Our health issues

I didn't know some of these things. Eek!

https://foodies1st.com/post/1384/thi...4IO8sqTn6K3QAQ

6 Ways to Improve Back Pain

I know I'm lying in bed too much. I'll be having an MRI on my lumbar spine, ordered by a spine doctor. Hope they can fix my constant hurting.

How are your backs now?

They say to move but after half a block my back seizes up. But the surgery took care of the worse of the pain.

I had a compression fracture in my lower back around 2011. The ortho I went to said I will probably end up with arthritis everywhere I have had an injury or surgery (back, knee ACL reconstruction, fractured hip, & neck fusion). At 71, I am going strong & working hard around my farm, clearing brush, playing keep away (instead fetch) with my aussie shephard 9 mo old puppy & helped my friend with her lambing & barn cleaning this year & helping unload 50lb feed bags. Planning on doing more horseback riding with friends this summer too. I truly thank God daily that with all the injuries I have had that they haven't slowed me down. My back gets tired after several hours of work but not sore. I totally feel it is a miracle I am so thankful for.

Feel and look like $hit lately. Deep bags appeared under my eyes about 2 months ago and won’t go away. I’m getting hot flashes again and trying to get my cholesterol under the efffing 200 magic number feels like a losing battle now. For 20 years it’s been over 200 and I’m doing the right things, especially the last years. I hate the preachy letters with a pointed tone about my cholesterol, as if I eat cheeseburgers and fried chicken daily. I’ve given up foods but no more. And it’s not just vanity that I bring up my eyes. Medical conditions can cause it but she said nothing about it. Looking it up is scary.

At least my blood sugar improved but nobody praised me for that. Well I pat myself on the back. I’m finally getting physical therapy for my right hip and neck, after waiting weeks for an appointment. And that after waiting a month to see my doctor. She has me taking magnesium and turmeric supplements. I think the latter is helping a bit. I’m still waiting for the results on my X-ray of my right hip.

My previous primary doctor said I have a good ratio even if over 200. Exercise is a chore now. I have to get another blood test in 3 months, fasting for it which I hate, to check my cholesterol again. They tell me to follow that diet which I already do. Yes, whole grains, fiber, fruits and veggies, etc.

I have to wait a few weeks to talk to my doctor about the results of my recent tests, the form letter explained nothing and is in medical mumbo jumbo.

Gosh it felt good to get that out of my system. And this was a good place to post.

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The doctor was right: the ration is more important.

I hope so because I’m sick of hearing about it and how American culture emphasizes individual responsibility and choices. As in defiance, I had a couple of miniature sausages with breakfast.

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Last month I went through many sources and collected their guidance for various heart-related blood markers and their ratios. Here goes, and note that some (especially CGM companies Levels and Nutrisense) have very strict guidelines that differ from standard guidelines, but you should not view them as absolute. As long as your markers move in the right direction over time, you are on the right track. If you can exercise, that would be great. Exercise alone, without any changes to diet whatsoever, can drastically improve many blood markers.

1) HDL cholesterol.
- Mayo clinic: for women, less than 50 is at risk. 60 and above is desirable. -
- Standard range: between 40 and 60 is normal.

2) Direct LDL. Standard range <130

3) Total cholesterol to HDL Ratio.
- Standard range <5.0.
- Levels: Keep the total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio less than 3.5:1, but optimally as low as <2:1.

4) Triglyceride-to-HDL Ratio (you need to calculate it yourself).
- Levels: "This is a marker you should focus on. Many experts agree that the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is one of the best surrogate markers of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. If the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is over 2.5:1 in Caucasians, that’s a correlate of metabolic syndrome. Lower is better."
- Nutrisense Nutrition Team: aim for a triglyceride to HDL ratio of less than 1.

5) Non-HDL Cholesterol, Calculated.
- Standard range <160 mg/dL.
- Mayo clinic: "Non-HDL cholesterol, as its name implies, simply subtracts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol number from your total cholesterol number. So it contains all the ""bad"" types of cholesterol. An optimal level of non-HDL cholesterol is less than 130"

6) Another ratio you need to calculate yourself: Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR = glucose x insulin / 405), which assesses your risk for diabetes which in turn poses a heart health risk. A HOMA-IR of <2.0 is excellent, 4.0 is average, and anything higher means trouble. This guidance is from Levels.

7) ApoB. You need to ask for this test as it is not given as part of the standard US lipids panel.

"APOLIPOPROTEIN B
Reference Range < 90

Risk Category:
Optimal <90
Moderate 90-119
High > or = 120 "

8) "HS CRP (A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein)
Reference Range
Optimal <1.0
Jellinger PS et al. Endocr Pract.2017;23(Suppl 2):1-87.
For ages >17 Years:
hs-CRP mg/L Risk According to AHA/CDC Guidelines
<1.0 Lower relative cardiovascular risk.
1.0-3.0 Average relative cardiovascular risk.
3.1-10.0 Higher relative cardiovascular risk.
Consider retesting in 1 to 2 weeks to
exclude a benign transient elevation
in the baseline CRP value secondary
to infection or inflammation.
>10.0 Persistent elevation, upon retesting,
may be associated with infection and
inflammation."

for regular C-Reactive Protein. Standard range is <0.5

Worst Habits for Belly Fat


I need to be mindful of these habits. I'm doing better, anyway,

Yahoo


Walnuts? I'll see if I can find some.

Getting poor sleep and skipping meals is my big two. I actually don’t snack much. Today despite being up at 8am I didn’t eat breakfast until after noon. Now here it is going on 5 and I’m hungry for the other half of the meal, but I’m putting it off. No idea how healthy it is. It’s shrimp with garlic sauce from a Chinese place. As a. Rule I don’t eat after 6 pm so that’s a long time to go without eating. I do have cheese with my night meds though

I am now eating RED walnuts. There were cultivated by UC Davis some time ago but only recently released to farmers. I bought them at my local Farmers' market. They are delicious.

With walnuts, remember that they have to be very fresh and refrigerated. Otherwise they go rancid much more quickly than other nuts due to the highly volatile oils in them.

I liked the article except for dairy bashing by the doctor who was quoted and who gave her pesto recipe.

I stopped eating heavy dinners years ago because of the obvious reason of not burning it off. And I don’t eat after 6 and just drink 8oz of water with dinner to avoid too many bathroom trips overnight. I need to wash my food down with something and water is best. Only thing I might eat is one cookie or one piece of chocolate. It’s very hard to eat right.

It’s true low fat stuff might compensate with more carbs. And sugar free or low carb stuff has more fat. Yeah protein is good for breakfast but I don’t like any plant based proteins. Love eggs and meat which has protein but cholesterol. I can’t win. Of course when much younger I ate anything, anytime. No weight gain, high sugar levels, etc.

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Sounds like you have a good plan. I take a Cholesterol-lowering drug and eat eggs and meat.

Thanks. Food is one of the few joys I have left in life now and I don't read those articles. Eat this, don't eat that. I won't even enjoy food anymore if I have to analyze everything I eat.

I hope I don't have to take medication because meds always have side effects. And I miss my retired primary doctor who wasn't preoccupied with the over 200 number. I'm not taking any class on it like they are saying to do because they will just preach the same stuff over and over that I have memorized by now.

I know what you mean. I fought taking that drug, but I gave in and take a supplement to help, too. I eat most anything I want, but in moderation....

What is the name of it? The actual name and not just the brand name. I know we are all different but what side effects do you have, if any?

And what supplements do you take? My doctor started me on magnesium which is supposed to help with heart health. And the turmeric is supposed to help with muscle aches and cramps. I am feeling better since starting it about a month ago. Still I hope I don’t have to take anything. It won’t be until summer when I take another blood test.

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It is ok to eat eggs despite the cholesterol. Look up new information about eggs. They are no longer villainous. In fact, an egg and veggie scramble or omelette is one of the best breakfasts for glucose control.

When you eat that one cookie or that one piece of chocolate, do you eat it alone or in combo with other foods?

You need yo eat protein to prevent sarcopenia as you age. The fight to lower the cholesterol should be viewed as only part of the bigger picture to improve healthspan. It is very important to maintain muscle and also bone mass as we get older. And eating animal protein is the easier way to do so.

Eggs are plentyful around here along with fresh cow's milk & fresh yogurt made from that cows milk. Also eat cottage cheese. I am healthier at my age than when I was younger. But I also get lots of outdoor exercise with my chain saw & cleaning up brush & maintaining my farm. All goes together toward health & on no meds to cause me side effects.

If you are concerned about your heart you have to get a coronary calcium scan. It is a cheap and low radiation CT scan of your heart that will tell you how much actual blockages you have. I had one at 50 and after a lifetime of high cholesterol the score was zero. There is a movie free on you tube called "the widowmaker" Gillian Anderson is the narrator.

Doctors and nurses share the things patients should never do


Interesting article. I think I knew all of these, though. What I don't understand is why being late is a terrible issue. I think most docs give people fifteen minutes. I can see why it might be a problem if the patient comes a lot later, though.

Keeping sharp and healthy

Just reminders

Keep Your Mind Young

It's interesting, when I moved to my farm 17 years ago I had problems figuring out what word I needed to use in a sentence. Got rid of the stress I had when I moved (still stress just not 24/7). Farm has lots of heavy work naturally, & settling into a whole new place & meeting new people, having quiet time to read & study. I often think how much easier getting my degree would have been if I had been in the mental state I am in now vs then. I remember when my mom used to say "when you get older you quit learning". So glad she was wrong like usual cause my mind learns much easier now than when I was younger

The Truth About Walking Workouts: 9 Myths and Facts


Glad to see some of these dealt with. My brother-in-law thought he had to walk 10, 000 steps a day, to the point where he was obsessive.