Venting... new cholesterol issue

[Catrin]

I hope this turns out to be an anomaly Crankin, crossing my fingers that the next test will have a better outcome for you.

[Crankin]

OK, I got the results of my cholesterol re-test. My total went down to almost where it was last year: it's 226 (it was 263 in April). My HDL was now 114! The message on my VM from my PCP didn't say what the LDL was, but her comment was, "your ratio is fantastic, let it alone." I am going to my endocrinologist tomorrow, about my bone stuff, and I can ask her to look up my LDL, just so I know.
OK, so this was either one of two things, or maybe a little of both. I have been eating a very large amount of meats and cheese, since January, kind of semi-Paleo, as well as restricting carbs, so I think for a few months I didn't have enough fiber, too. Since April, when i got the first results I have not had any beef or veal, and the only pork I've had are very, very thin pork chops, maybe once every two weeks. Otherwise, I've been eating a ton of fish, vegetarian, chicken, and turkey. I upped my fiber, too. I did try the Metamucil, but it made my stomach hurt. Now that cycling is in full gear, I'm eating a lot more fiber/good carbs. On the other hand, it could have just been a bad test, but I'm suspicious that it coincided with a change in my diet.

[sookiesue]

I use a fiber product called Konsyl. You shake it with 8 oz liquid (I use about 2 oz whatever fruit juice the kids have around, a squirt of lemon juice, and the rest water) and drink it. Follow with a glass of regular water. It has never given me a stomach ache, but I've never tried any other fiber products so I don't have any basis of comparison. Might be worth a try for you if you want to add fiber.

Glad to hear the retest went better for you!

[chatnoire]

Glad to hear about the good news with the re-test! We've been worrying about the boyfriend's good cholesterol here, since he had a screening through a heath day at work. His "bad" was at 168, but his "good" was only at 21.

He recently lost 19 pounds, and we've been eating more healthy foods, but he's still considered "overweight" with a BMI of 28. We are trying to drink more red wine, eat more nuts and fish, and we have a CSA farm share this summer to increase our veggie consumption, but we're also a little teeny bit worried.

[shootingstar]

Would cut back on red wine. Think about it: there are whole cultures that do not have wine often/or none at all, as part of their diet. And some of those people on such diets are healthy for at least 70-80 yrs. of their life. ANd no cholestrol nor triglyceride problems.

WIne and beer have calories. Yes, I know about so called benefits of red wine. But really? It is alcohol in the end and it has calories. It's sort of thing only couple glasses per month or less.

A nuts..is handful of unsalted nuts at times. But daily??? No. Nuts are healthy in small amounts, but can be heavy in calories.

Add more variety and range of veggies plus diversify in preparation methods. Reduce in salt in food (something I better do more.).

[OakLeaf]

Food has calories! OMG, OMG!

[Catrin]

Food has calories! OMG, OMG!

All things in moderation, and each of our bodies has its own way of doing things. I would have never dreamed that the best way for me to start losing body fat was to increase my calorie intake by almost 40% No weight gain, and indeed I've lost almost two pounds. So sometimes the whole equation can be more complex than we realize.

[Catrin]

Crankin... but I'm glad you're okay.

What she said, I am sure the news brought a huge sigh of relief!

[Crankin]

Shooting Star, I am not sure why you think small amounts red wine, olive oil, avocado, and nuts daily are the cause of my false cholesterol reading. These foods are empirically proven to lower LDL and raise HDL. Diversify my food prep methods and add veggies? Jeez, you must not have read some of my other posts. The only way I prepare food is by sauteing, roasting, or grilling. I never eat fried food or junk food, and I haven't for most of my adult life. I don't eat pastries or dessert except for special occasions and I have never used a lot of salt. And now, I hardly eat meat. I eat a handful of mixed nuts and cranberries that come in prepackaged bags at Trader Joe's. Since I started doing that and not eating a carb based snack in the afternoon, I've lost 5 pounds.
Of course beer and wine have calories. And I don't need to lose weight and I don't have high blood pressure. I weigh the least I have since I was 35... between 103 and 105. Just like Catrin, the equation is different for everyone. I eat less of a lot of the things most people eat and more protein and low glycemic carbs. Calories from good food do not cause triglycerides to go up or your total cholesterol to go up. Eating food with fat causes that, along with inactivity, or genetic predisposition. Obviously, that doesn't apply to me.
I enjoy food and wine. Eating out and cooking are probably the most important part of my life, next to cycling. We belong to a wine club and I enjoy researching and reading up on what I like. I don't see any ill effects from one glass of wine most nights a week; if I did, I'd stop.
The way you eat works for you, just as the way I eat works for me. It's obvious my test in April was either just a false reading, or was affected by the increase in red meat and cheese I had been eating. When I stopped that, my numbers returned to almost what they were in 2011, in just 8 weeks.
Yes, Oakleaf, food has calories! Can you believe it???
As my family says, "food is good, man must eat."

[malkin]

Would cut back on red wine...

I wouldn't.

[lph]

I know it's obvious, but it bears repeating: being healthy is a lot more important than being thin. (And Crankin, I know that you are both).

Well done on the good readings!