Great Numbers: August 4 2022

Yesterday I went to Lloyds Pharmacy for a cholesterol test. Lloyds do a range of tests for a small cost. I'd gone because I'd had a high reading at my last health check in November, but the levels hadn't been checked with the latest review in June.

It was easy to find a testing centre near me and I was able to get an appointment the next day. There are some restrictions, for example, if you've had an acute illness or a general anaesthetic in the past three months. The cost is £18.

The test itself takes minutes, a small finger prick to collect some blood, which is placed on a small cartridge in the unit which analyses the sample. You're asked some general lifestyle questions (smoking, alcohol use, activity levels) and checked whether you are eligible for the service.

Minutes later, there is a print out that the pharmacist goes through with you. As a bonus, you also get your glucose levels. Both of mine were good, and the cholesterol levels greatly improved since November. He said to me, "whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it."

The major change I've made is moving over to the recommendations made by the Zoe team to support a healthy gut microbiome:

• reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods , especially things containing emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners.
• aim to eat about thirty different plant-based foods each week including teas and fresh coffee, herbs and spices, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as fruits and vegetables.
• eat fermented foods (kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, but also cheese, yoghurt, fresh coffee and 70% chocolate - not Dairy Milk)!

No foods are prohibited (there is even some suggestion the occasional Happy Meal might jump start your gut microbiome). I like this as it is very flexible around people's preferences, budget and cultural and community traditions.

You can also minimise the effect of highly refined foods like pizza by how you combine it with other foods: for example, have a plant-based salad or vegetable starter with an olive oil dressing, then include fats and protein in the toppings - cheese fits the bill nicely.

Some research findings could be misconstrued: the sorts of ultra processed food that lessens your life expectancy the most includes hot dogs (36 minutes per dog - no mention of the bread roll and accompanying cola); on the other hand, nut butters and oily fish can increase it (a portion of salmon by 70 minutes).

You can see some wag having a hot dog for lunch and salmon and broccoli for supper!
This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Gardening, Walking, Yoga