Many people leave health conditions untreated for years because they didn’t know what to look for. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a series of tricks for reading your body anywhere you are? While these anecdotal home health tests are no substitute for a thoughtful diagnosis from your medical practitioner, trying them at home can give you an idea of which issues you should bring up at your next check-up. 

5 Useful At-Home Health Tests

1 – Count Your Taste Buds, Test Your Cancer Risk

Put blue food coloring on a cotton bud and swab it over your tongue. With a magnifying glass, count the number of little blue dots (taste buds) near the front of your tongue. If there are more than 20 blue dots, you have an extremely good sense of taste and could be what’s known as a ‘supertaster’,  but this may not be such a good thing. 

This supertasting can be associated with an increased risk of certain cancers. Veg such as broccoli, cabbage or sprouts contain bitter compounds which help protect against cancer but these compounds may taste too intense for the supertaster. Therefore eat bitters with rice or potatoes to neutralize the taste.

2 – Squeeze Your Legs, Test Your Salt Intake

With your thumb, press firmly down in three to four places up and down your legs. Do the areas stay white for a few seconds after you take away your thumb? If so, you have fluid retention – especially if your ankles and knees look puffy also. 

To remedy this, try reducing the amount of salt in your diet and cut out processed foods. Also drinking water can help flush out the sodium and ease the problem.

3 –Push Your Fingers, Test Your Iron Levels

Hold out your hand, palm up, and push your fingers back. Your palm will pale, but do the deep lines on your hand go white too? If they do, it could be a sign of anemia, probably triggered by a lack of iron in your diet. Your GP will be able to confirm this with a blood test. If you are anemic, increasing your intake of red meat and green leafy veg can help.

4 – Look Under Your Eyes, Test Your Cholesterol Levels

Look at the skin above and below the eyes. Can you see any flat yellow bumps? These are deposits of fat that can indicate a raised cholesterol level. If you find them its best to get things checked out with your GP, but don’t panic.

5 – Blow Out a Candle, Test Your Lungs

Stand about 30cm away from a lighted candle and with your mouth open breathe out sharply and fully with a huffing sound. Did it go out? If not it might be a warning sign for asthma, especially if you have other symptoms, such as night-time coughing.

If you have no other symptoms but still failed your lungs aren’t as elastic as they should be – this is a sign that you need to improve your general fitness.

Source http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com

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