Cholesterol

AtkinsMo said:

I'm 100% with Brunneria. Saturated fat was demonised decades ago for no valid reason. It was vilified as a result of flawed research by now discredited scientists. The problem is now that several generations, including doctors / dieticians / nurses have been taught all this stuff for decades and they just cannot let go of what they have previously believed / advocated.

When you read the history of how it came to be that cholesterol was measured in the first place, it's almost laughable - but then the discovery of statins, the biggest profit maker in history for pharmaceutical companies, brought another issue into the equation, the honesty and integrity of medical research - and 'burying bad data'.

More books I'd add to Brunneria's list include

The big fat surprise - Nina Teicholz
Bad Pharma - Ben Goldacre
Doctoring Data - Malcolm Kendrick

In the interests of Pharmaceutical companies, a patient cured is a customer lost!

Click to expand...

Yes I have been advised to take statins but I refused, I tried for a few weeks years ago but got so many aches and pains I stopped taking it. Anyway there are different schools of thought as to their effectiveness. Do you not have to worry if the 'bad' cholesterol goes up now? I thought it was an increase in good cholesterol that was more important. I am more worried about getting weight off and getting insulin down at the moment then hopefully can come off metformin and bp tablets and poss off antacid for reflux as my stomach is much better. Thanks for the recommended reading, I will have a gander. There's so much to take in though. I have been studiously avoiding porridge and oat bran and carrots and apples to read Fung say these are ok!!! I will try it and check if bloods spike, it's just doing v low carb I think it would take me over.

Kristin251 said:

I think I have a flax bread recipe. It has a bunch of eggs I know. Herbs can be added for a savory bread if you want the recipe I can see if I can dig it up.

Click to expand...

Yes thanks, flax are good for fibre and vitamins. Thanks

2 c flax meal
1 T baking powder ( optional)
1 tsp sea salt
4 beaten eggs
1/2 c water
1/3 cup olive oil

Mix all ingred in large bowl. Let sit 3 min. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and spread batter. Bake 350 20 min
Slice, freeze or toast.

Another great cracker recipe.
2 c almond flour
1 tsp sea salt
2 T herbs of choice I like rosemary or oregano
1 T olive oil.
2 T water

In large bowl combine dry ingred. In anothe bowl wish water and oil and add to dry. Mix until thoroughly combined. Roll dough into a ball and flatten between 2 pieces of parchment paper until thin. Thick works too and so does a brick shape. Remove top parchment and transfer to a cookie sheet. Cut dough into cracker sized pieces with a knife or pizza cutter. Bake 350 until lightly golden brown, about 9-11 min. Let crackers cool ( yeah right) on baking sheet 30 min.

Beware! Theses savory crackers are addicting. I freeze them and they are good right out if the freezer. I can't wait that long when I want one but they only take a few minutes to defrost.

Enjoy!

Kristin251 said:

How was the smoothie? What else did you put in it? I would think there could be a big variety to changing flavors.

Also I would maybe be careful mixing all those veggies in the same meal. People with stomach issues are generally told to eat just one veggie at a time. More mono meals. Different enzymes for different foods. I eat veggies with all meals but never more than about a cup. And I steam like crazy haha.
I even have to watch lettuce portions or bloat. I don't think I have much amylase as I have never broken down carbs well. I tried teaching my gut but I remains the boss of me.
You're able to eat protein right?

Click to expand...

Can't eat any meat at all. Doesn't move in my colon... Eggs yes.

I know ref all the veg...I find it difficult to eat more than once a day... The whole dinner fits on a side plate though... So not a lot-lol!! Butternut squash will go on my salad tomorrow and the next day!!

Can't eat cheese.
Cream is a definite no, no.

I won't know how my colon reacts for 4-5 days...my intestine is already bloated though but it is making a lot of noise which is good for me.. When its quiet it isn't working...

About Midnight I will feel lumps moving around if its going to play me up but so far so good although nausea is bad.

GP put me on Cemetedine... Worst liquid ever for my gastritis.. Got emergency appt with my gastro chap on Thurs and he took me off the Cemetedine and said he knows I eat and do everything to try n help myself so I can go back to my turmeric tablet and keep on with the Amitiza and Dulcolax for now..

I do have a lot of different smoothies that I do drink but I got to be careful with having too much potassium... I only make one big jug and divide it in to 6 glasses and have one a day for 3 days..hubby has the others with me.
So all those ingredients were divided between 6 glasses..

I will turn my cholesterol around come what may...just wish my breast cancer nurse was more knowledgeable.. Especially as she is the head nurse there!!

@debbiedoodles I had GERD for years and even on daily PPIs there were many foods I could not eat, anything acidic. In particular, I could not drink champagne (sad). I also had screamingly high BP (200/140 at its worst) and was on two BP mess, then, eventually pre-diabetes.
Within a month of going strictly LCHF my GERD disappeared, it was just when all the information was coming out about the harmful effects of long term PPI therapy, so I stopped them, I've never had GERD since. Within 6 months my BP was too low, all medications stopped, now my BP averages 115/75. It can be done, in fact it's easy and it's why I'm almost evangelical about LCHF.

AtkinsMo said:

@debbiedoodles I had GERD for years and even on daily PPIs there were many foods I could not eat, anything acidic. In particular, I could not drink champagne (sad). I also had screamingly high BP (200/140 at its worst) and was on two BP mess, then, eventually pre-diabetes.
Within a month of going strictly LCHF my GERD disappeared, it was just when all the information was coming out about the harmful effects of long term PPI therapy, so I stopped them, I've never had GERD since. Within 6 months my BP was too low, all medications stopped, now my BP averages 115/75. It can be done, in fact it's easy and it's why I'm almost evangelical about LCHF.

Click to expand...

That's really inspiring. I'm hopeful eventually I will reduce meds. I was in and out of hospital with asthma, on steroids and antibiotics 5-7 times a year with constant chest infections until they finally diagnosed reflux disorder. I have been on lansopprazole for 11 years and it massively improved my asthma and I don't have hospital admissions these days. I have been on various bp meds for 23 years and believe these created many of the problems I suffer due to various side effects. I really hope that things turn around for me. I'm going to start intermittent fasting this week with 2 X 24 hour fasts. Thanks for the encouragement, much appreciated.

Get right down to 20g carbs and absolutely no grains, that's my advice, you can gradually increase carbs back up afterwards if you want to.

I agree 20 carbs and NO GRAINS

Not sure this is of interest to you but cayenne is known to lower BP almost immediately. My friend and I both started taking cayenne supps. One with BF and one lunch and I can tell you I can feel the difference. She has a cuff so she takes hers randomly thought the day. and it came way down. I have a Drs appt today so I will find out.

A quick Google said it was the fasted way to reduce it and it supposedly lowers bs too. Win win.

We also take hibiscus tea and ground flax seeds - at least do no harm!

Yep big fan of flaxseed as they are supposed to lower cholesterol and they certainly keep things moving in terms of fibre!

debbiedoodles said:

Yes I have been advised to take statins but I refused, I tried for a few weeks years ago but got so many aches and pains I stopped taking it. Anyway there are different schools of thought as to their effectiveness. Do you not have to worry if the 'bad' cholesterol goes up now? I thought it was an increase in good cholesterol that was more important. I am more worried about getting weight off and getting insulin down at the moment then hopefully can come off metformin and bp tablets and poss off antacid for reflux as my stomach is much better. Thanks for the recommended reading, I will have a gander. There's so much to take in though. I have been studiously avoiding porridge and oat bran and carrots and apples to read Fung say these are ok!!! I will try it and check if bloods spike, it's just doing v low carb I think it would take me over.

Click to expand...

I was told by my doctor I had a lot of good cholesterol but that it does not counteract the bad stuff. My cholesterol went up quite a bit for the first time in years when I was just eating full fat dairy stuff I don't eat red meat bacon or sausages.. all a source of high fat... because I don't like them never have. I have now stopped the full fat dairy and hope my cholesterol has gone back down at my next blood test. Quite few people on the forum have said the same their cholesterol has risen quite a bit since they have been doing more fat.

There has never been any research that demonstrates a benefit of lowered cholesterol for women. In fact the women with higher cholesterol levels live longer, but then correlation does not prove causation!

.... and just as I think I know what I'm doing I discover I haven't a clue lol. Love these forums, always someone with greater knowledge on here. Another thing to research in my spare time!

Just found this, a nice neat summary.

http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2015/03/worried-about-cholesterol-andor-statins/

I'm a LC but not a HF, as in high fat-I wish it was called something else... Perhaps... LCMF Low Carb, Mediterranean Fats.. Such as the avocado, olives etc....

My Gastro chap told me last week to stop taking the PPI as it looked to make things worse for me.... Now I'm back to non regurgitating...my GP had put me on Cemetidine.... Apparently the worst PPI for side effects and chemists finding it difficult to get. This was after the Omeprazoles etc giving me horrendous itching.

Put in a complaint to PALS ref my breast cancer nurse telling me Letrozole did not affect cholesterol. Macmillan nurse told me it was one of the most common side effects. Have now got an appointment with another breast consultant on Thursday to discuss the effect of Letrozole. I intentionally didn't read the leaflet for side effects, so I couldn't imagine any...thank goodness for Macmillan. They advised me too, to speak to PALs. PALs organised the appt with a consultant so that I did not have to phone the head breast cancer nurse back and tell her she was wrong...

What a great thread discussion! Brun you are amazing at your ability to rally up all the available video and literature on a topic. It makes things so easy for the rest of us to find things.As I am facing my GP for for my yearly medical after three months LC HF, I had just watched that Ken Sakiris presentation. I had never understood what the breakdown of total cholesterol was. I was fascinated to hear what he said about small density LTL as being the culprit in clogging arteries, not all LTL as I had been led to believe. As I read this thread, I wanted to post a link to it, but Brun had done everything for us. The other contributions are very valuable as well, and I find the anecdotal material very thought-provoking. One of the best threads I have read in weeks! Thank you

AtkinsMo said:

There has never been any research that demonstrates a benefit of lowered cholesterol for women. In fact the women with higher cholesterol levels live longer, but then correlation does not prove causation!

Click to expand...

But does the research say what the level of cholesterol can be there must be a limit as to how high it is before it is not of benefit anymore

I don't think there was an upper limit, I'll look it up again. I know that mine, which was about 8.6 when I read the research, was comfortably within the levels compared, that is when I stopped worrying and decided, so far as Statins are concerned, I'm a never person!

The results for men with no previous CVD history are similar, they show a minute benefit (like living, on average, an extra 4 days). The only group that do demonstrate a reduced risk are men with a previous history of heart disease. But that reduced risk can easily be reproduced by, say, having a brisk 2 mile walk every day, with no possible side effects.

The early research (which is the only research that showed what was described as 'statistically significant' improvements in cardio-vascular disease - despite these improvements being reported in terms of relative risk, not absolute risk, which exaggerates the benefits) failed to report the actual 'hard' end points, that is death. When published eventually they showed that all cause mortality was higher in the intervention group than in the controls. So as Doctor Kendrick concludes, "Statins won't change the date on your death certificate, they may change the cause of death".