Preparing for the Physical

Life insurance policies typically require a physical examination (unless the policy is part of your employee benefits plan at work). Insurance companies check blood sugar scores, which help predict the risk of diabetes, and cholesterol levels, which help predict the risk of heart disease. A nurse or healthcare provider will take a blood sample to run these tests – and the results could be affected based on what you did and ate the day before. Why? Blood sugar levels can vary by 30 to 50% depending on recent meals – a result which could increase your premiums dramatically. Avoid high cholesterol and high salt foods for twenty-four hours before the physical. Don't eat a lot of sugar or take in caffeine – focus on drinking water for at least eight to ten hours before the physical. And don't engage in strenuous activity for about twenty-four hours ahead of time – that will help keep your blood pressure down.