206 replies to this topic

[wayside]

I just did my lipid profile and flucose on the Cholestech LDX (unit = mmol/L)

Total Cholesterol: 4.2
HDL: 1.21
Triglycerides: 0.68
LDL: 2.68
non-HDL = 2.99
TC/HDL = 3.5

fasting Glucose: 3.88

10 year cardiovascular risk = 1%

What's the conversion factor to put this in units an American is familiar with?

[FunkOdyssey]

Now you're making us look lazy again -- go look it up yourself! I'll have zoolander reply to your blood test results asking you to translate everything into Australian units of measurement.

[wayside]

Now you're making us look lazy again -- go look it up yourself! I'll have zoolander reply to your blood test results asking you to translate everything into Australian units of measurement.

Ok, ok.

Total Cholesterol: 4.2
HDL: 1.21
Triglycerides: 0.68
LDL: 2.68
non-HDL = 2.99
TC/HDL = 3.5

fasting Glucose: 3.88

Conversion factor for cholesterol is 38.67, for triglcerides 88.57 for glucose 18:

Total cholesterol: 162
HDL: 47
Triglycerides: 60
LDL: 103
non-HDL: 115
TC/HDL: 3.4

glucose: 70

Looks pretty good - HDL could be higher, triglycerides are great.

Glucose seems low, IIRC 70 is right on the line between normal and hypoglycemia.

[FunkOdyssey]

Ok, ok.

Total Cholesterol: 4.2
HDL: 1.21
Triglycerides: 0.68
LDL: 2.68
non-HDL = 2.99
TC/HDL = 3.5

fasting Glucose: 3.88

Conversion factor for cholesterol is 38.67, for triglcerides 88.57 for glucose 18:

Total cholesterol: 162
HDL: 47
Triglycerides: 60
LDL: 103
non-HDL: 115
TC/HDL: 3.4

glucose: 70

Looks pretty good - HDL could be higher, triglycerides are great.

Glucose seems low, IIRC 70 is right on the line between normal and hypoglycemia.

Thanks for the legwork wayside. Stay tuned on the HDL now that he's eating coconut oil.

[zoolander]

Stay tuned on the HDL now that he's eating coconut oil.

Yes that is why I took the measurements. I'll take some more measurements in a months or two following consistent twice weekly IF and 30-50g EVCOO per day. I'm thinking about getting on the Niacin again

[zoolander]

Googling around turns up the info that the male skeleton on average is about 15% of your body weight, which in your case would be 11 kg. If you are really lean that percentage is probably even higher. For this scale to say your bone mass is only 4.6% is almost certainly wrong.

can you provide a link for this?

I measured myself on a DEXA which I used for my studies and everything was ok. The average bone mineral mass for someone my weight is 7.3lb (3.3kg). My fat % has always been low and below 10%. I'm fairly lean.

[zoolander]

If you knew me personally wayside you wouldn't find those figures hard to believe.

First, there's more to (my) life than being really really really ridiculously good looking.

Second, my diet and health has always been very good. I was vegetarian from the age of about 16 or 17 years however I started eating meat again about a year or 2 ago. Apart from very busy times in my life I have always done some form of training as well. My goal with the testing I do is to stay where I currently am for the rest of my life. I make small changes in diet, supplementation and others to correct any changes in blood biochemistry but overall, I'll be doing my best to keep it at where it is for as long as possible.

[Dmitri]

Now you're making us look lazy again -- go look it up yourself! I'll have zoolander reply to your blood test results asking you to translate everything into Australian units of measurement.

Ok, ok.

Total Cholesterol: 4.2
HDL: 1.21
Triglycerides: 0.68
LDL: 2.68
non-HDL = 2.99
TC/HDL = 3.5

fasting Glucose: 3.88

Conversion factor for cholesterol is 38.67, for triglcerides 88.57 for glucose 18:

Total cholesterol: 162
HDL: 47
Triglycerides: 60
LDL: 103
non-HDL: 115
TC/HDL: 3.4

glucose: 70

Looks pretty good - HDL could be higher, triglycerides are great.

Glucose seems low, IIRC 70 is right on the line between normal and hypoglycemia.

I agree with wayside your glucose level seems low; almost borderline. The HDL is also low, here in the U.S. a score higher than 60 is considered great since it reduces the risk of CVD and stroke, though I read you added coconut oil to your regimen; we'll have to see how well it goes.

[zoolander]

last year when I was taking Magnesium and Niacin my HDL levels went up to 1.6 mmol/l (~62). Re. my blood glucose, I do not have any problems with the current value. My energy levels are through the roof.

[wayside]

can you provide a link for this?

Here's a typical one, not very scientific I admit:
Information About Healthy Weight

In a man of average weight, the approximate percentages are 15 percent fat, 45 percent muscle, 15 percent skeleton.

Wikipedia:

In an adult, the skeleton comprises around 13% of the total body weight [1],

One site said 15% for men, 12% for women, which would average to around 13%. There are lots of others with similar numbers.

But the wiki page goes on to say

and half of this weight is water.

So maybe the difference is your scale is only counting the mineral content of the skeleton, not including the water (although I found an old paper which said the ash weight of bones averaged around 65%). In that case I would expect your scale to show 6-7kg for bone mass.

The wiki page cites this paper as a reference, but I don't have access: http://www.jstor.org/pss/1443520

[wayside]

If you knew me personally wayside you wouldn't find those figures hard to believe.

Those types of scales are pretty inaccurate. Have you had a caliper test done to determine body fat? Those are much more accurate if the person knows what they are doing.

First, there's more to (my) life than being really really really ridiculously good looking.

Right. Does an overinflated ego go in the muscle mass category, or the fat category?

[zoolander]

what's so hard to believe? That I'm a lean healthy person?

Come on wayside do you seriously expect me to believe that skin folds are more accurate that bioimpedance (BI)? For home measurements of body fat BI is the most accurate that you are going to get. Importantly it is a hell of a lot easier. With skin folds you need a second person to do the measurements. BI, is second to the gold standards which is the DEXA. I have had myself scanned on a DEXA many times because I'm a licensed operator and used it with my aged subjects.

I just looked at a DEXA scan I did in 2003 when I was a student:
Weight: 74kg
Bone Mineral Content (BMC): 2589 grams
Fat: 7862.2 grams
Lean: 63373.5 grams
Lean/BMC: 65969.2
Total: 73825.4
Fat%: 10.6%

Wayside, you're a tad on the wayside with your claims

[bgwithadd]

Neither method is probably all that accurate. I guess the bigger question is why you really care what the exact number is.

Looks also have little to do with fat percentage and fat percentage is not really a measure of health or fitness except in the very broadest sense. Can you not tell if you're fat just by looking in the mirror?

[zoolander]

directed at me bgwithadd?

I've never been fussed over my looks and any chatter about my looks in an egotistical manner is done strictly in the character of Zoolander and not me.

My values represents a healthy state for a 37 year old.

[wayside]

what's so hard to believe? That I'm a lean healthy person?

No, I totally believe you are a lean healthy person. And you know 50x as much about this stuff as I do.

I'm just trying to reconcile your bone mineral content number with what I've (perhaps incorrectly) learned about what the average person's skeleton weighs. Maybe the two aren't really comparable.

As for whether BI is more accurate than calipers - again, from what I have learned, calipers, in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing, is more accurate. So many things can effect BI - your hydration level, fasting state, activity level, dryness of your skin, etc. I have a handheld BI thingy (technical term), and the fat % it reports can vary significantly depending on whether I hold my arms straight out or down. So I think BI can provide a ballpark, but reporting accuracy to fractions of a percent is ridiculous.

> I have had myself scanned on a DEXA many times

Aren't you concerned about the radiation?

[JLL]

Those handheld devices are worthless. I once got a body fat reading of almost 25% (even though it's less than 8%). I was looking at myself and thinking "damn, where is all that fat hiding?"

[wayside]

Those handheld devices are worthless. I once got a body fat reading of almost 25% (even though it's less than 8%). I was looking at myself and thinking "damn, where is all that fat hiding?"

Mine lets you set your weight, height, gender, and ethnicity. Apparently the formulas vary based on those factors.

I agree though, I don't think it is all that accurate.

[zoolander]

I never scanned myself more than 2 times per year on the DEXA

[zoolander]

updated my morning and afternoon shakes. I've been meaning to change this for sometime. I've been consuming them for about 2-3 weeks now

[zoolander]

About 3 weeks ago I started the paleo diet with intermittent fasting 2 days per week (Wednesdays and Saturdays). I dramatically increased my fat intake in the form of EVCO (or MCT) and nuts.

At the beginning of this I tested my Lipids and Glucose using the Cholestech LDX system we have in our office. My initial readings are posted above but for the side by side comparison I will post my initial results again here beside my results today.

Jan 14, 2009 Fasting values
Total Cholesterol: 4.2
HDL: 1.21
Triglycerides: 0.68
LDL: 2.68
non-HDL = 2.99
TC/HDL = 3.5
Glucose: 3.88

Feb 4, 2009 fasting values (units mmol/L)
Total Cholesterol: 3.85 (~10% decrease)
HDL: 1.41 (~15% increase)
Triglycerides: <0.51 (minimum 15% decrease)
LDL: N/A
non-HDL = 2.44
TC/HDL = 2.7 (~25% decrease)
Glucose: 3.51 (10% decrease)
10 year Cardiovascular risk=<1%

NOTE: My blood Triglyceride (TG) levels today were below measurable amounts and assumed at <0.51 mmol/L. Unfortunately when the TG levels are below measurable the LDL cannot be measured and gives a reading of N/A.

I'm happy with these results. I have felt great on this diet and with the fasting. My mind is clear and I've got a lot of energy. I'm please with the raised HDL level and the lower glucose.

Edited by zoolander, 04 February 2009 - 03:42 AM.

[DukeNukem]

Nice improvement. I had my stats measured last month, with these results, FYI:

total - 223 (most doctors would mistakenly think I'm too high, and at risk)
HDL - 89 (in the top 1-2%)
LP(a) - 3 (rock bottom low -- the most important cholesterol factor related to heart disease events)
Tri - 47 (perfect)
CRP - .02 (rock bottom low - perfect)
fasting insulin - 2 (very rare to see any lower)

Note that total cholesterol and LDL are basically worthless, meaningless values. The only reason the medical professions hangs onto total cholesterol is because it's a $20 billion / year business they do not want to lose.

[SandJ]

DukeNukem -I'm interested in your cholesterol take. I don't want to hijack this great thread but would appreciate a cholesterol discussion - perhaps on another thread?
I'm about to go in for a fasting test as my latest test came back at around 10 mmol/l (386.6976 mg/dl). I've always had high cholesterol and my brother's is around 12 mmol/l. 10 is pretty high for me, and over the last 10 years it's been getting higher (from around 6 mmol/l).

Here are my last stats, 2 years ago:

Total 9.3 mmol/l = 359.62877 mg/dl
Triglycerides 0.55 mmol/l = 48.71568 mg/dl
HDL 1.67 mmol/l = 64.5785 mg/dl
LDL 7.38 mmol/l = 285.38283 mg/dl

I think this says my triglycerides and HDL are reasonable, yes?

I have done a ton of research and I don't want to take statins or red rice yeast. As you can imagine doctors almost have a heart attack themselves when they see my total numbers. I've had on ongoing health issue for 12 years - CFS/CFIDS possibly Rickettsia (similar to chronic lyme disease). My DHEA has been astronomically low since I've been ill, and I believe there is a possible correlation here. I'm now taking niacin but that only seems to work as long as I take it. Also artichoke extract. Trying to increase activity level, not so easy as this often makes me sick.

I live in Ireland where there is no interest in high level testing, just prescribing drugs, and I don't have money to go private. So any input very welcome.

[woly]

Hey Zoo, Ive been trying GVT lately and i was wondering how long it takes you to finish a workout?

Also SandJ, imo your total cholesterol to hdl ratio is a more potent risk factor than just hdl in isolation.

[nagarjuna]

Check out this site:
http://www.vincegiul...name/index.html

Has entire supplement regime.

[pycnogenol]

Check out this site:
http://www.vincegiul...name/index.html

Has entire supplement regime.

Vince is a member here and besides his regimen is mere kids stuff compared to Paul Wakfer:

http://morelife.org/...is-regimen.html

Edited by pycnogenol, 14 February 2010 - 11:29 PM.

[jwilcox25]

Was looking over your regimen (very nicely detailed btw!), and I was wondering if there was a specific reason you use Biotene PBF for mouthwash but just regular Biotene for toothpaste. Also, do you use the kind with calcium? I am thinking of adding Biotene products to my daily toothcare regimen, in addition to MI Paste once a week or so.

[aldebaran]

What's been discredited is the idea that limited unprotected sun exposure isn't an optimal form of vitamin D supplementation.

Oh, really? Someone apparently failed to inform the Mayo Clinic about this. They write,

[T]he sunshine approach doesn't work for everyone. With age, the body is less efficient at processing vitamin D. Other barriers are darker skin and living in northern climates. Using sunscreen — still recommended to prevent skin cancer — also reduces absorption of ultraviolet B rays.

I'll continue supplementing, thank you very much.