2015

Self-Care and Self-Diagnosis: Becoming My Own Doctor

Self-Care and Self-Diagnosis: Becoming My Own Doctor
[caption id="attachment_19648" align="alignright" width="433"] Supplement industry means big business Supplement industry means big business... and it just keeps on growing![/caption]

Did you know that the global vitamin supplements industry is expected to reach $53,800,000,000 by the year 2020 ?

This loosely translates into fist-fulls of pills and capsules, bottomless vats of vitamins, minerals, and sports supplements --- all to improve our baseline of health.

However, do any of us really know why we ingest the pills, caps and powders each day? Do we really know what our bodies are needing? Or is it simply a best guess situation? Unfortunately, for the most part, it's the latter.

But it doesn't have to be this way!  Until recently, I've been an avid pill popper.

My day would consist of starting with a fistful of pills and gel capsules consisting of omegas, multi-vitamins, vitamin-D, B, and C, anti-inflammatory compounds and a number of miscellaneous anti-oxidants would round out the pile as I would wash it down with a powder-rich smoothie, blended to a thick, pulpy perfection.

Did I need to take all these supplements each day? Truthfully, I had no idea what the answer was, but I knew that my diet - as healthy as it is - could never get me enough of the good stuff that my body was craving ( or so I thought ).

Take the Guess Work out of Your Health with a Comprehensive Health Screening


A good friend of mine, who happens to be an MD and Naturopathic doctor, introduced me to the idea of having a comprehensive health screening and Vitamin profile .

The test would take into account all the following ( and the kitchen sink ):

  • Complete Blood Count (CBC)

  • Complete Metabolic Profile (CMP)

  • Urinalysis (UA)

  • Lipid Profile (LP)

  • Prostate Check (PSA) and Prostatic Acid Phosphatase test (PAP)

  • Thyroid Function Test (TSH)

  • Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)

  • Hemoglobin A1c

  • hs-CRP (C-reactive protein test)

  • Vitamin A

  • Vitamin E

  • Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy

  • Beta Carotene

  • Vitamin B1

  • Vitamin B6

  • Vitamin B12 and folate

  • Vitamin C


Admittedly, when you are eager to learn more about various facets of your health, it may seem a little daunting to rely on self-testing and not visiting your doctor. Thanks to innovations in testing methods and technologies, "playing doctor" is now easier and more effective than ever before. In fact, an increasing number of people are testing their hormones, cholesterol, thyroid, vitamins, allergies, STDs, and more at home .

Here's some of the reasons why we should all consider self-testing with Health Care Centers


The Advantages of Self-Testing


[caption id="attachment_19652" align="alignleft" width="416"] Sometimes we find comfort in not knowing our true health status... take control and do something about it. Sometimes we find comfort in not knowing our true health status... take control and do something about it.[/caption]

When you order from Health Testing Centers you will receive an order for blood work at one of the major US laboratories: Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp. Then do what I did, and visit one of the Quest or LabCorp labs to have your testing conducted on site. With more than 1,400 locations across the U.S. and with over 30 years of experience, I don't see any other service providers coming close to the relationships Health Testing Centers has fostered with their partner labs. And let's be right to the point, based on the sheer volume of testing facilities, labs and collection centers, no one can come close in price.

The pricing is both reasonable and affordable, and their services are designed for people who intend to pay for their own healthcare and not inflating the prices to offset the costs incurred by pricey insurance companies. Cash prices are super low and save us, the patients, 70% or more. The test results are then sent directly to me within 1 to 2 days. I didn't require a prescription from my doctor, and once I received the results they were able to tell me if my results were within the normal range.

Being Your Own Doctor


Now of course, they do encourage us to share our test results with our doctors so official medical records can be kept up-to-date. And if your doctors are like mine, they'll be able to fully interpret the test results and offer more insight into what they mean.

I have to agree with Health Testing Centers messaging - they really do pride themselves on encouraging their patients to "play doctor" . What better way to give us would be patients with a wonderfully convenient and right way of quantifying our health and all from the comfort of our home .

What's more, becoming your own doctor is an incredibly empowering experience, enabling us to take our health and well-being into our own hands and not having to solely rely on our healthcare providers.

[caption id="attachment_19650" align="alignright" width="400"] A healthy lifestyle comes as a result of the choices we make... A healthy lifestyle comes as a result of the choices we make...[/caption]

Why Choose Health Testing Centers ? Because it worked for me!


After getting my results back I learned a ton of interesting things, which my doctor friend, Dr. Coppin was able to help me understand.

Most significantly, I learned that I was anemic and need a crazy amount of B-vitamins. I've started to supplement my B-complex with a B-shot once per week, which has made all the difference in my energy levels and metabolism.

Secondly, the amount of chicken I was eating was causing my Omega 6 levels to increase drastically, creating a lot of inflammation in my body, while also throwing my Omega 3 to 6 ratio way out of balance. I've since started to supplement more Omega 3's in my diet and reduced the amount of chicken I was eating in favor of more red meats and fish.

[caption id="attachment_19654" align="alignleft" width="356"] Feeding our body the right 'stuff' at the right 'time' is more than guesswork Feeding our body the right 'stuff' at the right 'time' is more than guesswork[/caption]

These are only 2 of nearly a dozen underlying deficiencies and imbalances that were exposed through my comprehensive health screen. I hate to think what might have happened had I not taken the pro-active approach to getting myself scanned... I'm still a pill popper, but now the pills and capsules I take are being fully used and making a massive impact on my health. No more guessing!

So in Conclusion


Becoming your own doctor and self-diagnosing will save you an incredible amount of time and money, while also keeping you well-informed about your health. With the convenience and cost-effectiveness offered by Health Testing Centers there really has never been a better time to start "playing doctor". Testing everything from diabetes and immunization to kidney and liver function, and much, much more, so stop guessing and figure out where you're at now - you're the doc!

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you are awesome - really This is my disclaimer, “Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t  share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn't matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me, if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.”   ~ Moose

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