LCHF diet and new blood test results

[Bluetit1802]

My friend has polymyalgia and also giant cell arteris. She has been on a very high dose of steroids for this, gradually reducing. She has been under considerable stress about this, not to mention pain and discomfort. Consequently her blood glucose was raised. She had an HbA1c which came back as pre-diabetic. She has been told this is not of concern as it is steroid induced and will most likely go back to normal once the steroids have reduced. Obviously, I hope her GP will keep an eye on it.

 

[SJC]

Similar story here. Difficult year. Full knee replacement in June which has been really traumatic. Knee number two next March. Doctor wanted a blood test to check my inflammation markers for polymyalgia. I knew result was going to be high as I felt so rough, but the shock was being diagnosed with prediabetes (44mmol). Came out of the blue as no family history and I weighed 9 stone. Had been on steroids for 6.5 years and this could be a contributory factor.

Once knee number two is sorted I plan on getting a second opinion re polymyalgia. Sick of feeling like I have been hit my a truck. Steroids make me feel like a new person, but the side -effects have taken their toll healthwise.

I feel for you I really do. Two years ago they found cancer on my kidney. I had the whole kidney removed They said I would be up and about and back to normal in a few weeks. (what a joke that turned out to be!) To be honest I was already fatigued and that's why I was in hospital for tests. Glad I was now because the cancer had been there for around six years growing slowly. They just happened to find it incidentally. Anyway the fatigue continued after the op, and just got worse, feeling nauseous, and started losing weight. I had lost half a stone when they told me I was pre-diabetic. By that point I had become depressed too because I lost my dad and best friend of thirty years all inside six months. I feel somewhat of an enigma. My dietician does firmly believe that my BG results are only as they are because of the whole picture.

 

[Lynn1]

My friend has polymyalgia and also giant cell arteris. She has been on a very high dose of steroids for this, gradually reducing. She has been under considerable stress about this, not to mention pain and discomfort. Consequently her blood glucose was raised. She had an HbA1c which came back as pre-diabetic. She has been told this is not of concern as it is steroid induced and will most likely go back to normal once the steroids have reduced. Obviously, I hope her GP will keep an eye on it.

Really interesting. Because of my operation in June, I finally weaned myself off Prednisolone in May, 2014 after 6.5 years. Had the blood test in early September which gave me my prediabetic reading. Whether it was steroid-induced only time will tell. What I do know is that my diet from June to September was poor to say the least. I had no appetite whatsoever after the op and lived on crackers with Marmite and Ribena.

 

[Lynn1]

I feel for you I really do. Two years ago they found cancer on my kidney. I had the whole kidney removed They said I would be up and about and back to normal in a few weeks. (what a joke that turned out to be!) To be honest I was already fatigued and that's why I was in hospital for tests. Glad I was now because the cancer had been there for around six years growing slowly. They just happened to find it incidentally. Anyway the fatigue continued after the op, and just got worse, feeling nauseous, and started losing weight. I had lost half a stone when they told me I was pre-diabetic. By that point I had become depressed too because I lost my dad and best friend of thirty years all inside six months. I feel somewhat of an enigma. My dietician does firmly believe that my BG results are only as they are because of the whole picture.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that our BG levels are because of other influences. Were you prescribed steroids for your fibromyalgia?

Wishing you a happier and healthier 2015!

 

[SJC]

Let's keep our fingers crossed that our BG levels are because of other influences. Were you prescribed steroids for your fibromyalgia?

Wishing you a happier and healthier 2015!

I have been through a lot of meds for fibromyalgia but choose to go without now. Have gone without for about five years. They put me on Gabapentin recently out of desperation but I reacted badly to it.

 

[Totto]

SCJ, you are aware of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism I hope, including the high LDL cholesterol common in hypothyroidism? The pain, the fatigue, the memory loss etc? Have you had FT3 tested recently? If not I think it could be a good idea.

 

[SJC]

SCJ, you are aware of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism I hope, including the high LDL cholesterol common in hypothyroidism? The pain, the fatigue, the memory loss etc? Have you had FT3 tested recently? If not I think it could be a good idea.

Surely I put weight on with that? They have tested my thyroid with a standard blood test which came back okay.

 

[Totto]

It is common weight gain yes, but it is not unheard of to loose weight too. How does you eye brows look? Even as in normal or sparse in the outer part? Do you have non-pitting oedema? Do you easily find the energy to get going and sort things or do you lack initiative? Has you libido left you? Do you go out and socialise as much as you used to? Do you have normal body temp, normal heart rate, normal BP?

And what was you thyroid level when tested? Normal covers a lot of sins when it comes to thyroid blood tests.

 

[SJC]

It is common weight gain yes, but it is not unheard of to loose weight too. How does you eye brows look? Even as in normal or sparse in the outer part? Do you have non-pitting oedema? Do you easily find the energy to get going and sort things or do you lack initiative? Has you libido left you? Do you go out and socialise as much as you used to? Do you have normal body temp, normal heart rate, normal BP?

And what was you thyroid level when tested? Normal covers a lot of sins when it comes to thyroid blood tests.

No idea about the exact result. I was just told it was normal. I don't have any oedema. My heart rate has a habit of speeding up without good reason. I don't go out so much more out of pain and fatigue.

 

[Ian DP]

I am on a LCHF diet and I initially (9months ago) found it difficult to sustain weight, and initially lost a stone, but I have put it back on again and a little more. I have done this through eating more fat, choosing fatty cuts of meat (lamb chops etc), avoiding chicken breast (little fat), eating lots of butter (a pack per week) eating lots of double cream (small pot per day) and 30g coconut oil per day. A buletproof coffe with 30g coconut oil and 30g butter has around 500 calories, this very much helps maintain weight. Double cream with, for example omlets, heated and mixed with grated cheese over veggies (cheese sauce). I am sure you will be able to put some weight on if you go 'higher' fat.

Dr and dietician both amazed at how good my cholesterol levels are, better than a year ago before LCHF. My carbs intake is are around 36g per day. Mainly through salad and veg. No bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. I am 12 3/4 stone... 6'-2".

Edited to add... Diabetic dietician said my high fat diet and blood results (for cholestrial, kidney, liver etc) go completely against all her NHS training, but that her colleague, a T1 diabetic nurse, is also on a LCHF diet, and he has the same results as I do.... So she told me to carry on with my diet and change nothing as it is obviously working for me.

 

[SJC]

Hi

I am on a LCHF diet and I initially (9months ago) found it difficult to sustain weight, and initially lost a stone, but I have put it back on again and a little more. I have done this through eating more fat, choosing fatty cuts of meat (lamb chops etc), avoiding chicken breast (little fat), eating lots of butter (a pack per week) eating lots of double cream (small pot per day) and 30g coconut oil per day. A buletproof coffe with 30g coconut oil and 30g butter has around 500 calories, this very much helps maintain weight. Double cream with, for example omlets, heated and mixed with grated cheese over veggies (cheese sauce). I am sure you will be able to put some weight on if you go 'higher' fat.

Dr and dietician both amazed at how good my cholesterol levels are, better than a year ago before LCHF. My carbs intake is are around 36g per day. Mainly through salad and veg. No bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. I am 12 3/4 stone... 6'-2".

Edited to add... Diabetic dietician said my high fat diet and blood results (for cholestrial, kidney, liver etc) go completely against all her NHS training, but that her colleague, a T1 diabetic nurse, is also on a LCHF diet, and he has the same results as I do.... So she told me to carry on with my diet and change nothing as it is obviously working for me.

Glad things are improving for you. Whats a bulletproof coffee? I eat belly pork and chicken skins regularly but it's not helping the weight. I eat coconut oil and a pack of butter every 7-10 days but all to no avail. I hate cream but I could disguse it in things. My bad cholesterol has risen though quite a lot. (See post below). What is your bad cholesterol?
Thanks

 

[SJC]

Just to bring you all up to date.
My dietician rang me yesterday. We spoke about the cholesterol test result. She said my good cholesterol has risen from 0.9 to the 1.4 and that's great. She said not to worry about the bad because when the overall picture is looked at it's not so bad. She said to keep on with the butter, full fat yoghurt and coconut oil and add extra nuts into my diet. She told me to switch to full fat milk too.

 

[Bluetit1802]

That's good news for you SJC. Bullet Proof coffee is talked about a lot on here. I don't have it, but it seems you add butter and oil to your coffee. Others will be able to tell you exactly what, or try searching for it in the search box.

 

[SJC]

Thank

That's good news for you SJC. Bullet Proof coffee is talked about a lot on here. I don't have it, but it seems you add butter and oil to your coffee. Others will be able to tell you exactly what, or try searching for it in the search box.

Thanks. I will Google it though it sounds disgusting Lol. X

 

[SJC]

Thank

That's good news for you SJC. Bullet Proof coffee is talked about a lot on here. I don't have it, but it seems you add butter and oil to your coffee. Others will be able to tell you exactly what, or try searching for it in the search box.

Thanks. I will Google it though it sounds disgusting Lol. X

 

[Bluetit1802]

Thank


Thanks. I will Google it though it sounds disgusting Lol. X

Yes it does, which is why I've never tried it! I do put double cream in my coffee though, instead of milk. Now that is nice.

 

[Ian DP]

The bulletproof coffee I drink is made up as follows:-

Put 30g butter (unsalted, grass fed cows / organic is best) in a tall mug or coffee cup
Add 30g coconut oil
Pour in filter coffee into the cup / mug until half full
With a knife stir / cut up the butter and coconut oil in the cup

Then, most importantly, still with an electric whisk (I use a £3.00 battery wire whisk) until you have a nice froth on top.... Then top up with the filter coffee.

Tastes nice. 500 calories with barely any carbs or protein.

 

[SJC]

T

The bulletproof coffee I drink is made up as follows:-

Put 30g butter (unsalted, grass fed cows / organic is best) in a tall mug or coffee cup
Add 30g coconut oil
Pour in filter coffee into the cup / mug until half full
With a knife stir / cut up the butter and coconut oil in the cup

Then, most importantly, still with an electric whisk (I use a £3.00 battery wire whisk) until you have a nice froth on top.... Then top up with the filter coffee.

Tastes nice. 500 calories with barely any carbs or protein.

Thanks. I will have a go. Hope it doesn't upset my acid problems. Oh well got to try.

 

[Brunneria]

T

Thanks. I will have a go. Hope it doesn't upset my acid problems. Oh well got to try.

I find that bullet proof coffee has a similar texture to a latte, and tastes about as rich. I suppose the richness depends on how much butter and oil you add...

Love it.