SInce it isn't yet accepted medical practice I assume many, if not most, insurance companies will not pay for an extended lipid panel. I am also surprised that most PCPs won't run it. If you are in or near a big city you can get the test done yourself on your dime. I plan to ask next time I go, explaining that I want the data for my own information and am willing to pay incremental costs..
It seems as if getting the test done requires a doctor, so you could just try something like NMR LipoProfile a Cholesterol and Lipid Blood Test (not saying that one is optimal, or that you should use it, just saying that if you find ways to "buy the LDL-P test online", you will often get an option to find a lipidologist (doctor that knows something about the current science).
You don't say where you live, or at least I did not catch this. These doctors are around, but they are clearly a minority. My doctor suggested the NMR particle tests to me, and I had asked him if he thought I should take statins and he said no.
I average 500 kc/day and up in exercise activities, and I have not eaten any starches in years. I don't think they are needed at all, but if I could process them well I might eat some as they are tasty as vehicles for sauces and butter. How I used to love cod baked with potatoes and onions and butter! Now I skip the potatoes, but potatoes do a very good job of grabbing juices.Cutting down/out on bread and pasta is probably a good idea, but to the extent you need starches (hint: how active you are), potatoes and rice are relatively good starches, and potatoes are rich in nutrients.
I've almost eliminated wheat bread from my diet and try to cut back on carbs in general. But so many of the veggies I love are high in carb / starch content: carrots, beets, parsnips, even peas are pretty high carb but I still eat a fair amount of these veggies, and the peas I'm picking in my garden right now are soooo good! When you say you haven't eaten any starches in years do you mean the just the big ticket items like bread, pasta, potatoes - or do you also avoid veggies like carrots, peas, etc?
I've almost eliminated wheat bread from my diet and try to cut back on carbs in general. But so many of the veggies I love are high in carb / starch content: carrots, beets, parsnips, even peas are pretty high carb but I still eat a fair amount of these veggies, and the peas I'm picking in my garden right now are soooo good! When you say you haven't eaten any starches in years do you mean the just the big ticket items like bread, pasta, potatoes - or do you also avoid veggies like carrots, peas, etc?
Eating never used to seem this hard!
No pasta, bread, wheat, or potatoes allowed..Even the "nutritious nasty tasting" food of carrots, beets, and peas could be heading for the chopping block. What is left to eat? I have done myself good to about eliminate french fries and potato chips from my diet, but you will have to grab my pasta and potatoes from my cold dead heads. 
As long as I can drink my meds I can deal with the food restrictions...Joe, your killing me!
Joe, I would never recommend my diet-I started it because of suspiciously high blood sugars. And you are right, roots like carrots and beets are high carb-after all, they are called sugar beets, right? But things that work for me, I tend to take to the mat, and I found I had to go deeper with the axe than bread, pasta and beans. I may have fresh peas once or twice a year, usually when I buy an expensive bunch of lamb chops. A few carrots from time to time, and beets? only when I go to Whole Foods or some Russian Deli and get fermented beets which I treat like some people treat a hot fudge sundae.I've almost eliminated wheat bread from my diet and try to cut back on carbs in general. But so many of the veggies I love are high in carb / starch content: carrots, beets, parsnips, even peas are pretty high carb but I still eat a fair amount of these veggies, and the peas I'm picking in my garden right now are soooo good! When you say you haven't eaten any starches in years do you mean the just the big ticket items like bread, pasta, potatoes - or do you also avoid veggies like carrots, peas, etc?
Eating never used to seem this hard!
