Dr (LTC) Robert Oh's Blog and My Own Personal Progress
For anyone who has been following my experiment with trying to go 100% natural with my food, I'll give you my best and most concise health update. Before I go there however I had the privilege of speaking on the phone this past week with two experts working at The Office of the Surgeon General for the US Army. This is a blog post from LTC Robert Oh on the subject of the ADA guidelines. The difference I've made with my diet is a decreased emphasis on grains in general because I'm not convinced that these are necessary for good health. This excerpt is somewhat compelling for those with blood sugar control (and I would argue this is how we should eat to avoid blood sugar problems in the first place).
“A Mediterranean-style eating pattern, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, may benefit glycemic control and CVD risk factors and can therefore be recommended as an effective alternative to a lower-fat, higher-carbohydrate eating pattern.”
"The ADA understands that carbs are important to understand and is the main way to control glycemic response and that good fats such as found in fatty fish are important to ingest. De-emphasizing the recommendation of whole grains were a subtle but noticeable change from 2014."
Further excellent blog post from LTC Robert Oh that will discuss the Paleo-type diet approach. That said, Dr. Oh's personal opinion is that grains are okay in moderation for most people. I can't disagree, I am only experimenting without them to see how my body feels best. I recommend self-experimentation as the only way to know for sure how you will react. And now on to how I have reacted to changing my nutritional strategy...
Week 1-2:
I felt physically but not mentally tired. Within a day or two I felt my mood stabilize. I don't suffer from anxiety or depression exactly, but I found it was vastly easier for my typical happy-go-lucky mentality to not only show itself around others but at most times when no one was around. I could get through my work day fine on my energy levels but if I tried to exercise it was a sad and poorly conducted endeavor. All of these changes were expected based on my prior research so I wasn't too worried about my decreased ability to exercise. I was confident it would come back. Lastly, I got a little constipated the first few days but adding some magnesium to my diet cleared things up quickly.
Week 3-4 (this is where I am now)
Physical energy has continued to increase and I have been able to return to previous levels of exercise again. My physical energy throughout the day is also steady (the only exception is if I do not get enough sleep, I have found 8 hours is very ideal for me). The mood stabilization continues and I have found it much easier to deal with my daily stresses, it is easier for me to meditate briefly or take a deep breath and get right back on track. My mental focus has dramatically improved at work. Bowels are moving normally on their own too.
Warning if you're a dude you may want to skip this paragraph. Women notice many monthly cyclic changes (unless on birth control, then it's a little different), so I wanted to address this as well. Previously as I've gotten into my late-20's I've had more and more discomfort associated with my monthly cycle. Most notable, serious acne breakouts and a significant amount of bloating and cramping. I know many other women have symptoms much more severe (my symptoms never stopped me from doing anything), but let's just say I always knew what was coming and it wasn't fun. I am still early in this transition so it will be interesting in the subsequent months to see how things change. That said, this monthly round I had a huge decrease in the severity of my acne breakout and I had nearly no abdominal symptoms (or fluid retention) leading up to my period.
Now mentioning the acne and skin health
I have ceased using over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide or other harsh chemicals on my face. I even stopped my super-fancy (and expensive) Aveeno facial creme. I now use only coconut oil...all over my skin to include my face. Coconut oil has anti-microbial properties and is absorbed very well by your skin. I don't have the scientific literature in front of me, but some people say that skin cells can actually absorb the fat of the coconut oil and provide energy to the cell (improves healing). Let's just say my skin is progressively getting smoother and clearer. I also began using it in place of deodorant (don't knock it until you try it) and I have been extremely happy with the results. Some people say that the aluminum in our deodorant (as well as many other sources) can build up to toxic levels in the body (aluminum is toxic to the brain). I don't want to smell badly, so I wouldn't be using coconut oil if it didn't work. Finally, I've started oil pulling as well for my oral health (again, coconut oil is anti-microbial). Oil pulling basically consists of me sloshing coconut oil in my mouth for 5-10min, twice a day.
That said, the only way to know how your skin will react is to try it yourself. I've heard that some people will have a temporary increased breakout of acne in the first week before it begins to get better while others will get a steady improvement right away. Personally it took me a couple weeks to see clearer skin.
Now on to my recent lab tests
I've never had my cholesterol tested before...so what I really wished I'd have done is get labs prior to embarking on this nutrition strategy. I don't know what my lab values were before.
Thyroid hormones and FSH were normal.
CBC, RBC, iron values were normal.
Vitamin D is still pending (test takes much longer to come back)
Total cholesterol was >200
HDL (good cholesterol) was 119 (average is 40-60) - this is considered highly heart-protective
Triglycerides were 57 (<150 is considered average)
VLDL was 11 (<30 is considered average)
Metabolic panel was suggestive of mild nutritional ketosis (which is considered a healthy state of metabolic flexibility by many researchers - BUT OF COURSE NOT ALL - DEBATE CONTINUES)
A great deal of research relates cholesterol ratios to risk of heart disease as opposed to simply measuring your total cholesterol. The body is pretty complicated but the bottom line is research is beginning to show that not even all LDL particles are bad. Having low HDL, high triglycerides, or high numbers of very small LDL particles in the blood are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. So while I have a higher total cholesterol than what is recommended (old rules), I have a lipid-ratio of 2. According to the American Heart Association, I am currently at half the average risk for developing heart/vascular disease due to this ratio. Bottom line, looking at your total cholesterol is not particularly helpful, you need to see the bigger picture. Having super low cholesterol isn't ideal either, especially if you have minimal HDL. Your body needs cholesterol for brain and cell health and to create hormones for the body.
From the mayo clinic
You can calculate your cholesterol ratio by dividing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol into your total cholesterol. For example, if your total cholesterol is 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (5.2 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L) and your HDL cholesterol is 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L), your cholesterol ratio is 4-to-1. According to the American Heart Association, the goal is to keep your cholesterol ratio 5-to-1 or lower. An optimum ratio is 3.5-to-1. A higher ratio indicates a higher risk of heart disease; a lower ratio indicates a lower risk.
“A Mediterranean-style eating pattern, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, may benefit glycemic control and CVD risk factors and can therefore be recommended as an effective alternative to a lower-fat, higher-carbohydrate eating pattern.”
"The ADA understands that carbs are important to understand and is the main way to control glycemic response and that good fats such as found in fatty fish are important to ingest. De-emphasizing the recommendation of whole grains were a subtle but noticeable change from 2014."
Further excellent blog post from LTC Robert Oh that will discuss the Paleo-type diet approach. That said, Dr. Oh's personal opinion is that grains are okay in moderation for most people. I can't disagree, I am only experimenting without them to see how my body feels best. I recommend self-experimentation as the only way to know for sure how you will react. And now on to how I have reacted to changing my nutritional strategy...
Week 1-2:
I felt physically but not mentally tired. Within a day or two I felt my mood stabilize. I don't suffer from anxiety or depression exactly, but I found it was vastly easier for my typical happy-go-lucky mentality to not only show itself around others but at most times when no one was around. I could get through my work day fine on my energy levels but if I tried to exercise it was a sad and poorly conducted endeavor. All of these changes were expected based on my prior research so I wasn't too worried about my decreased ability to exercise. I was confident it would come back. Lastly, I got a little constipated the first few days but adding some magnesium to my diet cleared things up quickly.
Week 3-4 (this is where I am now)
Physical energy has continued to increase and I have been able to return to previous levels of exercise again. My physical energy throughout the day is also steady (the only exception is if I do not get enough sleep, I have found 8 hours is very ideal for me). The mood stabilization continues and I have found it much easier to deal with my daily stresses, it is easier for me to meditate briefly or take a deep breath and get right back on track. My mental focus has dramatically improved at work. Bowels are moving normally on their own too.
Warning if you're a dude you may want to skip this paragraph. Women notice many monthly cyclic changes (unless on birth control, then it's a little different), so I wanted to address this as well. Previously as I've gotten into my late-20's I've had more and more discomfort associated with my monthly cycle. Most notable, serious acne breakouts and a significant amount of bloating and cramping. I know many other women have symptoms much more severe (my symptoms never stopped me from doing anything), but let's just say I always knew what was coming and it wasn't fun. I am still early in this transition so it will be interesting in the subsequent months to see how things change. That said, this monthly round I had a huge decrease in the severity of my acne breakout and I had nearly no abdominal symptoms (or fluid retention) leading up to my period.
Now mentioning the acne and skin health
I have ceased using over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide or other harsh chemicals on my face. I even stopped my super-fancy (and expensive) Aveeno facial creme. I now use only coconut oil...all over my skin to include my face. Coconut oil has anti-microbial properties and is absorbed very well by your skin. I don't have the scientific literature in front of me, but some people say that skin cells can actually absorb the fat of the coconut oil and provide energy to the cell (improves healing). Let's just say my skin is progressively getting smoother and clearer. I also began using it in place of deodorant (don't knock it until you try it) and I have been extremely happy with the results. Some people say that the aluminum in our deodorant (as well as many other sources) can build up to toxic levels in the body (aluminum is toxic to the brain). I don't want to smell badly, so I wouldn't be using coconut oil if it didn't work. Finally, I've started oil pulling as well for my oral health (again, coconut oil is anti-microbial). Oil pulling basically consists of me sloshing coconut oil in my mouth for 5-10min, twice a day.
That said, the only way to know how your skin will react is to try it yourself. I've heard that some people will have a temporary increased breakout of acne in the first week before it begins to get better while others will get a steady improvement right away. Personally it took me a couple weeks to see clearer skin.
Now on to my recent lab tests
I've never had my cholesterol tested before...so what I really wished I'd have done is get labs prior to embarking on this nutrition strategy. I don't know what my lab values were before.
Thyroid hormones and FSH were normal.
CBC, RBC, iron values were normal.
Vitamin D is still pending (test takes much longer to come back)
Total cholesterol was >200
HDL (good cholesterol) was 119 (average is 40-60) - this is considered highly heart-protective
Triglycerides were 57 (<150 is considered average)
VLDL was 11 (<30 is considered average)
Metabolic panel was suggestive of mild nutritional ketosis (which is considered a healthy state of metabolic flexibility by many researchers - BUT OF COURSE NOT ALL - DEBATE CONTINUES)
A great deal of research relates cholesterol ratios to risk of heart disease as opposed to simply measuring your total cholesterol. The body is pretty complicated but the bottom line is research is beginning to show that not even all LDL particles are bad. Having low HDL, high triglycerides, or high numbers of very small LDL particles in the blood are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. So while I have a higher total cholesterol than what is recommended (old rules), I have a lipid-ratio of 2. According to the American Heart Association, I am currently at half the average risk for developing heart/vascular disease due to this ratio. Bottom line, looking at your total cholesterol is not particularly helpful, you need to see the bigger picture. Having super low cholesterol isn't ideal either, especially if you have minimal HDL. Your body needs cholesterol for brain and cell health and to create hormones for the body.
From the mayo clinic
You can calculate your cholesterol ratio by dividing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol into your total cholesterol. For example, if your total cholesterol is 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (5.2 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L) and your HDL cholesterol is 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L), your cholesterol ratio is 4-to-1. According to the American Heart Association, the goal is to keep your cholesterol ratio 5-to-1 or lower. An optimum ratio is 3.5-to-1. A higher ratio indicates a higher risk of heart disease; a lower ratio indicates a lower risk.
Thanks for the mention on your blog!
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