It is sometimes useful to do a baseline assessment to get an idea of where our nutrients are imbalanced, and to understand our toxic load. Assessments are useful, but have some limitations. An assessment can only tell you about your status at a specific point in time. It also measures quantities in specific body parts. Blood tests can tell you about the substances in your blood, but not in your cells. Hair analysis can tell you about substances that are in your hair, but this does not necessarily correlate with substances in your cells. It is probably good to do a variety of tests to get a whole picture. I enjoy the Oligoscan, as it measures Vitamins, Minerals and Toxins at a given point, inside the cells. It does not require a blood draw, is painless, and provides immediate results. These results can guide you around your detox and supplementation process and can be used by your medical practitioner or naturopath to guide any treatment protocols you may be following.