Outstanding Cholesterol, HDL, LDL and Triglyceride Levels Bloom on My Vegan Platter!

I didn’t become a vegan for my own health.  It was animal welfare that drove my decision.

But, I am beyond grateful for the healthful “side effects” of this beautiful and nutritious diet.

As a vegetarian, as best as I can recall, my cholesterol level was 200ish.  And, by the way, I am hereditarily predisposed to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, especially on my mother’s side (Mama takes medication for both), though my 84 year old father recently started taking medication for the latter.

Tough I have a severe needle phobia (my doctor’s nurse called my a whiny baby…jokingly), the “carrot” of a new $500 health insurance credit based on a health screening convinced me to combine the latter with my annual visit to my gynecologist, Theresa Whibley (yep, the Norfolk City Councilwoman) last week.  Part of that screening included a cholesterol panel.

Dr. Whibley’s nurse, Sandra, called me with my profile yesterday practically giddy.  Not only have I long had textbook blood pressure, which can tip a little toward the low end, but get a load of these numbers which, incidentally, have varied little since my January 2009 numbers (in parentheses) or improved:

Cholesterol: 154 (153)

HDL (the “good” cholesterol): 89 (79)

LDL (the “bad” cholesterol): 53 (62)

Triglycerides: 62 (58)

I’ll drink (a glass of red wine) to that! 

If you aren’t up on the new target numbers, these are off-the-charts fantastic.  According to the Mayo Clinic, below 200 is “desirable.”  For HDL, 60 or above is considered “best.”  for LDL, 100-129 is “near ideal,” but 70 is ideal for those at very high risk for heart disease.  And below 150 is desirable for triglycerides.

Wow.  I feel incredibly fortunate.  And so healthy!  But pride cometh before a fall, so I am taking nothing for granted.   Still, can we all agree that the vegan diet–not to mention exercise–is truly the heart healthiest way to go?

Here’s to all of us…may we long live in the full bloom of rosy good health!

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4 comments

  1. Here here!

    I’ll take your levels and raise you a hemoglobin a1c! I’m a type 1 diabetic, and the “desirable” level for diabetics is under 7.0, but normal, non-diabetic, is between 4.0 and 5.6. Mine? It’s 4.9, last check! And that is WITHOUT having many instances of hypoglycemia (and when I do suffer hypoglycemia, it doesn’t go below 50 before I notice and treat).

    Health is incredibly grand.

  2. FABULOUS NEWS about your hemoglobin a1c! Kudos to you and thank you for sharing! As my Papa once told me, “When you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything.”

  3. You and I have, almost to the exact numbers, the same cholesterol lab results. If I took a picture of my lab results you would gasp. I too am a plant-based vegan, ( with Hashimoto’s). Its funny to me because I eat so much fat that I was actually scared to see my results. I too will not get prideful, but after considering all the research, diligent practice of eating beautiful whole foods, saying no to “SAD normal” foods, and with the precise supplementation I’ve done in the last 5 years to get here, I will toast your red wine with my glass.
    It’s so nice to see things truly pay off. I never give up healing my body, neither should anyone. EVER!

  4. Cheers to you! Loved your message.

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