Introduced to his mischievous baby blues one night many moons ago in a Hong Kong club, I immediately recognized "different."
Mark was a missionary's kid in Kenya, where he ate organic food and cavorted with local Nairobi kids, goats and chickens. A natural athlete, he played Rugby for two national teams on two continents. He took care of his body - rarely drank, didn’t smoke, ate his vegetables and knew more than most about health supplements - one of his business ventures.
Mark lived life as a mythic adventure. During a stint on a remote South Pacific island, he hacked his way through untouched jungle, dug wells to access fresh water and defended the settlement from wild boars with a machete. For years he worked his family sheep farm while doing landscaping as a side business - two highly "cardio" activities. We were into middle-age when Mark sailed us on a little boat to a friend's well-preserved historic British home; there I drank tea by a cozy fire and marveled through a window at Mark chopping wood in the garden for what seemed like an hour.
Men like this don't have heart attacks at 56, right?
Here's the thing: Mark didn't get regular health screenings. He didn't know his elevated risk, so he couldn't make changes to address it. He's now shifting his diet and supplements a bit so he can get off the meds and back on track.
Moral of the story:
Getting annual labs is a pattern worth repeating.
Schedule them around your birthday so it's easier to remember. If possible, ensure they include age and gender appropriate, above-the-norm testing. I give clients tailored information to ensure they get the right testing through their primary (or me if they prefer).
What you learn from regular labs can help you.
What you don't know, can't.
