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keto diet and cholesterol.

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elmacribecky
elmacribecky Posts: 9 Member
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Hi Guys,

I have done the keto diet before with good success but over the last few months have only really been doing paleo with a few cheat days here and there.
The problem i have is that i am wanting to do the Ketogenic diet again but have just had bloods done and found my cholesterol to be 244.
I am worried to start eating bacon again for breakfast etc. I have read that this diet should improve my levels but i am really freaking out now. My doctor gave me a big lecture about no red meats fats etc. I was sitting there thinking omg how do i tell him i am going back on the Keto.
All my other bloods were good. I still have a few ponds to lose but am not too big now. I am 5.5 tall and weight 64 kilos about 10 stone 10
Any advise from you guy please. Also if you do the Keto diet and want to send me a friend request please do!! :frown:

Replies

  • Golightly17
    Golightly17 Posts: 347 Member
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    Does your cholesterol include HDL and LDL? How long ago were you on keto and do you have a comparison in blood work?

    The reason I ask is that I have been on low carb/keto for quite awhile (cheats thrown in there but lifestyle overall) and I also get my blood work done on a regular basis (for reasons unrelated to diet). My cholesterol panel at a glance is actually very high. The reason it is so high, is that my good HDL cholesterol is very high but my LDL is low. Are my doc and I concerned? No! This is a result of diet and a uniquely healthy spot to be in for health, specifically heart, reasons. It is my understanding that cholesterol and bad fats,and by bad I mean vegetable oil and trans fats, become problematic for health due to inflammation.

    So many studies and resources are out and coming out that overwhelmingly disprove the notion that fats are bad for you. I highly encourage you to do your own homework but I listed some good sources below.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/#axzz2kRCC0iJM

    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/lipid-hypothesis/the-big-lie/

    Fat Head- easy watch, gives a good overview
    Gary Taubes- good, easy reads that explain some of the science and myths
  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
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    Total Cholestesrol is not a good predictor for risk of heart disease.

    This calculator allows you to enter your variousl values (total, LDL, HDL, trigycerides) and will identify the risk level associated with your ratios. The ratios are a much better indicator of heart disease.
    http://www.hughchou.org/calc/chol2013.php

    Do NOT consider statins without doing a lot more research. Typically low carbers see an increase in total cholesterol (again, meaningless); an increase in HDL (great), a reduction in triglycerides (awesome). LDL is tricky. It turns out that your LDL can be dense (bad) or fluffy (good). The standard lipid panel doesn't measure LDL particle size. So just giving you the count of LDL is really pretty meaningless.

    Did your doctor identify why he wanted you to reduce red meat? Many doctors are still under the mistaken belief that there is a link between saturated fat and heart disease. There is not. This is old conventional wisdom.

    Jimmy Moore just put out "Cholesterol Clarity" to try to shed more light on cholesterol numbers. You might want to check that out to get better insight on your numbers.
  • elmacribecky
    elmacribecky Posts: 9 Member
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    No my bloods only show the total cholesterol this time. a bit silly really when i asked for bloods to be done to check the cholesterol. Thanks for the links Golightly17.
    I think my doctor is very old school. I live in Spain and its a little behind on modern medicine and new ideas.
    I have read lots on the saturated fat and heart disease and i too believe its good for us. I think this result has just shocked me. I am going to go back and ask for more bloods to be done and discuss it with him.
    In the mean time i am going strict Keto again.
    can anyone help as to why when you set your marcos on the fitnes plan why sodium is so high. mine states 2,500 and that sounds like a huge amount. What do the rest of you have for sodium.
    Many thanks to you for answering.
  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
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    can anyone help as to why when you set your marcos on the fitnes plan why sodium is so high. mine states 2,500 and that sounds like a huge amount. What do the rest of you have for sodium.
    Many thanks to you for answering.

    Don't be afraid of sodium.
    From "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living"

    Low carb diets are natriuretic - they make the kidneys dump sodium. Sodium deficiency can cause headache, dizziness and fatigue. With continued low carb intake and sodium restriction, at some point your kidneys start to excrete potassium in order to conserve sodium. Potassium deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, cardiac dysrythmia. it can also cause the body to lose muscle, even when there's plenty of protein in the diet.
  • elmacribecky
    elmacribecky Posts: 9 Member
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    can anyone help as to why when you set your marcos on the fitnes plan why sodium is so high. mine states 2,500 and that sounds like a huge amount. What do the rest of you have for sodium.
    Many thanks to you for answering.

    Don't be afraid of sodium.
    From "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living"

    Low carb diets are natriuretic - they make the kidneys dump sodium. Sodium deficiency can cause headache, dizziness and fatigue. With continued low carb intake and sodium restriction, at some point your kidneys start to excrete potassium in order to conserve sodium. Potassium deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, cardiac dysrythmia. it can also cause the body to lose muscle, even when there's plenty of protein in the diet.

    Hi ,
    Yes i understand how important they are. Its just i´m not sure if 2500 was correct or not. I had a really salty lunch and i was way way under from hitting my target. I am going to make my own broth again today. any ideas on how to measure the salt content in that. >I normally put a salted pork bone in and also 2 table spoons of salt, Sorry if i seem i bit of a pain i am new to filling out food diary. Finding it a bit stressful if i am honest. I use to use cronometer and it seemed a lot easier. Anyhow, on-wards and upwards as they say. I am determined this time to take advise from lots of people to help me through,. Thanks
  • djthom2
    djthom2 Posts: 63 Member
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    Under food there is at tab for recipes. Put all your ingredients in there and it will give you the break out
  • elmacribecky
    elmacribecky Posts: 9 Member
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    Brill, Thanks :wink:
  • Chris_B62
    Chris_B62 Posts: 63 Member
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    Bump. Great info!
  • melmilletics
    melmilletics Posts: 1
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    I changed my settings in my fitness pal to stick to the keto macros -
    And I bumped cholesterol up to 900 so I never see the 'red zone', because I know that the diet I'm on is healthy and will actually help with good cholesterol/ reduce inflammation.
    Heart disease is the result of Inflammation, which is caused by SUGAR, not from a diet filled with healthy veggies, nuts, seeds, and yes, MEAT.

    My initial settings are at 15% carbs, 30% protein and 55% fat.
    Totally against 'conventional thinking' about fat loss, but then - I'm not conventional!
  • cheryl3660
    cheryl3660 Posts: 182 Member
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    I was worried about my total cholesterol readings too and worried that the doctor would nag me about it. However, my most recent labwork shows my cholesterol well within normal ranges. Stick with keto and your numbers will come down.
  • Naughty_ZOOT
    Naughty_ZOOT Posts: 4,303 Member
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    Hi Guys,

    I have done the keto diet before with good success but over the last few months have only really been doing paleo with a few cheat days here and there.
    The problem i have is that i am wanting to do the Ketogenic diet again but have just had bloods done and found my cholesterol to be 244.
    I am worried to start eating bacon again for breakfast etc. I have read that this diet should improve my levels but i am really freaking out now. My doctor gave me a big lecture about no red meats fats etc. I was sitting there thinking omg how do i tell him i am going back on the Keto.
    All my other bloods were good. I still have a few ponds to lose but am not too big now. I am 5.5 tall and weight 64 kilos about 10 stone 10
    Any advise from you guy please. Also if you do the Keto diet and want to send me a friend request please do!! :frown:

    Get The Art and Science Of Low Carbohydrate Living by Volek and Phinney- it will explain why you have a rise and why you should not be concerned. They are the premier scientists researching this.
    Another book that I have not read yet but also on the topic is Cholesterol is Not the Culprit by Dr. Fred Kummerow.
    I have not told my doctors what I am doing yet because of the resistance but it has taken me off of all my diabetic meds and normalized my blood glucose. My husband's lipids came back fantastic last week and one more place to look quickly is Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt's web page: www.dietdoctor.com where you can get more explanations in layman's terms.

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