On our path to experiencing optimum health and vitality, we have many tools at our disposal—from training (hopefully under the guidance of a coach), dialing in our nutrition, optimizing sleep, managing our stress, and much more. Through these means, we can position ourselves onto a trajectory of living our happiest and healthiest lives. As the Roman poet Virgil put it: “The greatest wealth is health.”
We have another tool at our disposal that helps us to go even deeper on our quest: bloodwork. Blood testing helps to screen for a wide range of conditions, confirm various conditions such as anemia, infection, inflammation, etc., and also monitors the effectiveness of any intervention plan. It’s “going under the hood,” so to speak, in order to obtain objective information on how well our body is functioning. It helps to make the unseen seen.
The most common test is the CBC (complete blood count). A CBC test illuminates the functioning of our hormones, lipids, blood sugar, electrolytes, kidney function, liver function, cardiovascular health, and much more. This is the gold standard for obtaining an overall picture of how individual organ systems are working. We can then measure whether or not each category falls within “normal” reference ranges, or lies outside of these established ranges. It is at this point where Central Athlete and modern medicine start to diverge paths.
The so-called “normal” ranges established by modern medicine are just that. They are established norms where 95% of the population sits. This does not translate to optimum, healthy ranges. If 95% of the population was “healthy,” then these established norms would be meaningful. However, given the state of our collective health, especially here in the United States, suffice it to say that we fall short of that healthy mark. This issue could be an entire blog post by itself so I will not belabor the point. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Central Athlete recently had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Thom Dickson, a biological medicine practitioner, in a recent seminar. Dr. Thom operates under the principle of discovering the root cause of dysfunction and intervening through holistic means. This is a branch of medicine that aligns perfectly with the principles and beliefs of Central Athlete—that bolster the conviction that the body has an incredible and innate ability to heal itself. Rather than just palliating symptoms (though this is a necessary action at times), we aim to investigate deeply, and discover the root cause of health issues. This is a proactive, rather than a reactive, approach. It further supports the idea that everyone is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to individual cases. Blood testing by itself is not enough. It is simply a catalyst for starting a dialogue, asking more questions, and moving toward the truth.
Luckily, every coach at Central Athlete has been trained and educated in BioMed studies and has the ability to analyze and interpret blood results in a meaningful way. We’re taught to think critically about blood results and make sound recommendations based upon our training. The combination of seeing tangible results, and having those results decoded further, enhances our ability to make powerful and lasting change.
Central Athlete now offers on-site bloodwork, as well as interpretation of your results. Click the link below to schedule your next appointment!
.png)