Optimum health is one of the crucial barometers of good living.
With a multitude of threats against health and wellness, which includes a rampant spread of infection, increasing demands at work, and a plethora of harmful temptations, the stake goes higher when it comes to taking control of your health.
Stress and burnout could become regular parts of your work life and home life. The last thing you need is to lose control of your health.
Your Health in Your Hands
Nowadays, understanding your risk levels on specific diseases and body limitations is considered as the first step in laying the groundwork for taking control of your health and wellbeing.
Knowing your cholesterol, blood sugar levels, blood profile, susceptibility to life-threatening disorders, etc. is non-negotiable.
Fortunately, Personalabs provides readily available tests that you can easily access to assist you on how to take control of your health in a convenient and productive manner.
For the past 14 years, Personalabs has graciously lived up to its mission of empowering consumers to become more proactive in deciding for their healthcare needs by providing vital blood tests for different medical conditions.
7 Ways that you can control your personal Health
Here are how you can effectively take control of your health and how Personalabs can help you in every step of the way.
1. Plan your meal according to what is best for your health
You are what you eat. It is true, the type of food you consume has a critical impact on your personal health, even bigger than what you would expect.
A good diet typically consists of fruits, vegetables, and other natural types of food.
While it is ideal to come up with a daily meal plan encompassing healthy alternatives, the common lifestyle especially among those who are always on the run for work and errands tend to lean over towards fast food.
However, if you have a clear comprehension of what your body lacks and have in excess, you can be compelled to thoughtfully plan your meals. Basic health information such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, and allergens can save you from preventable health complications.
Here are some of the recommended dietary choices for people with the following conditions:
A. High blood sugar levels
An above-average blood sugar levels could be a sign of diabetes. It is a condition caused by the inability of the hormone insulin to process glucose in the blood.
If you have a family history of diabetes or an unhealthy lifestyle that involves excessive sugar intakes, make sure to take the blood tests for monitoring your blood sugar levels.
Try to include high-fiber fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy in your diet. Strictly avoid processed products, starches, and foods with artificial sweeteners.
The rule of thumb for specific meals against diabetes is to reduce or eliminate sugary and fatty food.
B. High blood pressure and high cholesterol
Diseases such as cognitive impairment, stroke, and cardiovascular disorders are linked with high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Your blood pressure is typically measured with a sphygmomanometer. Cholesterol, however, requires lab testing for accurate results. You may take the Lipid Panel with LDL/HDL Ratio Blood Test to monitor your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides levels.
If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels better avoid foods with high salt or sodium content, processed meat, or those with high in trans fats, highly preserved foods, and sweet sugary goods.
Concentrate on high fiber fruits and vegetables as well as low-fat dairy products.
C. Food allergies
With food allergies, the immune system triggers allergic reactions to a certain food composition.
One may experience rashes, itchiness, vomiting, and other unpleasant symptoms that could vary based on the type of allergen.
As much as we love promoting organic fruits and vegetables all the time, in this case, we can’t say that much.
There is a variety of grains, cereals, and other naturally grown foods that can be considered as allergens.
Consumption of these allergens can lead to uncomfortable allergic reactions and could potentially lead to serious conditions.
If you wish to know if you are allergic to a certain type of food, Personalabs can assist you with its Allergy Blood Test.
2. Exercise regularly
The benefits of exercise can never be undermined. Exercise has a tight knot with fitness and wellness.
It allows proper and optimal circulation as well as cardiovascular, and cognitive functions. It also plays a vital role in controlling your weight and lowering your risks of obesity and other chronic diseases.
Allocate a substantial weekly schedule for your exercise sessions. And if you are completely serious and fully committed to achieving fitness and wellness, start by evaluating your current health with the Weight Loss and Fitness Tests.
3. Maintain a healthy weight
Monitoring your weight is essential to take control of your health and wellness.
It is particularly beneficial in lowering the risks for medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.
While eating clean and healthy along with an active lifestyle usually does the trick to maintaining good health, certain conditions require medical intervention.
There are disorders that affect nutrition and metabolism that you will have to deal with first before following the usual health and wellness path. This includes thyroid disease, celiac disease, hormonal imbalance, etc.
You can take the first step in identifying if you have these conditions through the Weight Loss and Fitness Tests, Digestive Disorder Testing, and the Thyroid/Parathyroid Tests.
4. Get enough sleep
Sleep is essential for keeping normal functions and body repairs. However, nowadays, sleep has become more of a luxury than a necessity.
Nonetheless, acquiring lesser sleep than what is recommended can have detrimental effects on your health.
To take control of your health, make sure you get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
Factors such as hormonal imbalance can affect your circadian rhythm. If you find yourself staring at the ceiling all night and simply can’t get hold of a speedy slumber, you may have to consult your doctor.
Know more about your overall health linked to your sleeping schedule with the General Health and Wellness Tests.
5. Avoid smoking and other unhealthy habits
It’s no secret that smoking can have aggressively negative impacts on your health. It causes serious damages to the respiratory system and exponentially increases the risks for chronic diseases such as cancer.
Likewise, drug use can potentially lead you closer to death than good health and wellness.
But despite these well-known facts, people still have a hard time giving up these unhealthy habits. Naturally, it’s because of the nature of the chemical components that lead straight to addiction.
If you are serious to live a clean and healthy life, pursue a withdrawal and rehabilitation journey with the associated tests and treatment such as the Nicotine and Metabolite Test along with other Drugs and Drug Therapy Monitoring Tests.
6. Limit your alcohol intake
Sure, alcohol consumption is a normal inclusion of a meal or a good time in general. However, overconsumption of alcohol does not only cause strains in your relationships but also fatal damages, particularly to your liver.
Drinking too much alcohol also disrupts brain activities, hence, affecting mood and behavior.
It can also cause heart problems and influence the development of disorders such as stroke and arrhythmias along with cancer pancreatic diseases.
Checking your liver’s health is a recommended step to successfully take control of your health and wellbeing especially if you have years of heavy drinking behind you.
7. See your Doctor for a Regular Routine Checkup
Regardless of where you are in your health journey, it is vital that you secure a regular routine checkup with your doctor.
There are several external factors that affect the development or acquisition of a particular disease.
Some of them are overt and can be easily identified through experienced symptoms, while others can be silent killers.
Likewise, genetic diseases and risks for a specific chronic disorder should be consistently monitored. In this sense, a trip to your doctor’s office can lead you ahead of any health threats on the way.