|
 My wife Christine should be smiling with this great news
It's one thing to share with you the latest research and scientific studies that highlight the healthy benefits of carbohydrate restriction. But today I am overjoyed and jubilant to report to you the amazingly fast health improvements that are happening for the love of my life, Christine. This is absolutely incredible!
You'll recall less than two months ago when I reported to you that despite eating a lower-carb diet, which helped Christine drop 35 pounds last year, her triglycerides actually rose to 293 in March 2008 and opened her eyes to the damaging effect that carbohydrates were having on her health despite the fact her weight had gone down. It was a great reminder that livin' la vida low-carb is not just some quick fix weight loss regimen as it has often been portrayed by the media and those ever-so-present health "experts" out there who think they know how we're supposed to eat. Instead, it is a permanent lifestyle change that will improve virtually every single aspect of your health forever. And Christine is living proof of that! After seeing nearly 300 for her triglycerides, we put together a solid plan of action to combat this problem head-on. She immediately gave up the M&M's, breaded meats, French fries, and buns she had been eating and replaced them with Atkins bars, low-carb wraps, cheese, and other delicious and nutritious low-carb alternatives to these foods she loves. It was a difficult transition at first, but now she's coasting along well (of course, it doesn't hurt to have a hubby to keep her on the straight and narrow). :D
Nearly two weeks ago, Christine and I went to see Dr. Eric Westman in Durham, NC to have our blood drawn to evaluate our lipids. I was especially anxious to see what impact in just six weeks had been made to Christine's triglycerides. Additionally, her insulin level in that March blood test was at 13--considered on the low end of high. Would there be any measurable difference in her triglycerides and insulin levels in such a short period of time?
Lemme tell you--YEP, YEP, YEPPERS!
Hold on to your hats, people, because this will blow you away. After putting Christine on regular liquid fish oil supplements and requiring her to eat a truly low-carb diet which even included a few "products" that helped keep her away from the real stuff, the results were UNBELIEVABLE!
Check this out:
MARCH 2008--Triglycerides--293
MAY 2008--Triglycerides--132
That's not a misprint! Christine's triglycerides fell sharply by a total of 161 points--that's a mind-boggling 55 percent in only six weeks! Let me reiterate, this does not include the use of any drugs, just diet and fish oil supplements. Her dietitian recommended she exercise by walking as well, but she hasn't done a whole lot of that yet. I do have her doing some light resistance training which she surprisingly loves. I'm so proud of her progress!
Wanna know what's even more amazing about these changes--there was no significant weight loss associated with it. That's right! Christine has only lost about two pounds over that period which is statistically no change. So, despite all the chants from those illustrious health "experts" out there about improving your health just by "losing a little weight," the fact is that's not necessarily true when you implement the appropriate dietary changes into your routine. YEAH LOW-CARB!!!
As for her insulin levels which were previously at 13, they were cut nearly in half falling to 6.7. It was yet another tell-tale sign that livin' la vida low-carb was working to improve Christine's health and the results were immediate. When she saw these numbers for herself, you would have thought she'd just won the lottery she was so happy. And, in a sense, she did win the health lottery by correctly choosing the method that would restore her health to where it needed to be using a simple change in diet to make it happen.
Oh, I have to share with you the story about what happened when we returned to see the dietitian with these results. This was bent-over-in-pain hilarious!
The dietitian said to Christine, "Well, I guess my recommendations are working for you." That's when my dear wife chimed in and said, "No, I'm eating a low-carb diet and taking fish oil." The dietitian stammered a second and then said, "Oh...(awkward pause)...well I guess it's working." Uh, YA THINK?!
When her dietitian asked about exercise, Christine said she's not walking much, but she's lifting some light weights since I was helping her with that. The dietitian replied, "Well, your numbers will drop even more if you just go walking more." UGH! Nevermind the HUGE change in your triglycerides and insulin levels, you had better listen to me (because I know more than you) and exercise. These people seem to be on automatic mode sometimes! ARGH!
Hopefully this story about Christine will encourage you to keep at it with your low-carb lifestyle even if the scale isn't exactly cooperating for you right now. It's all about your health first and foremost and then the weight loss will come. Be encouraged my friends and NEVER GIVE UP! This is a lifelong journey that will includes some bumps along the way. It's not always an easy road, but it is one you'll never regret.
Send your congratulatory notes to Christine at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. She loves getting e-mails and will be thrilled to read your encouraging comments for her today.
For those of you who are wondering about my blood work, I'll be blogging about it very soon. I can tell you this--it will be shocking to some who believe in the traditional hypothesis regarding cholesterol, but it is right in line with what is considered healthy by the latest research on lipids. As soon as I get the final report with the particle size breakdown of my cholesterol strands, I'll share with you my numbers, too. Get ready to watch the low-fatties faint when they see my numbers!
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Janet Podleski is one half of the sister act that wrote the bestselling cookbooks, Looneyspoons, Crazy Plates and their latest, Eat, Shrink & Be Merry! Janet and her sister, Greta, are also monthly columnists for Canada's number-one magazine, Reader's Digest, and were voted into Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2000. The sisters and their inspirational, self-publishing success story have been featured on dozens of national TV programs such as The Today Show, CNN, Canada A.M. and QVC, as well as on hundreds of radio shows, and in magazines and newspapers across North America. In addition to a B.A. in Psychology, she has also earned a degree as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. 
Brenda J. Ponichtera is a registered dietitian and author of several award-winning cookbooks, all designed to prove that "healthful eating doesn't have to take a lot of time in the kitchen."
Calorie Bargain: Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
Calorie Bargain: Green Mountain Gringo Mild Salsa
