The InsideGuide

Optimizing the Vegan Diet With Joshua Quarles and InsideTracker

Written by Perrin Braun | Aug 20, 2014

 

Joshua Quarles is on the move. As an avid cyclist and downhill skier, he has never been at a loss for athletic pursuits. Even though he constantly monitors his diet, Quarles, who is the CFO of a community bank in Montana, was still worried about his health. With a family history of high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure, Quarles wanted to make sure that his diet was as rigorous as his cycling regimen.

When he went to the doctor back in 2011 to get his yearly physical exam, he was dismayed to learn that his cholesterol levels were higher than usual. Although they weren’t in the danger zone, they were still higher than Quarles expected. Soon afterwards, he cut out all cholesterol from his diet and became a vegan. However, something was still missing: Quarles wanted to increase his competitiveness in cycling, and he needed to make sure he was getting enough protein in his diet while not eating meat, dairy, or fish. After reading about cyclist Sarah Hammer’s success using InsideTracker in Wired magazine, Quarles also decided to give the program a try. He signed up for the InsideTracker Performance Plan to receive concrete, evidence-based nutrition recommendations that would help him improve his physical performance and decrease his cholesterol.

After getting his blood drawn at a LabCorp clinic in Montana and receiving the detailed online analysis from InsideTracker, Quarles brought the results into his physician’s office. “Doctors don’t really care about your results unless they’re in the critical zone, and what’s great about InsideTracker is that it can see what ranges would be appropriate specifically for your body,” Quarles said. What makes InsideTracker unique is its integration of an “optimal zone” in the blood analysis — a number that is specific to each person and takes into account his or her own unique demographic information such as: age, gender, ethnicity, activity level, as well as lifestyle and performance goals. InsideTracker’s sophisticated algorithm called B.R.A.I.N (Biomarker Research Analysis Integrative Network) determines the optimal zones for each marker based on the latest peer-reviewed research. So while Quarles’ physician may not have noticed his sub-optimal levels of cholesterol because they were within the “normal” range for the general population, his levels were actually not high enough to meet his personal needs.

Quarles’ doctor was so impressed by the scientific nutritional recommendations, which are based on biomarker levels, that he encouraged Quarles to get his blood analyzed by InsideTracker every 4 to 6 months. His favorite part of the program was the high level of personalized information that he received. InsideTracker works by showing you your current biomarker levels and then explaining and giving recommendations on how to achieve ideal levels; it also suggests a diet tailored to your needs and preferences.

“It’s really helpful that InsideTracker adjusts your diet recommendations based on what you like to eat,” Quarles said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my cycling because I have a better sense of how I can impact my performance through my diet, and now I’m constantly looking up new foods to liven up my meals.”

Following his first InsideTracker test, Quarles upgraded to the Ultimate package in order to receive information about even more of his biomarkers. After adhering to the program’s nutrition recommendations, his cholesterol levels decreased dramatically. He reports that his diet has improved significantly thanks to InsideTracker, and that the algorithm helps him “see how one biomarker can impact another.”

Fast-forwarding to present day, Quarles is working hard to preach the InsideTracker gospel. He purchased InsideTracker packages for his wife and father, and even his physician is interested in taking a test himself.  Does he have any advice for people who are looking to improve their health, wellness, and performance? “Try InsideTracker,” Quarles said. “Almost everyone will be surprised by what they see on their test results. Most people don’t realize that some foods have a negative impact on their performance, so the program will help them learn what foods they should avoid and how they can monitor their diet.”

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