Hi all,

I've lurked here periodically for the past few years and have been
following the caveman lifestyle for about 10 years -- or at least since I
first read Ray Audette's book way back when.

I'm a 39-year-old male and recently had my cholesterol checked. About
seven weeks ago I got the results in the mail along with a prescription
from my doctor for Zocor.

Needless to say, it was an unpleasant surprise. Probably also needless to
say, I'm not going to take Zocor.

Here are the numbers:

Total cholesterol 358
triglycerides 105
LDL 259
HDL 78

That was about seven weeks ago and since that time my strategy to improve
my lipid profile has been to "go deeper into the cave" as my girlfriend
and I like to describe it (we often talk of being "in the cave" or "out of
the cave").

Being very active and in what most would consider good shape, I've gotten
a little loose over the years with my eating habits. I was probably eating
pizza every four to six weeks. I've always had a sweet tooth, and was
indulging a little too often. I always tried to prepare for my indulgences
by exercising reeeally hard earlier in the day of the transgression. That
was my rationalization anyway.

Well, apparently I was stepping out of the cave a little too often -- at
least as far as my doctor is concerned. BTW, he doesn't know anything
about my dietary habits.

Here's how I eat:

Monday:
4 slices thick bacon, 3 omega-3 eggs, macadamia nuts, coconut oil
bowl of meat (grass-fed ground beef, spaghetti sauce, olive oil)
dinner at Saltgrass Steakhouse: med-rare filet mignon kebab, salad

4 slices thick bacon, 3 omega-3 eggs, macadamia nuts, coconut oil
bowl of meat
dinner at Red, Hot, and Blue: sausage, pulled pork, ribs, salad

Also, I take about eight fish oil pills per day. Sometimes I forget,
that's why take eight. It probably averages out to about 40 per week. And
I know I don't eat nearly enough vegetables!

Also, once a week or so I'll eat a bunch of fruit.

Anyway, since the bad news, I've made the following modifications: I
indulge extremely rarely, I've gone from low carbohydrate to extremely low
carbohydrate consumption, and for the past few weeks I've been having a
couple tablespoons of coconut oil daily.

My questions for y'all are as follows:

1. Just in general, whaddaya think?
2. Aside from the obvious, what things should my next blood test measure?

Thanks for any and all help!

Mike Knickerbocker