Assessing your health before going on a diet will help you lose weight more effectively and safely. Many factors affect the rate at which you lose pounds. Performing several tests, for example, checking selected blood parameters, will help you arrange an appropriate diet plan. What tests are we talking about?
Blood pressure
Get a blood pressure monitor before going on a diet. Take blood pressure measurements several times a day, always at the same time, for at least a week. Record the results so you can present them to your doctor later. During the appointment where you get a referral for testing, talk honestly and openly about your past diet and lifestyle. This will allow your doctor to know the exact history of your health and give you the best possible advice.
Blood morphology
Blood count is a basic diagnostic test that provides a lot of valuable information about your health. A few days before the test, stop taking mineral and vitamin preparations, if you are taking any, and avoid fatty foods the day before. Eat your last light meal no later than 8 hours before the test. This will make its results more reliable. Often a glucose test and urinalysis are ordered along with the morphology. Glycemia is performed fasting or after a meal. What is the correct sugar after eating? According to the Polish Diabetes Association, blood glucose levels 2. hours after a meal should be less than 140 mg/dl. If it is higher, it may indicate diabetes. In this case, you need to follow a diet based on products with a low glycemic index. In turn, a urine test will show whether there is inflammation going on in the body.
Lipid profile
Lipidogram includes testing of triglycerides, HDL, LDL and total cholesterol. How can you support the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels and thus increase your chances of getting correct results of this test? You can reach for Berimal containing garlic, which has a positive effect on maintaining normal cholesterol levels. Quitting smoking, as well as reaching for alcohol in moderation and with caution, will also definitely be good for your health.
Stress test
If you are going to supplement your diet with exercise, and have previously avoided movement, perform a cardiac stress test. This is a test in which you walk on a treadmill or pedal on a stationary bike hooked up to a medical apparatus. This checks how the body behaves during physical strain. However, if you regularly participate in sports and know how your body reacts to them, a stress test may not be necessary.
Remember that even if you are healthy, you should not follow a diet below 1,500 calories. It is better to lose pounds more slowly, but get lasting results. With successive weeks of a sensible diet, you are sure to notice favorable changes in your figure.