Improving Poor Blood Values: The 7 Best Lifestyle Hacks

What Can I Do to Improve My Blood Values?

A healthy lifestyle forms the foundation for good blood values. This includes a plant-based diet with high-quality protein sources, along with sufficient fruit and vegetables, and minimal consumption of sugary foods. Intermittent fasting, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, healthy stress management and a loving, well-functioning social network are also crucial components of a healthy lifestyle.

Lifestyle Hack 1 – Addressing Deficiencies

With a blood analysis at CARE, any deficiencies can be identified and addressed on the spot. Common deficiencies include vitamin B12, vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), vitamin D, and iron. Our doctors, who interpret the lab results, will explain the existing deficiencies and discuss the recommended dosages with you.

Lifestyle Hack 2 – Plant-Based, Anti-Inflammatory Diet

This does not mean that you can no longer eat meat or fish! What matters is the quantity and quality of these protein sources. Eating organic meat or fish from clean waters once or twice a week is usually not a problem for your health or blood levels.

Base your meals on vegetables, salads, sprouts, seeds, legumes, and healthy fats like olive oil – essentially, follow a Mediterranean diet. Using spices can help normalize insulin and strengthen antioxidant defenses, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. [1]

Limit starchy side dishes such as bread, pasta, and rice to small portions, as they can negatively affect your metabolic markers. To improve your blood values, it's best to avoid sugary foods and sweetened beverages, including fruit juices. Instead, drink around 2.5 liters of water and unsweetened tea per day. [2] Naturally, smoking and alcohol consumption do not align with a healthy diet and lifestyle. [3] [4]

Lifestyle hack 3 – Intermittent Fasting

Having two to three meals per day with longer breaks in between is ideal for relieving the digestive organs. Intermittent fasting stimulates autophagy, which means that cellular waste is removed more efficiently, and damaged cells are repaired. Fasting acts as a reset button for your health and can lead to a sustainable dietary change in the long run.

Lifestyle hack 4 – Regular Exercise

"Sitting is the new smoking" – perhaps you've heard this saying before? We are not designed to sit all day; we need movement. Sitting all day at the office and lounging on the couch in the evenings is detrimental to our well-being. Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining the elasticity of our joints, bones, and tendons, as well as supplying them with essential nutrients. Exercise benefits our cardiovascular system, metabolism, immune system, hormones, nervous system, and mental health. It can also help improve cholesterol levels and prevent heart diseases. [5]

Lifestyle hack 5 – Sufficient Sleep

Sleep is non-negotiable! It is perhaps one of the most underestimated factors influencing our health. Insufficient and poor-quality sleep directly impacts our metabolism, with consequences for various blood values. Sleep regulates our hormone and immune systems, energy balance, blood sugar levels, stress reduction, and much more. A lack of restorative sleep over time inevitably leads to a deterioration in blood values and overall health.[6] [7] [8]

Lifestyle hack 6 – Healthy Stress Management

The physical and mental response to stress triggers certain physiological reactions that can burden our health in the long run. Chronic elevation of stress hormones can lead to a cascade of imbalances, affecting blood sugar levels, inflammatory and immune markers, as well as reproductive hormones. Studies have shown that forest therapy has a significant impact on alleviating depression and anxiety, making it a preventive treatment option. [9]

Lifestyle hack 7 – Strong Relationships

“What do my relationships have to do with my blood values?” A valid question! According to a Harvard University study, neither genes nor healthy eating play as significant a role in a happy and healthy life as do good, loving relationships with friends and family. Consequently, they also contribute to good blood values.

“What do my relationships have to do with my blood levels?” Good question! In fact, according to a Harvard University study, neither genes nor healthy food, but good, loving relationships with friends and family are responsible for a happy, healthy life. And thus, naturally, for good blood values. [10]

What Affects Blood Values?

Various factors can impact blood values, such as age, gender, nutrition, medication, infections, physical exertion, smoking, alcohol consumption, and stress. Understanding these influences is vital in interpreting blood test results accurately.

• Age and gender influence blood values; there are different reference ranges for cholesterol and blood count depending on age and gender.
• Diet impacts blood values; sugar and blood lipids like cholesterol show in blood values based on the diet. Mineral or vitamin deficiencies are also influenced by dietary habits and reflected in blood values.
• Medications can alter various blood values.
• Infections cause changes in blood values by increasing white blood cells and inflammation markers.
• Physical exertion can alter blood values; during intense physical strain, white blood cell counts may increase more than twice the normal value, and kidney values may also rise after exercise.
• Smoking, alcohol, and drugs affect blood values; smoking, for example, increases the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and hemoglobin.
• The timing of the last meal impacts blood values; blood sugar or cholesterol levels should be measured on an empty stomach.
• The time of blood sampling has an impact on blood values; cortisol levels, for instance, follow a natural daily rhythm, peaking in the early morning after a low during the night.
• Thyroid disorders change the blood values of thyroid hormones (T3, T4, and TSH).
• Pregnancy can lead to a decrease or increase in blood platelets and an increase in white blood cells.
• Poor blood levels can be caused by stress: stress increases cortisol secretion as well as white blood cells. Chronic excess cortisol can have adverse health effects.

Avoiding Toxins

Smoking not only harms the lungs but also the blood vessels (arteries and veins), the immune system, and the skin. Smoking can promote a variety of diseases and contribute to the development of various types of cancer.  [6] Additionally, smoking has a negative impact on blood values, particularly white blood cell counts, and affects overall health. Supporting your immune system includes not smoking or reducing smoking as much as possible. Moreover, alcohol and drug use can harm your body and negatively impact your health, which will be reflected in your blood analysis. Men are advised to limit alcohol consumption to two standard drinks per day, while women should consume only one standard drink per day. [7] However, for the sake of your health, it's best to drink as little alcohol as possible.

What Do Poor Blood Values Mean?

Many diseases may not show symptoms at the beginning. Only with regular blood tests, like the ones CARE offers, can you truly assess your health. Only then can you recognize whether your blood values are heading in a negative direction. Poor blood values that fall outside the normal range can indicate various conditions, including inflammation, anemia, nutrient deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, and more.

There are countless symptoms associated with poor blood values, such as fatigue, reduced performance, headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, or a rapid pulse, among others. The significance of these symptoms depends on which blood values deviate from the normal range. A compromised immune system can also be reflected in blood values. Poor blood values are a direct reflection of your health status and can provide you with insights into the necessary changes in your lifestyle.

How Long Does It Take for Blood Values to Improve?

The time it takes for blood values to improve depends on which values are poor. Improvements in electrolyte and mineral balance can be indicated quite quickly. However, iron levels, thyroid hormones, blood lipids like cholesterol, and long-term blood sugar may require varying amounts of time to improve. Regular blood analyses are the appropriate solution to monitor the progress. With CARE, you can track improvements with every blood test on the CARE App.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blood Analyses and Blood Values

Must I be fasting for a blood test?

Yes, fasting means no intake of food or caloric beverages for 8 to 12 hours before the test, ensuring accurate results. [8]

Is a blood test painful?

During a blood test, a fine needle is carefully inserted into the vein, and your own blood pressure then carries the blood into the vial. The needle is so fine that it causes no pain. If you are anxious about the procedure, feel free to mention it – you are not alone; many people fear it. Our Medical Practice Assistants (MPAs) are highly skilled and sensitive, and they will ensure that you have a pleasant experience.

Is a blood test risky?

Before the blood test, the skin is thoroughly disinfected. Our medical staff uses sterile disposable needles, which are used only once and then discarded. In the rare event that the vein is not properly punctured, a small hematoma (bruise) may form, but it will quickly disappear within a few days and is not dangerous.

Good to know: Blood may appear to be more than it is. The amount taken during the test is entirely safe for you and your circulatory system. The laboratory requires a specific amount of blood, depending on the type and scope of the blood analysis.