supplementation
This is preventative health
Common Markers Where “Normal” Isn’t Enough
Iron / Ferritin
GP range: 20-200 ug/L. With this lens a result of 22 is flagged as normal, nothing to see here. BUT if you were at 19 thats straight to a script for iron tablets for your deficiency.
Optimal: Closer to 70-100 ug/L for women (context dependent).
Low‑normal iron can still cause fatigue, hair loss, brain fog and poor exercise performance.
Vitamin B12
GP range: 170-600 pmol/L
Optimal: 500-800 pmol/L
Low‑normal B12 can affect energy, mood, focus, and nervous system health.
Thyroid Markers (TSH, T3, T4)
You can be told your thyroid is “normal” while still having:
Fatigue
Weight gain
Hair thinning
Feeling of cold when everyone else is warm
Looking at patterns, not just single numbers is key here.
So Let’s Wrap It All Up
If you’ve been told:
“Everything looks normal”…but you don’t feel right - that’s worth listening to. It’s time to seek another opinion from a Nutritionist like myself or Functional GP.
Understanding the difference between normal and optimal blood markers can:
Validate your symptoms
Give direction instead of dismissal
Help you take ownership of your health
Because feeling functional isn’t the same as feeling well.
If you’re curious about doing a personal “health WOF” using blood markers, this is exactly where working with a qualified nutritionist like myself, whether locally in Wanaka or as an online nutrition consultation is incredibly powerful for hormone health, gut health, and long-term wellbeing.
