So you've seen the doctor, had the blood tests and have been inundated with a bunch of numbers - now what? Are they good, bad or what?
Well, if you gauge yourself by the mainstream medical averages, you could be in trouble. In a culture where everyone knows someone with Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, etc. do you really want to be average?
To avoid the diseases that plague our rich western culture, these are the numbers you want to aim for:
Blood Pressure: 110/70
Total Cholesterol: Under 150
LDL Cholesterol: Under 80
HDL Cholesterol: Men >40, Women >50
Triglycerides: Under 150
Fasting Glucose: 60 - 100
*BMI: Under 20% for men, Under 25% for women
B12 Levels: Over 200 pg/ml
Vitamin D: 20-30 ng/ml
These are the real numbers you want in order to avoid Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes and other diseases of affluence (aka: eating ourselves to death).
*Keep in mind that BMI (body mass index) is a ratio derived from your height and weight and therefore does not take into consideration muscle which weights more than fat. Therefore a very fit person with a high percentage of muscle would "appear" overweight or obese when in fact their weight is in the healthy range.
Beat the Average!
The Hoff
Sources:
The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health by John A. McDougall, M.D.
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn
Thanks! It seemed a lot of people were misinformed about the new averages, and still thought 120/80 (the new "pre-hypertesnive") was good. Loving your blog!
ReplyDeleteOh, the docs still advise people that 120/80 is good and the norm, unfortunately you're opening yourself up for heart disease at that level. I love that you're following the blog! :)
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