Ways to reduce cholestrol & blood sugar? (SIL related)(minor update)

[Arcadia]

My brother and his wife ask for suggestions. Its an ongoing issue and the family practitioner is suspecting prediabetes and clinical diagnosis is currently hypertension. She is scheduled for a glucose tolerance test. Metabolic panel results are all in range.

Her glucose plasma fasting is 6.1 mmol/L (3.9-6.0)

Total cholesterol 5.02 (desirable level < 5.20 mmol/L)

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 2.93 (desirable 2.60-3.30, optimal < 2.60 mmol/L)

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 1.02 (desirable level > 1.00 mmol/L)

Triglycerides 2.36 (optimal level < 1.70 mmol/L)

albumin/creatinine 17.9 (<3.5 MG/MMOL)

Edited August 10, 2021 by Arcadia

[jrichstad]

NAD and it's definitely not a settled issue, but simple carbs/ sugars are usually considered a primarily driver of high triglycerides. Cutting out the usual suspects (flours, added sugars, even excess fruit intake) would probably the first step.   

Edited June 29, 2021 by jrichstad

[73349]

Generally the recommendations will be to limit salt & sugar intake and animal products, eat plenty of vegetables, go for whole grains only, and exercise (even just walking).

My numbers got a lot better when I started avoiding dairy in particular, and I have immediate family who report improvement from exercise alone.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Carolina Wren

[Laura Corin]

I normalised my cholesterol by more exercise, veg and oats, including oat milk.

[Selkie]

Lots of people in my whole food plant based groups have been able to go off their cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes meds pretty quickly once they switched to this way of eating.

[BeachGal]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

My brother and his wife ask for suggestions. Its an ongoing issue and the family practitioner is suspecting prediabetes and clinical diagnosis is currently hypertension. She is scheduled for a glucose tolerance test. Metabolic panel results are all in range.

Her glucose plasma fasting is 6.1 mmol/L (3.9-6.0)

Total cholesterol 5.02 (desirable level < 5.20 mmol/L)

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 2.93 (desirable 2.60-3.30, optimal < 2.60 mmol/L)

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 1.02 (desirable level > 1.00 mmol/L)

Triglycerides 2.36 (optimal level < 1.70 mmol/L)

albumin/creatinine 17.9 (<3.5 MG/MMOL)

Ask if they can test her insulin as well. Primary hypertension is caused by insulin resistance which can go undetected for many years and is often finally suspected when fasting blood glucose is too high.

I highly recommend reading researcher Benjamin Bikman’s book Why We Get Sick which explains exactly how insulin resistance causes so many problems, what exactly it does, and ways to improve sensitivity. Everything is referenced with studies in the back. It’s a fabulous book, imo.

[Jean in Newcastle]

4 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

Ask if they can test her insulin as well. Primary hypertension is caused by insulin resistance which can go undetected for many years and is often finally suspected when fasting blood glucose is too high.

I highly recommend reading researcher Benjamin Bikman’s book Why We Get Sick which explains exactly how insulin resistance causes so many problems, what exactly it does, and ways to improve sensitivity. Everything is referenced with studies in the back. It’s a fabulous book, imo.

Thanks for the book recommendation.  I just checked it out from the library. 

[mathnerd]

Some things that help, when followed on a daily basis, even in the short term:

Oatmeal, Flaxseed taken as either a supplement (oil capsules) or powdered and added to food, cutting out any food that is white in color (this is the rule of thumb to eliminate simple carbs and dairy), eating large salads once a day, cut down fruit and fruit juice, portion control, reducing sodium in food (cut out pre-packaged sauces, foods as much as possible), rigorous exercise.

[Katy]

That’s the definition of metabolic syndrome. Losing 10% of her weight will completely reverse it.

To my knowledge only moderate intermittent fasting (fast 16 hours, eat for 8, preferably from 10am-5pm) or bariatric surgery works long term for weight loss statistically.  More strict fasting regimes work faster, but people find them too difficult and gain the weight back. 

Slow walking also tends to burn fat for most people without increasing appetite. I’ve heard some people say they had success with as little as 30 minutes a day.  I had a friend from Italy tell me there most people walk about 12 miles a day.  She was complaining she’d gained weight since coming here, and she thought it was because in her town it was easier to walk everywhere, whereas in America you were forced to drive everywhere. 

[Arcadia]

11 minutes ago, Katy said:

That’s the definition of metabolic syndrome. Losing 10% of her weight will completely reverse it.

She is overweight and has difficulty losing weight. I did mentioned the fast for 16hr and eat for 8hr to them yesterday.

[73349]

16 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

She is overweight and has difficulty losing weight.

This can also be a red flag for PCOS. She might want to see if she has other symptoms that fit.

[gardenmom5]

Starts with the liver.  (the other stuff will usually show up first.)    legs up the wall yoga pose (20 minutes) is good for circulation, and improved digestion.

hot bath with 4C epsom salt and 1C baking soda - it helps to move toxins out of your body as your liver moves them out to be excreted from the body.  (it's also done wonders for a patch of dry skin which is the remnant of a hemangioma).  preferably every night for at least 20 - 30 minutes until numbers are under control (indicating everything else is under control.)

I've also been doing a castor oil liver pack - it helps to clear the liver so it can clear everything else.

Look  into insulin resistance.  (cells basically stop responding to insulin.)  cut out sugar - all forms. low fruit (fructose), low/zero dairy (lactose).  No between meal snacking - your body needs a rest from producing insulin. 

low carbs (they convert to sugar), high vegetables.  brown rice is OK - in moderation.

yoga or similar exercise is good because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (which will help with all of the above)   rather than the sympathetic nervous system (drives up cortisol) like most forms of exercise.

I don't have a gallbladder - so my dr has me taking Ox bile with each meal to aid in digestion.  (poor digestion is typical of no gallbladder - from the day it's removed.)

[lauraw4321]

If she isn’t squeamish about needles, have her look into Saxenda. 

[BeachGal]

Regarding diet, the best way to know how her body responds to different foods is to test blood glucose after eating.

If she is interested in testing her blood glucose, she'll want a blood glucose meter and maybe a blood ketone meter. I use True Metrix for blood glucose and Precision Xtra for ketones. The blood glucose testing strips are pretty cheap but the ketones testing strips are pricier. Ebay often has cheaper testing strips. Just be sure to check expiration dates.

A scale like the Renpho is good for checking body composition, such as visceral fat. I use it once a week, same day, same time. These at-home scales are usually not terribly accurate but are good enough to see if you're going up or down. Renpho's app logs and stores the data and then graphs it. It's pretty nifty.

Another resource I like is Jason Fung's website, Diet Doctor. A lot of the content is free but the subscription might be worth considering if she'd like even more information and the opportunity to join others trying low carb or keto diets with different types of fasting. The recipes are excellent. I eat low carb and find it works well for me. Fung is not overly rigid, either.

 

 

[Teaching3bears]

I heard that cinnamon can lower blood sugar. Not likely a miracle cure but it can’t hurt and it tastes good too.  

[Ottakee]

Lots of good ideas above.   My numbers weren't quite there but close and I improved them with weight loss  via a semi weight Watchers program...the old points plus one.

Another big help was DDPY yoga   it works for ALL levels of fitness as they have programs for those that can't even get out of bed to elite athletes. Any start with the chair workouts (all done sitting in a chair) or Stand Strong (uses a chair for support and balance).

Through this I have lost 55# in a little over a year and toned up a lot and improved my numbers.  The doctor was very pleased.

[Rosie_0801]

6 hours ago, Teaching3bears said:

I heard that cinnamon can lower blood sugar. Not likely a miracle cure but it can’t hurt and it tastes good too.  

I remember that helping me when I had gestational diabetes.

Lemon juice or ACV in the drinking water helps too.

And I second learning portion sizes. They're never what you think they should be.

[Arcadia]

5 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

And I second learning portion sizes. They're never what you think they should be.

She is well aware of portion sizes being overweight all her life. She is 39. She actually eats less than me, as short as me, and has difficulty losing weight. 

[BeachGal]

59 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

She is well aware of portion sizes being overweight all her life. She is 39. She actually eats less than me, as short as me, and has difficulty losing weight. 

I eat huge portions of foods that don't raise my blood glucose too much. Particular kinds of fats, including fall fat dairy, and complex carbs mostly with a fair amount of protein. Every day I have at least one low carb dessert which I now find way more tasty and satisfying than the sugary, simple carb desserts. This week I made lemon poppyseed bee cakes (no bees were sacrificed). :D Keto bread is also great which is a lot like regular bread except a bit spongier but spongy is good for sopping up butter. Every few days I have a simple carb but after avoiding them for so long, I don't care for them much. I never count calories.

It's not simply calories but a person's body composition, such as how much muscle they have, and also hormonal responses to food. Probably other things, too, like an individual's microbiome and genetics.

[Arcadia]

On 6/29/2021 at 2:12 PM, mathnerd said:

Some things that help, when followed on a daily basis, even in the short term:

Have you tried bitter melon? I suggested months ago but I do not know if my SIL has tried. Both the chinese and indian variety are easy to find in supermarkets here as well as in my country of origin. (OT: K Market had a covid vaccination promo when we went)

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bitter-melon

"2. Can Help Reduce Blood Sugar

Thanks to its potent medicinal properties, bitter melon has long been used by indigenous populations around the world to help treat diabetes-related conditions (6Trusted Source).

In recent years, several studies confirmed the fruit’s role in blood sugar control.

A 3-month study in 24 adults with diabetes showed that taking 2,000 mg of bitter melon daily decreased blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c, a test used to measure blood sugar control over three months (7).

Another study in 40 people with diabetes found that taking 2,000 mg per day of bitter melon for 4 weeks led to a modest reduction in blood sugar levels.

What’s more, the supplement significantly decreased levels of fructosamine, another marker of long-term blood sugar control (8).

Bitter melon is thought to improve the way that sugar is used in your tissues and promote the secretion of insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels (9).

However, research in humans is limited, and larger, more high-quality studies are needed to understand how bitter melon may impact blood sugar levels in the general population."

Edited July 1, 2021 by Arcadia
autocorrect

[Hyacinth]

What is the current wisdom on eggs? Bad for cholesterol or no?

[mathnerd]

13 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Have you tried bitter melon? I suggested months ago but I do not know if my SIL has tried. Both the chinese and indian variety are easy to find in supermarkets here as where as in my country of origin. (OT: K Market had a covid vaccination promo when we went)

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bitter-melon

"2. Can Help Reduce Blood Sugar

Thanks to its potent medicinal properties, bitter melon has long been used by indigenous populations around the world to help treat diabetes-related conditions (6Trusted Source).

In recent years, several studies confirmed the fruit’s role in blood sugar control.

A 3-month study in 24 adults with diabetes showed that taking 2,000 mg of bitter melon daily decreased blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c, a test used to measure blood sugar control over three months (7).

Another study in 40 people with diabetes found that taking 2,000 mg per day of bitter melon for 4 weeks led to a modest reduction in blood sugar levels.

What’s more, the supplement significantly decreased levels of fructosamine, another marker of long-term blood sugar control (8).

Bitter melon is thought to improve the way that sugar is used in your tissues and promote the secretion of insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels (9).

However, research in humans is limited, and larger, more high-quality studies are needed to understand how bitter melon may impact blood sugar levels in the general population."

You are right!

I love bitter melon and eat it often. I grow them in the summer in my garden. Not only is it good for diabetes and sugar control, it also detoxifies blood.

[Beth S]

Slo-Niacin (OTC) helped my dh lower his cholesterol numbers . . . but many people can't handle the various side effects.
He now manages it well with just a low-fat diet.

[Arcadia]

Update:

confirmed diabetes. So next step is dietitian and more blood tests. Her high blood pressure is more stable so the doctor reduces her medication.

[mathnerd]

Intermittent Fasting helps in reversing Insulin Resistance. I recommend the book The Obesity Code by Dr Jason Fung. He explains the concepts far better than I could ever do! For women, 16:8 fasting is considered most beneficial. Here is the book (most local libraries have it as well)

https://www.amazon.com/Obesity-Code-Unlocking-Secrets-Weight-ebook/dp/B01C6D0LCK

He also has 2 other books: "The Fasting Lane" and "The Complete Guide to Fasting" which are also good reads. There are several youtube videos where he talks about this as well...

Edited August 10, 2021 by mathnerd

[Katy]

Jason Fung also has one specifically about reversing diabetes now.  And a bunch of facebook groups that can help with his program too.  I would just caution that she should get a blood sugar meter and test 20 minutes after everything she eats because even Dr Fung says that while most of his patients do best on a low-carb diet, some do, as he says, "Spectacularly bad" on them. Some people do best on a higher carb diet with no saturated fats.  And some do best eating mostly vegetables with some berries and lean or vegetarian proteins thrown in.  It's genetic and has to do with the number of insulin receptors on smooth muscle cells.  The only way to tell is by tracking her own numbers. And the one thing that works for everyone is intermittent fasting between eating whatever diet is best for them.

[mathnerd]

On 7/1/2021 at 11:02 AM, Arcadia said:

Have you tried bitter melon?

Here is another that I have been meaning to mention - fenugreek seeds are very effective in controlling diabetes. It can be added to cuisine or sprouted (I sprout it in a mason jar with a sprouting lid) into microgreens and added as toppings in any dish or to salad. If she has access to an indian grocery store, they have methi greens in bunches (this is indian word for fenugreek greens) and she could add those greens to other greens like spinach in stir-frys (they are on the slightly bitter side) and the methi seeds are available there by the pound inexpensively. If she is into indian cooking, she can find tons of dishes using methi seeds and methi greens.

In addition to controlling diabetes, methi/fenugreek has a ton of other medicinal value. There are recipes on how to incorporate it into food all over youtube.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/methi-seeds-can-help-control-diabetes-heres-how/photostory/67867393.cms?picid=67867403

 

[BeachGal]

Another resource she might want to consider working with is Virta Health, a company started by Sami Inkinen. They have patients wear a continuous glucose monitor and data is sent to Virta — how the individual responds to different foods, exercise, sleep, etc. The patient checks in with a nurse once a day to review data. This is an excellent way to truly understand what exactly is going on, instead of pussyfooting around with advice that’s outdated and unhelpful.

Sami is in the Bay area and has been studied (guinea pigged) by Stanford researchers which led to the creation of Virta. 

https://www.virtahealth.com/people/sami-inkinen

It’s also possible to work with Dr. Fung long distance.

[Carol in Cal.]

She should avoid high glycemic index foods.

The worst are rice, fruit juice, and white flour.  These are foods that trigger a SUDDEN increase in blood sugar, which overwhelms the insulin ‘control system’ and makes it hard to get blood sugar back down into the non-damaging range.  It also stresses the pancreas which can eventually give up making insulin much at all—then you have type 1, a disaster.

10 minutes brisk walk after every single time she eats helps reduce insulin resistance and over time makes big difference in average and peak blood sugars.

Leafy greens are great, so if she likes salads a really big one with some kind of protein source in it (like beans, seafood, chicken, cheese, or steak strips) is a fantastic meal.  Peanuts are a good snack.

 

[Porridge]

I haven’t had s chance to read the other responses, but a whole foods plant based diet is highly effective in reversing chronic lifestyle diseases (hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease). Many patients are able to halve their doses or completely come off their meds (diabetes, blood pressure meds, cholesterol ) within 72 hours. 

A whole foods plant based diet is vegan, with little to no added oils, and minimizes added salt. You actually don’t have to avoid carbs - but you do need to focus on whole carbs like unprocessed potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains, etc.  And you need to avoid processed carbs like white pasta, white breads, white rice, etc.   

It’s not an easy lifestyle change for some people to make, but worth looking into. 

[Arcadia]

22 hours ago, WTM said:

It’s not an easy lifestyle change for some people to make, but worth looking into. 

Her BMI is 31.8 so the fact that she has a dietitian appointment this week is a good thing. She is also sedentary by nature so it won’t be as easy a lifestyle change for her. 

[Porridge]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

Her BMI is 31.8 so the fact that she has a dietitian appointment this week is a good thing. She is also sedentary by nature so it won’t be as easy a lifestyle change for her. 

If she’s open, you could suggest she look into the concept of calorie density. It may help her jumpstart weight loss and  begin to reframe how she thinks about food.  

 

[Porridge]

On 8/22/2021 at 7:14 PM, Arcadia said:

Her BMI is 31.8 so the fact that she has a dietitian appointment this week is a good thing. She is also sedentary by nature so it won’t be as easy a lifestyle change for her. 

Here’s  a resource for her: 

https://www.pcrm.org/events/fight-diabetes-with-food?emci=bea405f7-bc05-ec11-b563-501ac57bf4cb&emdi=dbd8e7ff-da05-ec11-b563-501ac57bf4cb&ceid=4595034