Pre-existing conditions
Self-Testing Introduction
TESTS
Resting
Standing
Breath Hold Time Test
Sit comfortably. Take 3 full, deep breaths in and out. On the 4th inhale, start your stopwatch or timer at the end of the inhale and hold your breath as long as you can. Don’t pass out or anything or make this like it's a contest you have to win. But do hold your breath as long as you comfortably can. It's best not to look at the stop watch while you're holding your breath. If you do, you may be inclined to turn it into a competition and hold your breath longer than you normally would.
Your Results
Breath Rate
This is hard to test on yourself when you’re conscious of what you’re doing because you might adjust your breathing. If you can, get someone else to test this for you so you can let your mind wonder to other things and just breathe normally - it will probably be a more accurate reading. Lie down and relax. Try to think of other things so that you breath normally. Start your timer and count the number of times you inhale for 60 seconds.
Note: If someone else is doing this reading for you it might be a good idea to place something light coloured on your tummy so that the other person can clearly see each breath.
Your Results
Saliva & Urine pHs
The first morning urine test, while being a valid test, takes greater discretion to sort out the results because you are unloading the previous days "metabolic debt", or those acids you accumulated through the previous day. By testing your urine and saliva pH either just before lunch or just before dinner, ideally it will have been at least 2 hours since you have eaten any food. This will be an easier test to discern what the numbers are showing.
Urine: Simply hold the test strip in your urine stream for a second and read against the colour chart. If the chart goes from 6 to 6.5 and it’s somewhere in between, make a guess and say 6.3 or wherever you think it lands.
Saliva:
Try not to drink or have anything in your mouth for 20 minutes before testing, and wait at least 2 hours after eating. Just bring up a little saliva between your lips and run the test strip through the saliva. Read against the chart right away. With urine, it is not as important to read against the chart right away. But with saliva, the Co2 in your saliva will outgas and that reading will often rise the longer you wait to read it.
Note:Do both these pH tests at the same time.
Your Results
Spit Test
Before going to bed, place a clear glass full of water on your bathroom counter or wherever you go first thing in the morning when you wake up. This will help remind you to do this test when you see the glass so you don’t brush your teeth first. Make sure the glass is see-through so you can see what’s going on inside. Immediately upon waking, swallow the saliva in your mouth and bring up some new saliva. Let it drop gently into the glass on top of the water. Now watch what happens. You’re looking to see if the saliva floats on top of the water or if it starts to string down into the water. Watch for 30 seconds or so to determine this.
Your Results
Dermographic Line
To perform this test, run the non-ink side of a pen across the inside of your arm and then wait 20-30 seconds to see if your skin turns red, white, or the mark just disappears. If the mark disappears, you would be considered balanced in this test.
This is an autonomic nervous system indicator. Typically if a person's vascular system is constricted, the dermographic line stays with a white centre and can indicate the individual is leaning too far on the sympathetic side. If the dermographic line stays red, that can indicate a person is leaning toward the parasympathetic side.
Your Results
Gag Reflex
Gag reflex is another indicator of the autonomic nervous system. High gag reflex is indicating that a person is leaning toward the parasympathetic side. The lack of a gag reflex indicates a leaning toward the sympathetic side. No test is here. Simply ask yourself, if I'm brushing my teeth and the toothbrush goes a little too far back, do I have a tendency to gag?
Your Results
Pupil Size
Pupil size is another indicator of the autonomic nervous system. Small pupils indicate parasympathetic; large pupils indicate sympathetic. Looking at the coloured area of your eye, if your pupils cover less than 25% of that space, they can be considered small. If your pupils cover more than 50% of the coloured area, they can be considered large. If your pupils take up between 25% - 50% of the coloured space, this can be considered normal.
Select one of the 9 pupil sizes below and record results.
Your Results
Questionnaire
<
Conductivity Readings
NOTE: This test is only for those of you that have access to a conductivity meter (not essential). Ideally these readings are taken later in the day/early evening.
Add some urine to a clear plastic cup, hold the cup up to the light and gauge how much debris is floating around in the urine (small bits/particles)
- If you can see clearly through the cup with only a few bits or particles floating around, select LOW.
- If you can see clearly through the cup but notice a higher level of bits or particles floating around in the sample, select MEDIUM.
- If you cannot see clearly through the cup and notice large amounts of particles floating in the sample, select HIGH.
Urine Debris
NOTE:Please carry out this test towards the end of the day at least an hour away from drinking anything.
Add some urine to a clear plastic cup, hold the cup up to the light and gauge how much debris is floating around in the urine (small bits/particles):
- If you can see clearly through the cup with only a few bits or particles floating around, select LOW.
- If you can see clearly through the cup but notice a higher level of bits or particles floating around in the sample, select MEDIUM.
- If you cannot see clearly through the cup and notice large amounts of particles floating in the sample, select HIGH.
c