Part 1
Your health is perhaps the most important "asset" you will ever possess. Without feeling and looking good every part of your life suffers.
Getting regular blood work is absolutely vital if you care about achieving and maintaining optimal health. The problem is most doctors are very good at finding "problems" that result in you being stuck on medication that covers up the symptoms of the issue but not treating the cause.
This picture demonstrates the difference for me before and after fixing my health, diet and blood work.
Firstly sorry for the long post. I am trying to keep it as short as possible but I want to ensure everybody who reads it gains something that might help them!
Let me run you though what has happened to myself, my friends and clients. Please comment down below letting me know how accurate I am. Upon looking at your blood test results or after listening to your problems the doctor says,
"This deterioration or problem is completely normal as you age"
"Your levels are within normal range"
"Some people just cannot build muscle, loose fat, feel energetic, perform great in bed ect"
"Just take this Big Pharma drug and you will be fine" (that "treats" the symptoms not fixes the problem)
Finally my personal favourite "There is nothing I can do because I cannot prescribe that" (Meaning the government has made it illegal to do so)
Am I right? Have you heard these responses?
If you have this forces you into one of two options
- Accept your substandard quality of life
- Disregard what a politician scribbled on some paper and become a "criminal" for the disgusting crime of trying to improve your health
The major problem is without knowing what your hormones are doing you are just throwing darts blindfolded. You need baseline numbers. Doctors unfortunately do not know what to test for. So I am going to give you a handy list with brief explanations in case the doctor asks why you want them done. This list does not have in depth information about each. If you give him a 10 page document justifying each test his eyes will glaze over and you might be leaving empty handed.
If you are a bodybuilder/athlete "using supplements" then this list may not be complete, for the "average" person this is a very comprehensive list.
What you say to your doctor to get him to do these tests is VERY IMPORTANT if you live under socialised healthcare. If you are under private give him some fiat currency or bust out the private health insurance and no explanation needed!
You need to say something along the lines of "I am really tired and lethargic, I go to the gym and cannot build muscle or lose fat very fast at all. I am storing alot of fat around my stomach. I am not sleeping great and not feeling like my old self, I want to get my hormones checked to make sure everything is ok"
Then you hand him this list
Basic Health Tests
- Comprehensive metabolic panel - Is a blood test that measures your sugar (glucose) level, electrolyte and fluid balance, kidney function, and liver function. Glucose is a type of sugar your body uses for energy. Electrolytes keep your body's fluids in balance
- Complete Blood Count - A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test used to evaluate your overall health and detect a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and leukemia. A complete blood count test measures several components and features of your blood, including: Red blood cells, which carry oxygen.
- Lipid panel - Is a blood test that measures lipids-fats and fatty substances used as a source of energy by your body. If it comes back as not good then you need additional testing to discover particle size to see just how bad the situation is. 'High" cholesteral is not bad provided your HDL is high and LDL is low and your particle size is big and fluffy.
Advanced tests that are INCREDIBLEY IMPORTANT
- C-reactive protein (CRP) - Is a blood test marker for inflammation in the body. CRP is produced in the liver and its level is measured by testing the blood. CRP is classified as an acute phase reactant, which means that its levels will rise in response to inflammation. Inflammation is linked to just about every disease and problem in the body. If this number is high you better start doing everything in your power to lower it ASAP! I will explain how in the following posts
- A homocysteine blood test is done to: Help identify vitamin B12 deficiency or folic acid deficiency. But other tests for these deficiencies are available. Help identify a rare inherited disease (homocystinuria) that causes a deficiency of one of several enzymes needed to convert food to energy.
These are the "speciality" tests for Men. Women should get these done too. The ranges will be different for women.
- Total Testosterone - Total amount of Testosterone in your bloodstream
- Free Testosterone - The amount your body has the ability to use at that moment (VERY IMPORTANT NUMBER)
- Oestrdial - This is estrogen. Why is this important for men? Do you like man boobs, excess fat storage, prostate issues and sexual problems? No? Then this number matters
- Serum Cortisol - Stress hormone - When elevated for long periods of time many bad things happen (Loss of muscle, gaining fat, low testosterone, low libido, diabetes ect)
- LH - Luteinizing hormone - Stimulates the testes to produce testosterone
- FSH - Follicle-stimulating hormone - works along side LH
- T3-T4 - Thyroid Hormones - Regulate breathing, heart rate, central and peripheral nervous systems, body weight, muscle strength, menstrual cycles + many more
- Serum D-3 - D-3 is a Hormone that regulates literally over 1000 bodily functions
- SHBG - Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) or sex steroid-binding globulin (SSBG) is a glycoprotein that binds to the two sex hormones: androgen and estrogen.
- DHEA - Precursor to Sex Hormones
- Prolactin - Men — When a high blood prolactin concentration interferes with the function of the testicles, the production of testosterone (the main male sex hormone) and sperm decrease. Low testosterone causes decreased energy, sex drive, muscle mass and strength, and blood count
Once you get these tests done by your doctor ensure you get a physical copy. Either printed out or emailed to you. NEVER EVER accept "your numbers are within normal ranges" unless you are a 20 year old dude who loves having the same level of testosterone as your grandfather.............
This is a copy of a part of my latest blood test results and what yours should roughly look like when you get your copy. Obviously your numbers will be different.
I will continue in Part 2. I am sure by now most of you have had your eyes glaze over and are begging this to end due to the length!
If you have any specific health/fitness/anarchy/PEDs topics you want me to cover please feel free to ask me in the comments