Prevention through Nutrition
Part of wellness is taking preventive measures. Just like it's important to catch any major disease states early, such as cancer, it's also important to catch any nutritional deficiencies, high lipid markers, or thyroid imbalances early.
Day 23: An ounce of prevention
Understanding nutritional prevention and wellness can seriously get you ahead of the game and prevent you from being subject to life-long medications and, ultimately, a lifelong subscription to the healthcare system. Don't get me wrong, we need hospitals and tertiary care facilities; but, the longer you can stay in "health and wellness", the more money you are going to save in the long run; and, more importantly, the longer you are going to be vibrantly you!
So, what blood work should you request with your doctor? You should request a comprehensive metabolic panel, usually called CMP or BMP, which will include your electrolytes, glucose, creatinine, albumin, and total protein (protein status), and liver enzymes. You also need to test iron, insulin, HbA1c, and your lipids, which include triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and the ratio. Specific vitamins that are well worth assessing are Vitamin D and B-12. If you've been following along, you know know why! The last tests that are worth assessing are for your thyroid health. Ask for TSH, T3, T4, and reverse T3. Just testing TSH alone is not a good indicator for assessing thyroid health. C-reactive protein and homocysteine are also great tests to make sure there isn't any chronic inflammation in the body, especially if you are struggling with the after affects of Covid-19.
It is worth mentioning that hormones and neurotransmitters are always worthwhile to test and contribute significantly to your sleep, mood, insulin sensitivity, and weight, as I have discussed previously. These tests typically run a bit higher and are not usually included, but something we specialize in. There are also more blood tests that can be ordered, but what I stated above will at least give you an idea of where your health is without breaking the bank. Based on those results, further tests can be ordered by your doctor or in conjunction with your dietitian to help get to the bottom of any concerns. Once you get the results (if ordered privately), we will be more than happy to assist you in interpreting them both nutritionally and under the direction of our Medical Director for other general health concerns. At Bay Centre Health and Wellness, we offer comprehensive testing and interpretation as well as creating individualized Health and Wellness Plans based on your vision, goals, and needs. Click below to get started. Please remember, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say. Just like we get automobile tune-ups, we should also invest in ourselves.
Jen Pfeilfer, MS, APD
Dr. Thomas R. Schneider, Medical Director