 People sometimes think they need to get lots of costly tests done to get to the bottom of their health issues. Generally, I have not found this to be the case. I encourage all my clients to get good old fashioned blood tests done because they are more affordable and tell us a lot about what’s happening inside your body.
The following are blood tests worth requesting from your doctor/GP if you have been struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, or maternal mental health changes (OCD, anxiety, depression). If your doctor wont order all or some of these tests (sometimes there are public health funding reasons for this), I believe it’s worth investing in having them done via a private lab. It will cost more but then you have a baseline to work from as you work on your health. And as you focus on improving your health, blood tests only need to be repeated once every six to 12 months at most. WHY WE OUGHTA DRINK MORE WATER Aim to have pee that matches 1, 2 or 3! Did you know your body is made of around 60% water? That water's key roles include carrying oxygen to your cells, regulating your blood pressure and body temperature, helping to eliminate wastes and toxins, and dissolving nutrients and transporting them throughout your body. Pretty amazing, huh! Water also helps dissolve and flush uric acid, which can build up around your joints and cause pain and discomfort. It helps flush your gall bladder and bile ducts in your liver, keeping bile flowing so that it can break down fats you eat. Water also helps make digestive secretions that break down your food so you can absorb nutrients. Knowing this, it's perhaps not surprising that dehydration can affect us in a multitude of ways. Dehydration can hamper your liver's detoxification processes and digestive function. It creates extra demand on your heart by decreasing blood volume and causing your heart to beat faster. Indeed, if you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, one of the first things I recommend is you start drinking more water every day (and fewer diuretic drinks such as coffee, tea and alcoholic drinks). And if you suffer from headaches, be aware that dehydration can play a role. Expecting a baby? Dehydration can also make you more susceptible to overheating when pregnant. So how much water do you need to drink?  Inspired by author and depression and anxiety survivor Matt Haig, I'm sharing a list of things that can spike or worsen my OCD, rumination, anxiety and stress. And a list of things that have supported my recovery from 19 years of OCD, that make me feel happy in my soul and which help to quiet my mind. Things that make me worse Poor sleep Staying up too late Doing too much Not resting enough Caffeine Not eating enough protein (meats, fish, eggs) Crowded, busy cities (if I’m there too long) |