Blood tests

Which blood tests to take for food guidance

The app reads 35 markers from a lab report and turns the ones outside the reference range into food rules: what to prefer, what to limit, what to avoid. You do not need all of them. The basic panel below is enough to start; the extended one makes the picture more precise.

Basic panel

One visit, one tube of blood from a vein, in the morning on an empty stomach. In most labs this is the standard “biochemistry + lipids + blood count” package.

• Fasting glucose

  Sugar control rules: sweet drinks and sweets are flagged, whole grains and vegetables are recommended.

  Glucose, Glucose (plasma), Glikoze, Глюкоза

• HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin)

  Shows the average sugar over three months, so a single stressful morning cannot mislead the app.

  Hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, Glikētais hemoglobīns, Гликированный гемоглобин

• Lipid panel: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides

  Cholesterol rules (saturated fat, processed meat), triglyceride rules (sugar, alcohol) and HDL support (nuts, fatty fish, olive oil).

  Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Triglycerides, Holesterīns, ZBL, ABL, Triglicerīdi, Холестерин, ЛПНП, ЛПВП, Триглицериды

• ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

  Liver care rules: alcohol and sweet drinks are flagged, fast food and pastry are limited.

  ALT (SGPT), AST (SGOT), ALAT, ASAT, АЛТ, АСТ

• Uric acid

  Gout rules: organ meats, beer and sweet drinks are flagged, red meat and seafood are limited, low fat dairy is recommended.

  Uric acid, Urate, Urīnskābe, Мочевая кислота

• Creatinine

  Kidney check. The app gives no diet on its own here, but it will tell you to see a doctor when the value is off.

  Creatinine, Kreatinīns, Креатинин

• Ferritin

  Iron stores. Low ferritin turns on iron support: red meat, liver, legumes, and a hint about vitamin C, tea and coffee.

  Ferritin, Feritīns, Ферритин

• Complete blood count (hemoglobin)

  Low hemoglobin also triggers iron support. The rest of the blood count is read and shown, but does not affect food.

  Hemoglobin, HGB, Hemoglobīns, Гемоглобин

• Vitamin D (25-OH)

  Low vitamin D recommends fatty fish and eggs and reminds you to discuss supplements with a doctor.

  Vitamin D 25-OH, 25(OH)D, D vitamīns, Витамин D

• TSH (thyroid)

  No food rules, but a value outside the range is a reason to see a doctor, and the app will say so.

  TSH, Thyroid stimulating hormone, Tireotropais hormons, ТТГ

Extended panel

Add these when you already know your weak spots or want the food lists to be more specific. Each one maps to its own rule.

• Fasting insulin

  Insulin resistance before sugar rises; same sugar control rules.

  Insulin, Insulīns, Инсулин

• GGT

  More sensitive than ALT to alcohol and fatty liver; same liver care rules.

  GGT, Gamma GT, GGTP, ГГТ, ГГТП

• Vitamin B12

  Low B12 recommends meat, fish, eggs and dairy and flags supplements.

  Vitamin B12, Cobalamin, B12 vitamīns, Витамин B12

• Folate (vitamin B9)

  Low folate recommends legumes, greens and whole grains.

  Folate, Folic acid, Folskābe, Фолиевая кислота

• Homocysteine

  High homocysteine turns on both B12 and folate support.

  Homocysteine, Homocisteīns, Гомоцистеин

• Magnesium and zinc

  Deficiencies recommend nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, seafood and eggs.

  Magnesium, Zinc, Magnijs, Cinks, Магний, Цинк

• Serum iron and transferrin saturation

  Together with ferritin they confirm iron deficiency.

  Iron, Transferrin saturation, Dzelzs, Transferīna piesātinājums, Железо, Насыщение трансферрина

• ApoB and non-HDL cholesterol

  Modern lipid markers; treated like LDL.

  Apolipoprotein B, Non-HDL cholesterol, Apolipoproteīns B, Аполипопротеин B

• C-reactive protein

  Inflammation. No food rules, but a high value means see a doctor.

  CRP, hs-CRP, C-reactive protein, CRO, СРБ

• Potassium, sodium, calcium

  Electrolytes. Out of range means see a doctor, no self-made diet.

  Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Kālijs, Nātrijs, Kalcijs, Калий, Натрий, Кальций

• Bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, urea, eGFR

  Liver and kidney details. Read and tracked over time; abnormal values point to a doctor.

  Bilirubin, ALP, Urea, eGFR, Bilirubīns, Sārmainā fosfatāze, Urīnviela, GFĀ, Билирубин, ЩФ, Мочевина, СКФ

• Free T4 and free T3

  Thyroid details next to TSH. Doctor flags only.

  Free T4, Free T3, FT4, FT3, Т4 свободный, Т3 свободный

How to prepare

Most of the panel is sensitive to the last meal, so the rules are simple.

• Come in the morning after 8 to 12 hours without food. Water is fine.
• No alcohol for 24 to 48 hours: it moves triglycerides, GGT and uric acid.
• Skip hard training the day before: it raises AST and creatinine for a day.
• Take your usual medicines unless the doctor said otherwise; tell the lab what you take.
• Iron and ferritin: better not during a cold or right after one, inflammation distorts them.
• Vitamin D, TSH and HbA1c do not depend on the meal and can be taken any time.

How to upload the result

The app accepts a PDF from the lab’s online cabinet or photos of the printed pages.

• PDF is the most reliable: the app reads it without a single error.
• Photographing: hold the phone straight above the sheet, without tilt, with the whole table and the reference range column in the frame.
• Upload every page: markers are often split between two sheets.
• Reference ranges must be visible. The app compares your value to the range printed on the form, not to a generic norm.
• Check the table on the confirmation screen before saving. You can fix any value by hand.
• Repeat in three to six months: the app shows the trend of every marker after a retest.

The food lists are navigation, not treatment. They do not replace a doctor’s consultation. When a marker is far outside the range, the app says so and asks you to see a doctor.