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The Vitals to Test Before Rebooting

Before embarking on a Reboot or any diet or exercise program, it’s important to check in with your doctor, especially if you have a diagnosed health condition or take prescription medications.  Let’s review some Reboot Vitals to request from your physician to help ensure your Reboot is safe and so you can compare results from before and afterwards to measure your success.

Reboot Medical Advisory Board member, Dr. Carrie Diulus, M.D. wrote a piece on how to best speak with your doctor to help them get on board with your interest in Rebooting. Here is a printable pdf you can bring with you to the office that describes what a Reboot is, why it may be healthy for you, and other important information they’ll want to know.

Just like taking a before and after photo in the mirror, here are some tests to request before and after your Reboot. Let’s break it down by safety and effectiveness monitoring.

Blood Tests/Labs

  • Basic chemistries (electrolytes, kidney function, protein levels, blood sugar, etc.)
  • Liver function tests
  • Complete blood count
  • Any other tests specific to your needs based on your personal medical history
  • It’s best to be fasting for these tests and to be well-hydrated

 Vital Signs

  • Blood pressure
  • Height
  • Weight
  • BMI
  • Waist Circumference (or waist/hip ratio)

Efficacy/Effectiveness

  • Lipids/Cholesterol levels: Test every 3 months at most (you’ll need to be fasting for these tests). Only check if you’re due for this test or you have high cholesterol. Otherwise, it’s not necessary.  Note: You’ll need to fast prior to these tests.
  • Diabetes related: HgA1C; test every 3 months at most. You’ll only need the HgA1c level checked if you’re due for this test or you have pre-diabetes or diagnosed diabetes.   Note: You’ll need to fast prior to these tests.  
  • Depending on the results of your basic blood chemistries, further testing may be warranted. For example, anemia panel to screen for iron deficiency or a B12 test.

Screening for Overall Health

  • Vitamin D (25 OH D): Should request this annually especially if history of low level or if you live in a Northern Region of the world, or have other risk factors.
  • Celiac Disease: Request if you suspect this or have been struggling with thyroid or autoimmune conditions, to rule it out.
  • Food Allergy Testing: Request this if you suspect you have food allergies or sensitivities. The Reboot acts as a natural elimination diet, and testing can help to guide you as you re-introduce foods back into your daily diet.

Other Important Questions to Ask

  • Does insurance cover these tests? If not, you’ll want to know upfront so you can streamline your requests.
  • Be sure to follow up for results. Don’t assume “everything’s fine” if you haven’t heard back from your doctor’s office.  No news isn’t always good news, call about a week after your blood tests to find out the results, or log into your Patient Gateway or other online system.
  • Advocate for yourself. If your doctor doesn’t want to do some or any testing, get detailed information as to their rationale.  Questioning is a good thing and the more you advocate for yourself, the better your health outcomes and results can be.