Case Study: Gerald H
Learn how an ultramarathon runner dropped his LDL by 100 points and got off blood pressure medications by changing diet
Listen to our podcast episode with Gerald.
What made you suspect you could use a change in diet?
A couple of things:
First, when I found out I was carrying one copy of APOE4 allele, I was on a mission to determine the best diet to protect the health of my brain as I got older. One of those strategies that I had learned in all my research on the APOE4 allele was its relation to both heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
The 2nd reason was at 58 years old, my blood pressure and cholesterol had continued to rise, even though I was working out with weights in the morning and running in the evening.
How were you eating before starting with the custom nutrition plan?
I was eating a Paleo diet, grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and eggs, wild-caught salmon, butter, lots of vegetables, no grains, no legumes, nuts, and seeds.
What diet type did you receive?
I received the Lean Machine diet type. I was happy that my genes indicated I needed to eat a whole food plant-based and low-fat saturated diet. All my research with my APOE4 gene indicated that this was the diet I needed to be at.
How did you change your approach to diet?
I jumped all the way in, I stopped all saturated fat including butter, stopped all red meat, all meat. Started eating Oatmeal again with blueberries, apples, and walnuts for breakfast. Large salads with kale, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and almonds. Beans became my (go to) meal for lunch and dinner.
Occasionally I also would eat wild-caught salmon about 2 days a week, staying in line with the recommendations of less than 10% of animal protein for my diet plan. I have just begun ordering the Salmon Roe for the DHA content to add to my protocol.
Did you notice a difference in biomarkers like LDL-C? What biomarkers improved?
Wow, did I, My total cholesterol dropped from 255 to 155, My LDL dropped from 176 to 85. I also checked many biomarkers and all of them were in the excellent range. My sensitive cardiac CRP, APOB ratio, HbA1c, heavy metals, fasting glucose and Trigs. My blood pressure dropped from 135 to 140 over 80 to my new normal 118 to 120 over 70. I also lost 23 pounds from 173 to 150 without trying.
| Marker | Data Before | Data After |
|---|---|---|
| Cholesterol (Total) | 266 mg/dL | 155 mg/dL |
| Triglycerides | 83 mg/dL | 97 mg/dL |
| HDL Cholesterol | 57 mg/dL | 48 mg/dL |
| VLDL Cholesterol Cal | 17 mg/dL | 19 mg/dL |
| LDL Cholesterol Calc | 192 mg/dL | 88 mg/dL |
| Blood Pressure | 150/80 | 111/65 |
| Apolipoprotein B | 73 |
How was your athletic performance impacted?
Well I run Ultra marathons but for the last 5 years, I have kept getting injured and was not able to get my mileage up, since going on this diet I have experienced no injuries and I am able to run 20 milers every Sunday, my recovery is unbelievable. I have a 50km scheduled on November 9th.
Any other changes we should be aware of?
There are three other changes that I have noticed: more focus, less brain fog, and no anxiety.