Top 5 Blood Tests to Optimize Health

Here are the TOP 5 blood work tests to talk to your doc about, from Certified Trainer and Nutrition Coach Lindsey Day.

Most of these are not ordered in your standard physical, despite the fact that they offer extremely valuable information. Ensuring your body is in good working order is critical to reaching your health and fitness goal. Your body has glands like the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. These secrete hormones — chemical messengers that influence our appetite, metabolism and body fat distribution.

Test #1: HBA1C / Hemoglobin A1C

This is a more accurate indicator of blood sugar levels compared to fasted glucose. Think of your red blood cells (RBCs) like a glazed donut; They actually have a similar shape, and they have a sugar coating. The more carbs you eat and the more blood sugar problems you have, the thicker this sugar glaze around your RBCs will be and the higher the HbA1C. Because RBCs live for about 90 days, HbA1C can give you an idea of how your blood sugars have been over the past 3 months versus fasted blood glucose, which is simply a snapshot in time that can be affected greatly by factors such as cortisol and stress levels and the previous day’s diet. Poor blood sugar handling is associated with fat gain among many other issues ranging from headaches to brain fog (Islam et al., 2022)

Test #2: Homocysteine

Homocysteine is a compound in our blood that can cause damage to our arteries and is associated with all kinds of cardiovascular issues. Because B6, B9 and B12 are needed to convert homocysteine into another compound, high levels of homocysteine likely mean you need more of one, two or all 3 of these B vitamins — which by the way, are also essential for your brain function and energy production (Balint et al., 2020).  

Test #3: Vitamin D

Vitamin D behaves more like a hormone than a vitamin. It’s THAT powerful! It’s critical for a healthy immune system, healthy heart, reducing depression and fatigue, controlling inflammation, preventing cancer and healthy mineral metabolism. Did you know two people could be exposed to the SAME amount of sunlight, vitamin D intake through food and supplements and have VERY different vitamin D levels due to genetic differences?! That’s why it’s key to test this annually (Aranow et al., 2011). 

Test #4: C-Reactive Protein

C-Reactive Protein indicates inflammation and cardiovascular inflammation associated with countless disease processes such as  diabetes, autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular disease, high blood, etc. (Nehring et al., 2022)

Test #5: Full Thyroid Panel

Thyroid problems are very common for women, and a lot of times these go undiagnosed due to incomplete testing. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) often leads to: fatigue, depression, constipation, dry skin, muscle cramps, weight gain, headaches, exhaustion, poor immune system, digestive issues, etc. An overly active thyroid (hyperthyroidism) leads to: nervousness or anxiety, heart palpitations, difficulty gaining weight, insomnia, etc. (Uchimura, 2001). Most doctors just test TSH and T4, but anyone who experiences multiple of the aforementioned symptoms should have a full thyroid panel run which includes:

• TSH  
• Total T4 and Total T3 
• Free T4 and Free T3  
• Reverse T3 (25-30 ng/dl)
• TPO Antibodies 
• Thyroglobulin Antibodies

 

The body is so complex and your standard physical is only scratching the surface of the potential data that reveals so much about how your body is working. Blood work data helps identify potential tweaks you could make to your diet, lifestyle and medication to correct or optimize your health! For those interested in correcting an underlying health issue or optimizing health, you may want to consider working with a healthcare practitioner to order some more specialized tests. Many of these can be done at home! 

If you have questions, we cover a lot if this info in the NuTriDay app Charge up Challenge that is part of the Paleo-1 30 Day Meal Program! 

 

The Paleo-1 30 Day Meal Program is an all-in-one solution to help you simplify your autoimmune diet and fitness needs. With 40 POTG meals split between two shipments, a 30 day digital meal plan calendar loaded with delicious, nutrient-dense recipes, a 30 day digital shopping list, free membership to the NuTriDay app, a customizable fitness plan, and free resistance bands, you'll have everything you need to manage your symptoms and take control of your autoimmune journey. 

 

Would you benefit from a customizable fitness and nutrition challenge program? Are your interested in burning fat, building muscle, balance hormones & gut health, boosting your energy, and bettering your mental health? If so, you would be an ideal candidate for the NuTriDay app developed by Lindsey Day! Visit her Instagram account @lindseydayfitness or the NuTriDay website to learn more about her wellness app and the 12 weeks “Charge Up Challenge."