Being your own healthcare advocate is something you should take seriously. As you gear up for your next health provider visit, be armed with the right questions to supercharge your wellness journey. Your health matters, and participating actively in your care is key!
To start, you don’t have to do it alone. Include input from other healthcare providers you currently use. Are there any questions they think you should ask your primary provider? A team approach will likely benefit your care.
Here are 6 things to know during your provider appointment to fuel your progress and understanding:
1. “What’s my baseline health status?”
It’s crucial to know where you stand on the path to optimal health. Understanding your baseline helps you and your provider set realistic goals for your journey.
2. Know these numbers.
Aside from routine tests commonly run, make sure you know you’re blood pressure, hemoglobin A1C, fasting lipid panel, ApoA and ApoB levels (indicators to interpret heart disease risk), and uric acid level. These tests can take a deep dive into chronic disease risk.
3. “Can I come back in three months for you to retake ____ test?
This is especially helpful if you have high blood glucose levels, your blood pressure is elevated, or your provider is asking for you to lose some weight, all before you’re assessed for a new or increased dose of a medication associated with a lifestyle-related condition. Give yourself three months to start some serious behavior and lifestyle changes. Three months can make the difference between needing or changing a medication dose.
4. “Tell Me About Quality Sleep Strategies.”
Sleep is the ultimate recharger. Ask your provider for insights into improving your sleep quality and creating a restful bedtime routine. Sound sleep supports your overall well-being and boosts your journey to vitality.
5. “What’s my relative risk for ____ condition?”
If there’s a lab value or a condition that your provider has been ‘watching’, don’t settle for the provider simply waiting for abnormal levels. Take the example of hemoglobin A1c: diabetes is usually given as an official diagnosis at 6.5% or higher. The time to act, however, is when your levels are 5.3% or higher. There’s plenty to do to reverse or prevent diabetes while your provider is ‘watching’ your levels.
6. Take charge of your health by knowing your DNA.
This knowledge can give insights into what questions you should be asking your healthcare provider and to stay on top of personalized care. Always have someone interpret your DNA results if you’re going to have them done. I can guide you!
Reply to this email and let me know you’re ready to start living your best, 365!
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P.S. Join the free Facebook Group Food Sanctuary, where you’ll learn how to optimize health using the power of food. Live weekly cutting-edge nutrition training, Thursdays, 11:00 AM Central.