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Better and Better Cholesterol Test Results

It's almost 5 years now since I was being pushed by my doctor to start taking daily statin medication for my high cholesterol after a bad test result during my annual medical exam.

I asked her to give me one month to address it by giving up eating animal protein and going vegan. (Hence the name of this blog: "Give it up for health")

I told her I'd heard that would help, but that if it didn't work, then I would start taking a statin. She, by the way, was very sceptical that my follow-up test results would be normal, and when I went back a month later she basically delivered a "counselling session" on dealing ways to deal with disappointment. However, the results were normal and her words to me when she notified me of the results were "I'm shocked at the results".

Since then my cholesterol readings have all fallen within the normal range, but slowly but surely they continue to get even better and better. This week I just had my latest test with my best ever test results!

I hope you can share in my sense of achievement at these great results. I'm still loving my "whole-food plant-based" lifestyle.

These were my latest test results:
Total 156 mg/dL (4.0 mmol/L) LDL 90 (2.3) HDL 46 (1.2) Ratio 3.4 (3.4) And these were my test results before taking the plunge in November 2013:

August 2018Before Plant-Based DietNormal Reference Ranges
mg/dLmmol/Lmg/dLmmol/Lmg/dLmmol/L
Total Cholesterol156 4.02636.8125-1993.2325 - 5.14614
LDL90 2.31884.9Under 1303.3618
HDL46 1.2531.440 and above1.0344
Ratio3 3.45.05.0Under 5Under 5
Triglycerides103 1.21111.3Under 1501.6935


And not only that, but these other great outcomes came with it:

I lost 30 lbs (13.6kg)
My blood pressure falls around 100-110/60-70
My blood sugar is normal
The pain from the arthritis in my big toes went away
My GERD (acid reflux at night) stopped
My PSA dropped from 5 down to around 2.5 - 3

It's all good.
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