Scared Of The Pinprick? Time To Rethink That Fear!

If you have gotten a change (found an oppurtunity) to go through our website, you may have noticed that we don’t have standard packages for anything! We don’t have one-month, three-month and six-month fitness solutions all presented to you. In fact, we do not suggest a fitness plan unless you tell us more about your lifestyle and goals. 

In this article on why you must put your health above all else, we talked (talk) about the very unpleasant consequences of expecting results that are fast, and often unsustainable. Research too backs this claim, and the ‘fat’ you lose from crash diets and extreme changes is often the water weight, which will be back in no time at all. 

This is why we have over eighteen personas to choose from, ranging from athletes and fitness professionals to those with desk jobs. You can also choose from up to thirteen goals in areas you want to improve in, and only one of them is about losing weight! Analyzing your lifestyle and choosing goals based on it is the first step towards a successful plan.

Curious yet? 

While existing systems in the market focus on the physical component of the activity you undertake, this may not be enough in itself. We do extensive blood work, map it with your body composition and give you a picture of what you can do based on your goals and the time you have on hand. We thus help you draw up a plan that is easy to commit to, and works in tandem with your body. You thus have a plan that lists out precisely how you need to work out and eat in order to achieve your goals. 

Research has repeatedly shown that fitness goals must be aligned to the person’s lifestyle. Designing a customized plan is not only more beneficial, it is often easier to comply with. Moreover, even something as innocent as the treadmill has been known to kill people who have taken to it with a vengeance, unaware of the physical condition of their bodies before subjecting it to extremes. 

A lot of comprehensive analysis, that we collectively refer to as Discovery Diagnostics, goes into designing a custom health and fitness plan for you. Since your primary focus is on improving health, we start with understanding your current body status. 

Blood is the lifeline we survive on. From simple tests to those for terminal illnesses, doctors and health coaches often look to parameters in our blood for reference. Blood provides a holistic picture of our current state of health and future trends. Whether we have a hormonal imbalance, a chronic illness or a nutritional deficiency, they can be identified by testing blood. 

1. To test your bone and muscle health, we use tests to determine the levels of Calcium and Potassium in your blood serum, as well as the levels of Vitamin D. Calcium depletion is the leading cause of poor bone health, and vitamin D is a major component in keeping the bones and muscles healthy, as well as preventing cardiovascular disease.
2. Fasting glucose is a measure insulin efficiency. If you have diabetes or are at risk for it, this test will tell you so. The Energy and Metabolism panel on the site analyzes insulin efficiency, carbohydrate tolerance and fat metabolism.
3. Micronutrients have a major role to play in keeping the mind active, and magnesium and folate have a significant role to play. Low brain magnesium may actually be responsible for migraine. A healthy balance of vitamins and minerals is essential for smooth functioning of the body.
4. Thyroid is one of the most important glands in the body, and a deficiency or excess of thyroid hormones can significantly affect metabolism. Before we conduct this test, we also need to know if you have been taking thyroid medication, information that we can then correlate with results. 

(One infographic here for blood parameters, even above and beyond what we have included here)

These are just some of the tests we do for a specific set of goals. Based on the goals you choose for yourself, the tests we conduct will vary. Blood parameters are often judged on two ranges. The clinical range is a statistic- it reflects what is considered standard across populations. The optimal range is more personal. It tells us what ranges of the measured component are ideal in a healthy individual. 

Body composition analysis involves understanding the metabolic parameters that make up your system. The body is made up of four key elements- fat, water, tissues and bones. 

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and waist-Hip ratio help us understand your current level of metabolism.
2. A series of fat analyses tell us where a majority of the fat in your body lies.
3. Body Mass Index helps us understand what your ideal weight should be, along with your muscle mass and total fat percentage.
4. The percentage body fat is the most accurate measure of your health, and BMI and weight need to be studied in tandem with this value to gain a complete picture of your current condition. 

(One graphic here, not an infographic, to describe different body parameters we measure.) 

Perhaps one of the most important parameters we test for, the tests in this section tell us what your resting and active heart rates are, the degree of gas transfusion in your lungs and the generation of lactate in your body- a sign of fatigue in the muscles. 

The VO2 Max is a parameter often referred to in sports medicine. Simply put, it is a measure of how efficiently our body is able to use the oxygen supplied to it. In other words, VO2 Max is the measure of the metabolic efficiency of our bodies. It can be calculated by measuring the volume(V) of oxygen(O2) we consume while on a treadmill. A higher VO2 Max, usually going up to 60 in adult humans, is considered to be very healthy, while with a value closer to 30, there is great scope for improvement. 

(We can make a nice graphic representing how VO2 max works). 

Based on results from these tests, we design an adaptive plan for you that is tailor-made, gives you results, grows with you and most importantly, does not stress you out to the point of fatigue. From controlling diabetes and hormonal issues, to dealing with a busy life, childbirth, and sports, we understand what goes on in your body every single day. 

What’s more, we believe that all of these life changes should not come in the way of you wanting to be healthier and happier. If a poke in the arm worries you, rest assured, because your trained technicians can make it feel just like a pinprick. 

And if that pinprick gives you a look into what you’re truly made of, that’s worth a shot, isn’t it?

* Medical Disclaimer - The following information is for educational purposes only. No information provided on this website, including text, graphic, and images, are intended as substitutes for professional medical advice. Please consult with your doctor about specific medical advice pertaining to your condition(s).