I need my Atkins Pro's!! Cholesterol probs!

[adreliluc]

So I got my blood results back from the doc today... my cholesterol has gone up!
Last year when I checked it it had gone WAY down (I'd have to dig out my paper work to give exact #'s) and now it's high - the over all # is 200 and my triglicerides are at 140. If I remember correctly, last year my triglicerides went down to like 70.

So anyway, of course my doc wants me to go on a low fat diet... I "LOL'd" at him.


But has this happend to any of you? What gives and what should I do?? How do I get my #'s down? If I cut out the fat I'll be eating pretty much just protien! lol (ok maybe not exactly but you know... )

I basically need to know what to do to get it back down with out messing up my Atkins.

[Prya]

Have you thought about changing the kinds of fat you are eating rather than cutting them down? Olive oil is one fat that is supposed to lower your bad cholesterol while raising the good, and I have heard that avacados are good for that as well.

[Chicklady]

I agree. i try to keep my saturated fats under 20% although I'm often closer to 25%. Stick to lean meat, poultry and chicken and "fatten" them up with olive oil, avacado, macadamia nuts and other monounsaturated fats. make your fattier meals fatty fish, which are good sources of Omega 3 polyunsaturateds. Try to keep a lower amount of Omega 6 polys in your diet. If you can afford it, switch to grass fed meat, pork and poultry, which has a much better fatty acid profile.
Good luck!!

[adreliluc]

Well see that's pretty much what I do eat. I do add butter to my eggs and sweet potatoes and I use olive oil once in awhile.
I try and stick to fresh meats and we don't eat red meat very often...
I may over do it a bit with the cheese... lol.
And I do have a problem with nuts, can too many nuts give you high cholesterol??

I just don't know how else I could possibly tweak my diet to be "healthier", I feel like I eat really well already.

I will add more fish, except for tuna I don't really eat it at all, and I forgot about the Omega's and all that stuff helping..

Thanks for the replies! I just couldn't believe that it was high!! Especially after it was so low the last time.

I will look for grass fed meat... I've never even thought about that before. Would I find that at my regular grocery store or at a health food store? (lol I'm clueless! )

[Hudson]

The high triglicerides is very much a surprise. On Low-carb they always go down.

As for the total cholesterol number going over 200, probably not that big of a deal. What were your HDL and LDL? I think total cholesterol is just about useless in predicting heart trouble.

[Chicklady]

I get my grass fed meat via mail order cause I live in the land time forgot---there's no farms, but the grocery stores don't carry squat. If you have a Trader Joes near you, I hear they carry grass fed beef and lamb. I find UPS showing up with my groceries much easier
I know the FDA tries to say there's no difference, but I had my eggs tested by an independent lab for a Mother Earth News project. Free-range, grass fed chickens produced eggs lower in saturated fat, higher in vitamins and lower in cholesterol that factory farmed hens (check out the october issue) Studies at Iowa university showed the fatty acid profile of grass fed beef to have between a 1to1 and 4 to 1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 profile, while grain fed beef ran between 14 to 1 and 20 to 1.

[hrgillespie]

I would consider cutting out the nuts ....... especially if you find them to be a weakness for you anyways ........ that may be your bodys way of letting you know it doesn't do well with them. Just a thought.

[adreliluc]

I'll dig out my old stats and compare the two properly.
My good cholesterol is at 40.

And yeah I've tried cutting out the nuts but they continue to be my down fall. lol. It's a constant battle.

And we do have trader joes, I'm going to go there tomorrow. Very interesting about your egg test!

[Chicklady]

Nuts aren't going to raise your bad cholesterol or lower the good. In fact, just the opposite. If, however, your problem with nuts is limiting your intake that's a whole other story
I'm not a doctor and would never even play one on TV However, from what I've read, were I in your shoes, I would increase my flax intake, fatty fish, and mono unsaturated fats. Drop the butter, heavy cream and cream cheese, use lean cuts of meat and poultry, and low fat cheeses (but make sure they don't have added "stuff-Kraft makes a nice 2% added calcium cheddar and italian cheese blend). Replace those saturated-fatty foods with avacado, olive oil, macadamia, walnuts, almonds. Give it a few months and retest.
Good luck

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by adreliluc

So I got my blood results back from the doc today... my cholesterol has gone up!
Last year when I checked it it had gone WAY down (I'd have to dig out my paper work to give exact #'s) and now it's high - the over all # is 200 and my triglicerides are at 140. If I remember correctly, last year my triglicerides went down to like 70.

So anyway, of course my doc wants me to go on a low fat diet... I "LOL'd" at him.


But has this happend to any of you? What gives and what should I do?? How do I get my #'s down? If I cut out the fat I'll be eating pretty much just protien! lol (ok maybe not exactly but you know... )

I basically need to know what to do to get it back down with out messing up my Atkins.

Hello there Girlie!
I have a history of high lipids. Unfortunately genetics play a roll with mine. I will have to take a statin probably for ever. Even though I've lost over 100 pounds and have been on the Atkins Lifestyle for nearly four years. I've reversed my Type 2 Diabetes, High blood pressure, High Triglyceride # and raised my HDL. I still have to work at getting my LDL down.
Here are what the ideal number should read
Cholesterol-132-240
HDL-35-80
Triglyceride- 40-210
LDL- <101
According to this and your numbers, you're doing alright. Bringing your HDL up would be a good idea. Exercise, just walking, will help bring those numbers up. The higher the better on those.
Chick makes an excellent point about MUFAS (monounsaturated fats).
These fats are heart healthy. Incorporating them into your woe will help with your fat ratio as well. I eat MUFAS every day. Hot flaxmeal cereal in the morning. 1/2 avacado & can sardines for lunch, Stir fry with olive oil for dinner. All Atkins friendly and heart healthy.
Other MUFAS are, OILS, Canola oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, pesto sauce, safflower oil, sesame, oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil. Nuts and seeds -Avacados - OLIVES- Black and Green Olives-Dark Chocolate. These are all MUFAS that will help your body chemistry be healthier. Especially your lipids.
A good natural to take for moderately high cholesterol is Red Yeast Rice. Very important to not be taking a statin at the same time as Red Yeast Rice. Red Yeast Rice as the same active ingrediat as Mevacore, a Statin.
This month I changed my WOE to try to do my part to bring my LDL # down. I'll be getting lab done in 12 weeks to see what a differenc it does make. This is what I did.
I was eating eggs every day for nearly four years for breakfast. I"M BURNED OUT ON EGGS, LOL. So for the last nine days I've cut them out completely. Also, I cut out butter, hvy cream, limiting my cheese and sour cream.
I am incorporating a MUFA into every meal. I'm looking forward to seeing my next lab work.
Not only are MUFAS a great healthy fat, but by eating them, it has been proven that it will help you lose belly fat as well. Another good reason to eat them. Also they will help you live a longer life. They're so healthy.
I'm eating more veggies for breakfast as well. Like a nice stir fry with sesame oil and fresh ginger, yum. I really like Mitzies MUP for breakfast as well. Very filling and satisfying. I'm also choosing leaner cuts of meat. I like to cook a whole turkey twice a month to eat on for a few days. Yumm! I eat alot of fish and fowl as well. If you eat low fat cheeses be careful and read the labels. Lowfat has a tendency to cut fat and add SUGAR! Check lables for sugar count.
Sometime it just takes a minor change in your WOE to do your part to help those numbers. Also exercise is crucial. Also a Omega 3 supplement every day is a good idea. I take one three times a day. It also helps with my RA.
You've already had excellent advice here. I just wanted to give you my two cent worth
Best of health and Lite to you.
Sincerely, Sherri