The Role of Biomarker Testing in Unlocking the Secrets to Longevity

A root cause & lab testing based approach to Longevity & Health Optimisation

Health optimisation, hormones and longevity are ‘trending’, with content related to what to eat and how to live to feel better for longer, reduce hormone issues and prevent illness flooding the media. Home health testing and tracking devices are everywhere, empowering you to take care of your own health. You likely know that you should be eating your greens, getting more sleep, reduce stress and exercise, supplement with vitamin D during winter. Perhaps you have even toyed with some more advanced ‘biohacking’ ideas such as metformin, tried blood sugar monitors, stool testing and devoured the podcasts of Huberman, Peter Attia, Zoe and the like.   But how do you know you are doing it right?   Before getting lost in all the many tools and supplements out there promising the eternal fountain of youth, I want to explain some of longevity and health optimisation, so that you can learn to make educated choices and see what works and what is important for your unique biology.

The Role of Biomarker Testing in Unlocking the Secrets to Longevity

You are into health optimisation and longevity - but how to know if you are doing it right? In this episode Functional Medicine practitioner Mirthe dives into how to use simple blood test results you likely already had done at your annual check, and how to use them to get gauge on whether you are on the right track when it comes to health optimisation, or could do with making some adjustments!  She will also explain why 'normal' blood tests might not be good enough, and the importance of placing some test results into a narrower, 'optimal' reference range to prevent decline, decades before problems were to arise.

What your ferritin levels really should be for optimal health, metabolism & longevity

Are you feeling tired, your hair is falling out, and metabolism is sluggish? Chances are, if you are female and menstruating (ie not on a contraceptive that suppresses your period, or past menopause), your iron stores might be below optimal. Or, on the other hand, and in particular if you are male or female with no period, perhaps have achy joints, a larger belly circumference than you’d like, or even no noticeable symptoms (yet!) but you enjoy steak and aren’t bleeding monthly, there is a high likelihood that your iron stores are above optimal. But your doctor tested your iron and said you are fine? If possible, get your hands on the actual test results, and have a look at what your ferritin level is. To read more about optimal ferritin (iron storage), why it matters for health optimisation, and if you would like a break down of the scientific references that got me to these optimal ranges, head to my blog post here: https://mprecisionhealth.com/what-your-ferritin-levels-really-should-be-for-optimal-health-performance-and-longevity/

Add these thyroid markers to your next health check and make sure they are in OPTIMAL ranges for a better metabolism & longevity

Why you want to make sure your thyroid levels are OPTIMAL, and not just NORMAL. Do you have symptoms that you think could be related to your thyroid, but you’ve had your thyroid checked on your latest blood panel, and all was ‘fine’? Common symptoms related to a sluggish thyroid include: 👉🏻 Weight gain 👉🏻 Low energy 👉🏻 Hair loss 👉🏻 Low mood 👉🏻 Cholesterol levels that are creeping up 👉🏻 Difficulties conceiving/ infertility Did you know that most lab reference ranges are based on the average of the population, not optimally healthy individuals.. what that means for your thyroid is that while you might have gone to your GP to run a thyroid panel, and they came back as ‘fine’, chances are they might be outside the optimal range, contributing to niggly thyroid related symptoms such as weight gain, low mood and energy, or worse, contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular issues. Often basic blood panels also only look at TSH - a pro-hormone, which does not tell us the full story of what is actually going on with your thyroid health. Check out my latest blog post where I go into detail on what thyroid markers you want to add to your next health check, and what ranges they should be in, if you want to be more proactive and take control of your health trajectory… So that you can look and feel better not only now (optimal thyroid hormone levels are needed for weight loss, hair, mood and energy levels), but also in the long run (ie better longevity, prevention of strokes, heart attacks, cancers and more!). Find the full blog post with the reference ranges and links to research to back it up here: https://mprecisionhealth.com/making-sense-and-optimising-your-thyroid-lab-results/

The breakfast debate - better to skip and fast, or is breakfast still the most important meal of the day?

The breakfast debate – better to skip and fast, or is breakfast still the most important meal of the day?   With some influencers touting the benefits of fasting for health and longevity, with others promoting that one has to eat right after waking, in order to keep the metabolism and hormones healthy, it is easy to get confused.   But what is the truth? The answer sadly is not quite that clear cut … and the daily eating schedule that is best for you might not only depend on the best timing science tells us, but other factors, such as work and social commitments too.   In today’s episode I will dive into what science says on meal timing, breakfast, intermittent fasting, and their impact on hormones, cellular health (ie inner anti-ageing, longevity promotion and ill health prevention), metabolism and hunger, so that at the end you hopefully feel equipped to make a better and educated choice on when and how to eat and fast, to suit not only your health goals, but also your life!