Daniel Rinehart is a 37-year-old avid bicyclist and hiker who understands the value of a nutrition and fitness regimen. While doing his best to get outside, stay active, and eat a healthy diet, it often proves difficult due to his day job as a software developer. Daniel was looking for an accurate way to keep his finger on the pulse of his health, and he was having a hard time finding a practical solution. Then, he attended a talk by InsideTracker founder, Dr. Gil Blander. He was intrigued by the opportunity to obtain evidence-based health knowledge and detailed feedback about biomarkers that are not typically measured at the doctor’s office. Consequently, he ordered a package of four InsideTracker Performance plans.
Diving Into The Data
When the results of Rinehart’s first test came back, he discovered low levels of vitamin D and high levels of ferritin. Rinehart, who lives in Boston, wasn’t surprised by his low vitamin D levels, since people who live in cold, northern altitudes are often low in this particular vitamin because it is derived from sunlight. However, having low levels of vitamin D can be problematic; vitamin D increases bone health, muscle mass, and strength, among many other health benefits. Rinehart’s high ferritin levels were also troublesome; some studies indicate a potential relationship between ferritin and heart disease.
“I expect that the preventive medicine aspect of InsideTracker will help me as I get older,” Rinehart said. “Personalized medicine is one of the most interesting parts of what InsideTracker can do because the biomarkers that it tracks might not be measured by your annual physical,” he continued.
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Strategizing Towards Optimal
Rinehart took a unique approach to his InsideTracker tests — he used the results of his first and second tests to establish a baseline number for his ferritin and vitamin D levels. Then, between his second and third and fourth tests, he started taking InsideTracker’s nutrition recommendations to see what impact the guidelines would have on his health. He completely changed what he ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and added a vitamin D supplement to his daily regimen. Adhering to these recommendations paid off — Rinehart’s third and fourth test results showed vastly improved vitamin D levels. In addition, he noticed that other biomarkers —which were not necessarily in his sub-optimal zone, but had room for improvement — were drastically boosted with his new diet.
Rinehart found that InsideTracker’s ability to customize recommendations based on his unique physiology really helped him to understand his body. What makes InsideTracker unique is its integration of an “optimal zone” in the blood analysis — a number that is specific to each person and takes into account his or her own unique demographic information such as: age, gender, ethnicity, activity level, as well as lifestyle and performance goals. InsideTracker’s sophisticated algorithm called B.R.A.I.N (Biomarker Research Analysis Integrative Network) determines the optimal zones for each marker based on the latest peer-reviewed research. So while Rinehart’s physicians may not have noticed his sub-optimal levels of vitamin D and ferritin because they were within the “normal” range for the general population, his levels were actually not high enough to meet his personal needs.
Empowering Himself With Knowledge
Rinehart remarked that he appreciated InsideTracker’s clear, user-friendly interface. “The charting and visual representation of your biomarkers, the history of your tests, and the areas of improvement were very good,” he said. Does he have any advice for people who are looking to improve their health, wellness, and performance? “Additional knowledge is always valuable. In order to attain your full physical capabilities, you need to have the right information going forward,” he said. Lesson learned: even if you’re exercising and eating healthfully, there’s always room for improvement with help from InsideTracker!
