Because when you test, you know and when you know, you can take action.
Having a way to assess and measure your health can help you to determine if you’re on the right track, if you need to work on a particular area or if you’re falling off the wagon.
In our At-Home Wellness Test Kit, we have included a few tests that can really help steer you in the right direction for your health, energy and immune status.
Below is a description of some of the tests that you may not be familiar with but are the mainstay of in-office naturopathic testing.
Testing your energy
The Koenisburg test (Adrenal function urine test)
This test is one way that you can quickly assess your adrenal gland function. This test will look at how much sodium you are putting out in your urine. Sodium output can be related to sodium intake, but it is also regulated by the kidneys and adrenal glands and if these two are under functioning or over functioning (in overdrive) then we will see this in the urine.
This test is great if you’re having energy issues, anxiety, burn out, or feel like you’re gaining weight around your middle. It’s also great to see how you have progressed if you’ve been working on your adrenal health or had a CHI or DUTCH test that said you needed to work on your cortisol levels, this is an inexpensive way to reassess how you are doing.
To perform the test, you will mix a reagent into to your urine sample and you will continue adding until a precipitate forms and remains in your tube—it changes from bright yellow to brick red. (Note: you will need to shake the tube as you add the drops one by one, to make sure you have reached the saturation point, it is pretty dramatic when it changes colour!).
Testing your overall health
The Free Radical Test
Free Radicals are the waste products that is created when our cells are metabolizing. We want our bodies to be able to neutralize this waste through the intake of adequate amounts of antioxidants. If you’re making more waste than you’re getting rid of, we create cellular damage, rapid aging and this is were a lot of disease begins.
This test helps us to know if we’re consuming enough antioxidants in our diet and with our supplements. If you have previously done a CHI, DUTCH or Organic Acids test, then you will have an idea about where your antioxidant status is (measures of 8-OH2GD or Glutathione) and if you have been taking more antioxidants, then this will be a great way to know if you’re on track.
For this test you collect a first morning urine sample and add it to the reagent to see what level of pink/redness results. The darker the color, the more free radicals you have.
Testing your minerals
The Zinc Tally Test
We are all concerned about our immune health these days. A quick and easy test to check your zinc status is to take the zinc tally test. Zinc is an important part of your immune system function. Drink 10 mL of the zinc tally liquid and hold in the mouth for up to 30 seconds. A lack of taste or a delayed taste perception suggests a possible zinc deficiency. An immediate taste perception or a feeling of a furry tongue or cotton ball in the mouth sensation suggests zinc status is likely adequate.
Sulkowich Test for Calcium levels
We often see women who are concerned about their calcium intake as they get older because we all want to have strong bones and stave off osteoporosis! Blood tests for calcium are not helpful as this number only goes out of range if there is something seriously wrong, like hyperparathyroidism or a tumor. So, for those of you who want to know if you are breaking down bone mass and excreting it in the urine, this test is for you.
Want to know more? We have all these tests and others in our At-Home Wellness Test Kit, these are great tests that we would like everyone to do at least once a year to keep you healthy and on track!
Stay Healthy,
Dr. Rebecca Sagan, ND and Dr. Hajnalka Pinter, ND