What it is: Fasting blood sugar – shows how your body handles energy overnight.

Why it matters: Persistently higher glucose speeds up glycation (tissue ageing), drains energy and is an early sign of insulin resistance.

How to get there: 10–15 min walk after meals, food order vegetables → protein → carbs, 7–9 h sleep, strength training, fewer liquid calories.

What it is: The hormone that moves sugar into cells. Fasting levels show how hard the pancreas has to work.

Why it matters: Insulin rises years before glucose does – the earliest metabolic warning sign. High insulin blocks fat burning.

How to get there: 12–14 h overnight fast, strength training, walking after meals, fibre before meals, fewer refined carbs, sleep.

What it is: Average blood sugar over the last ~3 months (how much haemoglobin is “sugar-coated”).

Why it matters: Every tenth of a per cent above optimum means more glycation of vessels, skin and brain.

How to get there: Same as for glucose and insulin – changes show only after 8–12 weeks.

What it is: Blood fats your body makes mostly from excess sugar, alcohol and fructose.

Why it matters: Higher triglycerides go hand in hand with insulin resistance, fatty liver and cardiovascular risk.

How to get there: Cut sugar, sweet drinks, fruit juice and alcohol, add omega-3 (fish), move after meals.

What it is: Cholesterol carried by LDL particles – the main building block of atherosclerosis.

Why it matters: Lifetime exposure is what counts. In active people it can be slightly higher (recovery demand, low body fat), so we assess it with ApoB, triglycerides and inflammation.

How to get there: More fibre (oat bran, legumes), fewer saturated fats from processed meat, olive oil, nuts, exercise; with genetics and high values, consult a doctor.

What it is: A sensitive marker of inflammation in the body (hs-CRP).

Why it matters: Silent chronic inflammation is the common thread of lifestyle diseases and ageing. Note: it is temporarily higher after training, infection or vaccination.

How to get there: Sleep, exercise, omega-3, colourful vegetables, olive oil, fewer ultra-processed foods and less alcohol, care for gums and teeth.

What it is: An amino acid that builds up when B12, folate and B6 are short (methylation).

Why it matters: Higher homocysteine damages blood vessels and is linked to poorer memory.

How to get there: Leafy greens, legumes, eggs; methylated B vitamins (B12, 5-MTHF, B6) as per protocol.

What it is: The brain’s signal that “drives” the thyroid.

Why it matters: The higher the TSH, the harder the brain has to push the thyroid. The functional optimum is lower than the lab range allows.

How to get there: Selenium, zinc, iodine in food, optimise ferritin and vitamin D, avoid long steep deficits; add anti-TPO antibodies.

What it is: A liver enzyme – shows the load on liver cells.

Why it matters: Even “normal” values above optimum often signal fatty liver. It can be temporarily higher after hard training.

How to get there: Less alcohol, fructose and sweet drinks, exercise, less visceral fat; no hard training 48 h before the test.

What it is: A liver and bile duct enzyme – sensitive to alcohol and oxidative stress.

Why it matters: Higher GGT is linked to alcohol, medication and oxidative stress.

How to get there: Limit alcohol, more vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, enough sleep.