I'd like to do some Paleo meals, but I can't convince myself that meat, etc., is ok for dh's heart/cholesterol.

[HappyGrace]

We've been all organic/no processed foods for years, and after dh's heart attack (mild-due to undiagnosed high cholesterol) 5 yrs ago, we eat mainly chicken or bean type meals. (examples of dinners might be: chicken/veggie stir fry, black bean and yam with cilantro in tortillas w/ salsa and greek yogurt, turkey chili, stuffed peppers-stuffed with a ground turkey/tomato mix, lentil soup, whole wheat pasta with greens or pesto, etc. We might have a hamburger tortilla type thing or pork chops or something about every other week-so it's not like we never have meat. But he really likes to stay away from it quite a bit.) I don't use cheese or butter or fatty sauces in my cooking either. (the kids and I might add cheese or sour cream to our tacos, etc.) Basically it is heart healthy whole foods.

 

I read Nourishing Traditions years ago, and it kind of reminds me of Paleo in some respects. I agreed with a lot of what I read there, so we don't necessarily do super low fat or anything.

 

I get the basic concept behind Paleo, but I don't want to go all Paleo-I believe in a nice balance. But I got the book Well Fed and the meals look yummy! I just CAN'T wrap my head around it though that these types of dinners are ok for dh's heart!

 

I understand that the meat is organic and grass fed and so on, and therefore better for you cholesterol-wise. But all that beef and fat and so on-yikes! Please help me to understand so I can educate dh too!

[fraidycat]

Go to marksdailyapple.com, read the success stories. The also have a success stories portion on their forum. People post their actual doctor visit numbers all the time.

 

ETA: I just posted this on another thread, but I recommend that you watch this video:

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KzPnnDDCIjo

 

And one more ETA: The Fat Head documentary they are talking about is on fulldocumentary.net if you want to watch that one, too. It's good, too.

[Laurie4b]

If I were you, given the risk to your husband if you guess wrong, I'd modify Paleo for him.  Couldn't you use chicken and fish and cut out the red meat? Or just serve grassfed once in a while? (plus it's so dang expensive, it's hard to serve it a lot!) 

 

 

Here's a recent article from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/health/best-diets-ranked/  or

http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/paleo-diet

 

 

[Ellie]

There's not nearly enough scientific evidence to prove that eating foods low in cholesterol causes our cholesterol to be lower, or that eating foods high in cholesterol causes our cholesterol to be higher, or, in fact, that high cholesterol is the *cause* of heart disease.

 

There is significant evidence that a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in protein results in most people having lower cholesterol (with high "good" cholesterol and low "bad" cholesterol). I can tell you that after six months of a very "balanced" diet, my total cholesterol dropped 100 points in less than two months when I went to Atkins. My experience was not unique.

[HappyGrace]

By the way, I meant to add that I think the "caveman" science stuff behind Paleo is mostly hogwash-I just like the recipes in this book and want to try some, so that's what has me wondering how people with high cholesterol, heart issues, etc., that are following Paleo are doing. I have read on Mark's Daily Apple before-I guess it's just hard for me to get past the "caveman" link with this diet. I also realize it is a fad diet.

 

I think what I'll do is just incorporate one of these meals from the cookbook as our once every couple of weeks meat meal. I don't feel quite right doing more than that-his numbers have been excellent, so we'll just keep doing what we're doing. Thanks, everyone!

[HappyGrace]

Ellie-I agree with you-I'm not even 100% on board that cholesterol is the "cause" of heart issues! I think there is more involved than that.

 

I'm glad you've had such great results! We've cut our carbs back quite a bit too, for various reasons. We do have the occasional pasta meal, etc.

[kbutton]

Could you afford to pay for an extra test a couple of months into it, and ease into it a few meals per week? I would think that would be the best way to go so that you don't lose out if it helps or harm if it doesn't.

 

I supplement with high quality fish oil, etc., so that could explain part of the deal, but my cholesterol started out high normal in my early 20's, and it has trended downward as I've added high quality fat (including LOTS of pastured beef) to my diet--23 points lower. I am also significantly overweight and sedentary now, but I was in great shape when my numbers were higher. Very high cholesterol runs in my family, but I just got numbers back last week, and they are excellent. I could stand to add more olive oil into my diet, but the numbers are happy.

 

I know someone else who eats similarly (but not as gung-ho on the fats) that has been experiencing higher cholesterol in just the last couple of years, but they also have some conflicting factors. It's hard to tell--that person also can eat sugar likes it's supposed to be the main dish and have excellent blood sugars, so I guess we're all different.

[SadieMarie]

Paleolithic people did not have access to cornfed, fatty beef. They ate lean meat. It would have come from animals that were eating the diet nature intended them to eat. They certainly were not on antibiotics or living in filth. Eat grass fed beef (and grass fed but finished on corn is not grass fed btw). Do some research about the nutritional value of grass vs corn fed beef. You will not be worried about your Dh's health. It is a completely different food. You can also buy bison. I have bought elk too. Both are good. Venison is another option. I am lucky enough to have family who hunt. We made the switch and the meat is more expensive so we eat less of it.

[HappyGrace]

Oh, I'm totally convinced on the non-corn fed meat. We haven't eaten anything BUT grass fed (and local, as often as possible, so I know what the conditions are) for a few years. We get free range eggs, etc., too-and organic raw milk from pastured cows-our eggs are so yummy/healthy due to the biodynamic co-pasturing; the chickens eat the bugs out of the pasture that the cows graze! :) This keeps the bugs down for the cows too.

 

You are so lucky that you have hunters! Grass fed organic is so $$$.

 

 

[Amy in NH]

I'm at a residential-intensive graduate course right now: Mindfulness Meditation.  We just finished watching a documentary titled Avoiding the Surgeon's Knife about reversing heart disease.  The research did include a vegetarian diet, but it was conducted quite a while ago.  The main focus we have had in this class is on the effects of stress and stress-reduction.  But the video was about a preliminary study on reversing heart disease, so it is unclear which of diet, exercise (yoga), mindfulness meditation, or psychotherapy has the biggest impact.  The physician conducting the study suggested maintaining the vegetarian low-fat diet to continue the healing experienced by the test subjects, but I'd do more research on this given the new things about diet and health that have been discovered since the study.

 

Anyway, if your spouse is not already doing some form of meditation I would encourage it.  There is a lot of evidence now for neuroplasticity, the effects of stress on the body, and the great effect meditation has on stress.

[JustEm]

If you decide to start eating more red meat, consider buying a side or quarter of a cow to save on money.  This was the only way we could afford to eat grass fed regularly. With buying a side of beef each year we actually spend about $2/lb less than what normal commercial beef goes for in the store(unless its on sale.) If its an option, explore it.  

 

The only thing I can think you could do is add it in slowly and have his cholesterol checked a few months later.

Oh, I'm totally convinced on the non-corn fed meat. We haven't eaten anything BUT grass fed (and local, as often as possible, so I know what the conditions are) for a few years. We get free range eggs, etc., too-and organic raw milk from pastured cows-our eggs are so yummy/healthy due to the biodynamic co-pasturing; the chickens eat the bugs out of the pasture that the cows graze! :) This keeps the bugs down for the cows too.

 

You are so lucky that you have hunters! Grass fed organic is so $$$.

 

[Twinmom]

I have a family history of high cholesterol and have been eating a primarily Paleo diet for years. My cholesterol is great, my blood sugar is perfect and my doctor is thrilled. I second the "Mark's Daily Apple" for some good online research into the subject. There are a lot of great Paleo sites to choose from for both information and recipes, not to mention all the books out there.

 

For your DH, I'd encourage you to ease your way into the grass-fed beef since it scares you so much. You don't have to eat beef to be Paleo...there are plenty of other great protein sources that are lower fat. Just try a little at a time and keep monitoring his cholesterol. If you are avoiding trans-fats and choosing healthy fats, you need not be overly concerned, either. You can still cook with lower levels of fat while still choosing the right ones (I would highly recommend coconut oil, olive oil and ghee for most things). Again, ease your way into these things and keep monitoring him. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised!

[Twigs]

Go to marksdailyapple.com, read the success stories. The also have a success stories portion on their forum. People post their actual doctor visit numbers all the time.

 

ETA: I just posted this on another thread, but I recommend that you watch this video:

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KzPnnDDCIjo

 

And one more ETA: The Fat Head documentary they are talking about is on fulldocumentary.net if you want to watch that one, too. It's good, too.

Thanks for posting. These are excellent.

[AlmiraGulch]

Also, if you have a little bit of time, watch Fathead.  You can get it on Netflix, but it's also here on YouTube for free.  

 

There is a mountain of evidence that diets high in fat raise HDL and improve other blood factors, and the science makes perfect sense if it's explained in a logical way, like it is in the video I just linked.  Plus, it's entertaining and not dry to watch. 

[HappyGrace]

Thanks-we do use coconut oil and olive oil as our primary fats. I think we'll stick with what we've been doing, and add in the meat type dishes occasionally. We have tried diet (very strict) in the past and it had NO effect on lowering the cholesterol-only the meds worked for that. I agree with stress management too, thanks!

[HappyGrace]

I will watch that video-it looks great; thanks to both of you that suggested it!

[Miss Peregrine]

DB just got his blood work and the drs kept saying how great his numbers are. We eat tons of butter, eggs, and meat. Just anecdotal but it works for us. He has diabetes and is staying pretty well under control weight- wise

[LibraryLover]

Good links