Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Summary
Coach Allan welcomes back Dr. Ken Berry, a board certified family physician near Nashville, to discuss his book Common Sense Labs, a practical guide to decoding your blood work. Dr. Berry explains that many doctors order only the bare minimum of labs, then tell patients everything looks fine, when in reality critical tests were never checked. He warns against diagnoses of exclusion (like anxiety, depression, or fibromyalgia) being handed out with a prescription before a thorough workup, since fatigue alone can signal at least 100 serious conditions.
The conversation digs into the specific tests patients should ask for: a full thyroid panel rather than just a TSH, a fasting insulin level (optimal under 10, preferably approaching 5), and for cholesterol concerns an NMR lipoprofile plus a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan. Dr. Berry argues that prediabetes is already doing permanent damage and should be treated as early type 2 diabetes. He stresses that a proper human diet (low carbohydrate, nutrient dense, uninflammatory) is 80 percent of the battle, with exercise, sunlight, and grounding as smaller additions.
Links
- Dr. Ken Berry
- Own Your Labs (independent testing)
- Common Sense Labs by Dr. Ken Berry
- Episode 430 – Lies my doctor told me with Dr Ken Berry
Key Takeaways
- Symptoms matter as much as labs: Your symptoms are often more important than lab numbers, and doctors should not dismiss unexplained fatigue or prescribe drugs before a thorough workup.
- Do not manage to markers: Treating a single number with an automatic prescription misses the deeper picture of what is actually happening in your body.
- Ask for the fasting insulin test: This bedrock metabolic test costs about 10 to 20 dollars, should read under 10 (ideally near 5), and most doctors never order it.
- Get a full thyroid panel: A normal TSH alone can hide severe Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, so all the thyroid labs are needed for a complete picture.
- Look deeper on cholesterol: If your LDL is high, ask for an NMR lipoprofile and a CAC scan, since a zero calcium score means you likely will not benefit from a statin.
- Diet is 80 percent of the battle: A low carbohydrate, nutrient dense diet reverses most metabolic disease, while supplements and gadgets come second.
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 166 – Making the best medical decisions with Dr. Robert McNutt
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 710
Published: 2025-09-02
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): Dr. Ken Berry, an author, speaker and dedicated family physician practicing near Nashville, Tennessee, Common Sense Labs: A Practical Guide to Decoding Your Blood Work and Taking Control of Your Health
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)