Second half 2024 seems to be a fantastic time for a complete reset in my wellness journey. If you are also on a path of lifespan/healthspan improvement, this series might be for you.
Measure twice, cut once. I never had any skills in fashion or construction, but the saying is true wherever applied. Which means any wellness journey should start with testing. You need a baseline to measure against if you want to see progress.
Choosing your wellness testing can be daunting these days – which is a good thing. Five years ago, when I first looked into lifespan biomarker testing, there were far fewer options. I reviewed the top companies currently receiving the highest recommendations from science and research experts to see which one had the features most important to me.
- Biomarkers
- I want the broadest range of biomarkers tested to get the most accurate picture of my current health as a baseline moving forward.
- Telehealth Visit
- Once I receive the test results, I want an expert to review them with me. I have a local functional medicine doctor (who I will also share the results with), but I want more than just a printout list of recommendations, in case I have specific questions.
- Supplements
- Should the test results recommendations include supplements, I want the option to either purchase them at a discount from the testing company or buy they elsewhere.
- Retesting
- I want to retest every three months for the first year, to track progress and adjust my protocol, at the most affordable price.
Based on these criteria, I have chosen two companies to conduct the initial testing.
Lifeforce – Diagnostic Membership
Lifeforce includes initial 50+ biomarker test & retesting every 3 months, access to clinicians and health coach, personalized program and health tracking, 20% off supplements, access to member-only pharmaceuticals – according to their website.
Viome – Oral Health Intelligence
Viome testing includes your oral microbiome, gut microbiome, and cellular function. Viome is the only company I’ve found which targets gut and oral microbiome health. I opted for their oral health testing first, which also includes prescription toothpaste based on your test results.
Between these two companies, I should have results to create an initial baseline of my health situation, with sufficient recommendations to get started. Of course, the next step in my wellness journey will need to include tracking and monitoring of whatever daily protocols I adopt.
Whoop Wearable
For monitoring, I have chosen Whoop. The Whoop wearable monitors factors like sleep, strain, recovery, and stress as well as over 140 behaviors you can input for evaluating impact. According to the website: The WHOOP Health Monitor gives you a constant view of your key vitals like heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and more, so you can understand your baseline, get alerted when your metrics deviate, and share data with your healthcare team.
For more details on the protocol visit these posts: Whoop Wearable, Lifeforce Diagnostics, Viome Oral Intelligence
