It’s like this… it is much easier to put out a fire that has been burning for 5 minutes then one that has been burning for 5 hours!
If you are not getting a regular blood test and ideally a ‘real’ yearly physical each year you should be!
These are the markers to check and THE REAL LEVELS that tell you whether you are great, ok or need to take action to fix it now!
IMPORTANT - The ranges on doctors blood test will only give you a poor or ‘out of range’ score if you are in the worst 5% of the population! They tell you very little about your ‘REAL HEALTH’!
Critical Blood Markers
1. Fasting Insulin -
Insulin resistance is the biggest contributor to disease in the world today!
Knowing your fasting glucose is not a complete indicator of your health because your insulin may be working ‘over time’ to keep your blood sugar in check. If your insulin is above 5 it is only a matter of time before your cells ’stop listening’ to the signals from insulin to uptake glucose into them for storage and you become insulin resistant leading to Type 2 diabetes.
Optimal Level - Under 2.0
Ok but monitor - 2-6
Intervention Now - Over 6.0
2. Inflammation Markers -
Inflammation (along with insulin resistance) is the most important marker of health in the human body.
There are many measures of inflammation but CRP & Homocysteine are the most critical to measure regularly.
a. CRP (C-reactive protein)
Optimal Level - Under 2.0
Ok but monitor - 2-5
Intervention Now - Over 5.0
b. Homocysteine
Optimal Level - Under 7.0
Ok but monitor - 7 - 12
Intervention Now - Over 12
3. ‘Real Cholesterol Markers’
Cholesterol by itself is a VERY POOR indicator of heart disease risk. Total cholesterol & LDL are NOT the most important numbers to know when it comes to heart health.
The 2 best markers are:
A) ApoB - This is the LDL particle size & number. A high number of small dense LDL particles is most correlated to heart attack & stroke risk.
Optimal Level - Under 0.8
Ok but monitor - 0.8-1.2
Intervention Now - Over 1.2 -
B) Triglyceride to HDL ratio - Dividing your HDL number by your triglyceride number has a much higher correlation for heart disease then LDL number.
Optimal Level - Under 1.0
Ok but monitor - 1.0-1.5
Intervention Now - Over 1.5
4. HbA1c - a 2-3month measure of your average blood sugar. A better indicator then just fasting blood glucose.
Optimal Level - Under 4.5
Ok but monitor - 4.5 -5.5
Intervention Now - Over 5.5
5. Fasting Blood Sugar - fluctuates greatly depending on day but is important to know.
Optimal Level - Under 4.5
Ok but monitor - 4.5 -5.5
Intervention Now - Over 5.5
6. Uric Acid - contributes to many detrimental health conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes. New science to most doctors.
Optimal Level - Under 5.0
Ok but monitor - 5.0 - 6.0
Intervention Now - Over 6.0
7. Vitamin D - having optimal vitamin D levels may be more preventative of disease then any other nutrient (hormone). Involved in over 700 enzymatic processes.
Optimal Level - 100-150
Ok but monitor - 70-100
Intervention Now - Under 70
8. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) - You really need to do T3, T4 & reverse T3 but at the very least know your thyroid function.
Optimal Level - 0.5 -2.5
Ok but monitor - 2-5 to 3.5
Intervention Now - Over 3.5
Note: A good TSH does not necessarily mean a healthy thyroid.
9. B12 - poor energy is often associated with low B12.
Optimal Level - Over 450
Ok but monitor - 300-450
Intervention Now - Under 300
10. RBC Magnesium - another super important nutrient involved in over 600 enzymatic bodily processes.
Optimal Level - Over 6.0
Ok but monitor - 4.0-6.0
Intervention Now - Under 4.0
Other Critical Health Markers
Blood Pressure - you should test BP at least every 6 months. A 24 hour BP test is best ie take it multiple times throughout the day!
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most important risk factor for premature death, accounting for half of all deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and 13.5 percent of all deaths each year.
Recent research suggests that even “high normal” blood pressure (120–129 / 80–84 mmHg) increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 46% on average.
Optimal Level - Under 120/80
Ok but monitor - 120-130/ 80-85
Intervention Now - Over 140/90
Calcium Score Test - Hard plaque build up in arteries (every few years)
Although a positive test does not necessarily mean ‘alarm bells’ it is always a good first step to know how clear your heart arteries are. If you get a high score it is definitely worth further tests such as angiogram or other newer tests on the market.
Optimal Level - 0
Ok but monitor - ?
Intervention Now - Over 100
Waist to Hip ratio
One of the simplest tests you can do to get an indication of your likelihood of poor health is comparing your waist measurement to your hip measurement.
The correlation between a high waist to hip ratio is HUGE! In other words…. If you are higher than recommended then you are almost certain to have poorer health! Minor & major!
Men - A good ratio is under 0.9 with a total waist circumference under 95cm.
Women - A good ratio is under 0.8 with a total waist circumference under 80cm.
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