How to assess your nutrient status
Assessing Your Nutrient Status:
To determine if you have any nutrient deficiencies, there are a couple of tools at our disposal:
Food Diary: Keeping a detailed food diary can help you and a qualified health professional gain insight into your daily nutrient intake. This is a helpful starting point to identify areas that may need improvement. Head to my website here to download your free Food and Lifestyle Diary.
Blood Testing: Blood tests are a crucial tool to evaluate your nutrient status. Common tests include iron studies, vitamin D levels, and folate. You can request these tests through your regular GP or directly at a pathology lab like here at Iscreen. Additionally, blood tests can provide insights into other important health markers like insulin and cholesterol levels.
Remember not all blood test results were created equal and not all are reliable. The way in which the testing was carried out MATTERS!
Top tips for optimal blood testing:
Remember iron studies must be taken following 8-10 hours of fasting
Strenuous exercise, alcohol, and all supplements containing iron should be avoided for at least 24 hours prior to testing.
High sensitivity C reactive protein (CRP) must be reviewed alongside iron results
Your practitioner should not just be looking at ferritin - this is your stored iron, however we also need to observing other factors in your iron studies like the transferrin levels and transferrin saturation which reflects how the iron is being transported around the body.
To find out more or to organise a private blood test please reach out here.
