3 Month Keto Update - Blood work and health

mindovermunch.com

My keto update is going to take several posts because there is a lot to share. On this one I'll start with my blood work results. 

I need to start with a bit of a disclaimer first. I'm doing lazy keto, meaning I'm not obsessively counting grams and calories. I just can't be bothered. But this goes against strict keto rules and on certain forums I would get yelled at for espousing non-strict keto. I'm lazy keto because I already know and eat wholesome, unprocessed foods, can cook, and I research, research, research. So I have a good knowledge of what to eat to fit the keto ratio of 20g of carb, 65g of protein, and about 100g of fat (numbers vary per individual). I also have a good metabolism that recovers quickly. (More on that later.) This blog is my account of MY keto journey and will definitely not apply to people with health issues, obesity, bad eating habits, and more. Most people DO need to be super strict keto and never cheat and count everything that crosses their lips when they start.

Keto is a WAY OF LIFE versus a diet and is proving to be a highly beneficial eating program used to treat all sort of health issues. In Europe it's being used to treat diabetes and cancer. That is why I am keeping at it. Yes, the loss of 12 pounds and my back fat is definitely a bonus, but the most common comment I get is "what do you need to lose weight for?" I don't NEED to lose weight.

My keeping to this keto thing is because I like the OTHER health results I'm getting from it. I mentioned in my February keto post that I'm sleeping much better, my energy is improved, and my tendonitis, that I've had for years, is gone because keto is anti-inflammatory. Considering my choice was lousy sleep and/or use of a c-pap machine, then eating my way to healthy sleep is certainly a more attractive way to go. 

But in this post, let's talk blood and cholesterol.


Blood test results

One of the biggest fears of people who hear that keto is a high fat diet has to do with cholesterol.  "How can you eat such high fat, lots of dairy and fatty meats, and not be concerned with cholesterol?"

Those lipid panel blood tests we've been getting for the last 40 years...that science is OLD and outdated. Turns out there is NEW science, but most doctors are still unaware of it. In fact, I'm battling (not really) with my Kaiser doctor about it. I'm actually educating HIM!

Last month when I got my test results of 300+ cholesterol, I immediately got an email from my doctor saying it was time to be put on a statin drug. No thanks! I had just read the book Cholesterol Clarity  about the new science and wasn't about to take a bunch of drugs. We've always been told that LDL is the BAD cholesterol and if it's high, we are in trouble. But it turns out that there is actually good and bad LDL and the standard lipid panel does not break those down. Small LDL is the bad one, while large, fluffy LDL is the good one. The only way to find out the breakdown of those numbers is to get an LDL particle test. Unfortunately, Kaiser doesn't even offer it!  I would have to go to an independent lab and pay $100-$150 to get that test done! I'm now advocating for Kaiser to get current with latest cholesterol science!

Last week my results were even higher than February!

http://www.hughcalc.org/chol2013.php

I plugged in my numbers into the NEW calculator (link above) and found out I'm perfectly healthy. This new calculator uses your standard lipid panel numbers and calculates the ration of HDL-LDL-Triglycerides to get an idea of what type of LDL you have. In this shot of my results, the upper section is the old science saying I'm in trouble. The lower half is the new science using ratios and shows I really have nothing to worry about.

Yes, my cholesterol went even higher once I started keto, but my good HDL went up and my ratios look good and healthy.

Other tests (potassium/sodium levels, thyroid/liver/kidney function, etc.) came back as healthy.

In the next part of my keto update, we'll talk about ketone measuring and then we will talk about the awesomeness of fasting.

Recommended resources