The owners of Farmers Natural Foods in Hinesville believe that good health starts in the blood.
Hinesville’s organic health-food store held nutritional blood analysis clinics Feb. 8-9 for customers who seek alternatives to traditional medicine and want to maximize their wellness. Twenty-four customers signed up for 30-minute slots, during which they were given some insight about what is occurring in their bodies.
Three or four times per year, the store brings in Ryan Cronin, a certified health consultant from NBA Research Group in Florida, who conducts live cell microscopy, otherwise known as nutritional blood analysis. He said undergoing the analysis every three months allows customers to make changes to improve their health. It also gives the body an opportunity to produce new blood, which lets Cronin see the effect those changes have on a person.
The analysis is done by taking a drop of blood from the finger and examining it under a high-powered microscope. The images then are projected on a monitor so the customer can see for him or herself.
“Live cell microscopy is not intended to detect or treat disease, but rather to look for signs in the blood that point to known causes of disease, look for deficiencies in the blood, as well as looking for things such as fat,” Cronin said.
Since he is not a medical doctor, Cronin said he is not allowed to diagnose illness or give medical advice to customers; he merely provides them with a nutritional health consultation.
“I look at the blood for a qualitative standpoint rather than a quantitative one,” he said.
The consultant explained that a doctor’s traditional blood analysis only checks for numbers that fall within a certain range to determine whether an imbalance or abnormality exists. Nutritional blood analysis looks at live blood cells, and the size and shape of the individual cells give clues about what is occurring in the body, he said.
When analyzing a blood sample, Cronin said he quickly can detect vitamin deficiencies — such as a lack of B12 or folic acid — and the presence of toxins, fat in the bloodstream, free radical damage and pathogens.
Cronin said doctors who are moving quickly from patient to patient tend to look strictly for deficiencies and are quick to treat symptoms with pharmaceuticals, which many of his customers want to steer clear of. Cronin enjoys taking the time to talk with people about their health; however, he stressed that the analysis is not intended to replace the advice of or treatment by a medical doctor.
Repeat customers like Janet Rodriguez of Hinesville feel that blood analysis is an important addition to a health regimen. She has been attending the clinics at Farmer’s Natural Foods since 2006 and said she looks forward to them so she can see where she’s good and where she needs to improve.
“The blood tells you a lot about what’s going on in the body,” she said.
Rodriguez said she switched to a vegetarian, gluten-free diet during the past two years, and blood analysis is important to make sure she is getting enough vitamins and minerals in her diet.
“If I am low in certain areas, Ryan can tell me and I then I know I need to adjust my diet accordingly,” she said.
Rodriguez sought alternative health and wellness resources about six years ago when she felt she wasn’t getting what she needed from traditional medicine.
“All the doctors want to do is push the next big pill on you,” she said. “The side effects are often worse than what they originally prescribed the medicine for.”
She added that she opts for nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies over pharmaceuticals because she feels it gives her more control over her own health.
Rodriguez has lost a significant amount of weight through her healthier lifestyle and said that her blood analysis usually comes out fairly positive, although she still struggles with digestive issues.
“When your digestive system isn’t functioning properly, you don’t assimilate food properly,” she said. She recently tried a nutritional cleanse and added a “green drink” to her diet to help eliminate toxins which, she hopes will boost digestion.
Farmer’s offers the nutritional blood analysis clinics about every three months. Cronin may return in May, although a specific date has not yet been set. Once the next clinic is scheduled, it will be advertised in the store and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/farmers.naturalfoods.
For more information about upcoming nutritional blood analysis clinics, call Farmer’s at 912-368-7803.