How often do we really consider what’s happening “under the bonnet” health-wise for us? More often than not, we may focus on our outward appearance – our weight, skin, hair etc but so much can be silently occurring internally that can be putting our health and life at risk.

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Health Warrant of Fitness

My clients love catching up with me for an annual health check-up, much like a Warrant of Fitness for your body. And springtime can be a great time to get this underway. This means booking in for a Nutrition consult and also scheduling a visit with your doctor to monitor key health indicators such as blood pressure, and arranging a variety of blood tests. Your doctor can also ensure you’re up-to-date with essential health screenings like mammograms, cervical smears, and any specific tests you might need (such as colonoscopies or skin cancer checks). After your doctor’s visit, we can review the results together in a session, so you can really understand what the results mean and, more importantly, how you can make simple nutrition and lifestyle changes to support a healthy body.

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Often, the early stages of a medical condition or an anomaly can go unnoticed. Conditions like high blood glucose levels, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, or an immune response to gluten may not show any obvious symptoms initially but can cause significant internal damage. It’s estimated that over 100,000 New Zealanders are living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, which, if left untreated, could lead to severe complications like blindness, limb amputations, or kidney transplants. A simple, free blood test can diagnose this, allowing you to start management and treatment right away so why wouldn’t we check?

Looking under the bonnet can detect issues early on, enabling you to make proactive changes to support your well-being before conditions worsen. Here’s a list of tests I’d suggest you consider, but talk with your GP about what’s appropriate for you:

Your GP Check-Up

• Blood pressure
• Blood tests e.g.
  • HbA1c (a 3 month average of your blood glucose levels) 
  • Cholesterol profile (part of your cardiovascular disease risk assessment) 
  • Inflammatory markers (to check acute inflammation in the body if indicated)
  • Iron (if you experience heavy periods, have changed to a plant-based diet, are feeling tired and or lacking concentration, are picking up various bugs and viruses)
  • Vitamin B12 (if you are feeling fatigued, or are consuming a vegan diet)
  • Coeliac screen (if you have abdominal symptoms, have lost weight unintentionally or have low iron that is not responding to supplements)
  • Thyroid hormones (if you have experienced unintentional weight changes, fatigue or a particularly stressful period)
  • Liver Function Tests
• Personalised health assessments based on your medical and family history (eg colonoscopy, skin cancer check)

Additional Screenings:

• Mammogram (women aged over 45 or earlier if recommended)
• Cervical smear
• Dental check-up (important for preventing dental issues that can lead to heart conditions and even dementia)

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If you’re keen for a Spring Health Warrant of Fitness check with me, reply to this email and we’ll get you booked in so you can cross that off your to-do list! Of if you’re after a complete overhaul of your health and are a woman in your 30’s, 40’s or 50’s, check out my Nourished Perimenopause online course starting on the 16^th September…8 weeks of nourishing goodness to see you up for the future. Find out more here.

Taking these “under the bonnet” steps ensures that you’re not only looking good on the outside but also feeling your best on the inside. Whose keen?

Sarah x