My Lab Reports for Today

[Luckysugar]

I would like to share with you my lab report today after my last blood test in 19/10/16. I have been on this forum for 4 months with my initial concerns of my elevated lipid profiles especially LDL (3.9 mmol/L) and slightly increased HbA1C (6.3%). Following many advice in my first post, I decide to follow LCHF diet (4 months) plus intermittent fasting in the last 2.5 months. It is not easy at the beginning, to be honest, especially with giving up so many foods and fruits. I also exercise more regularly than before by walking, jogging, hiking, biking and yoga. Here below is my report on 12/4/17:

HbA1C: 5.7% (was 6.3% in 19/10/16)

Glucose (F): 4.6 (was 5.0)

Lipids:

Total Cholesterol: 7.7 mmol/L (was 7.1)

Triglycerides: 0.6 mmol/L (was 0.9)

HDL-Chol: 2.8 mmol/L (was 2.8)

LDL-Chol: 4.6 mmol/L (was 3.9)

Chol/HDL Ratios: 2.8 (was 2.5)

I am very happy with my improved HbA1C. My LDL-chol has increased a lot as I have been drinking coffee with EVCO every mornings or sometimes Bullet proof coffee as I do not taking breakfast (IF). I also use EVCO and some butter in my cooking and eat a lot of EVOO in my salad dressings. Can you please comment on my lab report, especially the lipids profile whether there are any concerns? Thank you all for your help and advice.

[ramana42 Volunteer]

Your LDL or bad cholesterol is on high side and it has increased.Follow your doctor"s advice.

[Luckysugar in reply to ramana42]

Thanks for your comment ramana42. I've expected the raised LDL due to my LCHF diet in which I asked the doctor whether this would be any concerns. He did say no because I also have good level in HDL and low in TG that would balance off the LDL. Having said this, if I consulted the other doctor who I did my blood test back in October 2016 when I had 3.9 mmol/L LDL and she did prescribe me a low dose of Statin (5 mg) daily to help bringing down the LDL level (sorry, I did not follow her instruction); she would definitely try to convince me again to take the Statin.

Isn't it interesting how doctors are different in their beliefs, knowledge and practice in which would directly or indirectly have an impact on us? I do believe we somehow should first be our own doctor by seeking for information from different sources.

[ramana42 Volunteer]

LDL is also known as lousy cholesterol.It should be a matter of concern if it is high side.

[Luckysugar]

Thanks anup for your advice. I have so far lost a bit of weight about few kilos. I will carry on bringing down my HbA1C with this diet. The past four months trial has shown me that I can survive with 100% grain free (it's hard though) in which my 20% daily CARBS are from mostly non-starch vegetables, coconut chips, nuts, seeds and small amount of legumes e.g. lentils, chickpeas and beans.

Can you please advice how I can lower my TG further? In my diet, there is NO simple sugar, refined CARBS, sweets/desserts, Vegetable oil, pies/pastry. I even give up few blocks of 70% dark chocolate that I used to eat occasionally.

[suramo Star in reply to Luckysugar]

Luckysugar

Reduce legumes chickpeas and beans. Take eggs cheese paneer and grass fed animal meat instead. I think that will reduce your tg levels.

[Luckysugar in reply to suramo]

I do eat grass fed beef, cheese, 2 eggs a day but not paneer. I make home-made hung curd and ghee. I don't understand why eating less chickpeas and beans will lower my TG level. I thought TG mostly come from processed and commercial foods in which I don't eat them. By the way. I only eat 2 tablespoons of legume (1 kind only) with my dish that loads with low GI veggies. This is because I don't eat bread, rice, pasta, potato or any grains. Basically, the small amount of legumes is my source of carbs.

[Luckysugar]

Thanks Concerned for your advice. It's good to hear your comment on my LDL that would potentially be the large and fluffy type. I did not know the relationship between the lowered TG and increased LDL. I definitely have no idea that fats (in my case EVCO) would prolong the stimulant effects of coffee. But would this be beneficial to drink it in the morning in terms of stimulating my brain and body? I am not addictive to coffee (1 - 2 cups per day) and I can stop drinking without any problems.

I only use natural oil in my diet e.g. Extra-virgin olive oil (eat in raw form), Cold-pressed coconut oil, some butter and ghee in cooking. No processed or refined oil.

[Luckysugar]

Concerned; can you clarify your first question?

I even can't give you the exact answer to the other two questions either. But I can tell you that most of my mono-unsaturated fats are from EVOO, sesame oil, tahini paste and some nuts e.g. brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts and peanuts. I do eat occasionally some avocados.

My saturated fats are mostly EVCO, bit of butter and ghee, hard cheese like Gouda, Mozzarella and Cheddar, full cream hung curd, 2 whole eggs for each breakfasts and some animal-proteins (fat trimmed red meats or skinned off chickens; I don't like eating these animal fats). I am not a big meat-eater and I do not eat at all any processed meat. I would say my fat intake would be 50:60 (mono: saturated).

I can't really say how much protein do I take daily. Since I don't eat much meat or fish, I would eat legumes instead like lentils, chickpeas and beans but I eat them in small portion due to their CARBS contents. Since I have been grain-free for 4 months, most my CARBS are from non-starch vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.

This LCHF diet have brought down my HbA1C from 6.3% to 5.7% in which my 100% grain-free is enormously beneficial. Can you please advise me how do I improve my HbA1C further? What your daily CARBS come from?

[suramo Star]

@anup

Aap ne mera dil jit liya. You are absolutely right. Lipid concept is going to be irrelevant. Now the US health authority says only hp(a) particle are important.

Well Luckysugar if you are too much worried

1) get your liver scan done for nafld

2) get hscrp report done.

Continue with what you are taking. No to statins.

Continue lchf.

[Luckysugar in reply to suramo]

Suramo,

Thanks for your advice. I don't think of any more test or scan at the moment. I perhaps try to stop adding coconut oil in my coffee just using it in cooking. Hope this would help to lowering LDL level. What surprise me is that my HDL remains the same in which I thought ECO would help increase HDL. I've also increased taking raw EVO in most of my dishes.

[suramo Star in reply to Luckysugar]

Luckysugar

Instead stop taking legumes as i have done. Kidney beans and very low quantity of chana daal is what i'm taking. Soya also low carb. Vco is good.

Hscrp to know the amount of inflammatory process going on in your body.

As such you have a very good knowledge.

[Luckysugar in reply to suramo]

Thanks for mention that suramo. In fact, I am just a good reader & listener of what I am interested. Thanks to you and other kind members on this forum for their advice and sharing their experiences

BTW, I have soaked some kidney beans and will cook them tomorrow. I think all beans, lentils and chickpeas have same amount of carbs about 60 gr per 100 which is less than wheat, rice or other grains. However, the right (small) portion is key to avoid BSL spikes.

Whatever is hscrp, is out of my interest at the moment. Thanks again for suggesting.

[Luckysugar]

Concerned,

Thank you for your explanation on exercise and recovery time. I thought this recovery apply to intensive exercise like strength or weight training. Is this recovery necessary for moderate exercise such as one hour walking or doing yoga?

You are eating quite well in terms of carbs daily control. I have recently restricted quite a lot of foods/fruits containing carbs especially all kinds of rice, bread, wheat and grains. I haven't eaten yummy banana for months. I do eat a small green apple, small portion of berries, avocado and grapefruits. I try to eat less peanuts. For seeds, I only eat a tablespoon of chia seeds and sesame seeds a day by sprinkling them over my salad. I can tolerate meat fat from beef or lambs. What's about chicken skins, should we also eat them or better discard?

[Luckysugar]

Concerned,

I appreciate your great advice. I have learned a lot from you today

[Hidden]

Congratulations Luckysugar

As mentioned above by many.

Excellent progress in Hba1c

Reg lipids; if loosing weight then ignore lipid

Also in lchf initally lipids gets mobilised and hence the disturbed range. It will settle down

Also the increase is mostly the large fluffy ldl which is actually beneficial. The small dense ldl decreases.

Since TG has reduced its a good sign

All the best

[Luckysugar in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much Shashikantiyengar. There are a lot to learn from you and many others in this forum.

[RajpsChai]

where are you getting EVCO? and please provide us the diet plan

[Luckysugar in reply to RajpsChai]

RajpsChai,

I use certified organic extra virgin coconut oil (raw & cold pressed) in which available from any health food store, Indian grocery or supermarket. Since I am not in India, perhaps anyone here can guide you from where you can buy them there.

Sorry I can't privide you any diet plan because I do not have any eating plan. I am very flexible to my daily eating that comply with lchf rule:

20% carbs

20% proteins

60% fats

If you are interested in lchf diet, please go to anup's profile and spend time reading his old posts. You also can post your own story on diabetes and share with us how have you managed your conditions. There would be some good advice from other members.