Night Elf Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Help! With all the fear about statins, I talked to my doctor about stopping them. Instead, I am taking 2400 mg of fish oil. I eat what I consider to be a very small amount of meat, usually no more than 2 oz. of lean meat per day, if that. I don't eat many eggs either, and when I do, I only use the whites. What else might I be eating that makes my cholesterol go up? I was 158 in January and am now 243. DH thinks I should just go back on the Simvastatin. Ugh. I know I need to increase my exercise. I use exercise machines at the YMCA twice a week. I guess that's resistance training? And I walk a couple of times a week, but only about 20 mins. or so. I'm usually walking with ds15 so it's not a brisk walk but I do get warm. I can sing though, so I'm told that means I'm not working hard enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Help! With all the fear about statins, I talked to my doctor about stopping them. Instead, I am taking 2400 mg of fish oil. I eat what I consider to be a very small amount of meat, usually no more than 2 oz. of lean meat per day, if that. I don't eat many eggs either, and when I do, I only use the whites. What else might I be eating that makes my cholesterol go up? I was 158 in January and am now 243. DH thinks I should just go back on the Simvastatin. Ugh. I know I need to increase my exercise. I use exercise machines at the YMCA twice a week. I guess that's resistance training? And I walk a couple of times a week, but only about 20 mins. or so. I'm usually walking with ds15 so it's not a brisk walk but I do get warm. I can sing though, so I'm told that means I'm not working hard enough. Last year (?) my doc gave me 2 weeks to lower my cholesertol by 20 points and I managed to lower it by 30. I found the post of what I did. I had oatmeal every weekday morning for breakfast. I had bean/pea soup for lunch on weekdays. Or I ate frozen peas. I'm weird that way. I like frozen peas. Not frozen peas that have been cooked, but frozen peas that are still frozen. But they are a legume! Two fish oil tabs at bedtime. Garlic tabs. Green tea tabs. (garlic and green tea are supposed to help lower.) Red wine at dinner or at least before bed. I didn't really change dinner. I don't feel like I made really big changes. But I worried about it for 2 weeks. I already ate pretty healthy, I think. But I was training for a marathon at the time. So exercising big time. Not working hard enough - when you run, you should still be able to carry on a conversation. If you can't you are exercising to hard. So I'd say you need to go harder than you are, but maybe not a whole lot. Here is a lonk to when I questioned how to lower the numbers: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2339629#poststop I hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixeldog Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I have always had "high" cholesterol no matter what (diet, exercise, drugs, etc.) and have recently, within the past year, started following a more "traditional" diet per Weston A. Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org) and information as contained in this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html. I am not concerned with my cholesterol any longer, rather on inflammation. Focusing on traditional foods, especially fermented ones like kombucha tea and kefir, sprouted grains, high quality meats and very high quality fish oil (www.greenpasture.org) I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER! :D Worth looking into! Blessings, Nancy in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diann Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I have issues with my cholesterol, as well. Mine had always been around 220 and could be lowered with a strict low-fat diet. However, the ratio of HDL to LDL was never right. Based on this, along with the fact that I didn't fit the profile of a person with CAD, my cardiologist had genetic testing done. I found out that I'm genetically predisposed to the small LDL particles instead of the large, fluffy ones. The small particles stick to the arteries easier. So, in addition to a statin, I also take Niaspan which reduces the number of small particle LDL. A person with my genotype can't take fish oil because it increases the small particles. I couldn't do this with diet and exercise alone. Do you know your HDL and LDL numbers or just the total? You really need to know each of them to get a good picture of what your cholesterol is. Also, consider finding out your genotype. Mine was done at Berkeley Heartlab. Diann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I have great cholesterol despite a very strong family history of cholesterol issues (my mom's been on cholesterol medication for years; my brother's was high starting in his late 20's....he's a vegetarian and exercises constantly). I'm also about 40 pounds overweight....I credit watching carbs and sugar. I was really low carb for awhile, but I've been more moderate about it lately, and my numbers are still really good--slightly better, in fact, than a year ago when I'd just started a very low carb thing. I don't limit fats, eggs, or meat at all. I think the most recent research on cholesterol suggests that conventional wisdom on limiting fat gets it wrong. Also, I'd look not just at total cholesterol but at all the numbers and ratios. Total cholesterol isn't the best indicator of future heart problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Help! With all the fear about statins, I talked to my doctor about stopping them. Can you clue me in on these fears? My hubby wass just put on these and I haven't had time to do all the research neccesary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Eat more fiber, everyday. Eat less sugar and white carbs and increase your exercise. Here are some links to articles with what helps. http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/15-surprising-ways-to-improve-your-cholesterol http://www.everydayhealth.com/high-cholesterol-pictures/ways-to-lower-your-cholesterol-this-week.aspx#/slide-1 I'm in nurse practitioner school and somewhere in my lectures was a wonderful chart that showed how much you could change your lipid levels by different food choices or activities. Don't know where it is now, but it's a great tool because you can pull it out and say, I want to lower my cholesteroal by __________, so if I do this, this and that it should lower it to ______________. These articles give values so maybe that will help. It's wonerful that you're so motivated to do this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Dh has high cholesterol and has quit his meds years ago. He has not changed his protein intake and actually eats more eggs now that he is on a low carb diet. His cholesterol numbers have not changed significantly. They did not change significantly when he was on a low protein diet years before either. The biggest change for him was that his triglycerides went down to "normal" levels on low carb but only to about 500 on low protein. Interestingly, his mother recently quit her cholesterol meds and her numbers got better. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Dh's info from his health screening at work said to cut out sugars and down on carbs(processed grains etc) to lower the bad cholesterol. It didn't mention anything about low fat diets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) Well, I'm one of those people more interested in what pattern my cholesterol has, and my VLDL and triglyceride levels specifically. You may be interested in reading Gary Taubes and Dr. Eades. Sugar impacts cholesterol and is often overlooked. Sugar hides in nearly everything these days, so even if you don't think you are eating a lot of sugar, it is possible that you may be. http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100420/high-sugar-diet-linked-lower-good-cholesterol http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-04-21-sugar21_ST_N.htm Carbs including grains, and sugar itself, are thought to increase triglycerides and VLDL in many people. VLDL is the very dense, sticky version of LDL (really not good). Most labwork just estimates it using triglyceride levels. Low tris usually mean lower VLDL. Most LCers have low tris and low VLDL (desirable). Have you ever looked into metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance? The egg yolk and meat thing IMO is not something to worry much about at all, but I would investigate that for yourself so you can decide what works best for you. Have you considered a thyroid issue? My limited understanding is that women near menopause or post menopause with thyroid issues may see it impact their cholesterol, and this can be missed frequently, since my docs just run a TSH. Maybe the thyroid gurus can chime in. Edited June 21, 2012 by Momof3littles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Help! With all the fear about statins, I talked to my doctor about stopping them. Instead, I am taking 2400 mg of fish oil. I eat what I consider to be a very small amount of meat, usually no more than 2 oz. of lean meat per day, if that. I don't eat many eggs either, and when I do, I only use the whites. What else might I be eating that makes my cholesterol go up? I was 158 in January and am now 243. DH thinks I should just go back on the Simvastatin. Ugh. I know I need to increase my exercise. I use exercise machines at the YMCA twice a week. I guess that's resistance training? And I walk a couple of times a week, but only about 20 mins. or so. I'm usually walking with ds15 so it's not a brisk walk but I do get warm. I can sing though, so I'm told that means I'm not working hard enough. I would take the opposite approach. I would eat more meat and eggs and cut out all/almost all grains. Read - "Why We Get Fat" http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340303249&sr=8-1&keywords=why+we+get+fat Watch - "Fat Head" http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Fat_Head/70115017?trkid=2361637 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I would take the opposite approach. I would eat more meat and eggs and cut out all/almost all grains. Read - "Why We Get Fat" http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340303249&sr=8-1&keywords=why+we+get+fat Watch - "Fat Head" http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Fat_Head/70115017?trkid=2361637 http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-06-12/new-cholesterol-research-and-heart-disease-prevention?page=1 This is the link to a show about this very issue, and how cholesterol levels are NOT linked to heart disease in women the way they are in men. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty Mathy Mom Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 This was an interesting blog post from Wheat Belly. I lost weight and my cholesterol went up. I've been doing research for my mom. She's had very high cholesterol for years. Her doctor has no suggestions for her but eat an extreme low fat diet and take her statins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Do you know your HDL and LDL numbers or just the total? You really need to know each of them to get a good picture of what your cholesterol is. Also, consider finding out your genotype. Mine was done at Berkeley Heartlab. Diann My HDL is 40 and LDL is 173. My doctor found the high cholesterol and triglycerides when I went through a medical issue of having trouble breathing. I was referred to a cardiologist who ran me through a battery of tests. Everything checked out fine except the cholesterol and triglycerides. They put me on Simvastatin, Niacin, and a low-dose aspirin every day. I seriously doubt Kaiser would help me find my genotype, and something like that sounds very expensive. It would be interesting to know though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Okay, I read every post. You guys gave me homework!! Cut out sugar and carbs? Oh man. That would be a drastic move on my part. I've lost 36 lbs. on Weight Watchers and am now in the middle of my supposedly healthy weight range. It's good to not be considered overweight anymore. Okay, off to start looking at these things. I hate conflicting information too. I end up giving up researching when everything I read contradicts the thing I read before it. I can do oatmeal every day though. I love oatmeal. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Help! With all the fear about statins, I talked to my doctor about stopping them. Instead, I am taking 2400 mg of fish oil. I eat what I consider to be a very small amount of meat, usually no more than 2 oz. of lean meat per day, if that. I don't eat many eggs either, and when I do, I only use the whites. What else might I be eating that makes my cholesterol go up? I was 158 in January and am now 243. DH thinks I should just go back on the Simvastatin. Ugh. I know I need to increase my exercise. I use exercise machines at the YMCA twice a week. I guess that's resistance training? And I walk a couple of times a week, but only about 20 mins. or so. I'm usually walking with ds15 so it's not a brisk walk but I do get warm. I can sing though, so I'm told that means I'm not working hard enough. 1. Sugar is huge in increasing cholesterol - far more than meat/eggs (in fact, the natural cholesterol in a whole egg makes your LDL particles *bigger* which is what you want - it's the 'small dense' LDL that is the big baddy). Sugar is also big in triglycerides. 2. Refined grains/carbs - many people don't know this, but eating grains (including 'whole grains' like wheat which is a BIG culprit in this - wheat=evil ;)) raise cholesterol. 3. What are your broken down numbers? HDL/LDL/VLDL/Trigs? That matters more than the sum total number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I posted already, but will say it again. Read Taubes. You'll see why the research is "conflicting." He does a good job of showing how we're working from a flawed hypothesis. He is no scientific lightweight. IMO, cut to the chase and start with Taubes. If you want a taste of his ideas, he has some youtube lectures, he has a blog, and he has an old article published in the NYT called "What if it is All a Big Fat Lie?" that is a good primer on the topic. I think he's elaborated and tweaked things since that time, but it would be a good place to start. He also had a more recent article published in the NYT called "Is Sugar Toxic?" that you may be interested in. FWIW, if you have high tris, I'd start with cutting the sugar and grains as PPs have suggested. It is nearly impossible to have elevated tris if you eat lower carb/paleo. And again, look into metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and whether you have a family history or other symptoms of those issues. The lower HDL and high LDL with high tris would have me looking very, very closely at those issues for the long haul. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) 3. What are your broken down numbers? HDL/LDL/VLDL/Trigs? That matters more than the sum total number. The lower HDL and high LDL with high tris would have me looking very, very closely at those issues for the long haul. cholesterol (is this the total?) 243 HDL 40 LDL 173 Tri 148 My triglycerides have gone down into the normal level. I'm not sure why. However, I have changed some of my eating habits in order to lose weight. I'm now in the normal weight and am no longer considered overweight. To be honest, I really don't know how to stop carbs and sugar. My diet will be severely limited. I'm not really a big meat eater. I've actually been losing my taste for it and I don't know why. I eat lots of carbs though. I absolutely love potatoes. I can eat them every single day. I love bread, rice, and pasta. I do eat some veggies and fruits but not nearly as much as I should. I looked into changing my diet once before and I just got so confused and overwhelmed. Everything I read makes it sound so hard!! The lists of food I find are full of stuff I either don't like or never heard of. Making myself eat foods that don't taste good is so hard. I don't understand how people do it. Edited June 22, 2012 by Night Elf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I have always had "high" cholesterol no matter what (diet, exercise, drugs, etc.) and have recently, within the past year, started following a more "traditional" diet per Weston A. Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org) and information as contained in this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html. I am not concerned with my cholesterol any longer, rather on inflammation. Focusing on traditional foods, especially fermented ones like kombucha tea and kefir, sprouted grains, high quality meats and very high quality fish oil (www.greenpasture.org) I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER! :D Worth looking into! Blessings, Nancy in NC :iagree: Yes I think it's the inflammation, not the statins. Statins are good at lowering cholesterol rates, NOT death rates. Statins = Evil. Oatmeal = Good. Statins lower the quality of your life, and do not extend it. However they make people feel they're doing something positive, and pharmaceutical companies get richer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 red yeast rice tablets (my doc recommended them.) are also supposed to help along with the fish oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 To be honest, I really don't know how to stop carbs and sugar. My diet will be severely limited. I'm not really a big meat eater. I've actually been losing my taste for it and I don't know why. I eat lots of carbs though. I absolutely love potatoes. I can eat them every single day. I love bread, rice, and pasta. I do eat some veggies and fruits but not nearly as much as I should. I looked into changing my diet once before and I just got so confused and overwhelmed. Everything I read makes it sound so hard!! The lists of food I find are full of stuff I either don't like or never heard of. Making myself eat foods that don't taste good is so hard. I don't understand how people do it. I'd recommend the book "Wheat Belly" too, and to start with cutting out wheat - don't go anywhere else, just there (maybe corn too). I don't make myself eat foods I don't like - I love the foods I eat! I feel like a total foodie eating grain-free/dairy-free/sugar-free -- truly!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixeldog Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I took a highly reputed brand of Red Yeast Rice (recommended by my integrative medicine doc) for three months a couple of years ago and there was no change in my levels. My traditionally credentialed medical doc was also trained by and worked with Dr. Andrew Weil. I was very frustrated as the supplements were expensive and not covered by insurance (duh) and I found myself in the middle of controversy over the supplement because it had a drug-like substance and the FDA wanted to control it (remove it from the supplements thus removing the efficacy, etc. etc.). Even now, it's difficult to be sure that your brand will have the monacolins you need (in the amount needed) to lower cholesterol levels. I suppose you could try each brand one by one and check your levels every three months......"Science in Action"! :) But because there is no regulation, it would be up to the company to have the integrity to maintain those levels consistently over time (or let you know when it is no longer effective). Good luck with that........:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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