So, the warts are unlikely to kill me. My lab results reminded me of what may well get me first:
Lipid Profile:
| substance | measurement (units unknown) | normal range | my interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose | 78 | 65-110 | This is good news. I’m showing no sign of or tendency towards diabetes |
| Cholesterol | 174 | 110-199 | I am screwed. Of the items in this category none are on the good side of the normal range, only one is in the middle of the range (triglycerides) and everything else is on the bad end of the “normal” range, except for HDL (“good” cholesterol) which is out of the normal range in the bad direction. My uncle the doc gave me a blood test at one point, said that he usually used the HDL:LDL ratio as a diagnostic tool, and that to most people with results like mine, he’d say “Quit smoking and start exercising.” Bleh! |
| Triglycerides | 102 | 40-149 | |
| HDL | 38 | 41-95 | |
| LDL | 116 | 60-130 |
I don’t smoke, I barely drink, I exercise fairly regularly, and I’m vegan. Not that vegan has any inherent health advantage over vegetarian on this one. And a glass of red wine with dinner is supposed to help with the blood factors. Pity I think wine tastes like ass, and it’s hella expensive.
I think upping the aerobics in frequency (I’ve definitely led that slide this winter) and being more careful about the nutritive content of my meals (more whole foods, fewer processed fats and sugars) should definitely become a priority. One can hardly rail against one’s genetics, though the temptation is certainly there, it does no good, even if it made any sense. I don’t need to watch the caloric content, but I ought to be more careful about the composition of my diet. I’ve gone nuts on processed fatty/sweet things (soygurt smoothies, tofurkey bratwurst, nayonaisse, clif bars, vegan brownies and cookies, etc.) Le sigh.
I don’t care what you eat, processed foods are evil. EVIL.
Very, very true. But so easy, both to find and to prepare. Stupid grad school. =)
The odd thing is that a vegan diet contains no cholesterol…so while processed foods certainly aren’t good for you, they shouldn’t be hurting your cholesterol count…
Intake of dietary cholesterol generally has little effect on serum cholesterol levels.
^5 😉
It’s true that a vegan diet is cholesterol free, but blood cholesterol is dependent more on dietary saturated fat than dietary cholesterol.
But mostly it’s genetics fucking up my cholesterol.
First time I’ve done a fasting blood test…
Since you met me, here’s my last results for comparison:
Glucose: 94 I blame this on the coca cola. There’s no history of diabetes, there’s just a history of me consuming too much sugar.
Cholesterol: 156… a total shocker for me.
Triglycerides: 88
LDL: 98
HDL: 40
I don’t exercise and eat like crap.
So my point is, go ahead and rail your genetics. You can’t change it, but kevetching can help lower your blood pressure. (^_^)
My genetics are telling me to reduce fat intake and eat more grains. Feh. The only carbs I like is pure sugar.
Re: First time I’ve done a fasting blood test…
So don’t eat carbs.
Re: First time I’ve done a fasting blood test…
Well, I’m going to reduce the raw sugar / corn syrup and try to get more grains / fiber. Partly because I love saying that I’m doing things for my “colonrectal” health.
Well its a fuzzy science. The ratio is important but overall isn’t the end of the world. Just like all things in science/medicine – usually one value or variable isn’t the overriding defining factor. Living healthly is.