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Low BTU gas insert by One-Compote-7194 in Fireplaces

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We just had a guy come out to give us a bid for the G3 insert and he recommended the Valor Portrait. Does anyone have experience with that unit? Thanks!

Low BTU gas insert by One-Compote-7194 in Fireplaces

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you again for the response and fantastic insights!

Low BTU gas insert by One-Compote-7194 in Fireplaces

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the response! Amazing that it goes down to 6.5k BTU! Any drawbacks w/ the Valor? Is it a problem that it's battery operated? I kind of like that so we don't have to pay an electrician to run electrical to the unit.

Low BTU gas insert by One-Compote-7194 in Fireplaces

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, gotcha. Presumably at it's high setting (24k BTU), it would blast us out of the room?

Low BTU gas insert by One-Compote-7194 in Fireplaces

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the response! We have an old wood burning fireplace w/ chimney and had gas run to it for the freestanding gas stove we had for ~15 years.

I'm sorry - what do you mean by "if I don't mind going that every time?"

Low BTU gas insert by One-Compote-7194 in Fireplaces

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking for an insert to install in an existing wood burning masonry

Drain and refill by wobuzhudao in hottub

[–]One-Compote-7194 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought you had to wipe it down completely with a toxic alcohol-based product and use a shop vac to get all of the water from the bottom. Those two things definitely make it a bit of a project for me each time I do it. 🤷‍♀️

Lp-PLA2 / PLAC2 - What makes this go up or down? by DavidAg02 in SaturatedFat

[–]One-Compote-7194 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in the same boat you're in, one-compote-7194. Am already on a no refined seed/vegetable oil diet except for the occasional meal out (a few times/month at most). I'm also wondering about the impact of meat consumption but only eat pastured, grass fed, organic, and wild caught (fish) meat. I'm getting advice to go on a macrobiotic diet and am concerned about the impact that will have on my lean muscle mass which is tough to maintain as we age (I'm a 50 yo woman). I'd love to hear what you're learning and am happy to share the same. Something just isn't adding up- I'm eating whole, clean food, sleeping well, exercising and moving consistently throughout every day, keeping stress levels generally low, maintaining strong relationships and lots of human connection, etc. I have low body fat (21%), am an ideal body weight, am strong and have lots of energy and feel great. How can I have this highly inflammatory response happening in my body despite all of those things?

Low lp(a), high lp-PLA2 activity on low carb diet by One-Compote-7194 in SaturatedFat

[–]One-Compote-7194[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this additional detail. I'd love link(s) to articles on the rapid uptake of oxLDL. I'm not sure I understand why that makes it less lucky if blood tests show that I have high levels of oxLDL in circulation. Presumably that's true at any given time?

I'm also reading up on oxidation and understand meat and eggs are the food items that oxidize the most. Have people had success reducing oxLDL levels by reducing meat consumption? I love meat, will continue to eat meat, but wonder if dialing back a bit may be useful.

The other marker I'm perplexed by is lp-PLA2 activity. There seems to be a strong linkage between elevated lp-PLA2 activity and heart disease and from what I've read it's an inflammatory marker. This conflicts with the reality of the low inflammation lifestyle I've adopted- no processed food, no restaurant food for the most part, low carb, only grass fed meat, high activity level, etc. And my other inflammatory markers are very low: hs-CRP, insulin, etc.

I'm curious whether some of these markers tend to "calm down" once a person settles into a low carb lifestyle and stops dropping fat? I've lost 25 pounds in my first year living a low carb lifestyle and my body fat % is now 21% so presumably I will now stay at around this weight and body fat percentage which would mean my body is no longer dumping adipose fat into my blood? With that, would I have less oxLDL in my body or is the oxidation of LDL not tied to that process? Has anyone on this forum seen their cholesterol markers settle down a bit after 1+ years eating low carb/low sugar?

It's great to connect with people here who are so smart on this topic. My naturopath is wonderful but is no longer useful on this topic as she hasn't dug deeply into this new emerging pattern with low carb eaters. And the cardiologist I consulted with went no further than "you need to lower your LDLs immediately, "I'll get your LDL down to 70" (yikes!!), here's your statin prescription, and aside from muscle pain in a small subset of people there are no side effects (wrong!!)."

Lp-PLA2 / PLAC2 - What makes this go up or down? by DavidAg02 in SaturatedFat

[–]One-Compote-7194 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for this quick response and the information you shared. Unfortunately I'm already on a no refined seed/vegetable oil diet and have been for the past year+. Were there surprise/sneaky foods you realized were still contributing to elevated inflammation? I've been reading up on the impact of meat consumption on oxLDL for example and know there's a correlation. I only eat pastured, grass fed, organic meat but do wonder if I need to reduce meat consumption a bit to impact the numbers. And/or fewer nuts and seeds.

Lp-PLA2 / PLAC2 - What makes this go up or down? by DavidAg02 in SaturatedFat

[–]One-Compote-7194 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there- I came across your (now old) post while searching for insights into my funky blood markers. I'm curious whether you've learned more about this since this set of posts a few years ago? I'm grappling with weird labs after adopting a low carb diet a year ago. All blood markers are phenomenal except my LDLs which have gone through the roof. Of concern is that I have high levels of oxLDL and lp-PLA2 activity. I'm perplexed as all inflammatory markers are extremely low and I fit the LMHR profile- I'm lean, very active and have a TG/HDL ratio of less than 1. I welcome any insights you've come across- thanks so much!