Day 25 - STATS

I wanted to approach this month in a slightly more scientific way by measuring not only daily weights, but also lab values.  Watching all numbers fall is a powerful motivator, especially those related to cholesterol and blood sugar.  Heart disease continues to be this country's number one killer with cancer running a close second.  According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.1% of all Americans over the age of 60 are diabetic and those are the ones diagnosed - there are many undiagnosed.  Diabetes remains the major contributing factor for stroke and heart disease.  Despite billions of dollars spent on research,  there has been no significant impact on curtailing any one of these diseases. What if the focus were on cause and prevention, rather than treatment of disease?

I sat with a young physician a year ago at the "Food as Medicine" training in Washington, DC who was highly distressed over having had absolutely no nutritional training during her years in medical school and more distressed at that point of how to educate herself, while continuing to care for her patients.  Adding to her even greater distress was how she could possibly have time to inform and educate her patients on how to intelligently feed themselves and their families once she, herself, knew.  Something is backwards here....

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, advocated that food should be our medicine.  How simple is that?  It is so ridiculously simple, it is often too difficult for the "scientific" mind to grasp.  Forget the pills....just head for the broccoli!   The solution is so simple.....changing your lifestyle will automatically change your life!

Rosemary and I have been doing a lot of changing these past 25 days.  The first week was not so easy.  I felt a little apprehensive about thinking of being raw for 30 days.  I wondered how hungry I would be....and truly mourned for my "fix" of my favorite feta omelet and coffee at Kingsley Inn.  Despite my knowledge of raw food and the raw food lifestyle, I clung to the false belief that I could survive on my own terms......like trading out hash browns for fresh pineapple and strawberries, but continuing to consume that delectable mound of feta and eggs, not to mention calorie-dense bagel and butter.  Then Christmas came with another excuse to fill myself with all those comforting old-time favorites...but for what reason and at what cost?

Yes, the first week was a little tough, but we got through it....and we even cheated a couple of times, but nothing major.  This isn't prison, we have to live in the real world...and isn't chocolate a girl's best friend?!  Watching the numbers on the scale fall was a mighty motivator, but seeing lab values fall, an even greater one.  Week two and three....a breeze!

Testing was done on a CardioChek PA analyzer.  Rosemary's results are dramatic.  Although she had recently been following a primarily vegetarian diet for several months before 2011, prior to that, her diet had been heavy with meat and fat.

Rosemary's Lab Results

Jan 16 
Chol 238
HDL 46
LDL 162
Ratio 5.2
Tri 151
FBS 97
BP 102/74 - 81

Jan 20 
Chol 232
HDL 51
LDL 155
Ratio 4.6
Tri 134
FBS 78
BP 99/62 - 71

Jan 24
Chol 203
HDL 47
LDL 126
Ratio 4.4
Tri 154
FBS 93
BP 98/82 - 84

Rosemary's beautiful progressive drop is AMAZING!  Dropping cholesterol levels from 238 to 203 in EIGHT days....Lipitor, eat your heart out!!

My results are not quite so dramatic, but I have been on a primarily vegetarian diet for many years. With my family history of diabetes, I am slightly concerned about my fasting blood sugar, but feel that additional aerobic activity will bring that down as well.  I can't explain the fluctuations in my labwork, but all results are very low and that's what counts.

Sue's Lab Results

Jan 11
Chol 140
HDL 48
LDL 80
Ratio 2.9
Trig 61
FBS 114
BP 117/69

Jan 16
Chol 135
HDL 49
LDL 61
Ratio 2.8
Trig 128
FBS 109
BP 121/72


Jan 24
Chol 144
HDL 42
LDL 85
Ratio 3.5
Trig 86
BP 110/68

Jack LaLanne - 1915-2011

At last, I want to send my thoughts of peace and appreciation for Jack LaLanne, an icon for health and wellness, who left this earth January 23, 2011.  Follow his lead and watch YOUR numbers fall....rest in peace, Jack.

Be Well!

Sue
www.laughteryoga-michigan.com
http://twitter.com/#!/MICancerCoach