Are We Looking at the Whole Picture?

One of the things that frustrated me most after my cancer diagnosis had absolutely nothing to do with the cancer itself.

It was the fact that nobody seemed particularly interested in what else was happening in my body.

There were scans. Biopsies. Appointments. Discussions about surgery and treatment.

But not once did my surgeon ask to see my blood results and say, “Okay, what else is going on here?”

And there was quite a bit going on.

My vitamin D was low. My iodine was low. My iron and copper were high. My liver markers were a mess.

Were those things responsible for my cancer? I can't say that, and I don't think anybody honestly can.

But were they relevant to my overall health?

Absolutely.

And that experience completely changed the way I think about vitamins, minerals, nutrition and the importance of looking at the whole person — not just the diagnosis.

Vitamins and minerals aren't just an optional extra

Sometimes we talk about vitamins and minerals as though they're little health bonuses — something you take when you're feeling run down or buy because the bottle promises better hair, skin or energy.

But our bodies actually require micronutrients to perform an extraordinary number of everyday functions.

They are involved in energy production, immune function, thyroid function, bone health, red blood cell production, DNA synthesis and repair, antioxidant defence, nerve function, hormone metabolism and hundreds of enzyme reactions happening inside us every day.

Vitamin D, for example, isn't simply about bones. It also has important roles in normal immune function, muscle function and cell processes.

Iodine is required to make thyroid hormones, which influence metabolism and many other functions throughout the body.

Iron is essential for oxygen transport and energy metabolism — yet more isn't necessarily better. Both deficiency and excess can be a problem.

Zinc, selenium, magnesium, folate, B vitamins, copper and the other micronutrients all have their own jobs, and many of them work together.

That's the part I find fascinating now.

The body isn't a collection of completely separate systems.

It's one enormous, interconnected system.

More isn't always better

This is probably one of the biggest lessons I've learnt.

If something is essential for health, it's very easy to assume that taking more of it must make us healthier.

That's simply not how micronutrients work.

Some nutrients can accumulate. Some compete with each other for absorption. Taking large amounts of one nutrient can contribute to an imbalance in another. And sometimes an abnormal blood result isn't caused by diet at all — it can be a clue that something else needs investigating.

Iron is a perfect example.

We're constantly told about iron deficiency, but excess iron isn't something we should casually supplement our way through either.

Copper and zinc also interact with one another. Calcium can interfere with iron absorption in certain circumstances. Vitamin D status is influenced by numerous factors, and supplementation requirements can vary enormously between people.

This is why I've become a much bigger believer in:

Test, don't guess.

Blood tests can tell us part of the story

Blood tests aren't perfect and they don't measure every aspect of nutritional status, but they can provide useful information.

Depending on your circumstances, a doctor or other qualified practitioner might consider things such as vitamin D, iron studies, B12 and folate, thyroid function, liver and kidney function, glucose markers and other investigations based on your symptoms, diet, medications and medical history.

And if something is abnormal, I think the next question should be:

Why?

Not simply, “Which supplement should I buy?”

Why is it low?

Why is it high?

Am I getting enough from food?

Am I absorbing it properly?

Is something increasing my requirements?

Could a medication or supplement be affecting it?

Could another health issue be contributing?

Those questions have become far more important to me than blindly chasing the highest possible number on a pathology report.

“Let food be thy medicine”

There's a quote I have always loved:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

It's widely attributed to Hippocrates, although interestingly, those exact words don't appear in the surviving Hippocratic texts.

But the principle behind it still resonates deeply with me.

Food isn't a magic cure, and nutrition doesn't replace appropriate medical care. But what we eat every single day supplies the raw materials our bodies use to function — vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fats, fibre and countless other compounds.

And when you really think about that, it's quite incredible.

Our bodies are constantly maintaining, repairing and renewing themselves.

Cells and tissues have different lifespans and rates of renewal, so it's not quite as simple as saying every cell constantly replaces itself. But throughout our lives, our bodies are continually repairing tissues, making new proteins, replacing many cells and carrying out thousands upon thousands of biochemical reactions.

And where do many of the raw materials needed for all of that come from?

What we put into our bodies.

The protein we eat provides amino acids used to build and repair tissues. Essential fats become components of cell membranes and signalling molecules. Vitamins and minerals help enzymes perform the chemical reactions that keep us functioning. Our bodies can't simply manufacture every nutrient they require from nothing — some have to come from our diet.

When you look at food that way, it becomes about so much more than calories.

So when I choose what to eat, I'm no longer just thinking about whether something tastes good or fills me up.

I'm thinking about what I'm giving my body to work with.

That makes food one of the foundations of health.

And perhaps that's another reason my experience frustrated me so much.

I wasn't expecting my surgeon to treat everything with food or supplements. I simply couldn't understand why the nutritional state of the person carrying the disease didn't seem to be part of the conversation.

What my diagnosis changed for me

Before cancer, I'd always been particular about the products I used and had leaned towards natural choices for decades.

But my diagnosis made me look much deeper.

I stopped thinking only about what I was putting on my body or whether something was labelled “natural”, and started wanting to understand what was actually happening inside my body.

My blood work became something I wanted to understand rather than simply being told it was “fine”.

I started asking questions.

What does this marker do?

Where should mine be?

Why has it changed?

Could my diet affect it?

Could my supplements affect it?

What should we recheck?

I don't expect a surgeon to become my nutritionist, naturopath or integrative doctor. Their expertise is surgery, and I'm grateful that specialists exist.

But my experience taught me that I also want somebody looking beyond one organ, one diagnosis or one treatment.

I want to know how I am doing.

Health is bigger than one diagnosis

This isn't an argument that vitamins, minerals or food can prevent or cure every disease. They can't.

And supplements should never be treated as a replacement for appropriate medical investigation or treatment.

It's simply recognition of something much more fundamental:

Our bodies need adequate nutrition to function properly.

Deficiencies matter.

Excesses matter.

Balance matters.

And our individual circumstances matter.

You don't need to become obsessed with every number on a blood test or swallow a cupboard full of supplements.

But I do think there's enormous value in becoming curious about your own body.

Ask to see your results.

Learn what they mean.

Ask why something is outside the reference range.

Talk to someone qualified about whether further investigation is appropriate.

Think about what you're putting into your body and what you're giving it to work with every day.

And remember that “normal” doesn't necessarily mean you should stop asking questions — but equally, an abnormal result doesn't automatically mean something terrible is happening.

For me, the biggest change has simply been becoming an active participant in my own health.

I don't just want somebody looking at one piece of me.

I want someone looking at the whole picture.

And I want to give my body the best raw materials I reasonably can for the body I'm asking to carry me through the rest of my life.

This article shares my personal experience and is for general information only. Nutrient testing and supplementation should be individualised, particularly if you have a medical condition or take medications. Discuss significant deficiencies, abnormal blood results or high-dose supplementation with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.