Cholesterol numbers

bostonwolf

Just got a call from my doctor that my numbers are a bit elevated and my LDL is low.

I'm not super concerned about it, having done enough reading on Paleo and Primal sites but I would at the least like to increase the good stuff and decrease the bad.

I'm going to switch my morning meal to 5 egg whites and one whole instead of 3 whole and 2 whites. Other than that any tips?

I'm doing Crossfit 3 times a week at least and usually running once or twice in addition so exercise-wise I'm OK.

bostonwolf

So my HDL is low at 34, LDL is high at 173. I flipped it above.

MUALaurenClark

I'm going to switch my morning meal to 5 egg whites and one whole instead of 3 whole and 2 whites. Other than that any tips?

is there a reason you need so many eggs in the morning? it seems excessive. 3 for men is plenty

AlyRoseNYC

I know you are following a paleo lifestyle, but I've always heard that oats help with cholesterol.

bostonwolf

I'm going to switch my morning meal to 5 egg whites and one whole instead of 3 whole and 2 whites. Other than that any tips?

is there a reason you need so many eggs in the morning? it seems excessive. 3 for men is plenty

Just trying to get 30g of protein, that got me there. Switched to the whites (all the cholesterol in eggs is in the yolk) and am going to make myself some beef or pork patties to get that extra protein. Will meet with the doctor in the new year and work out a plan.

This is somewhat hereditary for me. I ran the Boston Marathon in 2000 and was in the best shape of my life. Had blood work done two weeks after the race and it was almost exactly the same as this. So much for aerobic exercise....

jordymils

Actual cholesterol, like the stuff in egg yolks, is the least of your worries. You're better off focusing on cutting down/out your saturated fats like meat, cheeses, etc. I'm not sure if you follow an entirely paleo diet and therefore don't eat dairy, but if you do then things like switching protein sources to lean meats and fish, instead of fattier options, will be beneficial. Oils are also not great if used in cooking. Things like olive oil have quite a low smoking point and once heated above a certain temperature they pretty much go toxic, lose all health benefits and just add to the bad type of fats.
Saturated fats, fried foods, etc add to bad cholesterol more than actual cholesterol itself.
Trans fats (found in things like margarine and store bought cakes etc) are also terrible not only at raising LDL but lowering HDL.

Also, despite the fact that it is a saturated fat, coconut oil is amazing for you and can help reduce LDL levels. It's a medium chain fatty acid which means your body is able to break it down much easier/faster and use it for energy right away, rather than storing it for later. Coconut oil is a grey area with a lot of people and there is a lot of conflicting info, but I eat 1-2 tablespoons every day.

Howbouto

I had the same issue, until I went paleo. My current macros are 50% fat/ 30% protein and 20% carbs. My cholesterol was awesome last time I had checked. BTW I don't buy the whole saturated fat thing. I eat plenty of animal fats and tons of coconut oil. I start my day with bulletproof coffee (1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of grassfed butter blended into coffee.) I'm trying to find my exact number but I'm having trouble, I believe by HDL went from 30 to 63. And LDL stayed steady at 130ish. My trigylcerides went from 150 to like 75. My doctor was impressed and then shocked when I told her how much fat I eat. I have never felt better since I ditched the grains and sugar and started eating fat.

Dmkolls

When I went full on paleo (no dairy, full fat meats, NO sugar at all, full fat coconut milk in smoothies and coffee, butter and bacon daily), my cholesterol GREATLY improved from when I was vegan.

My cholesterol was over 300 when I was vegan with my HDL being super low and my LDL being really high. Triglycerides were almost 300 alone.

I went 80/20 paleo and had them checked and then well whole hog (ha ha) and had them checked. My HDL went up. LDL went down. My Triglycerides are now below 100.

MUALaurenClark

When I went full on paleo (no dairy, full fat meats, NO sugar at all, full fat coconut milk in smoothies and coffee, butter and bacon daily), my cholesterol GREATLY improved from when I was vegan.

My cholesterol was over 300 when I was vegan with my HDL being super low and my LDL being really high. Triglycerides were almost 300 alone.

I went 80/20 paleo and had them checked and then well whole hog (ha ha) and had them checked. My HDL went up. LDL went down. My Triglycerides are now below 100.

thats amazing

bostonwolf

btw I retested a few weeks later for a work-related thing with our insurance and was down to 188. I think it was a temporary spike.

ortega1990

btw I retested a few weeks later for a work-related thing with our insurance and was down to 188. I think it was a temporary spike.

as long as you are below 200 there's no worries.