I've been pretty open about what I've been trying to accomplish regarding my overall wellness; financial, physical and spiritual. I want to share some results from a health test I've had recently that even shocked me.
Part of my approach to physical health for the past 4 months has been to *almost* completely remove land animals, eggs and dairy from my diet. I would describe my diet as Mediterranean or Pescatarian 95% of the time. Social gatherings and a little beef (when the kids tired of bean tacos) was perfectly acceptable, in my opinion, for me to eat outside my diet.
I used to eat a diet high in eggs, meat and dairy. I'd often eat low carb to manage my weight.
I had my cholesterol checked twice while following a low carb approach, in 2009 and 2011. My weight then, and my weight now, is between 215 and 220.
I want to share the results of those tests compared to my cholesterol results from this past Monday.
2009
Total cholesterol = 216
HDL = 63
LDL = 138
2011
Total cholesterol = 219
HDL = 69
LDL = 139
2018
Total cholesterol = 173
HDL = 58
LDL = 103
I was pretty shocked to see over a 40 point drop in my total, have my HDL stay near the optimal level of 60 and have my LDL reach an optimal level of 100.
I wanted to share this because many people are using statins to manage their cholesterol. I'm not a fan of people using these to manipulate their numbers. They come with a lot of side effects and don't seem too to prevent heart issues when they aren't already present. One side effect seems to be a higher risk of type 2 diabetes...no good.
Like budgeting, eating healthy takes planning, preparation, and diligence. I'm motivated to do even better than I have been. Especially after tonight's run, I would like to be a little lighter as I start adding up the miles.
Happy Thursday.
Part of my approach to physical health for the past 4 months has been to *almost* completely remove land animals, eggs and dairy from my diet. I would describe my diet as Mediterranean or Pescatarian 95% of the time. Social gatherings and a little beef (when the kids tired of bean tacos) was perfectly acceptable, in my opinion, for me to eat outside my diet.
I used to eat a diet high in eggs, meat and dairy. I'd often eat low carb to manage my weight.
I had my cholesterol checked twice while following a low carb approach, in 2009 and 2011. My weight then, and my weight now, is between 215 and 220.
I want to share the results of those tests compared to my cholesterol results from this past Monday.
2009
Total cholesterol = 216
HDL = 63
LDL = 138
2011
Total cholesterol = 219
HDL = 69
LDL = 139
2018
Total cholesterol = 173
HDL = 58
LDL = 103
I was pretty shocked to see over a 40 point drop in my total, have my HDL stay near the optimal level of 60 and have my LDL reach an optimal level of 100.
I wanted to share this because many people are using statins to manage their cholesterol. I'm not a fan of people using these to manipulate their numbers. They come with a lot of side effects and don't seem too to prevent heart issues when they aren't already present. One side effect seems to be a higher risk of type 2 diabetes...no good.
Like budgeting, eating healthy takes planning, preparation, and diligence. I'm motivated to do even better than I have been. Especially after tonight's run, I would like to be a little lighter as I start adding up the miles.
Happy Thursday.
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