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LCHF diet

Mynameiskez

Well-Known Member
Messages
67
Location
Birmingham
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
finger pricking and maths at every meal
Diagnosed T2 but very high chance T1.5 (awaiting test results) I've been observing a virtually carb free diet. I'm talking lower than 50g per day. I've had to or suffer high readings and all the thirst and peeing in the world.

Low carb, low fat is near impossible so my fat intake has increased. Plus the amount of people promoting LCHF is staggering.

However I have seen an increase in my cholesterol which is now giving my med professionals more cause to nag me about what I eat and the threat of statins (God no) is on the cards.

Can I ask all the LCHF advocates what they do about their cholesterol? Have they seen it rise? How can this be good if so?

Many thanks
 
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Thanks. Yes I've seen that claimed a lot too. However I confess that I'm struggling to see how.
 
I have a family history of high cholesterol. I am unable to tolerate statins ( tried on 4 types)
On LCHF my total cholesterol initially dropped from 8.4 to 5.8 in the first six months.
The good part has since risen bringing the total to 6.8
 
daisyduck said:
I have a family history of high cholesterol. I am unable to tolerate statins ( tried on 4 types)
On LCHF my total cholesterol initially dropped from 8.4 to 5.8 in the first six months.
The good part has since risen bringing the total to 6.8
Click to expand...

That's great. I really don't understand how high fat can reduce cholesterol though! It feels like I can't eat ANYTHING except chicken and cauliflower.
 
I have been following a low carb high fat diet for about 3 years. My lipids improved and have remained stable in a good place. At the end of 2015 I had to increase my fats by a lot to avoid losing more weight. I was concerned, but no need to worry. My lipids improved a few more notches.

Before
HDL 1.44
LDL 3.33
Trigs 1.15

After
HDL 2.51
LDL 2.8
Trigs 0.6
 
Brilliant stuff

What type of fats do you go for?
SInce cakes and goodies are out sometimes I will have full fat milk and cream. I try and stick with natural fats so use butter over marg.

I don't fry too much - just a bit of veg oil with my omelets (which I have often).

Meat I tend to eat mostly chicken and lean mince. I do have grilled bacon most mornings too.

Cheese I eat on and off. I have binges and absinences.

My GP didn't give me much information - just that my reading was 6 and should be 4. Whatever that means. Because there's a big difference from a scale of one to ten or one to one hundred. I'm going to ask for a more detailed breakdown.
 
After 3+ Years on LCHF (less than 50 g carbs a day), my total cholesterol increased by a tiny amount while my HDL increased and my Trigs decreased. My ratios are now optimal.

I'm delighted - and confident that LCHF has improved my overal health tremendously.
 

What is the breakdown of your cholesterol? The total cholesterol is meaningless without this. It could be your good cholesterol has increased. If you know your breakdown, use this to see where you stand. http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php If you don't know the breakdown - find out from your surgery.

I eat all dairy, masses of butter and cream. I fry mushrooms and eggs in butter. If you have no contraindicated issues with fats, real natural fats are good. I never drink milk because of the sugar, but I do have a small dash in my cuppas. I use cream in coffee. I have bacon and high meat content (97%) sausages several times a week, but grill them because I prefer it that way. I eat cheese and loads of eggs. Some people eat avocados, nuts and use olive oil. That is something I don't do because I don't like them (otherwise I would). I also eat plenty of salmon - 3 times a week at least.
 
I watched this program on you tube the other day. Interestingly they got five volunteers and put them on a low carb high fat diet for a week. They all either lost weight or lowered their cholesterol or both. See ...
 
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I'm afraid that 50 gm of carbs per day is considered up at the very top end of low carb eating - I am very unusual in that I was eating up to 80 gm of carb and still losing weight, but I was sticking to Atkins Induction type foods, plus items from the start of the next stage. I am working towards that once I feel that my diabetes is really under control.
My results are good for so early in the process, and my meter is showing good numbers.
Low fat is really not good - all the 'eat low fat' advice seems to be based on tests done on rabbits, a herbivore - the same results were not found in other animals and seems not to apply to Humans. If low fat was making a great improvement in Human health, I think we might have seen the headlines by now. All I see and hear is 'try harder', which I think shows a lack of the results expected from the standard advice.
 
Resurgam said:
I'm afraid that 50 gm of carbs per day is considered up at the very top end of low carb eating.
Click to expand...

Sorry to pipe up with disagreement, but lots of places (including the diabetes.co.uk Low Carb Programme) consider that Low Carbing begins at 130g or below, and that Very Low Carbing is 50g carbs or below. Very Low Carbing is often also known as ketogenic eating, but again, some people say that keto doesn't start below 20g carbs.

I really wish there were standard classifications around, but lots of websites and discussions use different definitions, so there is no single clear one that everyone uses.
 
I have a very low resistance to weightloss, and my maintenance level is 90 gm, with a minimum of an hour's exercise every day - eating 130 gm per day and I'd need to be running marathons just to maintain, and I am unusual.
For me controlling my diabetes has been just too easy - I already knew what made my weight loss stop - it matched exactly what put up my blood glucose, but I would estimate my carbs as 35gm per day.
Dangling the 130 gm option as a possibility for blood glucose control seems a bit cruel - though if there are people who can manage it I am glad for them - however - the meter is the key to knowing what can be eaten safely.
 
Some people on LCHF have this sort of response - higher cholesterol. Preferring unsaturated fats over saturated plus eating crushed flax seed daily has helped me.
 
I first noticed a drop when I began HiiT based exercise (6 to 4.6), with improved diet, but high carb (didn'the know any better). Since going LCHF as well as exercise zip am now at 3.99, with a ratio of just under 2 to 1. I increased my Salmon and Mackerel.
 
 

Thank you.
I'm eating such low cars out of necessity as essentially my diabetes is untreated. It's very difficult indeed. I have one wholemeal wrap in the morning with my bacon which is about 20g and I only wrote upto 50g as it's impossible to track what's in my veggies. This lifestyle has been depressing me so much and is very very difficult. To have someone suggest this is not low carb was a little upsetting and insensitive. Sure I could get rid of my one wrap per day if I wanted to but I refuse to belive anyone could dip any lower than 30-40g per day.

You are right it does parralel with the ketogenic diet. Which is why I have no energy at all. I'm stuck on the sofa and feel low all the time.
 
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