Getting your blood work done is the best way to measure how the food you eat affects your body. I get mine done every time I go in for a checkup, so far it's been 3 times J. What's really cool however is that my doctor puts the results online so I can graph the progress. Check if your doctor can do this, it's really cool.
The graph shows my results done in Feb 2005, August, 2009, and January 2010. My results showed good news, and some not so good.
In August, my blood work indicated that my HDL levels were low at 40mg (that is the bottom of the normal range). So I started taking Omega-3 fish oil pills regularly every day. Notice the increase in my HDL when tested again in January. Currently, my HDL is the highest it has ever been (based on known data). The only thing I did different was start taking Omega3's:
The next graph shows my triglyceride levels have been falling steadily. Notice the sharp drop in August, that's when I started balancing my meals (1/3 protein, 2/3 carb, some fat). I was pleased to see that in January they were even lower. I definitely blew it a lot during the holidays, however these levels fluctuate meal by meal, so apparently I was balancing well just before the test. J
The next piece I found a bit surprising. My LDL (bad cholesterol) rose sharply since August. The graph shows that it's even higher than it was back in 2005. I can attest this to the chronic blowing it over the holidays, combined with reduced exercise (I dropped back to doing CrossFit twice a week).
There are LOTS of other measures we can look at that tell us specific things. Here are some specific tests not part of the typical lipid profile you should ask your doctor to order:
- LDL-particle size – Smaller particles can get trapped in the lining of the arteries.
- C-reactive protein – sign of inflammation
- Hb1aC – Measures blood glucose levels, typically measured for diabetics.
- White Blood Cell Count
If you haven't gotten your blood work done lately, definitely check it out! Btw, here's what I ate yesterday:
- Breakfast: 2 Omega 3 Eggs over hard, 1 chicken sausage, ½ cup sweet potato fries, 1 cup sautéed mustard greens, handful of blueberries
- Lunch: Smoked Salmon, Sauteed String Beans, Mixed Veggies
- Snack: 1 can of wild salmon w/mayo, ¼ cup sweet potato fries, 1 cup of organic apple sauce.
- Dinner: 3 oz of cod, 1 cup of string beans.
- Before Bed: Half a pizza hut pizza!! (man I blew it, and it was good.)
Questions? What'd you eat yesterday? Post to comments!
Your LDL might not be a true measure. Most labs don’t actually measure LDL. Instead, they use a formula (The Friedewald Equation) based on Total Cholesterol, HDL, and Triglycerides ([LDL-chol] = [Total chol] – [HDL-chol] – ([TG]/5)). If your Triglycerides go down, your calculated LDL will go up. I would say don’t worry too much about LDL. It is more important to have your triglycerides go down than your calculated LDL. Like you said the particle size is more important than the number. Here is a link that talks about the Friedewald Equation: http://www.cholesterol-tests.com/Lipid_Testing_Inaccuracies.html
Great info Aj! Blood work and clinical indicators are also a great way to measure effects of whatever programming you are doing and ofcourse of your health.
LDL alone can be decieiving. Looking at HDL/LDL ratio is another way to understand this data. Ideally you want to get this ratio about .4, yours appears to be about .45 or so which is great!
Good stuff Aj!
Thanks guys! Daniel, I’ll be sure to ask for the LDL particle size and C reactive protein tests next time I go in.
Luckily it’s spring break right now, and I have all day, every day to myself. I like the way time disappears when I’m writing. I like writing, actually, which is just as well.