Fw: [SoFlaVegans] Vegetarian gets a high cholesterol count

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----- Forwarded Message ----Dly Plzr <dlyplzrSoFlaVegans <soflavegans >Mon, January 18, 2010 7:20:56 AM[soFlaVegans] Vegetarian gets a high cholesterol count

 

 

A longtime v

Maybe it is the fault of genetics. But she tries modifying her diet before resorting to prescription medicine.

By Barbara Lewis

January 18, 2010

 

http://www.latimes. com/features/ health/la- he-myturn- cholesterol18- 2010jan18, 0,1272980. story

 

My blood test results arrived in the mail last year -- and I was shocked. My report, with total cholesterol listed at 248, contained a handwritten note from my doctor in the margin: Come in to see me for medication.

 

How could I have high cholesterol?

 

I had been a vegetarian most of my life. I wasn't overweight. I exercised several times a week on the treadmill.

 

And although high cholesterol can be genetic, I knew that my mother never had high cholesterol, and my father, who died in 1994, was never treated for cholesterol.

 

Then, weeks later, I discovered some of my father's old medical records: His cholesterol at the time had been 270. Perhaps genetics was a factor after all.

 

A count of more than 200 for total cholesterol is considered high. Further, my "bad" cholesterol (LDL), which should have been below 130, was 174. The only good news I could salvage from the otherwise depressing report was that my "good" cholesterol (HDL) was 50, and higher than 40 is considered positive.

 

But medication seemed a drastic step. Before committing to a daily pill, I decided to try to reduce my cholesterol through diet. My meals often consisted of cold cereal, yogurt, a chocolate nutrition bar and several diet sodas -- all processed foods. I couldn't remember the last time that I had fruit or vegetables.

 

And so I embarked on a diet of raw food. I learned that cholesterol numbers don't change much in less than five weeks, so I gave myself eight weeks to influence my count before trying a cholesterol- lowering medication. I hoped that raw food would keep me from taking cholesterol pills for the rest of my life.

 

Cholesterol is a major cause of heart disease, building up in the walls of the arteries, hardening them and preventing blood flow to the heart. I scoured the Internet for suggestions on lowering cholesterol through diet. Fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains -- those seemed to be the way to go.

 

On my new eating plan, breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal (the only non-raw food I eat) with blueberries when they're in season or other fresh fruit, such as blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or apples.

 

Lunch is a smoothie made from orange juice or milk, plus fruit and ice. Dinner is a salad with a lettuce or broccoli base and condiments. Snacks include apples, grapes, carrots, celery and nuts.

 

No processed food, no sweets, no sodas, no fun.

 

After eight weeks I had another cholesterol test. I thought my eating plan would have some effect, but I never expected my total cholesterol to drop to 195, a 21% reduction. My "bad" cholesterol was borderline at 132 but still a 24% reduction and only three points over the optimal mark.

 

If I maintain my diet, perhaps my LDL will continue to drop and I won't have to take pills to keep my cholesterol down after all.

 

The added benefit: What initially seemed like a sacrifice has become an enjoyable way of life.

 

Lewis is a marketing and communication consultant living in Sherman Oaks. barbaralewis@ centurion consulting.com

 

= = =

 

Comments:

 

Cholesterol itself is just the marker (and not a good one) for the diet and lifestyle associated with cardiovascular disease. If you want a free way to follow your ranking among American adults on the diet and lifestyle associated with LDL/HDL cholesterol try my interactive health risk appraisal: http://doctormanage dcare.com/ HealthRiskForm. htm.....(tutorial) http://doctormanagedcare.com/healthrisktutorial.pdf

 

This instrument is evidence based and derived from the statistical analysis of 1441 people with type 1 diabetes followed up to 9 years.

Indeed, a vegan diet leads to the best cholesterol outcomes. However, exercise and sleep hygiene also play roles.

DkCundiff3 (AT) verizon (DOT) net (01/17/2010, 4:34 PM )

 

I%u2019d be glad to give anyone any coaching or share my many experiences in more depth.

I am 67 years old, my last test pulled a 127 total cholesterol, I am 5%u2019 11%u201D and have gotten my weight down to about 165 %u2013 my cardiologist wants me at 160 for my goals %u2013 perhaps being the oldest person to summit Everest. In very brief, I eat an alkaline vegetarian diet of almost exclusively one ingredient foods %u2013 broccoli, millet, etc, olive oil is the only fat. The two most underrated aspects of good health are the acid/alkaline balance and minerals %u2013 as opposed to vitamins. There is also the American consciousness of MORE %u2013 again, as opposed to LESS. In other words, everyone seems to be looking for the perfect extra to consume %u2013 drug, Omega 3 rich food, etc instead of eliminating most of what they are currently eating.

I walk 20 to 50 miles a week in the LA Mountains.

My case might be a bit more extreme than others as I also go to a peer support group as I have found thru %u201Cfield research%u201D that I am unable to stay on my healthy diet and avoid all sugar and other processed foods for long periods without regular support. My first food mentor had the thought that one needs to eat 1% less food for every year older you get just to not gain weight. He figured that when he got to 100 he would stop eating and die. The author has my email if you want to contact me.

carlosjii (01/17/2010, 11:26 AM )

 

I agree with the commenters talking refering you to the work of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn MD, as well as that of Dr. Joel Furhman MD & Dr. T. Colin Campbell PhD.

 

Vegetarians obtain cholesterol in eggs and dairy. A vegan diet is healthier because cholesterol is from animal-based foods. The American Dietetics Association now recognizes a well planned vegan diet as nutritionally adequate for all stages of the human lifecycle, but do make sure to consume supplemetal B12 and DHA (from algae or purslane or brown seaweed) and good quality Essential Fatty Acids -walnuts, flax, chia, hemp, sunflower seeds.

 

Dr. Esselstyn was a surgeon who wanted to prevent people from needing surgery. Although his specialty was breast cancer, he chose a preventative approach working with Cardiovascular patients. He went to cardiovascular surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic where he worked and they refered to him 24 patients who had essentially been told medical science had done all they could and they should go home and prepare their affairs to die.

 

The first five years Dr. Esselstyn led them on a vegetarian diet, then the next 15 on a vegan diet. Of the 17 who stuck faithfully with the program, over a 20 year period, none have had any cardiac events in the 20 year period. You can find his book online, as well as those of Dr Joel Furhman (Eat to Live) and Dr. Campbell (The China Study).

sjoyg (01/17/2010, 9:42 AM )

 

Thank you for all of your great comments, support and insight regarding my cholesterol lowing diet and the article that I wrote. I also received about 10 comments sent directly to my email address. I%u2019ve asked them to add their comments to this string. Several people have recommended the book, The China Study, which I plan to read. Many thanks for participating in this online conversation, which has been very helpful for me. Barbara Lewis.

balewis (01/17/2010, 9:36 AM )

 

We lowered our cholesterol by also becoming vegans...... avoiding meat and dairy is the key to good nutrition... ..and, yes, load up on vegetables, fruit, grains and beans.....you can read the science on it in "The China Study" and "The Engine 2" by the Texas firefighters gives you the how-to to eating that way with grocery lists and menus for 28 days....you can eat all that you want if you control what it is you are eating.....no processed foods. Thanks for sharing.

pjpoll (01/17/2010, 9:31 AM )

 

If "cold cereal, yogurt, a chocolate nutrition bar and several diet sodas" constitute a vegetarian diet, then sign me up.

MikeAmaro (01/16/2010, 11:22 PM )

 

I dropped my cholesterol count by eating meals cooked from scratch, including meats, veggies, starches, and diary. It dropped by 20%. Avoiding processed foods seemed to work very well.

rtsgv (01/16/2010, 9:43 PM )

 

You are on the right track. The healthiest way to eat is according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Eat to Live". Vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, seeds.

bhami (01/16/2010, 7:02 PM )

 

I had a very similar experience. I'm not overweight, but I was being careless in eating too much unhealthy fat from meat and processed foods. A year ago my total cholesterol was 274 and my doctor immediately wrote out a prescription for a statin, which I threw in the trash--the prescription, that is. I stopped eating animal products, ate only plant-based protein (soy), lots of "sticky fiber" (barley, okra, psyllium, flax, etc.), loads of veggies, a few almonds and peanuts, extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil; and also stepped up the exercise. In about 10 weeks I had blood taken to see how my liver was handling the statin I was to have been taking. My total went down to 219 and my good to bad ratio (the more indicative of cardio-vascular health) was within range.

 

I didn't tell the doctor I never took the statin. He seemed pleased and said I should cut down on the fatty foods to get my LDL number down just a bit, otherwise everything was fine!

 

For many it's just too foreign a concept to eat whole, unprocessed foods, so prescribing statins is a quick fix but the side effects are insidious: memory problems, malaise and cramping to name a few. Doctors are under pressure to "get 'em in and move 'em out," so statins are the easy way out. A friend of mine thinks I'm subversive for telling people to stop the statins; and she also hates carrots and any and all soy products.

newport6 (01/16/2010, 5:43 PM )

 

I was in the same boat, thought I was eating well, exercising 5 times a week and still my total cholesterol was 233. I read a book by Dr. Esselstyn and another by T Collin Campbel "The China Study." My wife, I and our two sons ages 7 and 8 eliminated anything that was or comes out of an animal (including milk and eggs) as well as all oils (yup, even the so called heart-healthy oils - they are not healthy, some may be less-bad.) Six weeks later my cholesterol dropped to 143, lost 15 pounds and feel great. The only downside is convenience - no more stopping for fast food and eating at a restaurant takes extra effort.

 

At 53, I only wish I started this when I was a kid.

jplatko (01/16/2010, 5:34 PM )

 

You just need to be a vegan. Dairy and eggs have cholesterol too, you know, much more than meat. You don't need to be raw, just don't eat meat, eggs, or dairy products, they all have cholesterol and plant foods have ZERO cholesterol.

borlef (01/16/2010, 5:21 PM )

 

The right thing to do is to stop eating carbohydrates, and start eating protein and fat. High cholesterol is an effect of carbohydrate intake.

 

You might also want to check out the book "The Vegetarian Myth". It will be very informative.

jkrischel (01/16/2010, 3:41 PM )

 

I'm glad you're eating a lot better now! Sounds like you were on a 'junkatarian' diet. No doubt your genetics have a part to play in the high level of bad cholesterol, but the amount of saturated fat (which turns into bad cholesterol in your body) you were eating from dairy would have been a huge contributing factor as well. Don't believe me? Check out the saturated fat percentage on any dairy product, especially dense things like cream, ice cream.

My advice - stick with the healthy choices you've made and also reduce (0r eliminate) the dairy in your diet. You can get more 'bio-available' forms of calcium from supplements or vegetables, if you're worried about that. Vitamin D is also in vegetables, and you get some from the sun (although not enough).

kiwi_in_LA (01/16/2010, 1:35 PM )

 

Have you considered the possibility that the conventional 40 year old wisdom of decreasing your dietary fat intake to lower your cholesterol levels may be wrong and that eating saturated fat while eliminating most carbohydrates in your diet may actually lower your total cholesterol while increasing HDL? Well designed clinical trials have repeatedly shown this, yet because it contradicts doctrine, people find it easier to ignore such results. Try thinking out of the box; it may actually save your life.

rtamesis (01/16/2010, 1:28 PM )

 

I'm right there with you! Vegetarian since 1988, yet high cholesterol is something I've dealt with since my teens (pre-vegetarian) . I do all the "right" things, but it's still a problem. VERY frustrating, but what can I say? It's my family's fault!

GraceJ (01/16/2010, 12:02 PM )

 

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