THE RESULT'S ARE IN!!!!

Hello Everyone,

I finally had my blood work done.  Today I am going to share with you the results of my cholesterol panel. I will show the changes over 4 years and try to break it down.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance our bodies need to make hormones and digest fat. Our bodies make cholesterol but we can also get it from foods like meat, poultry and dairy. In general the doctors want your cholesterol under 200 but under 150 is optimal.

In 2020 my total cholesterol was 184. That's ok but not optimal. This was when I started to lose weight and in 2021 my number dropped to 183. After that I started carnivore and in 2023 it was 165. Today in 2024 it is 147.  Under 150 which is optimal.

HDL is one component of cholesterol also called the good cholesterol.  You want that number to be 50 or higher. In 2020 mine was 39 not too good. In 2021 44, 2023 50 and today 2024 54.  I am loving these numbers because they are where they should be. 

LDL is called the bad cholesterol and you want that number under 100. In 2020 mine was 126. In 2021 it was 117, 2023 106 and today 2024 87. 

VLDL is next. This is a type of blood fat and is considered a bad form of cholesterol along with LDL and Triglycerides. It is recommended that this number be under 30.  How did I do? 2020 it was 19. 2021 it was 22. In 2023 it was 9 and 2024 it is 6. 

Let's talk about Triglycerides.  This is another component of cholesterol,  This is a fatty substance called lipids.  Your liver packages this with cholesterol and proteins called lipoproteins to move cholesterol through your body.  The FDA say's it is best to have your Triglycerides under 150. In 2020 mine was 95 and in 2021 it was 108. In 2023 it went down to 47 and today in 2024 it is 28.

It may seem like my lipid panels were not that bad. Since going carnivore and losing weight now my numbers are optimal for my health.  These numbers also make me a below average risk for stroke or heart disease. 

We can all benefit from knowing our health markers and live long prosperous lives.

Remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

MY TEETH

Hello Everyone,

Today I am going to talk about my teeth both the good and the bad.  Sadly, there is more bad than good. That is all about to change. Starting tomorrow I am starting the process of fixing all that is wrong with them.

Let's go back to my childhood that would be the mid late 60's and early 70's.  Dental insurance was a pretty new thing back then and we were blessed to have it. So, I went to our local small town dentist every 6 months like you are supposed to or that's what we were told. 

 There weren't the regulations that there are now and it turned out this dentist took advantage of it. Every 6 months I had 8-10 cavities. Did you get that every six months!!!  Whoever has that?! Now I don't blame my parents because they didn't know better and thought that they were doing the right thing by me.  This dentist was filling all my molars then knocking out the fillings and re filling them. You can imagine the damage that was done.

As I got older a married my molars started to go bad one by one over time. Not having the money to properly fix them I did the least expensive way and got them pulled a little at a time.  Now I do still have some of them but the majority is gone.

I know that I have spoken about my Gastroparesis several times. The reality of it is this has had a negative effect on different aspects of my health including my teeth. I didn't even realize how much damage this condition can have on your teeth until I recently did research.  The chronic acid eats away at your enamel.  Fortunately, we now have a good dentist who says her job is to save my teeth.

Over the years I noticed the bottom of my 2 front teeth were becoming translucent. I also was frustrated that no matter how well I always brushed or flossed I always had bleeding gums and tooth pain.  Since eating carnivores for the past 2+ years , my front teeth are no longer translucent and I no longer have bleeding gums or tooth pain while brushing.  I also noticed my breath is better.

I look forward to having my oral health back.  Carnivore has started me on that journey but my dentist will finish it. Wea lol need good oral health so that we can eat the proper human diet and be healthy.

Remember Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

CAFFEINE

 Hello Everyone,

It has been a difficult couple of weeks for me.  I have been suffering with my Gastroparesis a lot. My sleep has been disrupted because of it so when I get sleep I cherish that. 

I have a lot of negative impact on my eating and sleeping because of this condition.  Waking up very sick to my stomach and fighting the urge to vomit. I know that's TMI but it is also reality. Our guts are like our second brain. When I am sick I feel bad all over.  It has become difficult to eat even with my medication. 

I take Protonics for stomach acid and Reggalin to help with my stomach motility. Having nerve damage to my stomach is unfortunately a permanent condition. How I got this we are not for sure but it might be related to having been on pain meds for a long time. But like I said we are not sure.

I eat carnivore and that has been helpful but there are times when any kind of food will not sit well with me.  I do know from experience that if I were to eat high fiber and high carb food I would be up throwing up all night 100%.  I am currently eating OMAD as eating at all has been difficult.

I have discovered recently that eliminating caffeine has brought some relief for me.  I am not going to give up coffee but I switched to decaf and that has had a positive impact. This slow elimination of things is what has brought me to the way we eat now.

I understand that caffeine can impact other things in your body like increased heart rate, breathing insomnia and the big one for me nausea. I used to say that caffeine didn't affect my sleep but I will say Gastroparesis does. 

We see our doctor at the end of this month and I will have a frank conversation with her about what has been going on.  I am afraid that I might need to increase the dosage of my meds.  There are 4 levels of Gastroparesis and I am at level 2.  Praying that this does not advance.

Remember that Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!

REBOUNDING

 Hello Everyone,

I recently got a rebounder!!  What is that you ask?  It's a mini exercise trampoline
It's 40 inches wide and I got one with a handle bar since my balance isn't the best.  It is fun to bounce on and I am surprised at the workout you get.

This is the one we got but that's not me lol...  I couldn't get the image to transfer.  It wasn't hard to put together. I actually did it by myself. I did suffer much back and hip pain afterwards and was not able to walk the rest of the night due to my disability.  Those are the breaks but I did it!!

I just bounce on it without getting air under me and I walk on it only lifting my heels off the tramp.  My legs and bum really feel it after 10 minutes. I was surprised at how your heart goes up because you think that it's just bouncing but the G force and activity is really surprising.

NASA developed rebounding over 50 years ago to help astronauts recover bone density after returning from space. What NASA found was that 10 minutes of bouncing burns MORE calories than 30 minutes of running.

NASA also found the jumping provided the body benefited on the cellular level like your lymphatic system. This helps move toxins out of your body.  It also helps increase bone density and strength reducing the risk of osteoporosis. I like the sound of that.

Along with that comes improved physical strength, muscular development and balance. I need all the help with the balance I can get. Being a low impact exercise you have minimal impact on your joints.  I have read that it stimulated smaller stabilising muscles around our joints. 

Other areas that benefit from this are weight loss, lower blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity. I have seen my weight stall break this past week from using it a few days.  I have been down and out with my Gastroparesis but I am on the mend and getting back into it.  That said my weight is down to 182 lbs. That makes me 76 lbs down, whew hoo!!

I will report back more after having the opportunity to use it for a period of time.

Remember, Jesus is Lord, God is in control and only Him do we serve.

Rock on carnivores!!!