A Dietitian’s Guide: Your Health Checklist 

Often, with everything going on in life, we neglect our health. We forget to schedule those appointments, take our daily supplement dose, prioritize a well-balanced meal, skimp on sleep, and more. For many, it can be overwhelming! 

As a helpful step forward in the right direction, I’ve put together a small checklist for before your doctor’s visits and conversation points during your annual physical. 

Before your appointment:

1. Review your insurance benefits and determine your in-network and out-of-network coverage benefits and access.
2. Set up your HSA/FSA to utilize pre-tax dollars to cover health-related expenses.
3. Make a list of all the providers you would need to see every year and do your research (eye doctor, OBGYN, cardiologist, endocrinologist).

At your appointment:

1. Get a script for your bloodwork. Your annual physical should be around the same time every year. To get the most accurate results, your bloodwork should be done in a fasted state (ideally first thing in the morning). Complete bloodwork includes a metabolic panel, glucose, lipid panel, iron, and vitamin D.
2. Explore additional testing and obtain the appropriate referrals for specialists to address the following:
   • Hormone panel
   • Allergy markers
   • GI-related testing (SIBO, stool test, endoscopy)
   • Auto-immune symptoms 
   • Endocrine-related markers (diabetes, thyroid)

You should be able to have open conversations with your physician and get your answers to address any concerns you may have. It is better to be proactive than reactive. As a dietitian, I want to provide people with resources to make informed decisions, assess the unknown, and achieve their health goals.