Bio-Terrain Self Assessment

    Introduction

    You're about to learn how to run some very simple physiological tests on your body. The information gained from these tests will help us assess your Metabolic Health and identify any imbalances that will need to be corrected in order for you to move towards optimal health. Once you have completed these tests, enter the results in the relevant sections below and click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the form. Mark or Diane will then assess these results and send you a report outlining any imbalances found, what they mean and what you specifically need to do in order to get your body back into homeostatic balance. Your dry blood test results will also be included in this report if you have chosen this option.

    Equipment Needed

    • Glucometer (or use at chemist)
    • Blood Pressure Cuff (or use at chemist)
    • Stopwatch
    • pH Testing Strips (included in postal pack)
    • Urispec urine reagent dipstick (included in postal pack)

    TESTS

    Fasting Blood Glucose Test

    Wash your hands prior to testing so residue from lotions, etc. don’t affect the test results. Insert a new lancet into the lancing device (Never re-use lancets), prick your finger and allow the blood to make a small bubble. (You can squeeze your finger if needed.) Depending on your glucometer, either drip the blood on top of the test strip or place the test strip up against the drop of blood and it will sip the blood up into the strip like a straw. To get your fasting glucose, test before breakfast and before you drink anything other than water or before you brush your teeth (if possible). When you want to check your fasting glucose, it's best to leave the glucometer out where you will see it first thing in the morning so you won't forget.

    Your Result

    Blood Pressure Test (resting & Standing)

    To test your resting blood pressure, lie down, relax for a few minutes and test on your left arm according to the directions for your blood pressure cuff.

    To test your standing blood pressure, lie down, push the button to start the inflation, then stand up and hold your arm still as not to disturb the machine from taking its reading.

    Your Results

    Resting

    Standing

    Breath Hold Time Test

    Sit comfortably. Take 3 full, deep breaths in and out. On the 4th inhale, start your stopwatch or timer at the end of the inhale and hold your breath as long as you can. Don’t pass out or anything or make this like it's a contest you have to win. But do hold your breath as long as you comfortably can. It's best not to look at the stop watch while you're holding your breath. If you do, you may be inclined to turn it into a competition and hold your breath longer than you normally would.

    Your Results

    Breath Rate

    This is hard to test on yourself when you’re conscious of what you’re doing because you might adjust your breathing. If you can, get someone else to test this for you so you can let your mind wonder to other things and just breathe normally - it will probably be a more accurate reading. Lie down and relax. Try to think of other things so that you breath normally. Start your timer and count the number of times you inhale for 60 seconds.

    Note: If someone else is doing this reading for you it might be a good idea to place something light coloured on your tummy so that the other person can clearly see each breath.

    Your Results

    Saliva & Urine pHs

    The first morning urine test, while being a valid test, takes greater discretion to sort out the results because you are unloading the previous days "metabolic debt", or those acids you accumulated through the previous day. By testing your urine and saliva pH either just before lunch or just before dinner, ideally it will have been at least 2 hours since you have eaten any food. This will be an easier test to discern what the numbers are showing. 

    Urine: Simply hold the test strip in your urine stream for a second and read against the colour chart. If the chart goes from 6 to 6.5 and it’s somewhere in between, make a guess and say 6.3 or wherever you think it lands. 

    Saliva: Try not to drink or have anything in your mouth for 20 minutes before testing, and wait at least 2 hours after eating. Just bring up a little saliva between your lips and run the test strip through the saliva. Read against the chart right away. With urine, it is not as important to read against the chart right away. But with saliva, the Co2 in your saliva will outgas and that reading will often rise the longer you wait to read it.

    Note: Do both these pH tests at the same time.

    Your Results

    Spit Test

    Before going to bed, place a clear glass full of water on your bathroom counter or wherever you go first thing in the morning when you wake up. This will help remind you to do this test when you see the glass so you don’t brush your teeth first. Make sure the glass is see-through so you can see what’s going on inside. Immediately upon waking, swallow the saliva in your mouth and bring up some new saliva. Let it drop gently into the glass on top of the water. Now watch what happens. You’re looking to see if the saliva floats on top of the water or if it starts to string down into the water. Watch for 30 seconds or so to determine this.

    Your Results

    Urispec Urine Test Dip-Stick

    The Urispec 11-way reagent test is used to detect the presence of various particulates in the urine as well as to assess particular qualities of the urine itself. 


    To perform this test collect a urine sample in a disposable plastic cup and dip the test strip into the urine sample. Quickly remove the test strip from the sample and hold the strip horizontally with its side edge facing directly towards the floor such that urine does not run from one reagent square to the next. It is a very good idea to blot the side edge of the strip to a paper towel to absorb the extra urine from the strip so that the reagents do not mix together.

    After 30-60 seconds hold the strip up to the colour code (below) and record any findings that land outside of the second colour column. 

    Your Results

    Dermographic Line

    To perform this test, run the non-ink side of a pen across the inside of your arm and then wait 20-30 seconds to see if your skin turns red, white, or the mark just disappears. If the mark disappears, you would be considered balanced in this test.

    This is an autonomic nervous system indicator. Typically if a person's vascular system is constricted, the dermographic line stays with a white centre and can indicate the individual is leaning too far on the sympathetic side. If the dermographic line stays red, that can indicate a person is leaning toward the parasympathetic side.

    Your Results

    Gag Reflex

    Gag reflex is another indicator of the autonomic nervous system. High gag reflex is indicating that a person is leaning toward the parasympathetic side. The lack of a gag reflex indicates a leaning toward the sympathetic side. No test is required here. Simply ask yourself, if I'm brushing my teeth and the toothbrush goes a little too far back, do I have a tendency to gag?

    Your Results

    PUPIL SIZE

    Pupil size is another indicator of the autonomic nervous system. Small pupils indicate parasympathetic; large pupils indicate sympathetic. Looking at the coloured area of your eye, if your pupils cover less than 25% of that space, they can be considered small. If your pupils cover more than 50% of the coloured area, they can be considered large. If your pupils take up between 25% - 50% of the coloured space, this can be considered normal.

    Select one of the 9 pupil sizes below and record results.

    Your Results

    Digestion
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