Written by Dirk Jan Buter

Health Optimization: Combining Technology and Lifestyle

Health Optimization: Combining Technology and Lifestyle

Written by Dirk Jan Buter on November 16, 2024. Photo by Dirk Jan Buter.

Health is not just a desire, it is a necessity. It is a realization that dawns on us after we have been seriously ill. We often ignore its importance during periods of good health, which paves the way for unhealthy lifestyles and possible long-term illnesses.

Proactively working on my health has been my way of taking control of my life and aiming for a long and healthy future. But the question remains: am I really living healthily? What changes can I make to my lifestyle to improve this?

DNA test

To answer these questions, I first looked at my personal risks. I tried to map my risks with a DNA test. This showed that my most significant risk is developing diabetes. I think it is extra essential for me because I also take medications that pose a specific risk for diabetes. For me, this was a warning sign to take action.

Glucose measurement

For these reasons, I went looking for someone who could help me with this and had my glucose levels measured for two weeks. This way, I could see if I was in the early stages of diabetes and also whether I could improve my lifestyle.

My glucose levels were good, and I was not in the early stages and do not have diabetes, but I can change a lot in my lifestyle to prevent diabetes in the future.

Lifestyle changes

There is a lot to change in my diet. I have to limit my food to 3 meals a day and leave the many snacks alone. I often had a snack an hour after the main meal. I have now learned that this is disastrous for my body. After a meal, the pancreas produces insulin to lower the blood sugar. If I snack during that period, this process starts again, and my blood sugar level rises twice as high. There is a risk of an ever-higher blood sugar level, and the build-up of resistance is also a risk. This high blood sugar level also increases the risk of minor and often invisible inflammations that can also cause all kinds of diseases, such as cancer, in the long term.

I also exercise far too little or hardly at all. I don't know how that works yet, but exercise positively affects blood sugar levels and reduces inflammation.

Healthier future

I have learned a lot to improve my health. For example, I want to do an insulin response test. This test takes an entire morning, measures my insulin production, and can really measure whether I have built up a specific resistance. In addition to this test, I want to seek help to ensure that I exercise for an hour a day and see how to keep this up for the rest of my life. The latter is important because I find it difficult. This new insight through the glucose measurement will give me extra motivation.

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