To get the new year off to a good start, one of my first healthcare objectives was to have a body scan conducted. For those of you who don't know what these are, a body scan is a relatively new test that uses high-resolution CT scanning equipment to take you on a computerized journey into your body from the thyroid gland through the pelvis. It is almost never covered by health insurance (isn't it a shame that preventive things are almost never covered by your health insurance--it's only after you get a disease and need an expensive operation that they cover it). I had been on a waiting list since August to have the scan done and it was well worth it in my opinion.
One of the key things a body scan shows that really caught my attention, is that it can catch even the tiniest traces of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in your arteries well before any stress test or other medical technique can catch it. With my family history of heart disease, I wanted to know if the beginnings of the disease were present in my body or not, so if they were I could do something more early on, before an artery is so blocked that I would need medication, an angioplasty or worse.
Basically the big day came and the images of my insides were captured by a machine that was like an open MRI. No pain or discomfort--you just had to sometimes hold your breath while a particular image was taken. Afterwards, I sat down at a computer with one of the doctors who specialized in radiology and he took me on a guided tour of my body pointing out what we were seeing, what they usually look for that would be indicative of a problem, and how I shaped up. My ears particularly perked up as we got to the heart and the major arteries.
The doctor told me that these days with the fast food diets of kids, it is not surprising to see people in their late teens and early twenties (even grade-school kids) with the beginning of plaque build-up in their arteries. I was relieved to find out that my 40-year-old heart looked good and my arteries showed absolutely no traces at all of calcified atherosclerotic plaque. My calcium and plaque scores were a straight zero across the board. After years of trying to score 100% on tests in school, for the first time I was relieved to find I earned a zero!
As he looked at my arteries on the computer screen, he said "you don't eat meat or poultry do you"? I was surprised and said that he was right, I followed a healthy "NMP" eating style (no meat or poultry, yes to fish, low-fat or fat-free dairy and egg substitutes). He told me that he could tell because I "had the arteries of someone who didn't eat meat". The proof was in the scan. This was doubly satisfying, as I had not always eaten this healthfully and was pleased to see that my "wayward youth" had not shown up in my arteries.
I was overjoyed by the news of my "zero-score" arteries, so to celebrate, I went to a local fast-food place that I love that was nearby the testing center and had a nice cheeseburger and fries to celebrate. What, you might be saying? To celebrate the good news you had a non-"NMP" meal--an unhealthy burger and fries--what were you thinking girl?
Yes I did have a cheeseburger and fries. But I stayed completely true to my "NMP" eating style. The place where I had my meal was called "Veg-A-Go-Go" and I had a delicious burger that was meatless (they use Boca Burgers) with non-fat cheese on a whole wheat bun, romaine lettuce, ketchup and pickle. Plus the fries were what they call "air fries"--no frying, they are baked in a convection oven to a nice crispness with just a trace of canola oil. Anyone who passed by and just saw my plate with a delicious burger and fries would never have known it wasn't the "real thing". Neither did my taste buds. But my arteries will. We have a deal, I'll keep eating all the foods I love "NMP" style so I never miss a thing, and they'll keep turning in those "zero" performances.
Author's Note: Body scans are relatively new and the long-term effects of the exposure from the special CT scanning equipment is not known. Research the process thoroughly and discuss it with your team of healthcare professionals before undergoing one yourself. And also carefully check out the center where you intend to have the scan performed thoroughly--not all scans are the same.
