Lipid Panel

[mello_collins]

Pre -

LDL / HDL Ratio = 2.1

LDL / HDL Ratio = 1.5

That is an awesome ratio to start and then narrowed it 25% more. With the same activity levels. Damn. That is proof right there.

[DRDUCK]

DDuckDog should be lucky he is alive after he posted the BP #'s. The first ones can be lethal. Good on everybody.

[VaTransplantDuckHunter]

X2

[Tater]

But he's not, and it's because of his diet

[Tater]

"We don't want to put anyone on the diet iteself, we just want to figure out how the diet works so we can replicate it in a drug."

Ahem.....Case closed.

[Glenn]

No but I've got a good lipid panel, exercise, and like salt. And I dont eat paleo but am considering it. Just wondering how it would affect my body. But thanks for your concern.

What you will see and feel is how different your body acts once your insulin levels come back to normal after ditching the grains and sugar. Some people can tolerate more non grain and non sugar based carbs than others. Some need more fat than others. It really is an individual thing that you have to tweak once you get started.

Edisto is one that needs more fat. He plays an endurance sport so he tweaks his fat intake so that he has the energy to compete.

While the premise of no grains and sugar is universal and vital for overall health, YOU need to adjust your carb/protein/fat intake to fit your needs.

I cannot think of one single person who has adopted this lifestyle that has not benefited from it physically, mentally and emotionally. It is almost too easy and is nothing short of a miraculous.

[trkykilr]

Sorry that this has taken me so long to respond. I had a full lipid panel done 32 days after I started Primal. I can tell you that it took me a couple of weeks to Learn to eat like this. Didn't cheat, but made some rookie mistakes. Anyway, after 32 days my total cholesterol was actually up 2 points. Good news is that HDL was up 10 points to 68, so LDL was down 8. Triglycerides were waaay down from 206 to 68. My biggest improvement was on my Apoli particles. Great numbers there. I have another one scheduled for May that should show much more progress on the LDL.
As far as exercise, I have always exercised hard, and continually switched it up to challenge my body. It ain't crossfit, but it ain't a Jane Fonda workout either. My current quest is the 300 in 20 minutes.

[Glenn]

This explains it about as simply as can be expected...

The LDL, of course, is a calculated figure. For those of you who don’t already know, LDL is usually calculated using something called the Freidewald Equation, which looks like this:
LDL = Total cholesterol – (HDL + (Triglycerides/5))
As Dr. Mike Eades explained in one his posts, the Freidewald equation has been shown to over-estimate LDL levels in people whose triglycerides are low. The Freidewald equation also “rewards” you for having higher triglycerides – not something you want — by producing a lower calculated LDL figure. Let’s create a couple of fictional examples to demonstrate:
Patient One
Total Cholesterol: 200
HDL: 45
Triglycerides: 150
Calculated LDL: 125
Patient Two
Total Cholesterol: 200
HDL: 50
Triglycerides: 70
Calculated LDL: 136
The most useful indicator of heart-disease risk you can extrapolate from a lipid panel is the ratio of Triglycerides/HDL. You want that ratio below 2.0, because a ratio below 2.0 is a pretty good indicator that you’re mostly producing large, fluffy LDL. At 3.0 or above, it’s more likely you’re producing small, dense LDL.
Patient One’s ratio is 3.33 — not horrible, but certainly not what I’d consider good, either. Patient Two’s ratio is 1.4 – pretty darned good. Patient Two clearly has a much better cholesterol profile. But because Patient Two’s calculated LDL (which is likely overestimated anyway) is above the supposed magic number of 130, she’s the one who’ll get a lecture from her doctor along with a recommendation to go on a low-fat diet – which will probably reduce her HDL and raise her triglycerides.

And a link to the article by Dr. Eades...

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/w...king-the-myth/

[VaTransplantDuckHunter]

I hear you talk about all the different ratios. I almost never here docs talk about ratios. Is that a goal of crossfit?

[mello_collins]

How can a doc explain ratios to a general populace that can not figure out percentages with out a calculator. Most nurses, I am a nurse, don't even get this deep into lab results. The computer automatically will mark ldl or hdl low/high if it is out side of a given range. Interpreting the results is left to the doc. If you can figure out how to explain numbers, that are derived by equation, to a general population that can't count back change then you are a better person than me.

[duckduckdog]

^ This may be the best post EVER!!!

[Rubberhead*]

I haven't read all the reponses but my family and I have always had high cholesterol. I took provalcol for a while but it barely moved the needle. Then, I had a bout of diverticulitus that put me in the hospital for four days.

Well, to keep from having another flare-up of diverticulitus the Dr. put me on Metamucil. Well, I'll try to not get too gross, but there have been a lot of benefitual side-effects including, for the first time in my adult life my cholesterol has been under 200, I never have the emergency poops after eating a greasy lunch and I almost don't need any "striking" paper. I wish I had started taking it years ago.

[VaTransplantDuckHunter]

Mello- true statement. A good buddy of mine who is fresh out of residency in family practice tried to get his patients exercising when he started out. He even would meet patients before work to help train them. He is a marathon runner. He gave up hope after two months... That is just the ugly truth of it.

Rubber head, pravachol is the weakest statin out there. Once you decide to re challenge your therapy there are much better options out there. Good luck buddy

[Glenn]

I hear you talk about all the different ratios. I almost never here docs talk about ratios. Is that a goal of crossfit?

A goal of CrossFit? I'm trying to wrap my head around that question. Care to quantify that?

My goal, not CrossFit's, is to live my life off of medicine.

I know that doesn't do much for a drug companies bottom line but I really don't care.

When drug companies make their goal getting people healthier (which will never happen) then maybe my attitude will change.

I've never heard of a doc receiving swag/trips from a drug company for pushing LESS of a drug and getting patients to live a drug free life.

[LowcountryBuck]

A goal of CrossFit? I'm trying to wrap my head around that question. Care to quantify that?

My goal, not CrossFit's, is to live my life off of medicine.

I know that doesn't do much for a drug companies bottom line but I really don't care.

When drug companies make their goal getting people healthier (which will never happen) then maybe my attitude will change.

I've never heard of a doc receiving swag/trips from a drug company for pushing LESS of a drug and getting patients to live a drug free life.

Crossfit or any other workout regime should be based on having a healthy lifestyle and all that goes with it. If the only motivation is to live a drug free lifestyle I'm not sure crossfit would be for me.

My understanding is you started because you wanted to be fit, in shape, hang out with cool people, and get lots and lots of strange snatch?

Seriously though, when you have a headache, do you not take advil? If you get a cold or sinus problems do you not take OTC meds or even an antibiotic if you get really ill? Do you get a flu shot each year?

I know better than most the games pharmaceuticals play, but to bash them totally without acknowledging the benefits is a bit irresponsible. Sure they are equally irresponsible rushing some drugs to market and also feeding the habits that you speak of to keep docs pushing their wares.

However, there is not a debate in my mind that the production of new drugs and the research to find cures for maladies that exist today is extremely beneficial and the positives outweigh the negatives.

BTW, because of my family history, my internist told me I could eat twigs, berries, and drink water, exercise as much as I wanted and my cholesterol would maybe come down 20 points. My problem is not weight or diet unfortunately, it's hereditary.

My total was 274 when I got checked and two months after Pravachol it was 190. BTW, taking a pill doesn't mean I eat what I want and don't exercise. I eat well, stay away from processed foods, and try to exercise regularly, but that's me.

[Glenn]

Seriously though, when you have a headache, do you not take advil? If you get a cold or sinus problems do you not take OTC meds or even an antibiotic if you get really ill? Do you get a flu shot each year?

I know better than most the games pharmaceuticals play, but to bash them totally without acknowledging the benefits is a bit irresponsible. Sure they are equally irresponsible rushing some drugs to market and also feeding the habits that you speak of to keep docs pushing their wares.

However, there is not a debate in my mind that the production of new drugs and the research to find cures for maladies that exist today is extremely beneficial and the positives outweigh the negatives.

BTW, because of my family history, my internist told me I could eat twigs, berries, and drink water, exercise as much as I wanted and my cholesterol would maybe come down 20 points. My problem is not weight or diet unfortunately, it's hereditary.

My total was 274 when I got checked and two months after Pravachol it was 190. BTW, taking a pill doesn't mean I eat what I want and don't exercise. I eat well, stay away from processed foods, and try to exercise regularly, but that's me.

Since going paleo I don't get headaches. I sleep like a baby. Don't get "allergies" or sinus problems and I don't get flu shots. I let my immune system work the way God designed it.

You are misreading what I'm saying or maybe I'm saying it wrong. I don't discount the benefits of medicine. On the contrary. I use meds everyday in my job and if needed I will take what I have to. However I want you to show me where any of these long term maint meds, including PPIs for heartburn and statins, have cured anything? Show me where the goals of pharmacutical research and conventional medical wisdom is to get people off of medication? THAT is irresponsible.

People are individuals and even paleo, in the form that I live it, will not work for everyone. I posted an article about that a few weeks ago. But to shove a statin in someone's face and say take this cause there aint shit else you can do about it is tragic. But the real tragedy is that we are a immediate gratification society and want results without work. Diet and exercise are work. Taking pills and $20 co-pays isn't. Because of the attitude of most people, pharma is safe regardless of how effective a life style change is.

And CrossFit is one fitness methedology. Not the only one. Do what works for you.

[duckduckdog]

Well said.

[LowcountryBuck]

Since going paleo I don't get headaches. I sleep like a baby. Don't get "allergies" or sinus problems and I don't get flu shots. I let my immune system work the way God designed it.

You are misreading what I'm saying or maybe I'm saying it wrong. I don't discount the benefits of medicine. On the contrary. I use meds everyday in my job and if needed I will take what I have to. However I want you to show me where any of these long term maint meds, including PPIs for heartburn and statins, have cured anything? Show me where the goals of pharmacutical research and conventional medical wisdom is to get people off of medication? THAT is irresponsible.

People are individuals and even paleo, in the form that I live it, will not work for everyone. I posted an article about that a few weeks ago. But to shove a statin in someone's face and say take this cause there aint shit else you can do about it is tragic. But the real tragedy is that we are a immediate gratification society and want results without work. Diet and exercise are work. Taking pills and $20 co-pays isn't. Because of the attitude of most people, pharma is safe regardless of how effective a life style change is.

And CrossFit is one fitness methedology. Not the only one. Do what works for you.

good response. The one area I take issue with is the "I let my immune system work the way God itended."

Immunizations are a benefit to society. If you get bit by a rabid dog in your line of work are you gonna let your immune system do the work or take those damn rabies shots?

There is a reason our life expectancy has increased since the paleo days from 40 yrs to 75yrs. It is not totally because of air conditioning and running water, you know.

[Tater]

You're right, it's because of decreased infant mortality. If you want to live to 90 with the aid of medicines and spend the last 30-40 of those years bowing out of invites or opportunities because you are not functional enough to carry out said endeavor then go right ahead. Me? I plan to be fully functional until the day I drop dead.

[Tater]

And...."My cholesterol is hereditary" is a copout just like the rabies thing you threw out there. You're looking for reasons to justify NOT giving it a try. If I were in your shoes I couldn't give it try fast enough.