In-Home Blood Work Simplified
Symptoms Can Be Deceiving until the Blood Steps in to Clarify By Bentley Murdock As a disease symptom reversal specialist, I’m constantly searching for new, unique, and custom approaches when looking at the same dis-ease symptoms humans have been tackling for centuries. (Some of these diseases, however, have only been around a handful of years, which then begs a few essential questions such as “Uhhh…Where did they come from?!” =:o) As a nutritional phlebotomist, the majority of the mysteries associated with these and other symptoms become incredibly clear. The blood indicates with surprising accuracy what’s actually going on inside of each of our bodies during the day-to-day comings and goings of the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. And I’m not just talking about what we eat and drink. The blood can tell us if a certain organ is struggling, whether our hormone levels are regulating properly, if we have been exposed to toxins and carcinogenic chemicals, and whether we have healthy levels of each vitamin, mineral, and amino-acid present in our bodies at any given moment. With literally hundreds of specific blood tests from which to choose, here are the top five which I feel are most important for anyone and everyone to know, regardless of how healthy you think you might be: • CMP
The comprehensive metabolic panel (also known as the chemistry 14 panel or screen), has fourteen focal points which address the majority of the most important vitamins and minerals in the body, such as sodium, glucose (blood sugar levels indicating necessary
diabetes prevention/reversal efforts), calcium (bone health), and protein (musculature). It also shows how the liver and kidneys are functioning and reveals whether or not deterioration enzymes are present, indicating elevated stress or damage in a particular organ. • Lipid Profile or Panel
This panel covers all of the different sources of cholesterol including the good HDL (omegas, essential fatty acid, plantsourced fat) and the no-good LDL (animal-sourced, hydrogenated, synthetic, trans fat, and saturated fat levels). These results show us everything we need to know about the circulatory system, heart function, and oxygenation of the organs and extremities of the body. Knowing how the blood flows (or doesn’t flow) guides us in preventing and/or reversing heart disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, heart attack, dementia, and other diseases and disorders. • Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Test
The energy vitamin (which is actually a living, good bacteria/ microorganism primarily found in the feces of animals and insects) has everything to do with how alive we feel on the inside and in general. It increases energy without a crash afterwards and assists in the populating of the gut with healthful gut bacteria. In addition to sustaining great energy levels, it also facilitates proper digestion, hormone synthesis, and auto-regulation and aids in the building and sustaining of all protein and musculature components in the body. (The most reliable source we’ve found is the Garden of Life brand sublingual spray options.) The body needs around 2500 mcgs per week, ideally from a naturally occurring methylcobalamin plant source. • Iron
The iron panel informs us how the blood is doing and is directly related to heart function, energy levels, stamina, endurance, mental clarity, and focus. On the symptoms front, fatigue, apathy, lethargy, depression, and anxiety can all be indicators of iron-deficiency (aka anemia). Iron supplementation requires an initial starting point from a blood panel because iron is one of the few minerals that must be carefully regulated. If the body receives too much iron, it begins to bog down the normal and healthy functions of the body just as it does with excess protein. Always refer to your blood panel when adjusting iron supplementation. • Vitamin D (25 Hydroxy)
The sunshine hormone, of which most people don’t get nearly enough, absolutely needs to be part of a healthful daily supplementation regimen. Few of us receive the amount of sunshine our bodies want and need. As a result, 28 www.sghealthandwellnessmagazine.com
