Carnivore Diet Month 7 Health Update
Posted by Mira on October 3, 2025 in stories
Contents
Annual Health Checkup
On October 1, I had my annual health checkup and routine blood tests. The results were mixed.
Lipids
- Total Cholesterol:
343 mg/dL(up from189 mg/dLlast year) ✅ - LDL Cholesterol:
254 mg/dL(up from118 mg/dLlast year) ✅ - HDL Cholesterol:
50 mg/dL(up from36 mg/dLlast year) ✅ - Triglycerides:
193 mg/dL(up from175 mg/dLlast year) ❌ - Triglycerides/HDL ratio:
3.86(down from4.86last year) ✅
Metabolic Markers
- Fasting Glucose:
84 mg/dL(down from127 mg/dLlast year) ✅
Full Blood Count
- Platelet count:
101k(down from105klast week) ➖ - WBC:
2.3(down from3.3last week) ❌
Autoimmune Markers
- Complement C3:
69(same as 5 months ago) ❌ - Complement C4:
13(down from165 months ago) ❌ - C-reactive protein:
<0.3(down from0.3from 5 months ago) ✅ - Erythrocyte sedimentation rate:
20(down from192 months ago, and from255 months ago) ✅
In summary, my lipids and metabolic markers are improving, but my autoimmune markers are not fully recovered.
For the big increase in total cholesterol and LDL, it corresponds to the fat intake from animal products. This is a well-known fact in the carnivore community. It has also become a controversy whether high LDL is truly bad for health. In modern discussions, some argue that LDL can actually be beneficial. I will do a CAC scan to continue monitoring the situation.
Here are some publications suggesting that LDL may not be the cause of heart disease:
- Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: a systematic review
- Association between low density lipoprotein cholesterol and all-cause mortality: results from the NHANES 1999–2014
- Importance of Coagulation Factors as Critical Components of Premature Cardiovascular Disease in Familial Hypercholesterolemia
This video featuring Dr. Ken Berry and Dr. David Diamond also supports the view that LDL is not the primary cause of heart disease.
I was a little disappointed that my lupus markers haven’t improved over the past five months, even though C-reactive protein and ESR are both better. My low WBC also suggests I may be close to a flare (or already in one), and my knee pain points in the same direction.
I was also surprised that my triglycerides increased since last year. I thought reducing carbs would bring them down, but it hasn’t — at least not in absolute numbers. On the positive side, my HDL improved, which shows that my resistance training is working. My triglycerides/HDL ratio also improved. It’s not as dramatic as I hoped, but still a step in the right direction. My goal remains to get below 2.
Overall, I would say I’m metabolically healthy, but my immune system still needs improvement. My focus going forward is to continue strength training and adjust my diet to help lower triglycerides.
Improvements
Down-dosing Doptelet with Stable Platelet Count
Toward the end of August 2025, I reduced my Doptelet dosage from 20 mg three times per week to 20 mg three times every 8 days.
By the end of September, my platelet count was 105k (previously 107k and 118k). This is still within the same range but with a lower dose. It’s a positive sign, and I feel encouraged to continue tapering.
After the 105k reading, I further reduced the dose to 20 mg every 3 days. My platelet count remained stable at 101k on the October 1st blood draw.
What I Have Tried
Walking in the Sun
To test whether sunlight helps WBC, I walked three times a day for the entire month — in the morning, after lunch, and in the evening.
By the end of September, my WBC was 3.3, which is lower than the 5.5 I recorded in California in May. So, my hypothesis that sunlight can boost WBC is not supported.
Now the question remains: why is my WBC low? My doctor suggested it may be lupus (I don’t believe so). Looking back at my blood results, in 2021 my WBC was 2.7, which was also low. At that time, my platelet count was 150 (normal), and overall I felt healthy without symptoms. Maybe my WBC has always been low. It could even be improving now. I’ll continue to monitor.
24h Reset Fast
I read Fast Like a Girl and learned a lot about women’s hormones. I also realized my hair loss may have been due to aggressive fasting, not fasting in sync with my menstrual cycle.
I decided to try a 24-hour “reset fast,” but it turned into a mistake. Toward the end, I became disoriented, accidentally dropped and broke a cutting board, felt unsafe driving, and lost a whole night of sleep (with a few rough nights afterward). I gained weight afterward, likely due to poor sleep.
After stopping fasting, my body gradually normalized — water weight decreased and sleep improved.
It was a disaster, but I learned a lot:
- Women’s bodies respond differently to fasting.
- Lack of sleep leads to weight gain.
- Combining heavy workouts with fasting can cause electrolyte loss.
- Hot weather + fasting increases this risk.
- Coffee on top of fasting can worsen dehydration.
- Electrolyte imbalance can cause a higher heart rate, poor sleep, and irritability.
- Listen to your body, not rigid rules.
- Maintaining body fat is essential for women.
Fasting Around the Cycle
The biggest takeaway from the book: don’t fast close to menstruation. Since applying this, I’ve noticed improvements:
- My hair loss has slowed.
- I’ve stopped spotting before my period.
- If I eat enough magnesium-rich foods, my sleep improves.
Autoimmune Update
ITP: Stable Platelet Count with Lower Dose
As mentioned above, my platelet count is still stable with an 11% reduction in Doptelet dosage.
Lupus: Blood Markers Not Improving
As mentioned above, my lupus markers haven’t improved in the past 5 months, despite improvements in CRP and ESR. My low WBC suggests I may be close to a flare (or in one already), and knee pain points in the same direction.
I’ll continue to monitor, keep my diet clean, and see if there are improvements.
Next Steps
- Continue down-dosing Doptelet
- Continue strength training
- Reduce pork intake, and increase fish intake
- Eat clean, sleep well, get sun exposure
- Manage low heart rate
