Testing
Body Signs
Assessment of your health includes a range of testing when you come in to the clinic. First I examine your nails, tongue, skin, eyes and body for signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiency that may be contributing to your condition. Although diseases of severe nutritional deficiency such as scurvy and pellagra are uncommon in the developed world, there still remains a significant amount of sub-clinical nutritional deficiencies and insufficiencies that I see in the clinic.
Iridology
Iridology is the study of the colours, textures, markings and proportions of the iris of the eye. Regions in the iris correspond to different areas of the body. When I look in your eyes, I may see some predispositions, inherited strengths and weaknesses, or regions of relative over or under-function. An indication of a health problem detected at an early stage, can give us an opportunity to prevent future problems. I use a special torch and magnifying glass to take a close look at the iris. This procedure is completely non-invasive and is done quickly.
Zinc Taste Test
A quick and easy ‘taste’ test to assess the zinc status in your body. Numerous research studies have found that sub-optimal levels of zinc are very common at all ages, especially in the elderly. An Australian study found that 85% of women and 65% of men do not receive the RDA for zinc in their diets.
Zinc activates over 300 enzyme systems in the body, is essential in immunity, is important for brain development and cognition, is involved in the secretion of neurotransmitters, is involved in DNA & RNA synthesis, helps absorb B vitamins, is important for healthy thyroid function, supports insulin action and blood sugar regulation, improves carbon dioxide transport in the lungs, is essential for wound healing, enhances healthy sperm production, is involved is sex hormone production, assists production and secretion of hydrochloric acid and the functioning of the digestive system.
Urinary pH Test
Why is urinary pH important? Subtle changes to the pH of the body can have substantial impacts on a range of health conditions, including stress, fatigue, body weight, bone density, pain, energy, mental function, digestion, muscle mass and hormone balance. Urinary pH is a good measure of the ‘acid-load’ within the body and can help with your treatment plan.
Blood Pressure
A regular blood pressure check is essential if experiencing stress, a family history of cardiovascular disease, if overweight, with high cholesterol or already diagnosed with hypertension. It is also an important test to track general wellbeing. The 1st (top) number is the systolic pressure. This is the blood pressure when the heart muscle contracts. The 2nd(underneath) number is the diastolic pressure. This is the blood pressure when the heart is relaxed.
Systolic/Diastolic
210/120 – Stage 4 High 180/110 – Stage 3 High 160/100 – Stage 2 High 140/90 – Borderline High |
130/85 – High Normal
120/80 – Normal 110/75 – Low Normal |
90/60 – Borderline Low 60/40 – Too low 50/33 – Dangerously low |
BMI
BMI stands for Body Mass index. It is used to give you an idea of whether you are underweight, overweight or an ideal weight for your height and age. It’s useful to know because if your weight increases or decreases outside of the ideal range, your health risks may increase. (BMI does not differentiate between body fat and muscle mass. This means there are some exceptions to the BMI guidelines).
If your BMI is:
- Under 18.5 – you are very underweight and possibly under-nourished.
- 18.5 to 24.9 – you have a healthy weight range for young and middle-aged adults.
- 25.0 to 29.9 – you are overweight
- Over 30 – you are obese.
Waist Measurement
Your waist measurement compares closely with your body mass index (BMI), and is often seen as a better way of checking your risk of developing a chronic disease. Measuring your waist circumference is a simple check to tell how much body fat you have and where it is placed around your body.
Where your fat is located can be an important sign of your risk of developing an ongoing health problem. Regardless of your height or build, for most adults a waist measurement of greater than 94cm for men and 80cm for women is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits which coat the heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas, and increase the risk of chronic disease.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Food sensitivities can cause many common symptoms including fatigue, headache, anxiety, as well as itchy runny nose and puffy eyelids. If left unmanaged they may lead to arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmune disease, eczema, and migraines, and other chronic conditions. Compared with an anaphylactic IgE reaction – often to nuts, seafood, eggs, it is much harder to detect a food sensitivity or intolerance. This blood test will analyse your body’s reaction to a wide range of common foods, drinks and preservatives through detection of food-specific IgG antibodies.
Further Testing
Many health conditions will require further testing to get to the bottom of what is causing your symptoms. Further tests may include: Salivary hormone testing, Digestive Stool Analysis, Fructose/Lactulose Tolerance test, Functional Liver Detoxification Profile (FLDP), Hair Mineral analysis, Candida and Coeliac testing and others depending on your needs and requirements.
If you have had recent blood tests bring them along to your first appointment and I can help you analyse them.