David, hopefully some of our blood-test-savvy types will stop by with their thoughts as well. In the meantime, the following should provide you with some food for thought and a point from which you can kick off your own research, as I know that happens to be one of your strengths.
Urine pH. pH for urine and saliva is often tested by those who are concerned with their body’s acid-base load. 6.3 to 6.9 is a good range for nonvegetarians and lactovegetarians. If you find you’re too acidic, you can alter your pH (i.e., make it more alkaline) by increasing your intake of fruits and veggies. Protein, grains and dairy are all acid-forming foods, so you need those alkalinizing veggies to reduce acidity.
But back to your numbers, the more effective urine test is a 24-hour urine sample, where you collect all the urine you produce for 24 hours. Shake the total collection a few times and dip in some pH paper and read it. The least expensive and most accurate pH paper is pHydrion paper by Micro Essential Laboratory, Inc., in Brooklyn NY. Get the paper that has a range from 5.5 to 8.0.
Docs, even the alternatively minded ones and those who are extremely savvy in the area of hormone production and balance don’t seem to get too excited by low cholesterol numbers. Mine used to run 170. Once I started eating like a BB and working out, it dropped to 110. It would have to be below 100 before they started looking at you funny and worrying about you. What the docs do seem to worry about is the ratio of LDL to HDL. You get the ratio by dividing your LDL number by your HDL number. Yours is 2.97. Low risk measures usually between 3.3 to 4.4. Average risk falls between 4.4 and 7.1, moderate risk is between 7.1 and 11.0, and high risk is 11.0 and up. In your case, I’m not sure I would worry about your cholesterol. What I don’t get from the numbers above, though, is that Total Cholesterol = HDL + LDL+ VLDL. The numbers above don’t add up to 159. To increase you numbers a bit, try limiting Omega 3 intake to 1T per day, no more than that. Omega 3 intake reduces total cholesterol numbers (HDL and LDL, both). Continue to supplement with monounsaturated fat. And don’t hesitate to enjoy those food sources high(er) in saturated fat.
Because of your higher-than-normal fasting glucose number, I would be inclined to look at glucose disposal agents taken in conjunction with your starchy-carb meals. And even then, I would recommend that you limit starchy carbs to PWO only as that is the time physiologically that your body can take advantage of non-insulin mediated glucose uptake. You should be eating predominantly green veggies, except for PWO. Glucose disposal agents might include r-ALA (better than ALA), vanadyl-sulfate and chromium. Do you take a multivitamin? If you dont, start now! It’s possible you’re deficient in vanadium and/or chromium, both trace minerals required by the body for normal function, specifically glucose metabolism.
Extremely low triglycerides levels (less than 10 mg/dL) can indicate a problem. Low levels may indicate malnutrition (not enough nutrients in the diet), malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients in the intestinal tract), a diet too low in fat, or an overactive thyroid problem. If you’re into experimenting a bit, I would recommend a good digestive enzyme with all meals and a good probiotic to repopulate/support the good bacteria in the gut. I’ll make the assumption that you’re getting enough fat in your diet.
Okay, that’s the best I’ve got, David. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
