#286 - Understanding electrolytes: Decoding blood & urine tests and focusing on the right things | Dr. Rich Joseph + Mike Haney

Your annual labs can reveal far more than most people realize—if you know how to interpret them. In this episode of A Whole New Level, Dr. Rich Joseph walks through how to read basic blood work like the CBC, electrolytes, and urinalysis, and how to use those numbers as feedback loops, not pass/fail judgments.

He explains which values matter most, what trends reveal over time, and how to connect lab data to sleep, training, nutrition, and stress.

• What the Complete Blood Count (CBC) actually measures
• How to identify early signs of iron or B-vitamin deficiency
• What white blood cell patterns reveal about immunity and stress
• How electrolytes reflect cellular energy, hydration, and training load
• Why urinalysis is underrated (and how to read it quickly)
• How to use lab trends—not single snapshots—to guide health decisions

Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl

🎙 What Dr. Rich Joesph & Mike Haney discuss:

[03:12] — Why basic labs still matter

[07:58] — How to read the CBC: Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets

[18:45] — MCV and what it tells us about iron vs. B-vitamin deficiency

[24:40] — White blood cells as a window into stress and recovery

[44:10] — Electrolytes and cellular energy

[1:01:22] — Urinalysis: the overlooked lab with real value

[1:09:55] — Using labs as feedback over time

Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health.

Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.

🔗 Helpful links:
Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/cpwB4-_7o-w

Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1

📲 Connect with Dr. Rich Joseph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-joseph-md-mba-61448b33a/