What Your Blood Work Should Be Revealing About Your Health—Beyond Illness
Release Date: 03/27/2025
The Chronic Inflammation Crisis and How to Reverse It
The Trusted Pharmacist
Inflammation may be the body’s own protective process that helps us heal, but it’s something we don’t want too much of. In the right amount, it’s essential. It helps us recover from a broken bone, fight off infections, and calm down irritated skin. In excess, inflammation can actually trigger the very diseases it was meant to protect us from. We’re not just talking about a swollen ankle or a red rash. What I’m talking about here is chronic inflammation, a low-grade, long-term state of internal stress that quietly fuels disease in the background. Chronic inflammation...
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Menopause Isn’t the End: How to Harness Hormones and Stay Healthy
The Trusted Pharmacist
Thanks to the shortcomings of traditional healthcare, women have been led to believe that menopause is a time when their bodies fall apart, and there's nothing they can do about it. The sleepless nights, stubborn weight gain, mood swings, and discomfort? That’s just a “natural” part of aging, they’re told. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Menopause isn’t the end. It’s a powerful opportunity to reclaim your health, elevate your quality of life, and confidently step into this next chapter. And the most effective way to do that? Hormone replacement therapy. The...
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Why Menopause Care Should Be as Unique as You Are w/ Dr. Pamela Smith
The Trusted Pharmacist
Aging is inevitable, and every woman goes through menopause. But your hormonal journey and how your body responds? That’s unique to you. The problem is, a lot of what we’ve been told about menopause— even in clinics, pharmacies, and doctor’s offices—just isn’t accurate. Traditional healthcare often treats menopause like a one-size-fits-all situation, missing the mark on the unique needs of every woman’s body. That’s why a personalized approach isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the key to feeling your best through this transition. Hormones play a major role in...
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GLP-1 Medications: How They Work and How to Make Them Work for You
The Trusted Pharmacist
GLP-1 medications have quickly taken the world by storm—and for good reason. Just last year, over 90 million prescriptions for these medications were filled, and that number is only growing. Here’s why. In my years as a pharmacist, I’ve never seen a drug like this. Medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro have revolutionized weight loss treatments, offering dramatic results for many. But before you jump in, it’s important to understand that these drugs are not a quick fix. Without a solid plan, you could set yourself up for disappointment. One key thing to know if you're...
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What Your Blood Work Should Be Revealing About Your Health—Beyond Illness
The Trusted Pharmacist
In the realm of getting your blood work done, there are two categories of tests. The ones that are designed to identify illness, and the ones that help you proactively prevent inflammation and maintain wellness. Unfortunately, the typical panels most people get fall into the former category. They don’t give you in-depth data about your true health status and they miss great opportunities for disease prevention. Your annual checkup doesn’t have to be just another routine; it can be an opportunity to ensure you're truly thriving. If you add 6 essential tests such as fasting insulin and...
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Introducing The Trusted Pharmacist Podcast: The Truth About What’s Keeping You Sick
The Trusted Pharmacist
A quick glance at today's healthcare landscape reveals one undeniable truth. The system isn’t just a little off-track - it’s in a full-blown crisis. From the way doctors are trained to the ingredients in everything we eat, drink and use, the current system isn’t built for wellness. In fact, in some cases, it only serves to make us sicker. Our food is irresistible, addictive but lacking any real nutritional value. The so-called healthy supplements that should help us are adding to the problem. Constraints on healthcare practitioners make it impossible for them to provide a...
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The Trusted Pharmacist Podcast Trailer
The Trusted Pharmacist
The Trusted Pharmacist Podcast pulls back the curtain on the healthcare industry, exposing the flaws in the system and empowering listeners to take control of their health. Hosted by pharmacist Steve Hoffart, this show delivers science-backed insights, debunks medical myths, and highlights natural and medical solutions that truly work. Through candid solo episodes and expert interviews, Steve provides actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare. Whether you're looking to improve your health, understand your body's...
info_outlineIn the realm of getting your blood work done, there are two categories of tests. The ones that are designed to identify illness, and the ones that help you proactively prevent inflammation and maintain wellness.
Unfortunately, the typical panels most people get fall into the former category. They don’t give you in-depth data about your true health status and they miss great opportunities for disease prevention. Your annual checkup doesn’t have to be just another routine; it can be an opportunity to ensure you're truly thriving. If you add 6 essential tests such as fasting insulin and vitamin D levels, you get a fuller picture of your health, and you can make small tweaks that could make all the difference. These markers don’t come in your standard blood panels, you have to ask your doctor for them specifically, but I believe they are worth it.
In this episode, I share how you can use blood work to proactively manage your health. I’ll explain how to ask your doctor for the right tests, and why taking a functional medicine approach is key to unlocking your body’s full potential. I also discuss how inflammation markers like HS-CRP are often overlooked, yet they play a major role in predicting disease.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
Normal vs. optimal - When you’re doing blood work for wellness, a normal blood panel just doesn’t cut it. How do we test blood with health optimization in mind?
The most important blood markers for disease prevention - Preventing inflammation is the key to warding off disease. How can we make sure our blood work can spot early signs of inflammation?
Blood work to find illness vs. blood work to keep you healthy - How do we set up a foundation of wellness instead of waiting till we’re sick to get our blood work done?
About Your Host
Steve Hoffart is an award-winning pharmacist, entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster. As the visionary founder of Magnolia Pharmacy, Steve saw a need for a more personal pharmacy that could make a bigger impact. Today Steve and his team of experts deliver on that promise, working with patients and their physicians to solve medication problems and offer personalized solutions to achieve better health and wellness. As host of The Trusted Pharmacist podcast and through his combined reach of over 250,000 on social media, Steve shares actionable advice on nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies while advocating for meaningful change in healthcare.
Follow the Trusted Pharmacist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you get the latest episodes! If the show has been helpful, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts —or simply tell a friend about the show. Each time you share the show, you are potentially changing someone’s life!