My Health Check-up Part Two

Results of my first medical check in 70 years

One morning in June 2016 I drove to my appointment with a Naturopath in Auckland. I was held up in traffic on the motorway and arrived 20 minutes late and stressed. My list of health goals asked for by the Naturopath was as follows:

1. To have warm hands at all times. My hands are sometimes colder than other people’s. I suspect a thyroid imbalance.
2. Pain-free big toe joints. My big toe joints sometimes hurt and I suspect it’s damage from wearing jandals for 60 summers.
3. Pain-free skin on my upper forehead. This area of skin often feels a bit sore, as if mildly sunburned. I suspect long term sun damage.
4. Faster recall. I’m often slow to remember names.He began his 2 hours of initial testing and found my nitrous oxide low (measured by a saliva drop on a test strip) and my zinc low (using a pure zinc taste test) – both probably connected he thought. My pulse was 57 and blood pressure high at 181/113, probably due he said to my low nitrous oxide and the stress of traffic delays. The VLA test involved sticking electrodes on my legs and applying minor tingling shocks. Then he used electronic scales to measure internal fat, water content and my metabolic age (60). However these electronic tests seemed inaccurate – it claimed my ideal weight should be 3 kg heavier. But I was already 3 kg overweight. Next a thyroid reflex test – it measured zero – indicating an underactive thyroid. The most interesting (and expensive test) was the quantum ETA machine. This claims to scan the whole body from a small laser-like sensor sitting on the desk. A computer screen then shows coloured dots, according to cell energy levels in all areas of each body organ, pictured on a drawing on the screen. It’s fascinating to watch, but difficult to believe the unmoving sensor on the desk was scanning my entire body from head to toe. My lungs (which seem healthy to me) showed low energy, but there was nothing I saw that corresponded with what I knew, so I am skeptical. In fact, all of the electronic tests came up with results that seemed inaccurate. On the other hand, the Naturopath’s initial evaluation and the non-electronic scientific tests like the RBTI test below produced believable results.The lack of zinc detected earlier was likely due to my extensive use of raw grains over recent years, which are high in phosphorous (phytate) and limit the uptake of zinc by about 40%. Zinc is vital for good digestion.
5. Upon review, it appeared obvious that my thyroid action is suspect. However the Naturopath advised me to get my zinc, sodium and potassium into balance first, as that may bring it right. So to increase my zinc absorption I’ve stopped eating raw grains and now sprout my wheat before drying it and grinding it to flour. I doubled my CAA - Multi for two weeks to get zinc levels up, and now add potassium chloride powder to my vegetables to balance my potassium and sodium intake – ideally a 50-50 balance as my potassium intake was a bit low. The RDI for men is 3800mg a day yet supplements are limited, by law, to only 100mg a day. I’m trialing having no cow’s milk, instead using coconut cream diluted 50% with water.
6. For the RBTI test I gave a saliva sample (about half a small test tube) and a urine sample. While I went for lunch, he and another Naturopath analysed my data from all tests and wrote a 23 page report. Later I spent another 2 ¼ hours with him going over the report in detail. He said the RBTI test showed my saliva as being too alkaline, my sodium levels too high and my potassium too low and that my protein may not be digesting well, probably due to low zinc (or low stomach acid). He also suggested I stop drinking cow’s milk.
7. The Hemaview Live Blood screening – a drop of my blood was magnified under a microscope and projected on a computer screen. He said some of my red blood cells were clumping a little, not all perfectly round, irregular around the edges and there were too few white cells. When I got home I viewed results of other normal Hemaview blood tests online and they looked just like mine. Maybe an interesting gimmick rather than an useful health tool.
8. I’ve since bought a home monitor and found my blood pressure when relaxing in the sun is about normal 115/72, relaxing indoors about average for my age 119/80, and when doing mental work, or anxious, high around 160/110.
9. The Naturopath was well spoken, intelligent and well educated. When I shook his hand I noticed it was rather cold like mine. He scrutinised my face and said I had a classic sign of low thyroid action – eyebrows thinning towards the outside edges.

So far I’ve not noticed any improvement in my health concerns but I’ll give it 6 months and report back.