Engine 2 Cholesterol Results

Don't worry...I really didn't know what the hell cholesterol was either, but this chart pretty much spells it out. Thank goodness for 4th grade science books!

I got the call this morning from the nurse at my doctor's office while I was driving home from Barton Springs. When I saw the unrecognized number, I got a little nervous. "This is it," I thought. "It's the call I've been waiting for."  Part of me just wanted to let it go to voicemail so that the nurse on the other end wouldn't have to hear my reaction. Instead, I answered with my usual chipper, "Hi-This is Carrie" salutation for those unrecognizable numbers.

"Hi Carrie, this is so-and-so (not her real name) from the Doctor's office. We got the results from your blood and urine and everything looks great!"

Now...most people would be happy with that greeting. They would say, "Awesome! Thanks so much" and proceed about their day thinking that they are immortal beings.

I was pulling into my driveway, talking on the phone and reaching for a pen and paper at the same time.

"That's great news," I said. "Now, can you tell me my specific cholesterol numbers? I've been doing a bit of an experiment and I'm anxious for the results."

Here it is:

Old HDL (Healthy Cholesterol): 104

New HDL:  83

Old LDL (Lethal Cholesterol): 140

New LDL: 119

Old Total Cholesterol: 259

New Total Cholesterol: 218

Risk Ratio 1.43 (Below 3.2 is safe)

So---What does this mean?!  It means that the Engine 2 Eating plan works wonders and my total cholesterol dropped 41 points in six weeks!  That's great considering I was drinking wine and wasn't totally vegan with my training nutrition (i.e. recovery drinks, gels, etc). 

My bad cholesterol alone dropped 21 points and my "risk ratio" looks great.

Now--the bad news is that my total level is still above the recommended 200, but she said it's not a huge concern since my healthy cholesterol looks so good and my ratio is well within the safe range. 

What does this mean for me?! It means I have a new lifetstyle of eating to adopt. I can honestly say that I've never felt better and eating this way has truly been rewarding and fun. Plus, my weight dropped about 8lbs. (you'd think it would make me feel lighter on the bike and run, but it doesn't) :-)

While I don't know that I'll ever be 100% vegan, the results more than speak for themselves. You do have power to repair your body by choosing, cooking and eating the right foods...foods that are complete,nutritious and incredibly filling.

So--damn---no double meat, double cheese pizza for me today. I've already packed my hummus and tofu wrap.