Biomarkers – A Window into Your Personal Plan to Health?
You have a moment and decide to scroll through Facebook and see that your friend has lost 20 pounds with a keto diet. WHAT? Suddenly you find yourself looking at keto recipes wondering if you too can lose that unwanted weight that has been coming on the last few years.
What type of eating plan do you follow? Keto? Paleo? Plant-based? Mediterranean? Are supplements really all that important to your health? Do you really need to take fish oil? What type of exercise is best? Cardio or weights?
THAT all depends on your genetics.
We are not the same with respect to our biology and differ in how we metabolize food, our need for a specific nutrients, or how much we need to exercise or sleep. To say one size fits all is an understatement. Even if your friend has lost weight with a certain way of eating it may or may not work for you.
So how do you figure it all out? That’s where personalization comes into play. Blood tests now exist called biomarkers, short for biological markers. Biomarkers are blood tests that can be done to determine how you metabolize food. Are you sensitive to fat or carbs? How much carbohydrate is your body able to tolerate? How much fish oil do you really need? Biomarkers can show you how to tailor your diet specifically to your needs.
Unfortunately, biomarkers are not measured by most physicians as they cost more than usual blood tests and require education on interpretation of them. A lab called Boston Heart Diagnostics measures many types of biomarkers and finding a physician that uses this lab and is educated on how to interpret the results might go a long ways towards your health. Biomarkers are a window into what could be – are you at risk for diabetes or heart disease – so one of these diagnoses need never be your reality.
Although measuring biomarkers can be expensive, and most insurance companies do not cover the costs, it could save you a lifetime of being frustrated with how to eat, and moving forward with health and weight goals. So maybe the next time you are on social media you can put your mind at ease that the latest diet, cleanse or trend may not be worth even a moment of your time…and finding your own Life Style Solution is within your reach.
