I love data. Like, I freakishly love to compare numbers and track patterns. This obsession started a few years ago when I was forced to track my students' standardized test data. Yes, I was forced. Now, I get so excited that I text my friends and post the results on the McMillan fridge. The current display is the data about my Algebra students' District Common Assessment that they completely rocked on. Not to brag or anything, but they did awesome.
Anyway, the reason I say this is because I recently had a Wellness Exam done and had blood taken. This is the first physical I've had since James and I started eating paleo in May. Before May, I honestly thought I was a healthy person. I exercised regularly and thought I made healthy food choices. My bread was always 100% whole wheat and packed with lots of fiber and protein. I made sure to choose the oatmeal that had the lowest sugar and a reasonable amount of carbs. We never bought prepackaged foods that were filled with extra unwanted ingredients. James and I have rarely went out to eat, so almost all of our meals were homemade.
I've always known that my clothes fit better and that I feel better when I eat 'My Paleo'. Now, I have data to support my case. If you think I've gone off the deep end, you're probably right. But I don't care. Hell, being in a new state I needed a hobby, and this one stuck. I've decided to be preventative about my health while I'm still young, especially since I have some undesirable health conditions in my family. Anyway, here are the results:
Blood Test Results Pre-Paleo / August 2011
Total Cholesterol: 211
Triglycerides: 106
HDL (Good Cholesterol): 68
LDL (Bad Cholesterol): 121 - I was told to monitor my saturated fats because I was on the borderline of having high cholesterol. What 26 year old wants to do that? How do you even do that?
Blood Test Results With Paleo / December 2012
Total Cholesterol: 172
Triglycerides: 72
HDL (Good Cholesterol): 77 - I am no longer at risk for having high cholesterol In fact, I have increased my good cholesterol so much that I am in the preventative column of the chart.
LDL (Bad Cholesterol): 81
Now, there were obviously other things that they tested that I could list, but I really don't want to bore you to death. The main point in sharing this is to show how paleo is working for me. I'm by no means a doctor, and I don't know exactly what all of the numbers mean. However, the little amount of research that I've done has shown that my numbers are pretty rad.
Oh, this is what we had for dinner last night and it's 100% paleo. The french fries are red potatoes that were fried in coconut oil. French fries and Frank's hot sauce were my signature in college (especially after a Friday night out with my roommates), so I'm pumped to make them paleo. You can really tell a positive difference in the fries when they're cooked in coconut oil. They're still delicious, but not as heavy and you don't feel guilty after eating a pound...or two.
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