Why Understanding Your Labs Should Be Your New Year’s Resolution
It’s 2024: it’s time to ditch the idea that weight loss for everyone looks the exact same. These are the 8 labs to understand to get a good picture of...
It’s 2024: it’s time to ditch the idea that weight loss for everyone looks the exact same. These are the 8 labs to understand to get a good picture of...
It’s 2024: it’s time to ditch the idea that weight loss for everyone looks the same. In reality, every single person is unique, and with today’s technology, there’s a lower barrier than ever to getting clear insight into what’s going on in your body.
For many patients, simply getting validation via lab work that there is a very clear reason why weight is a struggle can change everything. That’s why I always start with doing lab work before anything else with my patients.
Here’s a breakdown of the best labs to get from your doctor—or to test on your own with the Weight Biology Kit—and how to understand them.
Fasting insulin levels are a sensitive marker for insulin resistance, which is a key driver of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Even though its probably the best tool we have for detecting early insulin resistance, most doctors do not test for it!
Insulin resistance is a problem because it can lead to various health complications and increase the risk of several chronic diseases. Here are some of the key reasons why having insulin resistance is a concern:
Insulin resistance is best caught early, which is why it’s important for you to be proactive in getting your fasting insulin tested via your doctor or in the Weight Biology Kit.
This biomarker alone can be very validating and helpful for those who have struggled with getting answers to their weight struggles, since insulin resistance is a primary reason many people cannot lose weight.
Fasting glucose levels indicate how well your body is managing blood sugar. Elevated levels may suggest impaired glucose metabolism, which can lead to weight gain and diabetes. This is commonly tested by doctors, but the real gold comes from using this number, along with your fasting insulin number, to calculate your insulin resistance.
So, once you have these two numbers you can easily see exactly how insulin resistant you are by calculating something called your HOMA-IR score.
The Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) score is a mathematical formula used to estimate insulin resistance in the body. It provides a numerical value that helps assess how well the body is responding to insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels.
You can use our HOMA-IR calculator to see exactly how insulin resistant you are. When interpreting your results:
Your doctor is unlikely to bring up the HOMA-IR. You not be diabetic or even pre-diabetic but still have significant insulin resistance, which is why it’s important to get this number. Left alone, significant insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.
A Hemoglobin A1C test evaluates average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months. It is used as a screening tool for type 2 diabetes and its precursor, prediabetes. In general, these are the ranges for A1C that are evaluted in blood work:
Even if you have a healthy A1c, you can be insulin resistant, which is why this is important to measure alongside other measures.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is produced by the pituitary gland and signals the thyroid to make two main hormones that are delivered to the body, T3 and T4. High TSH can be a sign of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and low TSH can be a sign of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
Specifically, an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can lead to weight gain and make it challenging to manage weight effectively. A TSH under 4.5uIU/mL is considered within a healthy range, but for optimal function, sometimes its best to aim for less than 2uIU/mL.
Adequate vitamin B12 is essential for energy metabolism and overall well-being. Deficiencies can lead to fatigue and hinder physical activity, making it harder to control weight. Our bodies do not produce B12, so it’s obtained by consuming animal products or via supplementation.
Triglycerides are a type of fat that stores excess energy from dietary sources.
Elevated triglycerides can be a sign of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, low thyroid levels and metabolic syndrome, a constellation of conditions that are associated with insulin resistance, high blood pressure and too much fat around the waist.
It can also be associated with excess alcohol consumption, certain medications, and less commonly, high levels can indicate acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
The recommended triglyceride levels can vary slightly depending on the guidelines used by different medical organizations, but here are general guidelines:
The good news is, in most cases, elevated triglycerides can be normalized! Regular exercise, carbohydrate reduction (especially refined carbohydrates like sweets, pasta and bread), alcohol reduction, and, if needed, a 5% total body weight loss, can significantly reduce elevated triglycerides.
HDL is known as "good" cholesterol, because it helps prevent LDL from building up as plaque in coronary arteries.
Low HDL is a component of metabolic syndrome, a constellation of conditions that are associated with insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides and high blood pressure and too much fat around the waist. Metabolic Syndrome increases risk of heart disease, stroke, and other inflammatory disease. Thus, it’s important to try to increase this number!
Genetics play an important role in determining HDL levels, but it isn’t everything.
HDL can be raised by increasing physical activity and focusing on a whole-foods, low refined carbohydrate and low trans-fat diet. Weight loss, when indicated, also helps improve HDL markers.
LDL is known as "bad" cholesterol, because it carries cholesterol to the arteries, potentially leading to plaque build-up and coronary artery disease. Therefore, lower levels of LDL are optimal for cardiometabolic health.
LDL can be kept at healthy levels through regular aerobic physical activity, and focusing on a diet low in refined and processed carbohydrates, and maintaining a healthy weight.
You can use the labs above to get an idea of if you may have metabolic syndrome, which increases your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. And yes, makes it harder to lose weight.
Metabolic syndrome is typically diagnosed when an individual has three or more of the following five key components.
Managing metabolic syndrome typically involves making lifestyle changes to address the underlying risk factors. Using medication to manage blood sugar and cholesterol can help, as well as diet and exercise.
As far as excess belly fat goes, there are specific compounds like the berberine in GetSoBALANCED that are clinically shown to help reduce waist circumference.
Using the biomarkers listed above, you’re able to get a good picture of what could be holding you back.
Within your Weight Biology Kit results portal, you’ll get a complete explanation of your personal indicators. Once you have them, it’s best to connect with your doctor to create a game plan, which could include:
Knowledge is power. Don’t let another year go by without getting a grasp on your metabolism! Buy the Weight Biology Kit here.
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“If there are some biomarkers you want to focus on in order to improve your health, you’re not alone! 90% of our community discovers some areas of opportunity.”
Berberine has been used for a long time in Ayurveda and Ancient Chinese Medicine traditions, and is a heavily-researched ingredient. As of 2019, there were 77 clinical studies evaluating its efficacy!
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