"Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Diary:
b: eggs and sausage
s: protien bar
l: chicken and veggies
s: mixed greens and hardboiled eggs
d: ham/provolone wraps
s: orange
g: walk 1 mile, elliptical 2.28 miles, sauna
Notes:
boy, what a week. After finding water on the kitchen floor, I did deduct that the dishwasher is NOT leaking (yeah!), but feel that the water softener is leaking... that is the current theory. Also, good news is that the water didn't actually go very far, so I think any harm was controlled.
I had a culligan salesguy come over and look at the unit. It is over 20 years old (he thought the year was more around 30 years) , and is most likely not leaking. It isn't working, as a quick water test showed that the water is still hard, ever with the unit. So, I quickly decided that I would rent a new softener from him at a cost of $20/month, with a choice of purchase after some point in time.
While I am not happy about the additional cost, I am relieved to finally be able to put this water problem behind me (hopefully....)
Twins lose today - what is going on with their pitching?
As I spoke about in the previous blog, here are my health-check notes. I am going to check my insurance to see if the doctor I am looking for is in my 'network', then I need to just set up an appointment.:
1) Look over my weight-loss progress - show him/her my charts and discuss my program.
2) Get letter from clinic indicating I should use gym and weight loss products - tax deductible
3) Get tetanus shots and any other needed shots
4) ask about sinuses
5) GET A COPY OF EVERYTHING HE NOTES! (I am unsure why I get a copy of my car repair details, but am not given a copy of all my health notes and tests. With the amount the clinic gets per visit, I should get a duplicate copy of all the stuff they have on me. Give me my file!)
Here are some health measures you should get checked, why it's important, and what the numbers should be.
Physical exam with blood tests and urinalysis (cholesterol, diabetes, kidney and thyroid dysfunction) every 3 years,
Tuberculosis skin test every 5 years,
Electrocardiogram (EKG) beginning at 30 years of age,
Tetanus and pertussis booster every 10 years,
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measure of the force exerted on your arteries while the heart is beating (systolic) and resting (diastolic.) When blood pressure is high, it can cause damage to arteries due to shearing forces, cause the heart to become larger in an unhealthy way, and lead to kidney damage, among other things. Here are your targets:
Normal systolic BP: Less than 120 mm Hg
Normal diastolic BP: Less than 80 mm Hg
Recent research has demonstrated that if BP is taken in the doctor's office, you should be sitting quietly and comfortably for at least five minutes
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is transported in the body in little protein packages; it's a waxy substance that is essential for good health. The problem is that when we eat too many saturated fats, we make too much LDL-cholesterol. The LDL-cholesterol is the bad cholesterol--often called lethal cholesterol--and should be as low as possible. The HDL-cholesterol is the good cholesterol; it's sometimes called the healthy cholesterol and should be as high as possible. Triglycerides are not really cholesterol, but they're reflective of how much fat is being transported in your blood. High total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the numbers to shoot for:
Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dl
LDL-cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dl, and closer to 70 mg/dl
HDL-cholesterol: Greater than 60 mg/dl
Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dl
The blood test should be performed on blood collected via a venous sample--it's less subject to measurement error. If the numbers are high or low in the case of HDL cholesterol, have the test repeated.
hs-CRP
High sensitivity C-reactive protein is a protein that reflects inflammation in the body. It's not something you can feel but when elevated for long periods of time, it's associated with an increased risk of CVD. These are the risk levels for CVD associated with hs-CRP:
Low risk: Less than 1.0 mg/L
Average risk: Between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L
High risk: Greater than 3.0 mg/L
If hs-CRP is elevated, the test should be repeated before a course of treatment is outlined. Because inflammation is naturally higher during infections, do not have hs-CRP tested while you have a cold or the flu.
Blood Glucose
When you eat any kind of carbohydrates, they're broken down into sugars such as glucose to be transported in the body to wherever they're needed. Glucose does not stay in the blood very long--insulin helps remove it for use as fuel in cells. However, impaired glucose metabolism will increase the blood glucose levels. Often, insulin resistance is one of the metabolic consequences of obesity, and blood glucose can rise. On the other hand, blood sugar can be too low resulting in a condition called hypoglycemia. Here's the number to look for:
Blood glucose: Between 60--100 mg dl
Blood glucose should be assessed after an overnight fast. Interestingly, blood glucose may not be the first indication that a person is pre-diabetic.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas and is responsible (with glucagon) for maintaining normal blood glucose levels. When you eat anything with absorbable carbohydrates, the body breaks the carbohydrates into smaller sugars, which are absorbed into the bloodstream. Then insulin is released to allow the body to utilize the sugar as a fuel.
If someone is insulin resistant, often associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, they make plenty of insulin but their body doesn't use it effectively. That eventually leads to an increase in blood glucose, but that can take years. It's important to ask your doctor to check serum-insulin levels--this is the first indication you're insulin resistant. Especially if you're overweight and sedentary, this is something you should have done; this test should be performed after an overnight fast. Your goal:
Insulin level: Between 8-10 mM/ml
more later,
Chazz
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