“May you live in interesting times…”
With the summer receding, we find ourselves at a seminal crossroads because things are not working out as planned nor expected. Instead, we find ourselves in a blame game as the science continues to evolve, showing a much more complicated, nuanced and dynamic scenario than the simple solution policy makers and big pharma promised and delivered at warp speed. Things certainly are playing out as “warped”, with the only thing truly moving at “warp speed” being the Delta variant and with more variants to come.
You are in control of your health
You are probably wondering, on both a conscious and subconscious level, what you can do.
The answer is quite a bit, and if you have found your way to this vlog, you are already further ahead of the curve than most.
The science, especially the growing data, does provide a clear picture of who is actually having poor outcomes, breakthroughs and ADE - those who are severely metabolically compromised: Vitamin D deficiency, obesity, hyperinsulinemia, respiratory diseases or challenges including smoking, those with liver disease, including those on statins, heart disease or blood disorders, the immunocompromised or other inflammatory disease, etc. Ironically, all of these chronic conditions are entirely preventable.
By digging into the data, we can actually navigate the complexities of nature, which I discussed in my vlog on the “Elegant Chaos of Natural Systems”. While the only guarantee on this journey called life is eventual death, you do have way more control over the current situation than you realize.
That control, however, means taking responsibility rather than ceding responsibility to the healthcare system, government policy or even the latest internet health guru, including me! Understand this one thing: YOU are in control of your health!
What is the best decision you can make?
Why am I talking about being at a metabolic crossroads? Recent developments on the current global health challenge have us at a crossroads, and frankly, I don’t know enough to make a recommendation on the two choices presented. “To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question.” I can offer a third rail, no matter what existential conclusion you decide upon. One that is perfectly aligned with the data: Reclaiming your metabolic fitness.
Over a year ago, I did a vlog on “Getting Ahead of the Curve” and supported those recommendations with specific science. Since that time, the evolving science has only further supported those recommendations. Getting metabolically fit is as big a factor, if not bigger, in preventing a poor outcome whether you are vaccinated or not.
3 Key Blood Tests You Need to Know About
So, today I’d like to share 3 key blood tests, and with them, “Peter’s Recommended Reference Range” for each compared to the standard medical reference range. Taken together, they are a great indicator of Metabolic Fitness. Oddly, 2 out of these 3 blood tests you have to ask for because they are not included in the standard panel. Most doctors won’t order these unless YOU request them.
- Vitamin D status known as 25, Hydroxy Vitamin D (Lab Corp #081950)
- Fasting Insulin (Lab Corp #004333)*These two tests you need to insist upon because they are not part of most standard blood panels.
- Triglycerides which are part of a standard Lipid panel; Lab Corp #303756)
Why are these 3 important?
Poor Vitamin D status has consistently correlated to poor outcomes. Wonder why African Americans are so disproportionately affected, while Africans in Africa have had far different outcomes, where ‘healthcare’ is virtually non-existent? Year round sun exposure is a big factor. Keep it or lose it?
In 2010, the OFM program identified the prevalence of poor Vitamin D status as a factor for both health and performance, setting a benchmark of 50ng/dl, instead of the recommended 20-30 ng/dl. And guess what... The emerging papers are suggesting exactly this!
Second, and this is HUGE, Hyperinsulinemia is one of the biggest markers of poor outcomes and even death. Whether you get vaccinated or not, if your insulin is through the roof, you're guaranteeing yourself bad problems, whether now with the current panicdemic or in the long term. This is why fasting insulin is such a great starting point, and why it’s not part of a standard panel is beyond comprehension. My recommendation is to be at 12 micro units or less, with 4-6 being ideal. Twelve is only halfway on the medical reference range of less than 25.
I can’t stress this enough because high insulin forces cellular glucose metabolism and inhibits fat metabolism. In the context of the current situation, RNA replication is fueled by glucose metabolism and inhibited by beta oxidation. When your fasting insulin is sitting in the 4-6 range, your cells are using ‘fat for fuel’ thus making for a less than hospitable environment for RNA replication.
Triglycerides, which are normally part of a standard lipid/cholesterol panel, are the third key marker. I like to see people below 100 mg/dl, and ideally below 80. The bottom of the medical reference range is 150, and even that level is nothing to sweat but something to work on.
While this does not discount other blood work, knowing these 3 key metrics can give you a sense of your risk profile to see if you need to improve your metabolic health. Taken together with some of the strategies I outline in ‘Getting Ahead of the Curve’ you can take back a significant degree of control of your health during these uncertain times.
