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Find out how Winsome lost 23 lbs in 7 weeks after she almost lost hope

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Here Winsome’s story about how she almost lost hope to get healthy and lose weight until she saw my wellness talk on Leptin Resistance.

Check out her ‘gut-wrenching’ story about how she felt before starting her Fit n Healthy plan and how she feels now. WOW! Winsome is a superstar! As a previous nurse with all those years of not sleeping, she is now able to sleep well, feed her body properly, lose a whopping 23 lbs in just 7 weeks, have the energy to do what she loves to do. Congratulations Winsome!

Want to lose weight too?

If you’re struggling to get healthy and lose weight and ready for a simple, no-nonsense approach that doesn’t include deprivation, starving, counting calories or grueling exercise, book your FREE CALL with Michale by DM ‘Lose 20’ to get your clear path to weight loss.

How Journaling Can Help You Get in Shape, with Michale Hartte

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We are beyond excited to tell you about our interview with Diet and Detox Specialist, Michale Hartte, because we know her ideas can help using journaling.

Whether you struggle with achieving wellness goals or you’re just looking for extra inspiration to maximize your health regimen, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Discover the ways journaling can help you achieve optimal health and fitness.

SUMMARY

Michale’s Top Three Tips to Help Slim Down and Get Stronger

1) The Value of a Good Night’s Rest
2) Healthy Meal Plans That Squash Inflammation and Lower Blood Sugar
3) Your Action Plan

To learn more, listen to our interview, or read below to see highlights from our talk.

https://www.journaling.com/articles/how-journaling-can-help-you-get-in-shape-with-michale-hartte/

Michale has 20 years of experience helping people get fit and healthy through her courses and 1 on 1 consulting. She is also the author of The Fit ‘n Healthy Plan and writes for numerous magazines. Michale’s passion to help others stems from experience reversing her own cases of amenorrhea and osteoporosis through diet, detox, and daily routine.

Michale credits journaling with saving her life. As a child, she struggled hard to fit in. Low self-esteem and a desire to feel accepted led Michale toward unhealthy behaviors like smoking and starving herself to be thin.

Years later, Michale began to seek answers. “I sat down and asked, ‘Who am I, and why am I here?’ I journaled about it, got it out of my body, and I started to see my story in my journal. It made sense, and I realized exactly why I’m here.”

Since this life-changing discovery, Michale has established healthy habits, a strong mind and body, and now she helps others do the same. She attributes much of her success to journaling.

1. Have confidence in the right plan. There are so many diets to choose from. The goal is to select a plan that will work for the long-term and that emphasizes health not merely weight loss.

2. Be consistent. Establishing a morning time journaling routine helps maintain a schedule that ensures you reach your goals. Michale suggests starting each day by recording important key indicators in your journal which include tracking:

  • sleep patterns
  • energy levels
  • bowel movements
  • menstrual cycles if you are a woman

This kind of record keeping shines a light on important details you can use to track your body’s response to diet, exercise, and particular sleep routines. You’ll see where and when you’re falling off track. In these ways, journaling helps us stay accountable.

3. Find your courage and glean support. You don’t have to do this alone. Seek out or cultivate a community void of judgement in which you are loved and your health goals are supported.

The Value of a Good Night’s Rest
Each of us has different health goals. In Michale’s case, she’s focused on optimizing her brain and body health in order to ensure a long and productive life. To achieve this goal, she commits to getting enough sleep. As an explanation, she recommends everyone read Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival by T. S. Wiley and Bent Formby.

Wiley and Formby show that getting the required amount of sleep supports healthy weight loss because it curves our cravings for unhealthy carbs. Among other benefits of a good night’s rest cited in this book are:

  • reversal of type 2 diabetes
  • relief from depression
  • normalized blood pressure
  • reduced risk of heart disease and cancer

All of this sounds great, but sometimes a good night’s sleep feels elusive. Michale has an answer for that. She explains that preparation for a good night’s sleep starts in the morning.

Michale credits a consistent morning routine with her healthy sleep hygiene. In the morning, she puts a kettle on for beloved black organic coffee—chock full of antioxidants to support healthy aging. For this part of her day, Michale remains in a fasted state, giving her body time to “clean up old worn out cells.” She does an oil pull with coconut oil while waiting for coffee. From there, along with her coffee, Michale drinks one liter of water within 2 hours of waking. This helps turn the brain on and gets her feeling energized. From there she enters her office where she takes out her journal and records key markers (sleep bowel movements, menstruation, and energy) from the day before. Michale reviews the information and makes connections between how her body is performing vs the food, exercise, and level of activity she engaged with the day before.

This journaling routine, Michale notes, helps people be in alignment with their goals.

Healthy Meal Plans That Squash Inflammation and Lower Blood Sugar

Michale doesn’t track the specific foods she eats and never records calorie counts. She discourages her clients from doing so as well.

Instead, she offers tips to ensure your body gets exactly the nutrients it needs to perform well.

  1. Choose your protein source. Protein is a part of every cell in the body and it’s a fundamental part of a healthy diet.
  2. Eat healthy carbs. We need fiber found in colorful veggies to produce regular bowel movements that remove toxins from the body.
  3. Consume healthy fats for their anti-inflammatory effects.
    Prebiotic foods like beets and dandelion greens and probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt encourage healthy gut bacteria.
  4. Digest minerals to help take pain away. Sea vegetables full of trace minerals such as nori, dulse, and kelp are good sources. Drink a cup of bone broth each day.
  5. Season your food with herbs and spices—parsley is a diuretic for the kidneys, oregano bolsters the immune system, and cilantro is a heavy metal detoxer.

If all this talk of food is making your mouth water, you can download Michale’s cookbook, Fit ‘N Healthy Plan, on her website.

Your Action Plan
1) Learn more about Michale’s work. Visit her online at www.askmichale.com.

2) For healthy meal plans discussed in our interview, check out her cookbook Fit ‘N Healthy Plan on Michale’s website.

3) Listen to my conversation with Michale.

4) Cultivate your own morning journaling routine.

5) Take a look at Journaling.com’s Top 10 Journaling Resources for Physical Health.

Michale’s final words of wisdom came to her via Bob Proctors and his staff.

She teaches, “See what you want. Be it how you want it and become it now.”

We would also add, love who you are right now today even before you lose the weight.

 

Weight Loss Stalls on Keto? 3 Top Reasons

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You’re doing everything right on the Ketogenic Diet but frustrated with weight loss stalls.

You’ve given up bread. Upped your fats. Eating enough protein and cut your carbs.

You’ve initially had success. But now reached the dreaded weight loss plateau.

You’re scratching your head – Why haven’t I lost more weight?

I can just imagine the sheer frustration! All that effort with no result.

Before I share the 3 Top Reasons why you’ve stopped losing weight on the Ketogenic Diet, I want to point out that losing weight and keeping it off can be tough to master.

Let’s begin with the basics. 

Sometimes, the basic foundations for breaking past the weight loss stalls are forgotten because they seem like no big deal.

However, the shortlist below is a big deal. If you aren’t doing these, I would start there.

Weight loss stalls on Keto – Start here

Sometimes common sense isn’t common practice. Look below for the most common pitfalls I see to weight loss stalls. If you aren’t doing the basics – start here.

  1. Tracking optimal water intake (1 liter/lb of body weight).
  2. Having higher protein, moderate fat, and minimal carbs at your first meal of the day.
  3. Keeping carbs below 50 grams per day. 
  4. Having 1 to 2 bowel movements per day.
  5. Practicing time-restricted feeding.

If you’re doing all of these and still spinning your wheels, here are 3 Top Reasons why you have weight loss stalls on the ketogenic diet.

CHECK YOUR THYROID 

THYROID

According to the Thyroid Foundation of Canada, a staggering 1 out of 10 Canadians have some form of a thyroid condition. Of those, as many as 50% are undiagnosed!

Healing your thyroid is an important part of restarting your metabolism. 

Proper thyroid function directly controls how much fuel your body turns into energy and how much gets stored as body fat. This is exactly WHY those with sluggish thyroid function are overweight and fatigued.

The good news is, there are ways to support healthy thyroid function and get it working better again. 

Here is a quick quiz to see if the thyroid is one of the reasons for your weight loss stall.

Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism) Questionnaire

Mark (1) for sometimes or mild; (2) for often or moderate; (3) for very often or severe.

Skip all statements that do not apply to you.

____Muscles stiff in the morning, feel need to limber up

____Fail to feel rested even after sleeping long hours

____Feel “creaky” after sitting still for some time

____Heart seems to miss beats or turn “flip flops”

____Nauseated in the morning

____Start slow in the morning, gain speed in the afternoon

____Motion sickness when traveling

____Dizzy in the morning or when moving up and down

____Cold hands or feet

____Sensitivity to cold, prefer a warm climate

____Hair scanty, dry, brittle, dull, lustreless, lifeless

____Hair loss from the outer third of eyebrows

____Flaky, dry rough skin

____Sleeplessness, restlessness, sleep disturbances

____Poor short term memory, forgetfulness

____Poor response to exercising

____Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

____High cholesterol, cholesterol deposits on eyelids

____Constipation, less than one bowel movement per day

____Emotional, “go to pieces” easily, cry easily

____Dislike working under pressure, being watched

____Diminished sex drive, lack of sexual desire

____Yellowish tint to the skin on hands or feet

____Cracks on bottom of hands

____Clogged sinuses

____Low heart rate

____Low body temperature, especially at bed

____Recurrent infections

____Depression

____Headaches

____Puffiness of face or eyes

____Swelling of hands or ankles

____Irritability, mood swings

____Multiple food allergies/sensitivities

____ Coughing, hoarseness, muscle cramps – all worse at night

____FEMALE: Lumpy breasts, cystic breasts

____FEMALE: Menstrual irregularity, excess flow, premenstrual syndrome

Add up the numbers beside each of the statements that applied to you. If your total is 14 or higher, you may have hypothyroidism.

What is Hypothyroidism?

The thyroid is a pinkish, butterfly-shaped gland situated in the front of the neck below the larynx (voice box). Its function is to regulate the metabolism of every cell of the body. A deficiency can affect virtually all body functions.

If the thyroid gland is not functioning properly, everything else will suffer.

Normal thyroid function requires normal leptin signaling, certain minerals, along with normal pituitary, adrenal, and ovary/testes function.

Leptin Resistance – the possible driving force behind hypothyroidism

Leptin resistance occurs first. And later down the hormonal chain comes the pituitary hormones, which regulate the thyroid and growth hormones.

You cannot address one area without addressing the others.

What is Leptin Resistance?

Leptin is produced by your white fat cells and enters your hypothalamus (in your brain) through some complex signaling. Leptin’s primary job is to tell your brain when you’ve had enough food. Quite simply, when to eat and when to stop as well as how many calories we burn and how much fat we carry on our bodies.

This feedback system is designed to keep you from getting overweight.

Leptin resistance is when you have plenty of leptin, but the messages aren’t being received.  If you don’t address this, your attempt to lose weight will likely fail.

How do you know if you have Leptin Resistance?

To definitively know, get a blood test. Spectracell Laboratories tests Leptin as well as other important blood sugar markers such as Insulin, Glucose, HOMO IR (the estimate of insulin resistance), Hemoglobin A1C. You can check out their blood test by clicking below 

Cardiometabolic and Pre Diabetes Testing

Alternatively, you can take the Leptin Resistance Quiz found below to help identify if the problem is due to improper leptin signaling.

Leptin Resistance Quiz

TESTING FOR THYROID FUNCTION

Medical blood tests often fail to detect an underactive thyroid. This is because they usually only measure Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH. It’s important to know that your thyroid could be producing sufficient TSH, yet there may not be enough active hormones getting to the individual cells.

Thyroid Blood Test

More comprehensive blood tests for thyroid function include TSH, Total T4, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, Anti TG, Anti TPO, Tg, and TBG. 

If your medical doctor cannot run this full panel, you can check out SpectraCell Laboratories and get tested. 

 

 

SpectraCell’s thyroid panel looks like this

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thyroid at home test

An easy at-home test you can do is the Basal Temperature Test (BTT).

What is the BTT?

The basal temperature test (BTT) is an effective self-test that can be performed at home. It measures the result of one of the thyroid’s main functions – body temperature. A low BTT suggests hypothyroidism.

THE BTT TEST – 2 SIMPLE STEPS

Step 1: Place a thermometer by your bed before going to sleep.

If you have a mercury thermometer, shake it down to 96 degrees F or less.

Step 2: Take your temperature as soon as you wake up. Before stirring, place the bulb of the thermometer under your armpit for 10 minutes. This will give you your lowest temperature of the day (which directly relates to thyroid gland function). Record the reading on 5-10 consecutive days.

The normal morning auxillary temperature should be between 97.8 – 98.2 degrees F (36.6 – 36.8 degrees C). If it is below 97.8 degrees F (36.6 degrees C), AND stays within the same range of temperatures (within .5 degrees), the thyroid may be underactive. For example: Day 1 = 35.5, Day 2 = 35.6, Day 3 = 35.5, Day 4 = 35.5, Day 5 = 35.8, etc.

If your temperature fluctuation is greater than .5 degrees, then it’s primarily the adrenal glands that need support. For example: Day 1 = 35.5, Day 2 = 34.5, Day 3 = 34.9, Day 4 = 35.8, Day 5 = 34.5, etc.

Additional note: Men, pre-pubescent and post-menopausal women can take the BTT test at any time. Menstruating women should begin testing on the second morning after the start of their flow to eliminate the temperature fluctuations that accompany the menstrual cycle. The test should be finished before ovulation begins.

CHECK YOUR MICRONUTRIENTS

Weight loss stalls, when you are doing everything right on the ketogenic diet, maybe due to a lack of specific nutrients.

Because your diet is limited you may actually not have the nutrients to tap into your fat reserves and burn them for energy. Those that tend to eat the same foods, day in and day out are also at risk of micronutrient deficiencies as are poor digestion, high stress, and low food quality.

Nutrients specific for proper weight loss include: Carnitine, Zinc, Lipoic Acid, and Vitamin B5

Carnitine – Carnitine helps with weight loss because of how it shuttles fatty acids into the cells so they can be burned for energy. Research shows it helps reduce visceral adiposity (belly fat). 

Zinc – Deficiency of zinc affects healthy leptin levels. Leptin levels need to be within range and recognized by the brain to eat when truly hungry. Low zinc is also associated with low stomach acid, which is needed for proper digestion.

Lipoic Acid – Lipoic acid is well known for its role in the uptake of glucose into cells. This, in turn, helps burn carbohydrates more efficiently. 

Vitamin B5 – Having enough vitamin B5 lowers body weight by lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that burns fat cells. One study linked adequate vitamin B5 levels to reducing hunger.

For a more complete list of nutrients required for a healthy weight, look below 

 

SpectraCell’s nutrient list for healthy weight 

 

 

 

 

 

CHECK YOUR LIVER

Most people make the mistake thinking it’s the thyroid that regulates your metabolism. 

However, the liver is actually one of the organs that also play an important role in your ability to lose weight. 

When your liver isn’t functioning properly, it’s full of fuel but your body cannot use it. As a result, your body moves into a state of stress and relies on other ways to try to obtain fuel. 

One of the ways your body obtains its fuel is from breaking down muscle.

This is one of the reasons why you may not have seen any results from your exercise regime.  Initially, you may have lost a few pounds, but with the loss of muscle came a slower metabolism. 

Not only that, whatever weight you lost came back even when you’ve still been watching what you’re eating.

Good news is once the liver regains its function, your weight begins to ‘fall off’ while you eat more food. You will also notice your energy levels climb, the dreaded 3 pm energy slump is a thing of the past, and you stay naturally thin, all year round.

Think of your liver as your ultimate natural pharmacy.

Some of the nutrients it stores are Vitamin B12, iron, copper, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin K. 

Your liver is also the main organ that keeps you from being sick and toxic. 

It’s your primary organ of elimination, removing what you don’t need and keeping what you do.

Your liver works hard for you. It stores fuel (glycogen and triglycerides), conjugates hormones, and helps to balance your blood sugar.

Liver Resistance and its direct link to weight loss stalls

Just as someone can become leptin resistant or insulin resistant, one can also become liver resistant.

When your liver becomes overloaded with an over-accumulation of toxins, wrong diet, or just too much food in general, it prevents your fat cells from breaking down by making itself, resistant to insulin’s signaling. 

Extra fuel in the form of triglycerides, that would normally be taken up by the liver is then circulating around the bloodstream. Sadly, this is not harmless to the body and instead, leads to damage to blood vessels and nerves.

Eating less, while can help the liver with less fuel to process, doesn’t really solve the problem, which is a liver that needs good toxic clear out.

All the while refeeding with specific nutrients to function optimally and to remove the excess triglycerides. 

How healthy is your liver?

Take the Liver-Gall Bladder Questionnaire test to see if an overloaded liver is why you have a weight loss stall on Keto. 

Liver-Gall Bladder Questionnaire – click the link below

liver_gall_blad_aire

Weight loss stalls – Figuring it out

Figuring out why you’ve stalled in your weight loss goals while going keto can be tough.

The most important thing to remember is that everyone’s body is different and will react differently to a number of variables. 

I always like to start with the basic foundational principles to weight loss and go from there. 

After which, once you’ve covered those off and still not losing inches, then this is a time to turn to proper blood tests.

TEST DON’T GUESS

There are proper tests that can help you pinpoint exactly what your body needs to start losing weight gain.

The best part is, these tests are easily accessible. Remember, blood doesn’t lie. Getting proper blood work done can really short cut your way to slim, strong, and feeling sexy again. 

Clinically, all the clients I test are so grateful because it’s pinpointed what we don’t see, to then further customized their diet and supplement regime. 

I truly hope I’ve helped shed some light with the 3 Top Reasons why you are having weight loss stalls with some simple solutions to fix it.

MAKE KETO EASIER

How to Lose weight on a Ketogenic Diet, improve energy and get healthy again. 

For those that want more help, come to my next KETO WORKSHOP! This is where we get to connect and take a deep dive into Keto and Weight Loss.

How to Lose Weight on the Ketogenic Diet WORKSHOP!

Need a more personalized plan?

 

Michale Hartte, BASc (Nutr), NNCP, CH is your leading Nutritionist and Detox Specialist, focusing on gut-related health issues such as weight loss resistance, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, leaky gut, ulcers, IBS and Fatty Liver Disease.

For more information on how to become a client, please contact Michale at 250-718-1653 (text or phone), Email Michale or visit www.askmichale.com. Serving all English speaking countries via phone, Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp.

 

Slim, Strong & Sexy Blueprint Program

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The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

The world’s most clear path, science-based weight loss program ever developed

 

 

 

Just 9 Steps to Lose 20 lbs in 12 weeks without starving, or giving up your favorite foods or wine, so you can live a more

Joyous, fulfilling, empowered life in your new

Slim, Strong & Sexy Body Forever.

 

Yes! I want the Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

BOOK A FREE 30 MIN CALL to get started or find out more

 

Real People. Real Stories

‘I tried Keto, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, HCG Diet – you name it. I tried it. Here’s what actually worked!’

 

 

 

 

 

‘Losing Weight Over 60 IS possible! Although it can feel impossible to lose those stubborn pounds, this amazing plan is proving we can all reach our ideal weight no matter how old we are.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you tired of starving yourself to get slim, stressed thinking you should workout when you have little time, feeling anxious and depressed trying to figure this out ALL on your own?

That was me!

I went from a Starving Skinny Fat in my 30’s to Slim, Strong & Feeling Sexy in my 50’s!

I didn’t want you to struggle as I did for all those years…..

So I decided to share this with you…

I created a clear 9-step path to help you reach your Ideal Weight that’s

  • 100% science-backed and 20 yrs experience
  • Free of all fake news, false claims, fads, and gimmicks
  • Honest, ethical, high integrity, and never misleading
  • Completely sustainable 
  • So much more than the one-size-fits-all advice you’ve heard 100s of times before
  • Most importantly, packed full of actually what works to get results… in the fastest and most sustainable NO BS way possible.

Before I tell you exactly what’s in the program, let’s get clear on if this is right for you…

This Program is NOT for you if…

  • You have a mental illness
  • You have active Cancer
  • You’re looking to go back to a junk food diet after the 12 weeks are up
  • You only focus on the weight on the scale and not the 9 steps to get you there

 

 

 

This Program IS for you if…

  • You eating well and exercising but still wondering why you just can’t lose weight…
  • You feel like you’re doing everything right, but the scale won’t budge… 
  • You’ve hit a weight loss plateau and can’t figure out how to lose those last twenty pounds… 
  • You have pre-existing health conditions that you need a qualified Nutritionist to help with
  • You like the human touch, instead of all that frustrating tech and apps
  • You want to get healthy to lose the weight 

 

Then this is the program for you!

The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint is the MOST clearest path to optimize your body composition.

It’s not just a diet. It’s not just an exercise program.

It is a complete 9 step plan covering the most important steps you need to take in the right order you need to take them.

This is what it truly takes to bust through plateaus and experience the joy in effortless and forever fat loss. 

Whether this is your 1st or 10th attempt at losing weight.

Whether you’re overworked and stressed or retired and free as a bird.

If you’re over 40, overweight and embarrassed about how you look, or you just want to get a few pounds leaner.

This is especially powerful and game-changing if you are Pre-menopausal or Menopausal (the BEST TIME of your life is waiting for you)

The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint will teach you how to work with your body and heal the temple that IS your body – at an intra-cellular level – so you can permanently lose fat while keeping more muscle.

And IN JUST 12 WEEKS, you’ll do this safely and without any negative side effects or any crazy restrictions, you can’t stick with. 

Let me help you let go of your old ways of doing things and give you a NEW, clear plan – that’s based on 20 years of experience, blending ancestral wisdom with cutting-edge science – that will get you the body you’ve been dreaming of…

For those that like working on Mind-Body-Spirit. This is especially for you. 

 

It’s a whole-body systematic approach.

One that gets you healthy first to lose weight and feel great.

All step by step. One week at a time.

 

 

What People Say About The Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

I HAVE GONE DOWN TWO SIZES!!!

I have gone down two sizes and feel better than I have in years, I turn 50 in two weeks and had the paradigm, like so many people, that as I got older, losing weight was impossible. That’s just not true. When I discovered the metabolic imbalances I had and worked on correcting them, the cravings left….if I can do it, anyone can.

Diane N.

I FINALLY HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE

“I’ve been working with a coach [Michale Hartte] and her program for 7-weeks now, and in addition to my clothes feeling looser, I have the confidence and knowing that this program will be the one that works over the long-haul. It just feels different, like it gets to the root of the matter. Already, I have more energy and easier digestion.

Amazingly, I’m not fearing the holiday food fests that are upon us for the next two months. I really feel more in control and like [that] I have lots of support to stay on track.”

Tanja K.

INCREDIBLE ENERGY AND WEIGHT LOSS

…… the self assessment test in the workbook created by an awesome nutritionist [Michale Hartte] takes you through questions to assess if you have any of 6 potential metabolic imbalances.

My thyroid was off which was not diagnosed by any physician because my blood tests always came back normal. But this nutritionists’ [Michale Hartte] awareness of how low body temperature affects the thyroid and hence every other part of the body, she recommended a simple solution and I have now increased my body temperature by over 2 points and now have the energy to do things I couldn’t do only months ago. ….To my amazement, I released 2 inches on my waist, 2 inches on my hips and 1 inch each on my thighs. I was shocked!”

These results are the power of this Program.

Teresa W.

 

Just 9 Steps will get you there. And I am with you every step of the way

 

 

 

Get a jump start to 2021 with Your Best Body and Confidence to Live Your Best Life! 

Slim down – Get strong – Look and feel Sexy

Only 10 Women excepted

Email askmichale@gmail.com to apply.

Learn about real health and expand your knowledge to what is possible with a simple 9-week formula. 

Learn it! Live it! Love it! 

Yes! I want the Slim, Strong & Sexy Forever Blueprint

BOOK A FREE 30 MIN CALL to get started or find out more

 

 

 

How to Read Your Blood Work – Michale Hartte Reveals & Walks You Through Her Own Results

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How can I stay Fit n Healthy For Life?

Stronger. Fitter. Faster – my new personal health goal.

With already a healthy diet and lifestyle, getting my blood tested was my next step.

I started to wake up fatigued and wasn’t going to use the ‘over 50 and getting older’ as an excuse. There must be another reason. Other symptoms that started up included heavy legs (daytime) and leg cramps (night time) that hurt- this was weird! 

Knowing I didn’t quite feel my usual self, I wanted to get to the bottom of WHY.

What shift did I need to make in my diet?

What supplements was I missing or taking too much of?

This is what prompted me to get my full blood work done. 

Without looking ‘under the hood’ so to speak, you have no idea about how healthy you are.

Sure, you can guess by reading your body’s signs and symptoms. But to really know, you need to read your blood work by collecting data and biomarkers, having someone look under a microscope and send you the blood test results.

Blood doesn’t lie. There is no other way to tell with 100% confidence, if your diet is working for you, your supplements are what you really need, and if you’re reaching your peak performance.

Test Don’t Guess – Enter the world of blood testing

Blood testing is the most important step you can take to prevent life threatening disease. I know, because the testing I did revealed a genetic biomarker (Lp (a)) that apparently, puts me at risk of dropping dead of a blood clot. This is serious stuff! Details to follow……

The point is, having blood tests at your fingertips and most importantly, reading reading your blood work, gives you the power to take control of your own health. Catching critical issues before they manifest into heart disease, diabetes, cancer and the like.

This is where modern science can help move the dial in your own health – to keep you Fit n Healthy for Life too!

This is truly what I want for you – decades of healthy years ahead of you!

But sadly, typical blood tests from your regular GP just isn’t enough. They’re only good for testing to see if you are the ‘end stage’ mark (i.e dying).

Good news is, there is another way! You can order your own blood tests and measure every little thing that affect your organs, cardiovascular system, blood sugar regulation, metabolism, and hormonal health

Get the right blood test done and read your blood work to answer the questions like: 

Why am I not losing body fat on my ketogenic or low carb diet?

Why can’t I sleep well at night?

Why am I waking up fatigued, heavy legs and muscle cramps? This was me. Answers to follow….

Running these tests wasn’t anything new for me either.

Clinically, after ordering these tests on dozens of clients over this past year, I have been able to uncover specific nutrient deficiencies contributing to:

Chronic Cough,

Anxiety,

Weight loss resistance,

Chronic infections,

Chronic fatigue,

Osteoporosis,

Poor resistance to stress,

Chronic kidney stones

Shortness of breath and poor exercise outcomes

It’s amazing when the blood work lines up with the specific health issues. 

Here is the blood test that I order for my clients (and just recently, did for myself)

Spectracell Micronutrient Testing

Cardiometabolic and Pre diabetes Testing

Female and Male Hormone Panel Testing

Blood Tests-Recommended-updated

These are by far the most comprehensive testing both men and women can do.

Designed specifically for those seeking higher performance, uncovering missing pieces to solve their health and fitness puzzle, or simply as an anti aging tool to live a healthier, happier life.

Here’s a list of everything that’s tested:

Micronutrients – critical nutrients that dictate BODY FUNCTION

B Complex Vitamins – specific

  • Vitamin B1
  • Vitamin B2
  • Vitamin B3
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin B12
  • Folate
  • Pantothenate
  • Biotin

Amino Acids 

  • Serine
  • Glutamine
  • Asparagine

Metabolites

  • Choline
  • Inositol
  • Carnitine

Fatty Acids

  • Oleic Acids

Other vitamins

  • Vitamin D3
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin K2

Minerals

  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
  • Copper
  • Manganese

Carbohydrate Metabolism

  • Glucose-Insulin Interaction
  • Fructose Sensitivity
  • Chromium

Antioxidants

  • Glutathione
  • Cysteine
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Selenium
  • Vitamin E
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid
  • Vitamin C

CardioMetabolic – biomarkers to assess cardiovascular health and pre diabetes risk

  • Insulin
  • Glucose
  • HOMO-IR
  • Hemoglobin A1C
  • eAg
  • C-Peptide
  • Adiponectin
  • Leptin
  • Hs- CRP
  • Triglycerides
  • HDL
  • Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment
  • Cholesterol
  • LDL
  • Non-HDL
  • Lipoprotein (a)
  • Apolipoprotein B
  • Apolipoprotein A1
  • Homocysteine
  • VLDL Particles
  • Total LDL Particles
  • Total HLD Particles
  • Remnant Lipoprotein
  • Dense LDL – 111
  • Dense LDL -1V
  • Buoyant DHL -2b
  • Non-HDL Particles
  • Cardio-Metabolic Risk Assessment
  • Omega Check
  • Arachidonic Acid/EPA Ratio
  • Omega 6/Omega 3 Ratio
  • Omega 3 Total
  • EPA
  • DPA
  • DHA
  • Omega 6 Total
  • Arachidonic Acid
  • Linoleic Acid

Hormone Balance – Female

  • Estrone (E1)
  • Estradiol (E2)
  • Estriol Unconjugated (UE3)
  • Luteinizing Hormone
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone
  • Progesterone
  • Prolactin
  • Testosterone total and free
  • SHBG
  • DHEA – S
  • IGF1

Hormone Balance – Male (adding these to Female)

  • PSA
  • Androstenedione

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT OF RBCs AND WBCs

  • Total RBC,
  • hemoglobin,
  • hematocrit,
  • MCV, MCH, MCHC,
  • RDW,
  • platelets,
  • Total WBC,: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils.

LIVER & KIDNEY HEALTH

  • URIC ACID
  • BUN
  • CREATININE
  • BUN/CREATININE RATIO
  • GFR
  • SODIUM
  • CHLORIDE
  • POTASSIUM
  • CO2/Bicarbonate
  • TOTAL PROTEIN
  • ALBUMIN
  • BILIRUBIN
  • ALT
  • ALP
  • AST

BASIC NUTRIENTS

  • FERRITIN (SERUM)
  • TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY

THYROID PANEL

  • TSH
  • Free T3
  • Free T4
  • Total T4
  • Reverse T3
  • Thyroglobulin Antibodies
  • Thyroid Peridoxidase Ab
  • Anti TPO Ab

As you can see, I’ve covered a lot of ground here. Knowing this information can help to ‘fine tune’ your strategy to best diet and smart supplements for best health and fitness for life

My Test Results

Here is what I discovered from reading my blood work GP

May 28 2018 Complete Blood work GP

Muscle Enzymes high

What really stood out for me was my extremely elevated CK (muscle enzymes). CK is marker of extreme muscle breakdown. Basically I was breaking down more than building up……but why? Why was I not recovering fast enough? No wonder my legs felt heavy and were cramping up!

Iron levels low

Healthy levels for menstruating females are 50-100. My level was 22.3. So, I needed to bring those up. Pretty typical of a person who exercises the amount and intensity that I do. But, again good to know.

New supplement strategy

Iron: Heme iron polypeptide (non constipating) 30 mg per day with/without food (away from calcium)

My overall blood looked good: You have two components of your blood cellular (red, white, platelets) and liquid (plasma). All my markers were good and on point (too little or too much can lead to early mortality)

My blood sugars are perfect (hemoglobin A1C). Ideal levels are under 5. Mine is 4.6

My kidneys showed great filtration rates (GFR, creatinine) GFR ideal is over 90 (mine is 96) and creatinine best between 57 and 92. Mine is 65.

My liver enzymes (ALT) were decent on this test and Gamma GT (GGT) was at a good level. ALT: my reference ranges are between 7-56. Mine is 47. GGT is best under 15. Mine, a low of 9. 

Phew! Having good liver function is something I actively strive for.

My inflammatory markers are low (HsCRP) with an ideal level of under 1. Mine is 0.16. Second phew! 

My lipid profile (cardiovascular health) is perfect. No concerns with slightly elevated total cholesterol because the LDL, HDL and triglycerides are both in healthy ranges and best ratios. Total cholesterol levels over 6.22 are only a worry if the Hemoglobin A1C and HS CRP are high as well. Mine were both low and my total cholesterol was 5.84.

There is some fascinating research around a subset of the population categorized as Lean Mass Hyper-responders (LMHR).

Which I seem to fall into.

LMHR is someone who follows a low carb diet, has low body fat and athletic.

More about this later when I go over my comprehensive Cardiometabolic panel.

Thyroid panel looks good too. We want TSH under 1.5 and mine is 1.08. Best to do full thyroid panel though for more complete picture, which wasn’t done in this set of blood work.

Here is what I discovered from reading my Micronutrient Test 

JUNE 20, 2018 HARTTE_MNT (2)

Mitochondria health – needs improvement

Mitochondria need proper amounts of COQ10, Vitamin B3, Carnitine, magnesium and D Ribose.

All of which I was showing low! With the exception of magnesium.

No wonder I was feeling fatigued! My mitochondria were not getting the nutrient inputs to match the energy output.

What are mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the energy center of the cell. They are what deliver energy by taking fuel (protein, carbs, and fats) from the blood stream and burning it in the presence of oxygen in the form of a substance called adenotriphosphate or ATP.

ATP is the actual currency of energy in the body. Anyone who wants more daily energy needs to know that if the energy delivery in the body goes slow – so do you. 

My energy demands from my exercise where exceeding my nutrients from both my diet and supplements. Makes sense. After testing, I knew exactly which nutrients my body needed more of – no more guessing.

The Carnitine, Serine, CoQ10, B3. and Asparagine linked to muscle breakdown

Proper carnitine levels off sets the rise in creatine kinase (CK) and improves muscle recovery

Serine keeps an athletes hormone profile healthy by buffering post workout cortisol, which can cause muscle breakdown

CoQ10 mitigates muscle damage after high intensity training

Vitamin B3 (niacinimide) is needed to metabolize food stuff into energy. Low levels linked to whole body fatigue (including muscle)

Asparagine lowers from intensive exercise needed to mitigate muscle fatigue.

 

Check out the Nutrient Correlations to SPORTS NUTRITION 

Here is a link to a handout on The Role of MICRONUTRIENTS In SPORTS MEDICINE

New supplement strategy:

Carnitine: 2 caps (500 mg each) X 2 /day away from food

Phosphatidylserine: 500 mg 2/day with food

CoQ10: 100 mg (ubiquinol form) 2/day with food

Asparagine: 500 mg 3/day away from food

Vitamin B3 (niacinimide): 500 mg per day

Other supplement additions I made was my PRE WORKOUT STACK.

  • Amino replete – 9 essential amino acids
  • Creatine 
  • D Ribose

Oleic Acid – low

Another big eye opener was the low Oleic Acid. This marker is super important. Getting this right means you can properly shuttle nutrients in and waste products out. 

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found in olive oil, flax seed oil and almonds.

Fats, oils, and essential fatty acids (EFAs) are the essential fatty acids for which your cell membranes are made. Why this is important is because all nutrient exchange happens at the cell membrane level.

Healthy membranes → good nutrient exchange = good health

Unhealthy cell membranes → poor nutrient exchange = sub optimal health

Knowing this, I’ve changed my fat choices to include more olive oil, olives, almonds, flax seed oil and fish oil (you will see why from my Cardiometabolic test) and less coconut oil, lard and butter.

Again, how would I ever know this unless I tested.

Calcium – low. Linked to osteoporosis, muscle spasms and muscle cramps

Yikes! Big wake up call as I am someone who has actively reversed Osteoporosis in my early 30’s. My body needed more calcium then I was giving it. 

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, with 99% residing in bones and teeth

Calcium deficiency is linked to muscle spasms and cramps.

This was exactly what I was experiencing!

New supplement strategy

Calcium: 1000 mg in divided doses throughout the day. 2:1 ratio with Magnesium. Taken away from my iron.

Here is what I discovered from reading my Cardiometabolic Test

Cardiometabolic Test

Lipid Profile

Lipoprotein (a) – extremely elevated

Lipoprotein (little a) is an extremely atherogenic lipoprotein linking it to a higher risk of blood clots. So the medical research points out anyways.

However, more recent evidence shows Lp (a) having a different roll then we previously believed. Investigative reporter, Siobhan Huggins of Cholesterol Code uncovers some new information about Lp (a) and how it has shown to be more of a marker of wound repair. Which makes sense with my blood work and how it lines up with my high CK levels (muscle damage). 

High Total Cholesterol, high HDL, high LDL

At first glance, this may seem worrisome, however, only a worry if cholesterol becomes oxidized. Such would be the case if your inflammatory markers are also high or your blood glucose is dysregulated or even if you had high triglycerides or high triglycerides to HDL ratio. Mine are all low (HS CRP, homocysteine, hemoglobin A1C, HOMO IR, and triglycerides to HDL ratio). 

High HDL, inflammation is low = not a concern

High cholesterol, inflammation is high = be concerned

The question to ask is Are you a Lean Mass Hyper-responder? 

To really get a handle on what your lipid profile is telling you, it’s all about ‘context’.

What is your diet, exercise and body shape look like?

Higher carb/lower fat with little exercise carrying excess body fat or lower carb/higher fat with regular exercise carrying low body fat.

If you have higher HDL, higher LDL and low triglycerides, you may be a Lean mass Hyper-responder. 

According to recent research presented in Cholesterol Code, after pouring through tons of data, there is a certain subset of the population, particularly lean, athletic individuals who also eat a low carb diet have certain things in common. They have low adipose tissue (body fat), low glycogen stores due to their low carb diet, and they have have high energy demands because of regular exercise or constant movement. 

So basically with the lower glycogen stores and higher cholesterol counts, they get very efficient at using ‘fat as fuel’ instead of sugar. And this shows up on the lipid profile. Lean mass Hyper-responders have high LDL particles because it has to move the fats around (triglycerides) into the cells for energy.

So when we see high HDL and LDL particles, and inflammation is low plus they are on a low carb diet, exercising, then there is not concern.

This is the category that I fall into so I am quite happy with my results.

Rethinking Cholesterol – good for the brain, digestion, sex hormones, and allows for the production of Vitamin D (from the sun)

I think it’s time for a reality check. Cholesterol is a vital nutrient for the body. Its so important that it makes up part of every cell membrane in your body, ensuring proper nutrient exchange in and out of the cell. 

Cholesterol makes your myelin sheath (the covering around your nerves), and is critical for proper memory and brain cognition.

A recent study of twenty thousand people found strong evidence that those taking cholesterol lowering medications, called statins, had an increase in Parkinson’s disease.

If you know of anyone on statin drugs, I urge you to do more research for more natural ways to support the cardiovascular system – starting with a more comprehensive cardiovascular panel such as Cardiometabolic Testing.

Moreover, statin drugs does deplete the body of CoQ10. So it would be wise to supplement. Potential health risks include: various cardiovascular problems (yes, the heart needs CoQ10), immune impairment and low energy.

Now are there certain issues to pay attention to if cholesterol is high? Sure. If cholesterol is high and inflammation high – that spells bad news. Other markers to look at alongside high cholesterol is high Hemoglobin A1C and homocysteine. As well as high triglycerides (as explained above). 

Here is what I discovered from my Hormone Test

283116_S66363_HARTTE_HORM (3)

Low Free Testosterone and high Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)

SHBG or Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, controls testosterone effects in both men and women.

When SHBG goes up, testosterone goes down. Which is what happened to me.

Reasons for high SHBG are: medications (which I am not on), genetic variation (maybe for me), low omega 3 (which did show up on my Cardiometabolic test), low vitamin D3, DHEA, (not the case for me) and high resistance training (which for sure is the case for me).

High insulin seems to bring SHBG down, so being on a low carb diet (with lower insulin levels) this may be the case for me also.

After speaking to the Functional Medical Doctors from Spectracell labs, their solution was to take Boron, fish oil and Indol 3 Carbinol.

All other hormone markers are perfect. So I am happy with that.

New supplement strategy:

Boron: 5 mg 2 times a day with food

Indol 3 carbinol: 300 mg per day with food

Second set of blood work – GP (a few months after implementing New Supplement strategy as shown above) 

Oct 17 2018 Complete Blood work GP

Wonderful news! My CK levels dropped to 584 from 1037! What I am doing is working. 

Iron up a few points to 25.1 but still needs to rise. 

Guess more liver for me!

I plan to retest my Cardiometabolic, Micronutrient, and Hormone test 6 months from my last test and will report the results, after taking my new supplement regime. See summary below

New Supplement Regime (summary) 

Iron: Heme iron polypeptide (non constipating) 30 mg per day with/without food (away from Calcium) + liver 2 times a week.

Carnitine: 2 caps (500 mg each) X 2 /day away from food

Phosphatidylserine: 500 mg 2/day with food

CoQ10: 100 mg (ubiquinol form) 2/day with food

Asparagine: 500 mg 3/day away from food

Vitamin B3 (niacinimide): 500 mg per day

Fish oil: 3 grams per day

Calcium: 1000 mg in divided doses throughout the day. 2:1 ratio with Magnesium. Taken away from my iron.

Boron: 5 mg 2 times a day with food

Indol 3 carbinol: 300 mg per day with food

Continued liver detox and support (on going), probiotic, B complex, and pre workout stack (amino replete, carnitine, and D Ribose).

Diet changes: less saturated fat (coconut oil, butter and lard) and more omega 9, unsaturated fats (olive oil, olives, avocados, and almonds).

Well, I hope you have found this helpful. My point to this rather lengthy blog post is that to really know about how healthy you are, test and don’t guess. 

Read your blood work then adjust your diet and supplement regime and RETEST. Ideally every 6 months.

I truly want the best for you. Best health and happy long life.

Fit n Healthy for life!

If anyone would like help with blood tests, read your blood work and have your own Personalized Diet and Supplement Strategy – then please contact me at Contact Michale

You can also leave me a comment or reply below.