True blood

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Last week, I wrote a little bit about my problems with trying to go on statins at my doctor’s request. Statins are supposed to reduce blood fats and cholesterol. As I’ve written many times, I also have elevated blood glucose levels, which pushed me toward diabetes.

Well, it didn’t take long for some of my readers to comment on my diet choices. I’m basically a carnivore. I’ve written about the low-carb lifestyle more times than I can remember. People who’ve actually seen me eat a meat lunch have often remarked on it. “Ah ha!” a few claimed after my Editor’s Note came out, oozing schadenfreude, “this is proof your immoral, animal-based diet is killing you.”

I don’t believe so, and I’m putting it to the test. I believe that it was my slacking off from my disciplined diet that elevated my triglyceride numbers. So, I’m going hard-core meat diet for the month. I’m supposed to see my doc in the first week of April, to schedule my anal probe, and we’ll see the numbers then.

Here’s my theory in a nutshell. I believe that people who have a certain genetic predisposition toward certain diseases must have a restricted diet. Some people should restrict animal flesh, getting 95 percent of their nutrition from veggies and fruits. Some people, like me and the Inuit, should primarily eat meat. And I’m not altogether uncertain that people shouldn’t eat meat in the winter and spring and fruits and veggies in the summer and fall. I’ve never put it to the test.

Some people have a different metabolism that favors a mix, never getting fat, never suffering the effects if they do get overweight. I’d imagine if they tried a restricted diet, they’d have problems. In fact, some vegetarians come to mind who are clearly off the ratio.

Nobody should eat processed fats, sugars or grains.

Anyway, we’ll see. I promise to put the new numbers up as soon as I get them. Should be around tax day. But I should note, I’ve lost five pounds in the eight days since I quit the statin.