March 8, 2015

My Journey Towards Health and Wellness

The month was May (2014) and I just heard the news from my Primary Care Physician (PCP) that my triglycerides were 218 mg/dl. I was shocked, given the fact that the norm (according to most authorities) is 150 mg/dl. Not to mention the arrogance I've built up over the years being a trainer and having everything under control in regards to my health.

I guess I needed "regressive growth". 

My PCP explained to me that triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body. They come from food and your body also makes them. High levels of BLOOD triglycerides are often found in people who have high cholesterol levels, heart problems, are overweight or have diabetes.

I didn't have any of the above mentioned conditions but nevertheless I had elevated triglycerides. Regardless of the etiology of my elevated "blood fats", I needed to lower them.

My PCP asked me what I ate  on a typical day. I told her that I had 2 eggs (hard boiled), 1/2 of a whole wheat English muffin, and a glass of orange juice for breakfast. 

Lunchtime, I would have a tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat bread with apple juice. 

For dinner, I would eat at Wendy's Restaurant (yes, Wendy's). I would get a FRESH grilled chicken (plain). 

I snacked on Dove bar (dark) squares. I'm a chocoholic!!

My PCP told me the this--cut down on all that bread, cut out the orange Juice (it's got 22 grams of sugar in an 8 oz. serving) and cut down on the chocolate. 

To many, this advice may be obvious. 

The advice wasn't new to me by any means but it hit home on this particular day. I was about to embark on "an about face" dietary lifestyle change that was about to change my life. 

Before I get into the details, I want to say that I was in a position to change. I was ready. I was feeling lousy--bloated stomach (to the point of not being able to sleep at night), and I was lethargic. I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

The soil was ready for harvest.

After a major change in my diet, I was able to lower my triglycerides from 218 to 58 in 5 months.

Here's the details.

I decided NOT to work out during this 5 month period to see the impact that DIET alone would have on lowering my triglycerides. 

It turns out that NOT only did I lower my triglycerides, but my HDL went up (the so called "good" cholesterol). In addition, I lost 10 pounds, lost 3 inches around my waist,  and my abdominal muscles were starting to appear (with no exercise). More on this later. 

One thing I want to point out about diet is that fat is NOT the culprit. The real culprit is SUGAR, which I'm sure many people know by now.

The Sweetest Taboo

In the 1980’s we were told by American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that dietary fat was to blame for heart disease, obesity and a host of other diseases. Unfortunately, these organizations were wrong. Barry Sears, in his book, “Enter the Zone” says this “…All data analysis from 1980-1995 shows that in spite of the fact that the American public has dramatically cut back on the amount of fat consumed, the country has experienced an epidemic rise in obesity.”

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, New York Times best selling author, and who has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, CNN, Today Show, The Doctors, just to name a few, he says, “One of the primary sources of calories for Americans is sugar—specifically high fructose corn syrup in soda and processed foods. Because of advances in food processing technology in the 1970s, fructose derived from corn has become very cheap and is widely used in the majority of processed foods for increased sales.” He goes on to say, “Sugar takes a devastating toll on your health. In fact, excessive sugar consumption may be the largest factor underlying obesity and chronic disease in America.” 

The American Heart Association suggests no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (37 grams) of added sugar per day for men.

After hearing the above information, I went on a rampage. My goal was to adhere to the 37 grams of added sugar a day. 

Here is what a typical day looks like:

My new breakfast consisted of:

2 Eggs (Organic/cage free) hard boiled

1 slice of Ezekiel FLOURLESS cinnamon/raisin bread

8 oz of unsweetened Almond Milk

Total Sugar: 7 grams

Mid morning snack:

2 cubes of Cacao Goji “Power Snacks” 

8 oz of water

Total Sugar: 8 grams

or 

3 tbsp of Justin’s Hazelnut Butter

Total Sugar : 8 grams

Lunch:

1 can of Tuna Fish with 3 tbsp Cage Free Egg Mayonnaise with vadalia onions

Garden Salad or a handful of "Snapea Crisps" (lightly salted green pea crisps)

8 oz of White (low sugar) Grape Juice

Total Sugar: 12 grams

Mid afternoon snack:

2 cubes of Cacao Goji “Power Snacks” 

8 oz of water

Total Sugar: 8 grams

or 

3 tbsp of Justin’s Hazelnut Butter

8 oz of water

Total Sugar : 8 grams

Dinner:

6 oz of Wild Salmon

Generous portion of steamed broccoli (no seasoning)

8 oz of water

Total Sugar: 0

Total Daily Sugar Intake (typically)=35 grams

Additionally, I drink at least 48 oz of bottled water.

I can proudly say that I no longer have any bloating and have a lot more energy than I’ve ever had.

Although I vary rarely eat meat, when I do it is grass fed and purchased at Whole Foods, which is where I buy most of my food.

Some may say my diet resembles the Paleo diet. I wasn’t trying to imitate such a diet, I was just keeping my sugar down, consuming foods that are unprocessed (for the most part), and trying to eat more fish, especially salmon, which contains healthy fats (Omega 3).

"Don’t be Chicken of the Egg"

Some evenings I would have hard boiled eggs for dinner. I am not worried about eggs. As Dr. Mercola says, “Don’t be Chicken of the Egg”. An egg has approximately 213 milligrams of cholesterol which is nothing to worry about, in fact, the human body only absorbs 10-30 percent of that, according to Michael Mogadam, MD, an assistant professor at Georgetown University and author of “Every Heart Attack is Preventable”. He goes on to say, “Sure, the yolk contains the fat and cholesterol. However, of the 6 grams of fat in a large egg, only 2 grams are saturated. The other 4 are unsaturated and actually coronary friendly. What’s more, 1 gram of the saturated fat is stearic acid, which behaves like monounsaturated fat”. 

Bottom Line: "Only 1 gram of the 6 is the unhealthy kind. The other 5 grams of health fat more than offset this 1 gram", Mogodam says.

As far as my physical appearance is concerned, I have lost 10 pounds and 3 inches off my waist, with noticeable abdominals during the 5 month period, as stated above.  Again, this is without any exercise. I am not advocating individuals NOT to exercise, but I did this for a reason: To abolish any doubt that diet was solely responsible for the favorable body alterations and the impressive blood lipid profile changes.