Yikes! I just got my first cholesterol numbers since going primal page

[davidtx]

My apologies if this is a duplicate. I posted earlier, but it doesn't show up in search.

I started PB July 2010 and finally had a blood panel. The only results I have right now are from the VAP. I was very surprised to see how much worse the numbers were from the previous test (except for HDL).

          5/2010     10/2011
LDL         70          181
HDL         31           50
TriG       136          262
LDL size    ?           a/b
Weight     235          197

Note: I was on statins before, stopped them after starting in order to see changes due to PB.

I started PB in July 2010, dropped over 35 pounds in about 6 weeks and have stayed 197 +/- 3 lbs ever since. Here is the kind of stuff I eat each week:
- low-sodium bacon + sauteed spinach + scrambled eggs (high DHA) for breakfast (and sometimes dinner too)
- big-ass salad with sardines in evoo or tuna + evoo/basalmic, sometimes hardboiled egg
- grass-fed beef or wild fish 3-4 nights/week + good vegetables
- BBQ ribs, BBQ brisket or smoked turkey at least once/week (this is Texas, there's a BBQ rest. every 400 yards)
- Fajitas w/o rice&beans, extra guacomole
- 2-4 squares 85/90% chocolate
- coffee + rich whipping cream
- berries with cream for several months, now unsweetened coconut + cream or coconut milk for dessert

Supplements:
- 1400 mg O3
- 10,000 vitamin D3 (rounded up from cilakat's formula - I'm way overdue for testing though)
- Rainbow light Men's multi
- 85 mg aspirin every other day

The only drug I'm currently taking is Wellbutrin. I'd love to get off that, but haven't figured out how yet.

PB has been incredible for me on many fronts: I was able to get off BP meds, my skin tags all disappeared, I haven't been sick since starting PB (I used to have frequent upper respiratory issues), seasonal allergy responses are much milder. I hate to think that I'm one of those that needs to be on the statins, but (surprise) that's what the doc wants me to do. I'm eager to hear alternatives.

[hockeyfan7]

My husband and a bunch of our friends use Red Yeast Rice supplements which are a natural statin. They have worked for several people we know to keep them off cholesterol meds. Part of the issue with cholesterol problems is that they can be caused by a genetic mutation and that type is hard to control with diet and exercise alone.

[otzi]

I'd take a good look at how much sugar you are eating. BBQ sauce is loaded with it. I'd try to eliminate all of it--even the fruit part. That's the only thing that got my trigs down. Are you eating tortillas with the fajitas? If you are as sugar-free as you can be and exercising, it may be genetic. My wife has similar numbers, but eats lots of sugar and wheat and doesn't exercise. Of course, she's naturally skinny so I can't convince her to change. She'd rather take statins than not eat sugar.

[cecirdr]

Yikes indeed. I hope you get some good replies to this question.

Your diet sample looks good to me, but I am wondering how many carbs you typically eat in a day? Are you totally off gluten, and how many fruits, nuts and dairy do you eat on average?

I think I read somewhere that a high fat diet *can* cause cholesterol (or was is triglycerides?) to rise if carbohydrate levels weren't kept low. I'm still in a dieting stage, so I'm eating under 50 grams of carbs per day, but I figure that I shouldn't really go over 100 grams in a day even at a maintenance level.

[davidtx]

I don't add any BBQ sauce. The brisket and turkey are dry, but I think the ribs may have a little bit. I've recently started eating corn tortillas when I have fajitas. I cut out the fruit about 6 weeks ago - I have some every week or two.

Genetic - I've got data at 23andMe.com, I'll see if I can find anything there.
Red Yeast Rice - interesting, time to research.

Thanks all!

[fpsjosh01]

Yikes indeed. I hope you get some good replies to this question.

Your diet sample looks good to me, but I am wondering how many carbs you typically eat in a day? Are you totally off gluten, and how many fruits, nuts and dairy do you eat on average?

I think I read somewhere that a high fat diet *can* cause cholesterol (or was is triglycerides?) to rise if carbohydrate levels weren't kept low. I'm still in a dieting stage, so I'm eating under 50 grams of carbs per day, but I figure that I shouldn't really go over 100 grams in a day even at a maintenance level.

That's always the case. High fat diets temporarily shoot your cholesterol to the moon, but that's a GOOD thing.

This is normal.

Not to mention, once you start "Low carbin'" it, your LDL will be off.

By the looks of it, they got lazy and didn't explicitly measure it and just calculated it using THIS equation: Total - (HDL + [Trigs/5]) = LDL.

This equation is wrong. Flat and simple. I really doubt your LDL is actually 181.

Keep going and trust your body.

Another good thing to get done is a Heart Plaque check as per Track Your Plaque Heart Disease Prevention and Reversal Online.

Honestly, just eat your grassfed beef more often than not.

BTW, Statins are unpure cured bologna that needs to be purged in our society.

[davidtx]

Yikes indeed. I hope you get some good replies to this question.

Your diet sample looks good to me, but I am wondering how many carbs you typically eat in a day? Are you totally off gluten, and how many fruits, nuts and dairy do you eat on average?

I think I read somewhere that a high fat diet *can* cause cholesterol (or was is triglycerides?) to rise if carbohydrate levels weren't kept low. I'm still in a dieting stage, so I'm eating under 50 grams of carbs per day, but I figure that I shouldn't really go over 100 grams in a day even at a maintenance level.

Not much carb at all - I'll double check, but I bet its between 50 and 100 gm/day. I'd be pretty happy going VLC - I have to force myself to add the spinach with breakfast and salad with the sardines at lunch. I was below 50 gms/day in the beginning (when I had the rapid weight loss). After learning more about nuts and O6-O3 ratios, I cut out most nuts (I can't eat just one...). I probably eat a small package of almonds from the quick-stop once or twice a week. I'm totally off gluten (at least from all the obvious sources, I don't worry about the details that a celiac would). Fruit - berries daily for last several months, ramping down to once/week for last month.

[fpsjosh01]

Obligatory thread redirection; http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread4723.html

Total/HDL: (ideal = 5 or below)

Trig/HDL: (ideal = 2 or below)

LDL/HDL: (ideal = 4.3 or below)

[davidtx]

That's always the case. High fat diets temporarily shoot your cholesterol to the moon, but that's a GOOD thing.

This is normal.

Not to mention, once you start "Low carbin'" it, your LDL will be off.

By the looks of it, they got lazy and didn't explicitly measure it and just calculated it using THIS equation: Total - (HDL + [Trigs/5]) = LDL.

This equation is wrong. Flat and simple. I really doubt your LDL is actually 181.

Keep going and trust your body.

Another good thing to get done is a Heart Plaque check as per Track Your Plaque Heart Disease Prevention and Reversal Online.

Honestly, just eat your grassfed beef more often than not.

BTW, Statins are unpure cured bologna that needs to be purged in our society.

Is total cholesterol directly measured? This was supposed to be a VAP, as recommended in Robb Wolf's book. The tech that drew my blood said they actually had to take a separate vial in order to send out for that test. Interestingly enough, I've only gotten the VAP results so far. I'm still waiting to see what A1C looks like. My TriG's really jumped up too - they seem way too high.

I had a heart scan and carotid artery scan done 2-3 years ago. The heart scan was recommended by my doctor. The carotid scan was promoted by my 75 yo (at the time) mom that had to have hers scraped. The scan was the reason she put me on statins in the first place. I guess its time to have one again. I hope that insurance is paying for these now.

I've

[IcarianVX]

One thing that I learned from Stabby is that "low-carb" people have skewed LDL numbers (not sure if its both or just A) because of low copper. Most people get copper from grains, therefore, we are sorta deficient. I have found sesame seeds and cashews (on occasion) get me lots of copper. Or you could eat beef liver every now and then to get the copper.