Annual blood test checklist ✅

It's true, we live in a fast paced, modern society - where we are always 'connected', under the pump and emotionally, mentally and often physically drained.

It's hard to eat a perfect diet (what even is perfect anyway), drink adequate water, don't consume too much alcohol, medications, sugar and processed foods, let alone exercise, practice self care, take holidays, establish and maintain healthy and meaningful relationships, study, get a great job and get promoted, have a family etc etc etc 

This is why it is so important to check in with yourself and the GP (or naturopath) at least once a year. 

Although basic pathology tests don't reveal everything, it does provide us with a great baseline of health status and when interpreted correctly, can prevent deficiencies, excess and imbalances from occurring. 

Here is my recommended list for general check ups. Have these done once per year, and retest any  that come back out of range or suboptimal 4-6 months after the original test.

• Full Blood Count

• Iron studies

• Active B12 and folate

• Vitamin D

• Serum cortisol and DHEAS (stress hormones) 

• Fasting glucose, insulin and HbA1c

• Spot urinary iodine 

• Serum chemistry (checks liver and kidney function)

• TSH, fT3 and fT4 (thyroid function) 

• CRP and ESR (inflammation)

• Zinc, copper and magnesium 

This list will show any common nutrient deficiencies, and also check your thyroid, adrenal, kidney, liver, pancreatic and immune function. 

If your GP is not cooperative in testing, it's okay to try someone new...or you may like to consider companies such as Instant Scripts and i-screen, which are ways for you to bypass the GP and test direct (these are not 100% bulk-billed). 

Oh and remember, when you get your results and things are not right, be sure to be proactive and make the changes necessary to bring things back into balance. 

If you need help with persistent symptoms, or want a Naturopath's analysis of your results, this happens inside my PCOS Freedom and Hormone Reset Method program. Get in touch if you would like to know more.