Low carb, increased fat, falling Trigs

clearviews

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When dx'ed with T2 my total cholesterol was 4.4. I knew nothing about any of the other figures then.
I began low carbing with raised fat intake along Atkins and Bernstein style and refused my statins thinking I would rather have my neuropathic feet attached when I died of "cholesterol overload" than not.
My total cholesterol climbed to 5.77 and I stumbled through my reasons for not taking statins to my doctor. Now I knew what my other figures were and it seemed that my ratios were good even though I was being put on the spot over my refusal to take statins. Twelve months later I feel totally vindicated about my stance and indeed my doctor congratulated me and never once suggested 'statins'......

July 2009 December 2009
Total 5.77 5.62
Triglycerides 0.69 0.48
HDL 2.01 2.36
Chol/HDL ratio 2.9 2.4
LDL 3.4 3.0
HbA1c (worst was 5.9) 5.0 5.2
No medications since end of April 2009. HbA1c went up slightly as I had my gallbladder removed in September 2009, challenged my diet with numerous tropical fruits and ice cream while trying to put the brakes on my weight loss which is now 19 kgs giving me a BMI from 30+ down to 24.
For me the low carb high fat experts were right. It is not going to raise my cholesterol where it shouldn't and the lowering is only for my trigs and LDL. This is the magic of low carbing/high fat. Love what it is doing for me!
 

Moogie1947

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104
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Well done for sticking with it, you must be delighted. It is easy to give up too soon when faced with the medical profession.

I also had all levels fall including blood pressure when I had been low carbing for 6 months. Although I still take the blood pressure medication for the moment, I will be checking to see if I can reduce that or do without it next time i see the doctor.
 

clearviews

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Yes, Moogie1947, My blood pressure dropped dramatically too. Used to take Coversyl, then Lipitor ( for about a month), then Metformin, then Crestor (for about 5 days) and I axed them all inside of 6 months and am using only LCHF and vitamin and mineral supplements to achieve control.
I was getting BPs of 98/59 for a while but since I have added some alcohol back in it has moved up to around 116/72 average.
About 6 months ago I was shooting for HbA1cs in the top 4s but I am content with what I have achieved so far. What a buzz it would be to see a 4 something though!
 

Moogie1947

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Messages
104
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
clearviews said:
I was getting BPs of 98/59 for a while but since I have added some alcohol back in it has moved up to around 116/72 average.

That is fantastic mine was nothing like that good but I cannot remember exactly now. But is used to be 140/90 even with the medication.

clearviews said:
About 6 months ago I was shooting for HbA1cs in the top 4s but I am content with what I have achieved so far. What a buzz it would be to see a 4 something though!

Nirvana.. I have come down to an HBA1C of 5.2 with no medication, but there was carb creep. Especially over the Christmas period, there has been extreme & unusually cold weather in the UK so I have been drawn to warming dishes which have higher cab counts that I would normally have - snow clearing has been the only exercise I had recently. Apart from walking to the local shops.
 

fergus

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1,439
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Fantastic stuff clearviews!
Yet another perfect demonstration that a properly balanced diet (NOT and NHS balanced diet)
i.e. with fewer carbs and more fats is probably the most powerful weapon we have in tackling both blood sugar and lipid control.
It takes courage to prove the medical sceptics wrong - that diet alone can be enough to control or reverse the effects of diabetes. I hope your experience gives others the courage to try it for themselves.

fergus
 

magicaldebs

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Messages
56
This sounds fantastic!!
I love low carb - high fat diets.
I used to really enjoy Atkins (or South beach) but have been constantly put off the high fat diet by my GP (and the media if I'm honest). I always felt happy and healthy on Atkins. It is a diet I could live on quite happily. I lost weight easily.
Now, a few years later, I'm 3 stone heavier, on medication for Blood pressure, on Statins and more recently Metformin.
Please tell me waht diet you are following?
Debs
 

Moogie1947

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Messages
104
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Take a look in this forum at the "Low carb diet - a newbies guide" there is really useful advice there.
Personally, I started low carbing when I read the Jenny Ruhl book Blood Sugar 101 there is also a web site and blog on
bloodsugar101.com/

She also recommends Dr Bernsteins books.
 

clearviews

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I would describe my eating plan as Dr Bernstein with a large dose of Atkins/Vernon "Diabetes Revolution" in the mix. Go the Revolution!
 

gbtyke

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Messages
97
Glad to see the advice is still getting through on this forum. Most of us have migrated to other low carb forii as the heat got too intense here. Just come back for a look.
 

Patch

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Messages
2,981
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
It's not just the lo-carbers that are getting heat right now. :cry:
 

wallycorker

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Messages
613
That really is a wonderful success story Clearviews! Keep telling it to inspire others!

Wonderful numbers across the board. I'm particularly envious of your HDL because I can't get mine to move outside of the range 1.0 to 1.3.

Very best wishes from England - John