Ah Bollocks...high cholesterol
:(
Must be all that Bacon.
New year, new diet, I guess....... :cry:
I've never had mine checked. I don't eat much bacon though...
Routine test or was there a reason?
Here is what I Plan On doing this year ,
I recommend the taco diet...
routine. It was only "slightly elevated" this time last year. but I did eat an awful lot of eggs in the last week -I had an egg craving....
I'm eggstremely sorry to hear about this Monnie. High cholesterol is no yolk!
I've had high cholesterol since I was 14, when I was eating a 95% vegetarian diet. My grandmother, who is a life-long strict vegetarian, has a cholesterol level above 300.
She's 83 and doing just fine. No meds.
I, on the other hand, am on 8 drugs + supplements each day. <sigh> Thankfully, only one of them is still under patent -- the rest have generics available. I've been on Simvastatin (Zocor) since I was 24.
My cholesterol is righteous. My doctor was practically giddy when he told me that he'd never seen numbers as good as mine.
My secret? I eat as much butter and olive oil and eggs as possible. Oh yeah, I also have good genes I guess. Salt is another matter all together...
Zippy, your wisdom is awesome!
I've had high cholesterol since I was 14, when I was eating a 95% vegetarian diet. My grandmother, who is a life-long strict vegetarian, has a cholesterol level above 300.
She's 83 and doing just fine. No meds.
I, on the other hand, am on 8 drugs + supplements each day. <sigh> Thankfully, only one of them is still under patent -- the rest have generics available. I've been on Simvastatin (Zocor) since I was 24.
What about the generation in between? [SIZE="1"]I don't know which Grandmother.[/SIZE] They probably never tested your Great Grandparents, but if this is a hereditary thing, and Grandma in doing fine, wouldn't all those drugs be a big a threat?
My partner went to the doctor 6 months ago (first time in years!!) and his cholesterol (and blood sugar and blood pressure) was sky high. 3 months later, the doctor was utterly amazed at the difference. All three were close to or at normal range. Here is how it was done:
Cut out almost all animal products. No more pork, very rare ground beef, no steak, no bacon, no eggs, no cheese, no milk. Instead, he uses Eggstirs, turkey bacon, veggie cheese, Silk soy milk, and mixes veggie crumbles with beef when he uses it. No fast food and no white carbs. Added olive oil, almonds, fish, mushrooms and tons of fiber (mostly veggies) to his diet. He eats mostly boneless, skinless chicken for protein. He also takes fish oil every day. Extremely limited saturated fats and we avoid all trans fats. We joined a gym and work out 3-5 times a week.
HUGE lifestyle change for him. But you get used to it, and you feel a LOT better. Good luck Monster!
Stormie, sounds like the Zone Diet?
Its truly the healthiest way to eat.
Eat oatmeal,use olive oil, proteins only in moderation,eliminate trans fats, never fry anything and no white carbs.
( I love white carbs though and not very good about not eating them. It's very hard for me not to stop at Dunkin donuts)
I've been on Simvastatin (Zocor) since I was 24.
When is it supposed to start working?
It's been working. My cholesterol is 151 (HDL 44, LDL 89). Without the Zocor, it would be around 220-250. My doc wants me to get the LDL down to 70. :eek:
The target values are different for diabetics, since we're much more likely to have heart attacks.
Stormie, sounds like the Zone Diet?
Its truly the healthiest way to eat.
Eh, I call it the Stormie diet ;). We started out cutting out the fast food, sodas, and white carbs. Then he went to the doctor. So there went all the red meat, dairy (we LOVE cheese), and most other animal products. Now, we've graduated to mostly organic and natural foods. I don't really use fat-free or low-fat stuff much, if you're eating the right foods, you should be getting adequate but not to much fat in your diet.
He does take a prescription for his cholesterol and chromium for his blood sugar, in addition to aspirin for the pain from nerve damage (diabetes) and the fish oil capsules.
I'm just cutting down on the eggs. I've been eating ridiculous amounts recently (2-4/day) and see where that gets me. I had 4 eggs maybe 1 or two days before the test. and two pretty much every day other than the 4-egg day.
I'm just pissed I'm not superhuman.
Liver function was normal though... :D :thumb:
Pie, I am wondering if those numbers are in some units that I am not used to. I can't remember the units we use here but the recommended range is 3 to 8 (mine is 3.5, knew a guy who was on 37 and his doctor flipped).
The easiest way is for you to tell me what the recommended range is for you guys. I should be able to compare from that.
Them be Merkin units.....
US units are in mg/dL, and everyone else uses mmol/L.
From
Wikipedia:
< 200 mg/dL
< 5.0 mmol/L
Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease
200–240 mg/dL
5.2–6.2 mmol/L
Borderline high risk
> 240 mg/dL
> 6.2 mmol/L
High risk
I have been taking Red Yeast Rice. My brother droped his over 30 pts since he started doing it. I have not had mine rechecked for quite some time but when I do I expect it to have dropped as well.
Excellent suggestion Merc.
Has anybody done safety studies on red rice yeast? It looks to be about as effective as the statins... I guess the drug companies will get it banned by the Feds soon.
I'm just pissed I'm not superhuman.
You are, Monnie.
It's just that eggs are your (tasty) kryptonite.
Has anybody done safety studies on red rice yeast? It looks to be about as effective as the statins... I guess the drug companies will get it banned by the Feds soon.
Funny you say that. The one leading company that was selling it most effectively (can't remember the name) was bought by a subsidiary of a pharmaceutical company and they immediately stopped selling it.
Looks like Pharma's adopting
Microsoft's strategy.
Has anybody done safety studies on red rice yeast? It looks to be about as effective as the statins... I guess the drug companies will get it banned by the Feds soon.
I did some research on it before I started taking RYR. There are quite a few studies that support it's use. One particular type was from China (I think) and the studies actually found it contained a synthetic statin and was removed from the market. As classic stated I think another pharm company tried to buy up some of the distributors. It is readily available in any health food store and most places that sell vitamins.
Careful Merc - that which it is best known for has been removed or omitted from many. Damn I wish I could remember all this. The other thing is the disparity of the Omega 3 fatty acids in different brands. Some you'd have to take like 5 - 10 times more than others. Of course they are all "fish oil"but the potency is completely different. READ the labels.
I had to stop taking statins after joint and muscle pain started getting unbearable. Doc has me on Niacin now. I like that idea better anyway. Now history of heart or arterial disease in either side of my family.
As I ate the last bit straight from the tub, I just noticed the cholesterol count for the coleslaw I've been snacking on all week. How in the fuck do they cram so much in there? I'd be better off with straight lard and a side of egg-covered steak. It really is a wonder I'm not dead.
Just shoot it into your veins.
I'm going through the same thing, Monster. Mine isn't SUPER high...but high. Cholesterol was upper end of the normal range (194) and triglycerides were 218...quite a bit above the 150 they should be. I don't remember the HDL and LDL. Time to change the diet a bit.