Last blood check: tryglicerides keep going down

Three days ago I had another blood test and this morning I picked up the results. No relevant changes to mention, except a decrease of the triglycerides level, which makes my HDL/Tryg ratio even more reassuring. LDL and total cholesterol figures are still high, but running mostly every day (after a break in March and April) has kept my HDL level quite high. All and all, that should mean: keep on running and eat healthy food! Regarding this last point, I have to give in that in August I indulged a little bit too much on tasty (and unhealthy) food, but it is really hard to resist to Claudio's lobster linguini (Claudio is a member of the family and fantastic chef) or to say no to "cheese cake ice cream" on the coast! 

To wrap up, after 18 months of running, physical activity and adopting a moderate diet, I have achieved the following results (without using any medicament):

Triglycerides:       - 30%
LDL Cholesterol:  - 13%
HDL Cholesterol: + 15%
Total Cholesterol: - 9%

Here below two graphs: the first is the usual overview of my blood values, the second shows the kilometer I've run so far (starting in May 2015).

1-year evaluation: running and exercises

On April 2015, after checking my blood values, I decided to take up running and physical activity. Regarding the first, I alternated jogging and intensive running (at a 5 minutes per km pace and below), as regard as the second, I focused on crunches, push-ups, chin-ups and pull-ups. Starting from May, the 18th 2015, I kept track of each performance in a small agenda, so now I can have a 1-year overview about what I have achieved all over the last 12 months. Here below you can find the results:

Period: from 18 May 2015 to 17 May 2016

Distance: 1217 km

Distance at 5min/km pace: 634 km

Running days: 228 / 365 (around 4 days a week)

Exercise days: 133 / 365  ( around 2/3 days a week)

Pair of shoes changed: 2 

Longer distance: 14 km

Longer streak: 19 consecutive running days (twice)

Longer stop: 18 days (due to tendon inflammation) 

And what about the achievements? Well, as you can see reading my previous posts, my LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels have decreased, the HDL value has increased, my weight has been stuck to 62 kg for the  last 6 months and after the first injury suffered last spring (probably due to an exceedingly demanding running plan) my body feels quite well now. So I can say it clear and loud: running is really beneficial for you body, your health and your mood!

And the winner is...

My dear 25,376,987 (imaginary) friends,

I am proud to inform you that, with the 28 km covered this week, I've reached (and surpassed) the 1000 km target! Starting from May 2015, I've kept track of all the distances I've run all over the last 10 months and tomorrow I am going to the hospital to check my blood values again. The last time I did it was in July, when I "achieved" my goal: my total cholesterol level decreased by 10% without any medicament. Now I am curious to see the new results (I expect a further 10% decrease) after 8 more months of running, healthy life style and junk-food-free diet, with limited consumption of alcohol and pizza. Stay tuned, as the best is yet to come: I promise to post graphics about my last 10 months performances and up-to-date cholesterol values (total, HDL, LDL and triglycerides).

How I lowered my total cholesterol level (by 10% in 90 days) - part. 3

Let's have a recap: in part 1, we discussed on the unhealthy eating habits I quit, in order to lower my cholesterol level; in part 2, I listed the food whose consume I've increased over the last 3 months; and now, in part 3, I will illustrate the most painful element of the new lifestyle, the physical exercise!

Honestly, it was not so painful to me, as I love so much running. Nevertheless, I still remember the pain and the injuries I went through years ago, when I started practicing this sport regularly. And, woe me, I have recently decreased my weekly mileage due to a problem with my tendon. Plus, last week I hit my head on the granite-rim of the swimming pool, but this is another story...

 1. Information & education

A correct information on the kind of exercise you need to tackle your problem at best is essential. For this reason I decided to discuss about my cholesterol problems with my doctor. As a second step, I collected on the internet as many information as possible about the most effective ways to decrease cholesterol levels, the diets, the lifestyles and the most common mistakes to avoid. 

2. Keep track of your progress

After each session, I keep track of what I do: how many miles I run, what kind of exercise and how many repetitions, injuries or particular reactions from my body. Exactly three months ago, when I started running again after a long winter break, I hardly could run 1 km without stopping (what a shame!). Now I can run 10 km with no break at a decent pace! Keeping track is a big motivational support (see next point).

 3. Motivation

 Motivation is pivotal. If you want to achieve decent results, one or two weeks of sporadic exercise won't do. What you need is a constant exercise that exceeds at least 100 days. After each session, I usually sit down briefly on my PC and google "benefits of sport" or "benefits of running" and I read the related articles. That boosts my will to go on, in spite of being tired and thirsty.

 4. Running and physical exercise

Here some details about what I've been doing in the last 3 months. Important note: if I expected my total cholesterol level to lower exactly by 10% (see point 1), I was negatively surprised to find out that my HDL level remained unchanged. The HDL is the "good cholesterol", (unlike the LDL, its increase is a good sign), which is supposed to go up with the increase of phisical activity, namely running. The more and the longer you run, the higher the HDL value. I've read that a mileage of 30 km weekly is just enough to have an impact on HDL. My average was below this threshold, so this might explain the fact that my value even decreased, even if slightly. 

Coming back to my sport routine, I started moving up my bottom on April the 10th with some warming up sessions. On 14th I started getting serious: I increased my mileage and included sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups. Beginning on May the 18th, I exercised 6 days a week: 3 running sessions every other day (running at least 5 km under 25 minutes - 5 minutes/km pace) plus 3 exercises sessions a week (I started with 25 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 30 crunches per session).

After one month, I was able to run 8 km (always at a 5 min/km pace) and to perform 40 pull-ups, 40 push-ups and 100 crunches.

Unfortunately a nasty tendinitis stopped my running progress on June 26th (my task was to run 10 km non-stop at 5 min / km pace), so I focused more on physical exercise and some swimming sessions. In fact, I stopped running 15 days before the blood test and my weekly average was always around 20 km. Definitely not enough to make a dent in my HDL level, but probably enough to contribute on the lowering of the "bad cholesterol" LDL. It must be said that I like walking and I use the car only to cover distances longer than 5 km. 

That's all I wanted to say about my "cholesterol experience". I intend to adopt further my new lifestyle (probably I will eat some more ice cream in August, but I will definitely avoid alcohol) and to resume running (my task is to run 10 km in 50 minutes or less). At the end of the year I will check my blood again and I will let you know about the results!  

How I lowered my total cholesterol level (by 10% in 90 days) - part 2

Did you read the first part of this article? Are you curious to know what follows? Well, let's proceed!

Cutting down on unhealthy food is only a part of the systemic approach one should adopt to reach significant outcomes. Please keep in mind that lowering the cholesterol level is not a task to be achieved at any cost. Be aware of so-called experts trying to convince you that high cholesterol is a disease and the remedy is to swallow magic pills. As I explained in previous posts, my target is to keep my cholesterol values under control (and thus, the risk of heart diseases in the future) and to feel fit & light by quitting unhealthy habits and by taking on a healthy lifestyle, possibly avoiding the use of medical treatment. 

In the first part I talked about the food I quit and why, now I want to talk about the food I've been eating and the exercises I've been doing all over the last three months. As a result, my total cholesterol level decreased by more than 10%.

1. Fruit

Before starting my diet, I realized that the contribution of fruit in my daily food consumption was near to zero. It was my luck that I began my new eating style in May, as I love spring and summer fruit. There is nothing more pleasant than devouring a bowl of fresh fruit salad right after 1 hour of physical exercise! It's the best alternative to sugar products. Now I try to eat a portion of fruit at least twice a day, possibly between the meals or before lunch. 
              

 2. Vegetables

My sister lives in a country-house with a big piece of land, which includes an orchard and a vegetable garden, so we can enjoy fresh veggies and fruit for free! They are essential to keep your body healthy. Compared to the past, I tend to consume zucchini, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and salads more often (at least a portion at lunch and dinner). Grilled eggplants are fantastic! (and don't lose any health property).
 

3. Fish
The best alternative to meat is fish (if you're not vegetarian). On one hand, it's much more expensive than pork and lamb, on the other hand you need just a fishing rod to get some (did I tell you that I live in an island?). I like to barbecue sea bass and sea bream. Grilled shrimps are great, too, but unfortunately they're not so healthy. I've been also eating salmon, codfish, tuna and, now and then, sardines. All in all, fish is on my plate 2/3 times a week. 

 4. Special Yoghurt Drinks
Ok, I'm not sure whether such product is really effective or it's just another publicity stunt. Anyhow, I've been drinking one small plastic bottle of lowering-cholesterol yoghurt every day after my running session. It's tasty and refreshing and it's definitely not a medicament. I'm still taking it with a grain of salt, but for sure it hasn't produced any negative effect so far.  

These are the changes I included in my diet. I kept eating pasta (with lighter sauces, though), bread, rice and soups (seldom, I hate them!). For dressing salad and veggies, I use, as I always did, olive oil (home-made with our olives!). My breakfast consists in a cup of hot skinned-milk with a few drops of coffee and 4 melba toasts with a slight layer of jam. Another factor I've been taking into consideration is the quantity of food: I stopped pigging out and now I am trying to eat "more but less" (5 light meals per day, avoiding eating a lot at lunch or dinner). 

So far we've been talking about food. In the third and last part, we're going to focus about physical exercise and its impact on cholesterol.

How I lowered my total cholesterol level (by 10% in 90 days) - part 1

Warning: in order to avoid any misunderstanding and to fully understand the spirit of this article, I'd suggest that you have a look at the related post "The myth of the high cholesterol". Thank you!

 As you can see in the chart above, on April my level of total cholesterol was quite high, even if not so worrying after all. Why? What matters more is the Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio. If this value is lower than 5, the risk of heart diseases in the future is low. In April I scored 5,4, whereas in July the value decreased to 5,1 (meaning: average risk). Another factor to take into consideration is the Trygliceride/HDL ratio. The closer to 2, the better it is (in my case is even lower).

Now, here below I will list the unhealthy habits I quit and the healthy habits I took on in the last three months. The result was a reduction on the total cholesterol level, LDL level and triglycerides. Unexpectedly, the HDL level hasn't changed, but I have a theory about it (as you can see reading on).

THE 10 UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS I QUIT

 1. Sweet things, candies, chocolate

This was a real bad habit: right after lunch and dinner, I used to grab a fistful of candies and pralines from the "candy-plate". I think I grew gradually addicted to it, without even noticing. From the beginning of the new diet, I radically cut down on colorful and addictive sugar products. Honestly, now I don't miss them at all.
     

 2. Fried food

I said goodbye to french fries, fried fish, fried vegetables, fried eggs and of course fried meat. I have to say that I feel much lighter and fit now. Remember: instead of frying, you can roast, grill or bake your food.
  

 3. Beer (and alcohol)

I loved beer, and still I do. Mainly the local, home-brewed ones. For this reason it was hard for me to admit it: yes, beer produces negative effects on our body. I used to run up to 5 miles a day, and sometimes I indulged in a pint of brewski right after the exercise. I consumed this beverage almost on a daily basis and the result was a belly  that stuck out quite ridiculously on a thin body like mine. 
 

 4. Red meat & ready-sliced meat

Pork, horse, beef, sheep, lamb...no need to mention that red meat consumption is associated with heart disease and stroke. I've always intended turning into a vegetarian (not only due to health reasons, but most of all because I hate the idea of eating dead animals), and sooner or later I will give up eating meat entirely (I'm looking for a vegetarian partner that will convert me). Right now, the only meat I eat is chicken and, even more seldom, light beef. Also, I quit eating sandwiches with ready-sliced meat. It goes without saying that McDonald's junk food is off-limits!
 
  5. Full-fat cheese
Parmesan cheese, Gorgonzola, sheep cheese, ricotta cheese, Emmenthal...you name it! Southern Europe is the land of cheese but also in Germany and Switzerland you can find excellent dairy products. Although incredibly tasty, this food has a strong impact on our cholesterol level. During my three-month diet I ate only low-fat cheese.
                           

6. Pizza
Here it is, my major sacrifice. I adore pizza, and before starting my diet I used to eat it once a week. To make things worst, I chose to add bacon, hot salami, buffalo cheese and many more unhealthy spices. I wouldn't label it as "junk food", yet I wouldn't claim that it's a vegetable (like the US Congress did, in order to keep pizza and french fries on school lunch lines). My final compromise: a light-pizza once a month.

 7. Soda
I've never been a big fan of Pepsi, Fanta, Coke and similar fuzzy drinks. My mom used to ban me and my sister from drinking them when we were kids, so I grew up soda-free and I have to say that I am still alive. Now and then I used to grab a can out of the fridge, but now, whenever I am thirsty, I prefer drinking either water or low-calorie beverages (by the way, Coke & co do not quench your thirst, they just increase your addiction to sugar!). The results? I burp less and my belly is flat. 

  8. Pastry
 If pizza was on the top of my list of favorite food, pastry (croissant, donut, apple strudel, bear claw, berliner, cherry pie, profiterole, small cakes...) occupies the second place. It was hard to cut down on it, but since the beginning of my new eating plan I've radically stopped eating this sweet poison.

9. Packaged Ice Cream
No more! Only home-made and once in a while (for sure not every day, like I did in summer).

10. Extra-salty snacks
For sure, they pair well with beer and a nice sport evening in front of the TV. Not only do potato chips, bar mix, salty sticks contain a high quantity of salt, but they are rich in fat and calories. I decided thus to avoid them.


I admit that taking these steps was no cakewalk, especially at the beginning. The temptation to come back to the old habits was strong and the light at the end of the tunnel very dim. And I can hear your complaining: "no pizza? no pork-meat? no cheese? no beer? Is this a life worth living?". My answer is a big YES, and I'd strongly suggest to check out part.2 to find out more about it!