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Edit: This thread drifts as you go down and maybe I didn't clarify my main points very well initially in this post.
Here's a quick executive summary:
Work with your current doctor or get a new one to get the right lab tests done that are meaningful and actionable to help you take action to prevent chronic disease. In addition to fasting glucose or A1c, have them look at insulin and if you're eating the typical western diet, consider having a Kraft Prediabetes Profile test performed. (LCHF practioners can't do these tests until they consume 150gm of carbs for 2 weeks).
In addition to stress tests and other heart and blood measures, get a coronary calcium scan (CAC), in addition to the typical blood panels, also ask to be tested for high sensitivity c-reactive protein, interleukin 6, cortisol and myeloperoxidase levels. These will indicate how much inflammation is in your body and you can then have a baseline to take action. For many people (but not those with CAC scores above 400) statins are being over prescribed and have serious risks that haven't been discussed widely in the media. Statins are a $1T business annually and with that kind of money influence can be spread far, deep and wide. New research shows that cholesterol is not the enemy, but cholesterol preceded by inflammation that comes from insulin resistance that is the result of the western diet of sugar, carbs, and omega 6 oils.
Obesity, diabetes and heart disease can be reversed by a very low carb diet in addition to the typical health advice to reduce stress, exercise, stop smoking and moderate use of alcohol. When you add in the practice of intermittent fasting, you get the benefits of autophagy, These two combined mimic the diet that all humans survived on for the last 200,000 years and until just recently when the epidemic of diabetes, CHD and other chronic diseases began. Worried about ketosis? You shouldn't be, every baby starts out life in the womb and as newborns in ketosis.
In summary: spend as much time educating yourself about your health as you do the health of your Porsche.
Please watch this one video in hopes that it will help you kick start your interest and education.
A quick analogy - if your blood is equal to your engine oil then insulin is equal to particles found when you cut open your oil filter. A little is expected and shows the oil and filter are doing their jobs, a lot of particles (or excess insulin) means you have serious trouble coming. The same is true with your CAC (coronary calcium score). Do not feel relieved if your glucose, echo, lipids and LDL and stress test are all "good". They are not measuring the right things. Both CAC and insulin can be lowered by diet. Exercise helps but exercise alone will not do it.
This is a bit of a long post but it is Porsche centric at its heart. We in this forum spend a lot of time knowing every detail and 'health aspect' of our cars but very little about the most important part of the Porsche experience, our health and longevity and the ability to enjoy our Porsches and our lives with both a healthy quality and longevity of life. You may want to flag this as 'off topic' but I write it because I care about the people in this forum. Even Vern.
So please - give me a moment.
About ten weeks ago I announced to this forum that I was too unhealthy to enjoy my Porsche. Even a 90% acceleration in sport mode brought on g-LOC and near blackouts. Since my announcement, I've done a large amount of reading and watching YouTube videos on health and hardly any spent on cars, comedy and other subjects. In summary I've become a quick study and a little bit of an expert on the human diet. My proof is my dedication to continue to educate myself and my physicians on the cutting edge of research and my own results.
I have a lot of respect for people in this forum. Many here have helped me learn about the 997 and make good decisions in my purchases. While I can't pay it back in Porsche knowledge, I can pay it back by sharing some of what I've learned.
First a baseline of sorts. Three months ago, I was more than likely the least unhealthiest person in the entire Rennlist forum. If I had all of the knowledge then as what I do know now, my biomarkers would already be published in NE Journal of Medicine as "Unhealthiest Man Alive Manages to Live Another Day". It was that bad. I'd been a diabetic for over a decade, I was on 6 medications for high blood sugar and blood pressure. Of course, my cardiologist had me on a statin, because that's what cardiologists do. I once went to a neurologist for migraines I was experiencing and after getting my BP reading of 219/170 they insisted I go to the emergency room immediately. The urgency was so critical, they didn't even want me to make my co-pay on the way out. Serious indeed.
In the spring of 2019, my primary care physician having seen me with steadily increasing A1c scores over the last 3-4 years was now recommending I go on insulin. At that point I finally had my wake up call. Maybe it was a confluence of events, the g-LOC in the car, the fear of not seeing my son reach adulthood, of not being able to protect and provide for him, the optometrist warning me of going blind if my diabetes remained out of control.... the tide. It wasn't any one thing but every thing. I realized then and there, if I was going to get healthy, I would have to educate myself and make some radical lifestyle changes.
Let's get the results to date out of the way to give me at least a little credibility. (please do not comment with "good job" or "keep it up" or any kudos. It's not that it wouldn't be appreciated but I can assure you that any extrinsic rewards are outweighed by 100x the intrinsic rewards that I have in my health and love of self that comes from finally treating my body with respect.)
Once I had a plan (ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting) I committed to it 100%. Not only in beginning and sticking with it but in learning as much as I could about the two subjects. In about the 3rd week of May, I began keto and IF.
By June 3rd and after more than a decade as a type II diabetic and "in need of insulin" my fasting blood sugar was now in the 70s. Post meals, it never went above 130. I called my primary and told him I need to get off of the blood sugar medicines as I feared the possibility dying in my sleep. (NB while it takes decades for hyperglycemia to kill you, it only takes hours for hypoglycemia to kill)
With his permission and recommendation, he agreed that I should stop taking the 3 blood sugar meds but he would not recommend or support the ketogenic lifestyle. NB he would be the 2nd unhealthiest person in this forum. (there's your sign). I immediately fired him and went in search of a new physician that I knew may not recommend but would at least support what I was doing. Bottom line, I found one.
Since start K+IF I have lost 40lbs, my energy levels and concentration are through the roof, where I used to linger in bed for 20-30 minutes in the AM and take naps in the afternoon, I now pop right out of bed, walk 2 miles, or ride my bike, swim and lift weights. As a diabetic and on meds, I never had the energy for these activities.
I also am now taking only one BP medicine down from 3. Although, I have added Eliquis and will more than likely stay on it until I have improved CAC scores.
My skin has cleared up, my sclera is now white. My so called 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol numbers have reversed and all are now in a 'healthy' range and my triglycerides are very low despite the fact I am eating fatty steaks, lamb, duck, chicken with the fat on it, salmon, cheese, avocados, etc. (The quotes on good, bad and healthy are there for a solid reason as everything you think you know about cholesterol is wrong. Not just myths, but lies. More on this later)
A quick summary of what I know to date: (and please note I am not an M.D. and am not giving medical advice, additionally, I do not recommend doing K+IF without a doctor, they may not recommend but they may at least support. Additionally, you will need a lot of time and lab tests along the way. Type II diabetics must pay strict attention to their BG readings when undertaking K+IF, as rapid reductions of BG can occur in days and weeks. AKA 'reversal of diabetes')
For the last 200,000 years and until the last few hundred years the human diet was mainly natural foods, meats with fat, very little sugar and refined carbohydrates. Our great ancestors mainly ate meat based and not on a regular schedule. Main point - they ate keto and intermittent because that was the only choice they had.
Along comes agriculture and food and pharma companies in the last 100 years. The idea of convenience and higher bliss points (and profits) were the goal. The modern wife was now working and didn't have the time or energy or education to put healthy food on the table each night. Corporations were there to fill the void with processed and refined foods containing lots of sugar, carbs and refined polyunsaturated fat oils (corn, canola, vegetable, etc (high in Omega 6). Other corporations also filled the void, McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell (I've always called them 'Toxic Hell') etc and not only were they opened but open 24 hours, and to make things even more easy for the person that wants to gorge 2 Big Macs in the privacy of their own car, they invented the drive through.
To treat the landslide of sugar, fructose (and HFCS), refined carbs, (and all carbs really) and the polyunsaturated fat oils here comes big pharma to the rescue. They begin to bend statistics (aka 'damn statistics) and influence and control the media and your physician for profit. Plain and simple.
A few basic and shocking facts - all supported by independent and verifiable research.
1. Type II diabetes can be reversed in a matter of hours to a few weeks on a ketogenic diet.
2. Cholesterol is not to blame for CHD any more than firemen can be blamed for fires.
3. Statins are ineffective and dangerous, yet nearly 50% of Americans will be taking them in the next 10 years. (MDs that prescribe statins are either corrupt or ignorant of the research produced in the last 15 years, pharma in order to preserve profits continue to influence media and physicians).
4. Cholesterol is good for you both good HDL and so called bad LDL.
5. And here's the biggie - inflammation and insulin resistance are at the core of nearly every chronic illness we have.
The focus on inflammation and insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is primarily caused by excess sugar (in all of its forms) carbohydrates (the more refined the worse but including 'healthy complex carbs), fructose (perhaps the worst sugar possible) and polyunsaturated oils (omega 6). All combined these are the modern Western diet. The result is that over time while your fasting glucose levels taken by your physician look 'great' a condition known as diabetes 'in situ' (hidden) is begining to cause you to store fat because insulin levels are creeping up year after year. Drs. are looking in the wrong place.
In Porsche speak, your mechanic is examining with a paint depth meter when you've told him you have an oil pressure problem. It's that ridiculous. You have to be educated in order to educate your physician.
As an example, I requested and then insisted on getting lab orders for my high sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, fasting insulin and myeloperoxidase levels as they would be essential in plotting the continued and evolving course of my treatment over the coming months. Turns out they were important. Critically important.
Let me be clear, my new primary cares about my health. But for 30 years, and as he's told me directly, I am the first patient that he's ever had that truly wants to get healthy and just doesn't want another bottle of pills to solve their issues. On my last visit, he insisted that I tell scheduling to book an hour appointment because he feels he learns too little in the 15 minutes we have together. In fact he writes me 2-3x a week asking me what is the best paper or research I've seen in the last few days. That's when you know you and him are on the right track.
How can I back my 3 months of immersion? With the experts on the subjects that have spent decades on those same subjects. Hopefully, you're intrigued enough to want to look into some of this and or get some tests done that will access your true health condition.
One last note: There are a lot of other good videos on YouTube, I've selected these because they don't have any hidden agendas other than your knowledge and health. No one here is trying to sell a product or a service. They are also well documented, verifiable and easily understood. Sometimes even entertaining.
I hope you take the time to watch them and to enjoy your Porsche in good health.
Keto and IF for weight loss and reversing diabetes - Dr. Eric Westman
Of all the developed countries, obesity is the root cause of a lot of health issues. Especially here in the US. Just look at the average men, or women, and you see the trend. Hell, even being big and chubby are advertised as naturally beautiful.
My own personal problem is the carpal tunnel syndrome on my right wrist where the pain is now unbearable while driving my MT. Will see whether the pain alleviates after surgery. If not, then might have to get a PDK replacing the MT :>(
So much for a 1st world problem.
OP, nice to see you have regained health to enjoy the good life..We can also take a step back and contemplate why most of us even reach this stage and then suddenly wake up one day to make great efforts to go back to the normal state we were in the first place. Eastern philosophy and practices have been useful in these regards and helped many people. (Buddhist meditation etc that transforms by intense observation of ourselves)
The question on everyone's mind (well, at least mine) is - Are you healthy enough to drive a Porsche again, and when does another one appear in the garage?
The question on everyone's mind (well, at least mine) is - Are you healthy enough to drive a Porsche again, and when does another one appear in the garage?
Very good question. I've been driving the car and while I haven't done any more 90% accelerations in sport mode I am not noticing any tendency towards gLOC when I do drive sportingly.
I want to make some more progress before I try to replicate the earlier experiments.
Great post, and good information. Amazing how so many of us are so preoccupied with bore score concerns and posts, that we forget about our own health...
I know you said not to, but thats awesome!!! I have heard several of these stories on that diet and its great. I am in my late 40s. 5'11" and hit 200lbs a few years ago (not way too big, but too big for me). My goal was to get down to 185 and I would "look good". I went on a low carb diet+IF. I got to 185 in a few months, but it was working so well, I decided to get "under 180". I quickly got there, and then my new goal was to get to my my HS weight of 165lbs, just to see if I could do it. I tried about 5 years earlier, working out every day, some days 2x, cardio and weights and eating a similar diet, BUT rewarding myself on the weekends. I got to about 182 and could never get lower. This time, I was working out much less but was amazed that being just a little more strict during the week (esp with carbs) and CARRYING through most of that (not perfect) through the weekend, was MUCH MUCH more effective. I ended up getting to 162.5 before my wife said, "OK,now your too skinny". I have since slacked a bit and am now ramping up to going hard core again. In reality, i will just have a goal of staying between 180-185 and not fluctuating much. I have learned that to lose wt, it isn't 50/50 diet to exercise ratio like I use to think (I am a physical therapist and have a lot of education on the subject, OLD education). I now think it is closer to 80:20 diet to exercise, and even entirely possible to lose significant weight with ONLY diet.
Although I only lost 40 pounds, I noticed that everything felt better, my energy, my skin, my happiness, the way my gut felt, I even had less allergies. I also have eosinophilic esophigitis and I had LESS issues with that as well!! Might have been a total fluke, but I think it just makes people way more healthy overall.
@jeebus31 What you're missing is how this all started and maybe I didn't do a good job explaining that. The thing is, when you're eating 10,000 calories a day and staying thin and competitive what you don't see in the background is that while the Dr. testing your fasting blood sugar and it looks good, they aren't testing what's important and happening behind the scenes and that's your insulin levels that are creeping up.
My generation (last of the boomers) learned that fat burns on the fire from carbs so we ate loads of carbs. In the background I was becoming insulin resistant. Once that happens there is a tipping point and any heroic efforts to lose weight no longer work. In fact eating less or exercising ends up burning muscle which further exacerbates the problem. A few cycles like that and you're really screwed. Especially when your doctor, cardiologist and nutritionist (as well as the ADA, AHA, and USDA) are recommending a diet of 50% of calories from carbs.
This post is not about me, it's really for others to start questioning the knowledge they are certain of (as was I) when it comes to their health.
Type II diabetes can be reversed (just today, a good friend of mine called me and told me he's now off insulin after only 3 weeks of carb restriction.)
Most of the chronic issues are caused by inflammation and insulin resistance.
The average doctor doesn't have time to spend to read and understand all of the new research being published.
They have several hundred to thousands of patients and typically only spend a few minutes with them and giving them stock 'answers' and pills for their problems.
There's another problem in that doctors tend to believe what the pharma sales people tell them without question. As an example, statins and the so called '36% risk reduction'. The real advantage is 1.1% but the statisticians manipulate the numbers for marketing. Maybe you're not taking a statin but its almost certain that people you love and care about are. And do they know that a major and often side effect of using is statin is developing insulin resistance and diabetes?
They don't because their drs. don't know and in selling 100 billion dollars worth of Crestor and Lipitor, the drug companies have buried this in their bs stats. A youtube video introduced me to this and referenced the paper below.
The fact that they are 'youtube' videos doesn't erode their validity or relevance in any way. We're lucky to live in a time where the presentations made at medical conferences educating other health care professionals and doctors are available for our health just as it is for a DIY project for your car.
The convenience of a youtube video is that the presenter is summarizing his thousands of hours of research into 30-60 minutes, this makes it easy for laymen and doctors to learn the advances and then follow up with the NCBI papers if they need more information.
So here's an example of the kind of discussions we're having. If your MD is doing this for you, that's great. But none that I've ever had has ever even considered many of the extremely relevant (and genetic specific issues) that are affecting my health.
Last edited by MexicoBlueTurboS; 08-22-2019 at 08:04 PM.
Again, you reference a youtube video, a retrospective analysis published in a crappy journal, and a homemade chart that notes SNPs with little or no proven clinical relevance, half of which are in relation to vitamin D metabolism..... meanwhile vitD supplementation was proven in a randomized, blinded phase 3 clinical trial with nearly 26,000 participants to have no benefit in preventing cancer or cardiovascular disease.
I will stick with data that stands on the shoulders of randomized clinical trials (this includes the use of statins in the appropriate patient). As should everyone else. Because this is what happens when you become Dr Google McYoutube: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...stract/2687972
Again, you reference a youtube video, a retrospective analysis published in a crappy journal, and a homemade chart that notes SNPs with little or no proven clinical relevance, half of which are in relation to vitamin D metabolism..... meanwhile vitD supplementation was proven in a randomized, blinded phase 3 clinical trial with nearly 26,000 participants to have no benefit in preventing cancer or cardiovascular disease.
I will stick with data that stands on the shoulders of randomized clinical trials (this includes the use of statins in the appropriate patient). As should everyone else. Because this is what happens when you become Dr Google McYoutube: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...stract/2687972
Are we in off topic yet?
The SNPs have relevance to me because they are my SNPs.
There are no 'appropriate' patients for statins - they don't work and have dangerous side effects. Agreed, they lower cholesterol but cholesterol isn't the problem.
Why are you against learning anything new and that will help someone you know?
Or maybe yourself when you get older?
Why is a YouTube video showing a DIY to fix your car a blessing but one that shows how to take charge of your health quackery?
I see it as on topic. Better health means driving your Porsche better, faster and safer and enjoying it more. It also means (in my case, so far) reducing the car/driver weight by 40lbs.
It's $31,000 to save the same amount of weight with the Weisach package and you probably won't feel any better.
I can already see the next counterpoint coming but being thin doesn't equal healthy - there's a well documented condition known as TOFI (thin outside, fat on the inside) where people have the same metabolic issues as fat people.
I take your post with great seriousness - I plan to read it from start to finish when I have time.
Unless you suffer from Diabetes you won't understand the anxiety/depression related to the disease - They call it the silent killer for a reason.
I have been a Type 2 Diabetic for 18 years and take 1200mg of Metformin daily.
I'm currently about 25-30 LBS overweight but tend to keep active and occasionally will take a nap in the afternoon due to crappy/restless sleeping at night.
My A1C score was 8.9 about 2.5 years ago and my doctor warned me that I would need to start taking Insulin if my #'s got up closer to 10.
For the last 2 years cutting down on breads/Carbs/Sweets has brought my A1C down to 6.6 which my last blood test 2 weeks ago showed. I eat a mostly protein diet consisting of steak/cheese/salads/fruits and veggies. I try like hell to stay away from Carbs and sweets.
Nobody understands just how difficult it is to regulate food when you have any sort of food related health issues. Diabetics especially crave sweets and so hard to stop or regulate unless you have extreme willpower.
It's easy for people to say oh your just lazy or irresponsible but I have a good friend who just got his leg chopped off because he couldn't stop eating sugars. Infection in foot led to amputation below the knee.
Ironically this happened about the same time my A1C was 8.9 2 years ago and it gave a huge wake up call.
I lost 20 lbs (down from 40 lbs overweight) back in March when I turned 60 but gained 15 back---> I dropped 5lbs over the past 2 weeks and trying to maintain a mellow diet but need to incorporate exercise.
I find the Elliptical Machine a great form of exercise and swimming because I need low impact on joints due to many sports injuries. I plan to get going with exercise sooner than later.
I'll follow this thread and look forward to checking out the Keto diet
08-21-2019, 01:25 PM
Drive your Porsche in Good Health - an update
