Happy March everyone (despite the horrid snow in NYC we had this past weekend!) I cannot wait for spring to be here because I’m over this cold weather. With that being said, I want to discuss a subject that I speak about with both my prospective + current clients.The question is: Have you gotten your blood tested recently? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it and here’s why you should get blood work done to find your optimal health.
Why?
Even when we are doing all of the right things when it comes to eating, exercising + managing stress, it’s good to know where we stand from a science standpoint. For example, 2 years ago was the first time I had gotten my blood drawn + tested in quite a while. The results? I was below the normal range for Folate (B9) and at the low end of the spectrum for Vitamin B12. This was very surprising to me as I eat a ton of foods rich in folate, such as spinach, legumes, eggs, broccoli + avocado, and in B12, such as salmon, tuna, eggs + nutritional yeast. This just means that for whatever reason (probably digestive related) that I wasn’t absorbing all of the nutrients from my food in my small intestine. Now that I was aware of this, I would just need to properly supplement with a b-complex vitamin and utilize digestive enzymes with meals. After incorporating these supplements into my daily regiment, I was tested a year later and my Folate levels were in the normal range and my B12 levels had increased!
If I hadn’t gotten my blood tested, I would have never known. Along with micronutrients, testing for inflammatory + thyroid markers and even food sensitivities are really eye opening to healing gut issues, increasing energy levels, preventing disease, and balancing hormones. Many of my clients who have gotten their blood work done either before or during my nutrition programs were low in either one or both of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12, which make you feel extremely fatigued and lethargic! It’s also really helpful for those of you thinking about starting a family because you want to make sure you have enough nutrients to be able to carry a baby. I’m glad I got my blood checked because Folate is an extremely important nutrient for pregnancy, and it probably would have been difficult to get pregnant with such low levels. This allowed me time to get my body healthy so that my body is prepared for when we’re ready for that next step.
What + Where?
Now that you are thinking to yourself – ummm, I haven’t had my blood tested in a while and I know I need to, but I don’t know where to go? Don’t worry – I got you! I work with a medical doctor at Broadway Chiropractic and Wellness (located on 39th Street + Broadway) who can draw your blood + read your results, which you can then incorporate on your own or by working with me and my “little adapts” philosophy. The blood panel covers micronutrients, inflammatory + thyroid markers, and food sensitivities. You can simply give them a call and they will verify if your insurance is covered – just make sure to mention my name as your referral 🙂 You will also receive a complimentary spinal consult. I’m actually a patient here and the entire office from the medical doctor to the chiropractors to the PT are phenomenal. If you’re not in NYC and you already have a general practitioner you go to annually, I would highly recommend that you make sure they test you for Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 because that is not always included on your standard blood panel (I know, I know – doesn’t make a lot of sense since most people are deficient in one or both!)
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me as well as to schedule your complimentary 15 minute consultation!
To see the brands I use for supplements, click here.
With Health + Happiness,
Jax
PS – If you’re still feeling under the weather from the cold, check out my recent blog post on the Immunity Boosting Smoothie!
