ESTABLISH YOUR BASE LINE.
These numbers should all be available for free at your annual physical.
Triglycerides lower than 150 mg/dL (fasting)?
HDL cholesterol: more than or equal to 40 mg/dL (men) OR 50 mg/dL (women)?
Is your fasting glucose lower than 100 mg/dL?
Is your hemoglobin A1c lower than 5.7%?
Is your systolic blood pressure lower than 120 mmHg?
Is your diastolic blood pressure lower than 80 mmHg?
Is your waist circumference smaller than 102 cm (40 inches - men) or smaller than 88 cm (35 inches - women)?
Count your YES answers. Divide by 7. This is your score.
If you do not score 100 percent on this section, you are part of the 88 percent of Americans who have work to do to optimize energy production in the cells.
OTHER LABS AND INFORMATION:
Fasting insulin: As low as possible. Higher than 10 mIU/L is concerning, and higher than 15 mIU/L is significantly elevated.
Hemoglobin A1c: aim for 5.0 to 5.4%
Uric acid: aim for <5 mg/dL for men and 2 to 4 mg/dL for women.
Liver enzymes: AST and ALT should be lower than 17 U/L. Some sources say that lower than 8 U/L is better.
Vitamin D: aim for 40 to 60 ng/mL.
My score is not 100%. What do I do now?
See this page for 3 simple actions to improve your metabolic health.
Read Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means or start listening to the Levels podcast.
