Welcome back from holidays everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful, quiet holiday and you are ready to make a positive shift in your health. Shout out to anyone who signed up for the Belly Fat Detox that starts next week...you are awesome!!!

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that your baseline health is more important than ever.

In fact, your baseline health is the most important factor in predicting your prognosis after any type of injury, infection, or big stressor. Your baseline health includes your physical, mental, and emotional resiliency. 

Think about your baseline health like a bank account.

Do you have enough money in your bank account to weather a market crash?

To find out, ask yourself this short list of questions and complete 5 basic blood tests to identify where you might need to make some investments.

Questions to ask:

• Is your blood sugar balanced? Can you skip a meal and not feel unwell?
• Are you able to move everyday with minimal pain?
• Are you able to sleep well without assistance?
• Can you digest your food & eliminate waste effectively?
• Are your hormones in balance?
• Are you able to stabilize your mood effectively without assistance?
• Can you allow yourself to be vulnerable and open your heart to let others in?
• Can you allow yourself to feel all four healing emotions (anger, sadness, fear, and sorrow) around any endings in your life instead of suppressing or numbing?

Blood tests to complete:

1. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP): This is a marker of inflammation that is particularly specific for the cardiovascular system. The higher this number the more likely the incidence of a heart attack. This number will also be increased with food allergies, and chronic infections in the teeth, and other chronic inflammatory conditions.
2. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c): This is a marker of how well your blood sugar has been controlled over the last 3 months. The higher this number is the more often your blood sugar is too high and attaching to tissue proteins. An abnormality is an early warning sign of early aging, weight gain, poor circulation, decreased tissue healing, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.
3. Vitamin D: This is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies in Canada. Low levels will increase your risk of inflammation, auto-immune disease, depression, and hormone imbalances, just to name a few. I have had several people show up low despite spending lots of time outdoors and/or taking Vitamin D already.
4. Gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT): This is one of your liver enzymes and will be elevated when your body has a high exposure to toxins. Studies have shown that even in the high normal range people can be at higher risk of developing metabolic disease as a result of toxin exposure. If this number is low you could have a deficiency in detoxification enzymes, magnesium, B6, or taurine.
5. HDL:TG ratio: This can be calculated from a conventional cholesterol panel. The HDL, on it’s own, represents how well your liver is producing the useful and healthful “good” cholesterol. But if you have high TG, your HDL usually drops. Conversely, as you move toward a healthier metabolism, your TG will reduce and your HDL will go up. The ratio between the two is important. The optimal range: 0.5–1.9 and heart disease risk is found at ratios >3.0.

Now I would love to hear from you! What is one thing you are going to focus on to improve your baseline health this year? Leave a comment below and I'll be back next week with another edition of Doctor as Teacher Tuesday!