Meet the Challenger

Meet my boyfriend, Shell.  Like the majority of the population, my boyfriend has lived on greasy fast food, cheeseburgers, fries, pizza, soda, bacon, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream for the past 30 years.  Besides the temporary "food high" he receives when eating this way, he also feels sick after most meals, has gained weight, and now has high cholesterol.  Shell played football throughout high school and college and never gave a second thought about what he was consuming.  Instead, his focus was on gaining weight and eating as much as he possibly could.  His coaches suggested eggs, milk and whey protein shakes to get bigger and stronger.  Once he stopped playing football, the eating habits remained. 

Shell is not yet a statistic of heart disease, diabetes or all the other food-related diseases caused by our Western Diet, but he is in the high risk category for developing one or more within the next 10 years.

Shell has agreed to go vegan, or plant-based for the next 30 days to see if this is a lifestyle he can adopt.  Why do we call it plant-based?  Because there are plenty of fat vegans living on potato chips and soda.  For the next 30 days, Shell will eat nutrient-rich and delicious meals, consisting primarily of whole grains, lots of veggies, fresh fruits, nuts/seeds and some soy 'meat' substitutes.

Blood Work:

Total Cholesterol: 168 (High)

Healthy levels of cholesterol are an important part of a healthy body.  Your body needs cholesterol to produce cell membranes and certain hormones.  Cholesterol plays an important role in other bodily functions as well.  Cholesterol can be good or bad, so it’s important to learn what it is, how it affects your health, and how to manage your levels.  Unhealthy levels of cholesterol can lead to heart disease or stroke.  

    - New research suggests the total cholesterol should be under 150 mg/dl

    - The total cholesterol level isn't as important as the LDL/HDL ratio as shown below

LDL's (the bad cholesterol): 135 (High)

This is extremely high.  High levels of “bad” cholesterol in your body can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.  When there is too much bad cholesterol in your body, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries in your heart and brain.  Once there, it can combine with other substances to form plaque, which can narrow your arteries and make them less flexible.  This is a medical condition called atherosclerosis.  If a blood clot forms and blocks an artery narrowed by plaque, you could have a heart attack or stroke.  So for good health, keep your LDL low—below 100 mg/dL. 

HDL's (the good cholesterol): 33 (Low)

The medical term for “good” cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL carries cholesterol away from your arteries and takes it to your liver, where it’s removed from your body.  High levels of HDL protect you from heart attacks.  HDL levels less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women may increase your risk for heart disease.  HDL levels higher than 60 mg/dL may help protect you against heart disease.

Triglycerides: 194 (High)

Triglyceride is a form of fat that’s made in your body.  People who have high levels of triglyceride often have a low level of “good” cholesterol and a high level of “bad” cholesterol.  Triglyceride levels of 150 mg/dL or higher may increase your risk for heart disease.  Many people with heart disease, diabetes or both have high triglyceride levels. 

Weight: 215 lbs

BMI (Body Mass Index): 27.6

BMI (body mass index) is a screening tool used to measure weight relative to height. While BMI does not measure body fat directly, it has been shown to correlate to measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing, and is considered an accurate alternative for body fat measurement.

BMI	Weight Status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5—24.9	Normal
25.0—29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

Post a comment below if you have any words of wisdom for our challenger!  I look forward to seeing Shell's blood work results after the 30 days.  Believe it or not, he doesn't seen concerned AT ALL regarding the results of his initial blood work.  So please, we want to hear to from you!  What do you think?