Healthy Game

 I think it's important to record how I feel at regular intervals so that it is easier to follow progress. At the moment : I have plantar fasciitis - right heal hurts but I think there are days when it feels a little better My right thigh still has it's numbness and occasional burning ( but today had a long walk with only minor discomfort)  At night I get numb fingers (normally half hand only but not same half consistently!) Have pains in the back of my calves, at the top behind the knee, like a cramp coming on Have a small amount of pain in my right big toe - like a mini gout! I have a weird feeling of "breathless chest flutters" on occasions  I have been on a low carb diet for about four weeks.  I have just started increasing my daily fast by missing breakfast during the week.  I am down to 87.9kg.  Today I started a daily (hopefully) body weight exercise session.

 It has been a productive month.  I have firmed up on my belief that low-carb is the way to go.  I read "The Clot Thickens", a book that lays out clearly the causes of heart disease.  Basically it is important that the damage to your arterial walls is slower than the repair to them. Damage is caused by diabetes, stress, and particulates.  Repair is helped by sunshine, exercise and a good diet. Everything is connected and I'm sure that my tingling is an early symptom of something much more dangerous.  I hope that these symptoms can be reversed and I'll do my best. Plantar fasciitus is doubling my discomfort and clouding my feelings of well-being. My action plan is: Eat low carb (75g per day) Fast (miss breakfast) 4 days a week Keep calories to less than 1,500 pd until at required weight Eat more protein (75g per day) Keep to 14 alcohol units per week practice sleeping better practice mindfullness Take selected supplements (C,D and Omega 3) Do high intensity ...

 I've surprised myself with how I've found a direction so quickly! Thank god for youtube and some clever doctors and scientists.  I've learned that insulin resistance is the enemy.  A constant state of elevated insulin (responding to constant peaks of consumed sugars) makes you fat and is the source of many chronic diseases. As with many problems, it is important to find the root cause. The root cause is elevated insulin. Now to solve the problem. I visited the doctor's office last week and had a meeting with a nurse / nutritionist.  The thing is she was much fatter than me and had no personality whatsoever.  So no great motivational speech, no wonderful insights.  Just a box ticked. So in the last week I've read two books. Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman Eat to Beat Disease by William Li Bikman's book looks at the science of macro-nutrients and serious exercise Li's book is about (mainly) plant-based micro-nutrients My main takeaways?   Too ma...

 Maybe a health check in early January wasn't the best idea.  With Christmas excesses still swilling round the blood stream perhaps I should have waited more than 10 days to "detox". I had a preconception that the NHS would be reluctant and slow to see me and check me over.  How wrong I was.  Within 24 hours of calling I was having blood taken from my arm by a friendly nurse. Within a week I got the results and another telephone consultation.  Everything was fine except, as expected, the lipids and, surprisingly, the news of pre-diabetes. The NHS ran my numbers through their risk calculator and, apparently, if there were 100 clones of me (terrifying thought) 14 of them would have a heart attack or a stroke within the next 10 years. The doctor calmly carried on by explaining that a 10% risk was more acceptable and would I like to do something to reduce my risk!  Er, yes please! So here starts my journey to health. I am not sure where this journey will take m...