A good place to start on a health reset is to get some blood drawn from your veins!
Your bloodwork can help you identify any underlying health conditions that could be affecting your health goals. It can also help you track your progress over time to make sure your health reset is working for you.
Blood tests that measure your blood sugar levels and your cholesterol are a good place to start. Of course, you’d work with your provider to get a host of other tests to identify possible inflammation and nutrient deficiencies, and check your thyroid and hormones levels.
BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
Here's a look at THREE data points related to blood sugar:
Fasting glucose: A measure of blood sugar levels unaffected by a recent meal. Optimal: < 90 mg/dl. Natalie: 78 mg/dl ☺️
Hemoglobin A1C: A rough average of blood glucose over a three-month period. Optimal: < 5.7%. Signifies prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%. Signifies full-blown diabetes: 6.5% or higher. Natalie: 5.9% 😖
Fasting insulin: A measure of insulin levels unaffected by a recent meal. Optimal: between 2 and 6 uIU/mL. Natalie: 2.5 uIU/mL 😌
BEHIND THE SCENES ON THESE NUMBERS: When you eat, your digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates and produces glucose. Glucose is the primary source of energy in the body. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, helps shuttle glucose from the blood into the cell for energy or storage.
Repeated large blood sugar spikes causes repeated insulin surges. Eventually, cells can become less sensitive to insulin, requiring your body to produce more and more insulin. This is called insulin resistance.
Over time, your body can’t make enough insulin to keep up with glucose so your blood sugar stays chronically high. This can lead to prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is fundamentally a problem of insulin regulation.
THE TAKEAWAY FROM MY NUMBERS: My A1C is elevated (5.9%) indicating I have prediabetes. I am not surprised as my normal eating and exercise has been way off these past 4 months due to Covid followed by an injured ankle.
I was diagnosed as prediabetic 10+ years ago and turned that number around with changes in my lifestyle. It took me about 4 to 6 months to figure out the changes and then put them into practice. I’ve been pretty good up until now 🤦🏽♀️
Since my fasting insulin is low (2.5uIU/mL), I’m confident I can turn my A1C around in 3 months. And yes, my weight increased 5% these past 4 months 😳
CHOLESTEROL
Here's a look at FOUR of the many data points related to cholesterol:
Total cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced in the liver and comes from the foods we eat. Optimal: <180 mg/dl. Natalie: 177 mg/dl ☺️
LDL cholesterol is carried to the cells of the body, where it is used to build cell membranes and produce hormones. Optimal: <100 mg/dL. Natalie: 90 mg/dL 😌
HDL cholesterol helps to remove LDL cholesterol from the arteries and carry it back to the liver, where it is excreted. Optimal: > 60 mg/dL, the higher the better. Natalie: 78 mg/dL😌
Triglycerides are the main form of fat in your body: Optimal: <150 mg/dl. Natalie: 41 mg/dl ☺️
BEHIND THE SCENES ON THESE NUMBERS: Our bodies naturally produce all the LDL cholesterol we need. Eating foods containing saturated and trans fats causes our bodies to produce even more LDL, raising the level of LDL cholesterol in our blood. LDL is often called the “bad” cholesterol because it can build up on the walls of the arteries. HDL is often called the “good” cholesterol because it helps to remove LDL from the arteries.
If there is too much LDL in your blood, it can build up on the walls of the arteries forming plaque. Plaques can narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart and brain. This can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Triglycerides are the main form of fat stored in your body. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides. These are stored in your fat cells.
THE TAKEAWAY FROM MY NUMBERS: Four months ago, my LDL (the bad cholesterol) was 126. As my HDL was high (the good cholesterol), the doctors were not concerned. However, I decided to do a little experiment and removed saturated fats from my diet to see if my bloodwork would change. For me, this meant removing coconut oil and ghee – the two things with which I cook. In the four months, my total cholesterol went from 210 to 177. My HDL did not change from 78 but my LDL went from 126 to 90. This is the power of making changes in what you eat.
Making changes to your diet and incorporating exercise into your life are two immediate things that will impact your blood sugar and cholesterol. Managing stress is also a big one to pay attention to as well.
WHAT’S NEXT
I'm excited to share my journey to reversing prediabetes with you. I'll be posting on Instagram about my diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes that have helped me improve my health.
Follow me on Instagram @natalie_vanderpump for lifestyle changes you can make to reverse prediabetes such as increasing your protein and fiber, and exercising regularly.
If you have any questions about bloodwork or health resets, I offer a free consultation. Send me an email so we can schedule a time to chat.
In health,
Natalie
natalie@natalievanderpump.com
NOTE: The ranges listed are “tighter” than traditional medical ranges and may not be appropriate for everyone. Consult your doctor for advice on your body’s needs.