Blood Work

As I posted back in January, I had some blood work taken at my doctor's insistence. The results were not good. In fact, they were plain horrible. So horrible, that he called me at home within 48 hours of having the tests done.

My Blood Glucose was 130 mg/dl. “Normal” values 70-110mg/dl. Anything above 125, is considered Diabetic. My doctor stated that at this point I was essentially a Type 2 diabetic, and that if my next test was above 125, then he would have to diagnose me as being diabetic.

HDL was 35 mg/dl. This is your “good” Cholesterol. Normal is 30-80. Higher is better.

LDL was 152 mg/dl. This is “BAD” cholesterol. Normal is 50-130. Lower is better. So mine was way BAD.

My Triglycerides were 284 mg/dl. Normal is 30-150. This is a measure of your blood fats and an indicator of your insulin resistance. You want this number to be LOW. Mine, almost twice the high limit, again, VERY, VERY BAD

These bad numbers did help me focus on really being strict on my Paleo Diet. For me, it was my last chance to try and reverse these bad numbers, or face having to go on to a number of daily medicines that I really wanted no part of. My doctor is also a very conservative Seventh Day Adventist, who counseled me about becoming a vegetarian and avoiding meats. When I explained to him that I was 1 week into the Paleo Diet, he told me to read the China Study, (vegetarian)and that was the only diet he recommended.

So, having put off the second set of tests until I could really feel and see all of the positive changes that were happening due to following the Paleo Diet, I went in 2 weeks ago and had the follow up tests done. I kept waiting for the call from the doctor. I was expecting good news, but you never know. Finally, after not hearing anything, I called my mother last week, (who works for my doctor), and asked her if she could check on it for me. She told me that the Dr. would call me as soon as he got the tests back, as that is what he always did. So on Tuesday this week, I went by to see my mother and remembered to ask her again. So she pulled my file, and found all of my tests. She was very surprised that the Dr. had not called me. I suspect it is because he had no way to explain the results. He actually told my mother that I was jeopardizing my health by being on the Paleo Diet, (due to my high cholesterol). So when he saw the new numbers, I think he decided to avoid calling me, since he did not want to hear me gloat about the benefits of living on a Paleo Diet.

So, 80 days after my first tests, here were the changes:

Blood Glucose-115 mg/dl. Still higher than normal, but down 15 points from last time, and most importantly, NOT in the Diabetic Range.

HDL-40 mg/dl. Up 5 points! A good start.

LDL-104mg/dl. Down 48 points!! That is a 32% drop, and HUGE. So anyone who says eating "meats" increases your cholesterol, needs to rethink their biases.

Triglycerides-95 mg/dl. Down almost 200 points!!!! That is over a 66% drop.

So in 80 days, ALL of my blood tests substantially improved. The only difference between the two tests, was my continued paleo diet. I had already been working out twice a week for months and had already lost 31 lbs from my highest weight when I had the first set of tests taken. Exercising and losing weight alone were not enough to fix my body's bad chemistry. I needed to change my diet, and that was the only change in my lifestyle that happened between the two tests. The Medical Tests prove that my body is substantially healthier due to the change in diet.

Having already discovered how much better I feel, and now seeing this scientific evidence confirming my body's improved health; I have to concede that I am wholly convinced that the Paleo Diet is the way to go for me.

Now all you need to figure out is if it is the right choice for you.

Good luck and good health.
Dave