The latest knowledge about diet and nutrition can reduce inflammation and promote weight normalization and good health. For insights into this field please read my latest book Simply Healthy (2021) for information and an overview, this can be ordered from the shop on this website as a PDF or paperback.
Click here:
https://freedom-healthcare.co.uk/simply-healthy-2/
I also recommend the following recently released books.
Metabolical (2022) by Robert Lustig MD
Drop acid (2022) by David Perlmutter MD
Young Forever (2023) by Mark Hyman MD, which is worth the cover price for the questionnaire that allows evaluating many areas of our health.
Why we get sick (2021) by Ben Bickman PhD – excellent on the mechanism of insulin resistance.
All these authors have short YouTube videos and websites so you can get an insight into their work. Further blogs will review each of these recent publications. Based on what they say I have summarized the following key facts and recommended tests.
Key facts
There are no bad foods, but we have processed the life out of them. So for best health choose unprocessed, ideally unpackaged real food.
Avoid all sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Avoid wheat at least and gluten preferably for three weeks or more to see how you feel.
Avoid vegetable fats except olive oil and do not cook with vegetable oils, use coconut fat or organic butter instead. Better not to fry though.
Eat organic if you can afford it.
Avoid foods you suspect do not agree with you (an IgG food sensitivity blood test can confirm sensitivities).
Waist measurement
Should be no more than half your height. For example a 72-inch man/6ft tall would have a 36 inch waist ideally, more than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women suggests pre-diabetes so tests should be taken.
Blood tests
These are recommended for those aged 40 + to check for underlying metabolic problems which affect 88% of the western world. See sussexpathology.com If you would like any of these tests or others done.
If you have had some previous lab tests in the last 6-12 months those could probably be omitted from this list. Some of these are routine tests in the UK NHS and there is no harm in asking your GP to run the additional tests for you, saving you the fee. All results should be shared with your GP.
When you have a blood-test it is best to fast for 12 hours or more before blood is taken. For example, stop eating at 8pm one day and get the test done 8am onwards the next day before eating or drinking anything other than water. Relatively small amounts of blood are adequate with modern laboratory techniques. It is beneficial to drink extra water for a day or two prior to the test so you are not dehydrated.
- Fatty Liver disease ALT
- Glucose diabetes test HbA1c
- Fasting glucose
- Cholesterol profile, HDL, LDL, TG/ tryglycerides
- Insulin
- Homocysteine (especially with a family history of cardiovascular disease and osteopenia)
- Uric acid
- Iron & Ferritin
- B12 & Folate
- Thyroid T4-3-TSH
- Vitamin D
- PSA (men 45+)
- Full blood count
- AST & GGT
- Hormones male/female panel
I hope you found this blog useful. I think we will all be getting more tests done in the future because they are now more easily available and if we know what is going on, we can then act to promote our health. Many tests act like early warning signs giving us the power to change direction before damage is done. We only get one body, best to look after it. To discuss your personal requirements please do contact me at drrudd@mac.com