Advice please - Whole Food Plant based - Forks over Knives - How to Prevent Heart Disease

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Balaru
Balaru Posts: 203 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My last check up (3 yrs ago) results showed that I had high cholesterol and borderline diabetic. The doctor recommended that I not eat carbs (rice, pasta and potatoes) and cut out added sugar. I asked if I could treat it with diet instead of medication and he said sure. The pamphlets they gave me (I had to ask for them) were very old and the information very out dated. I watched Forks over Knives and read Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Also have checked out Dr. McDougal's website and YouTube videos. Kris Carr Crazy Sexy Diet. Have gone back and forth with attempting to live the whole food plant based lifestyle. This is very confusing. As I understand it rice, pasta and potatoes are the foundation for most whole food plant based meals. And fruits are loaded with sugar. I have been going back and forth for 3 years now trying to figure this out. I do 5 miles of walking one day and 10 miles on the bike the next. I have no visible symptoms right now. I was really surprised at my numbers since I was doing Spin class and Zumba at the time but wanted to see how hard I could push at the gym because my Dad had a heart attack at 57 and I'm 54. My Mom passed away due to complications of stroke at 83. If you could help me figure this out I would be extremely grateful! My goal is to be one of the success stories and beat the odds. Stress is a key component as well as I have been job searching for nearly a year now so going back to the doc to see where my numbers are now will have to wait until I have insurance again. This is a matter of "physician heal thyself"

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Well, first, Dr. MacDougall is very biased and pushes an agenda for plant based diets. And netflix documentaries do the same thing. With that said, if you like a plant based diet, then that is an acceptable way to achieve your goal. Overall, weight loss, exercise and genetics will have the greatest impact on cholesterol. Outside of that, unsaturated fats (nuts/legumes, fish (especially dark fish) and fiber will also help improve your cholesterol.


    On a side note, I would probably work in some resistance/weight training as it can be beneficial for skeletal health. You do pretty much all cardio.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Without knowing more about your family history it is possible genetics may also have something to do with these diagnoses.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I would ask for a consult with a registered dietitian. I don't trust most doctors on nutrition, and frankly your doctor's advice sounds simply like his or her idea of what might work for weight loss (which is going to depend on the person). Now, if you are overweight it is true that simply losing weight might help.

    Mostly you have identified two conflicting approaches -- low carb and whole foods plant based. Both will limit added sugar, but beyond that they are quite different. If the issue is simply weight you might not need to do anything so extreme as either, but if you find one approach appeals to you, I think you should try it. But try it alone -- you can't do both successfully.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Definitely talk to a dietician before you take advice from a biased documentary or a general doctor. You may get the benefit you need from simply dropping weight eating the foods you already like, just less of them. Drastic lifestyle changes usually last about 5 minutes.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited June 2016
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    My local Sam's Club has free cholesterol checks quarterly.
    Google your store, or call to ask if they offer this.
    You get total cholesterol and HDL (not LDL), but at least it's something.
    And it is surprisingly accurate (I tested it).
    You don't have to be a member, just tell the door person you are there for the pharmacy testing.
    I think Walgreens also offer cholesterol testing for about $65. And some walmarts do.
    You might also want to google Dr. Fuhrman videos. I think he is also plant based diet.
    My favorite plan to follow is the Mayo Clinic Heart Healthy Diet
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-healthy-diet/art-20047702
    Recipes http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/heart-healthy-recipes/rcs-20077163
    My library had the Mayo Clinic books. Worth visiting yours?
    Careful with the internet - lots of coo-coos out there.
    Cutting added sugar is one things that all diets restrict.
    I don't count sugar in fruits or milk/dairy products.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    My husband had cholesterol and BP on the high side, as well as a family history of heart disease. He didn't want to take meds, he had no weight to lose, was very active and seemingly stress free (he's naturally a placid guy). Diet seemed to be the only thing he could change. He has chosen the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease path. (High carb, low fat). He was unsustainably strict for a period of time but had big improvements in his numbers. He reintroduced perhaps too much fat and meat and his numbers went back up. He now includes evoo, nuts and chicken in his diet, but no dairy and no red meat. So far so good.

    Having said all that, he has no signs of even pre-diabetes so his chosen path might not be the best for you OP.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    I forgot to mention, exercising helps incredibly.
    Just 20 minutes of walking seemed to do wonders.
    Good luck !!
  • JodyFit13
    JodyFit13 Posts: 15 Member
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    First and foremost. Congratulations on taking charge of your health. Changing your WOE is a powerful tool. Any steps toward a WFPB diet will only help you. In an effort to manage my inflammation issues I began transitioning about a year ago. The results continue to impress me. My doctor thinks what's happening is extraordinary. Going forward: search Dr Doug Lisle on you tube. His lectures are various topics are very eye opening and will confirm you're not wasting time or effort. Let me know if you need support. It's good to know there are others with similar goals. Take care!
  • PearBlossom9
    PearBlossom9 Posts: 136 Member
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    Basically he recommended low carb to you. Maybe Low carb, high fat, moderate protien. Something like keto. Tons of people report lowered a1c levels, lowered cholesterol, etc.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Sounds to me that you're going to have to pick a dietary change, stick with it for a few weeks (3-4) and then get retested. Some people find success with low carb-high fat. some people (me included) find success with whole foods plant based.

    There's only one way to figure out what works for you and that's to just commit to something for a while.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Losing weight if you are obese would be the first line of defence. That alone can improve many of your issues, regardless of the type of diet you choose to follow. I suggest you focus on that first before getting lost in details. Try to eat nutrient rich foods when possible without forcing it and see where you diet ends up based on your preferences and what feels comfortable to you. You may end up eating fewer carbs, or settle at a more plant-based diet organically without pushing yourself in one direction or the other. You may end up doing neither, which is also fine as long as you are losing weight and providing your body with the proper nutrients. Don't get too caught up in documentaries and propaganda.

    A good reliable diet you are able to sustain is leaps and bounds better than any propaganda piece you feel you need to force yourself into. Trust me. When the novelty of your diagnosis wears off (like it did for 3 years) you won't even care until something jolts you back into action (like those documentaries), which also tend to wear off after a while. Jumping around on a whim every time you see or read something is not the best course of action for your health, building stable sustainable habits that aren't too far removed from your current habits and preference is.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited June 2016
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    The plans you mentioned in your post do not work together.
    Follow MFP's plan to loss weight. :)
    Losing weight will usually bring down your blood sugar and cholesterol. Perhaps limit "added sugar."
    So sorry to hear sbout the health difficulties of your parents.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    @Balaru
    These are helpful threads:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I followed a plan that was pretty opposite to Forks Over Knives. I followed Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. He advocates a low carb higher fat diet for all diabetics (T1D and T2D) to reduce sugar levels and insulin needs. All carbohydrates are just sugar to the body (although the ones in whole foods like veggies are absorbed less readily) so cutting all carbs is the key to better disease control. All added sugars are grains are gone since they convert to glucos the fastest. Fruits are very limited (a quarter of a banana or go with berries) and starchy root veggies like poatoes and carrots are reduced or avoided. The bulk of your food becomes food that will not spike BG like meats, eggs, full fat dairy (whipped cream, 10+% unsweetened yogurt, 14% sour cream, hard cheese), nuts, coconut, avocado, olives and such.

    These foods tend to be better for CAD too. As a general rule, those who eat this way experience lower triglycerides, raised HDL, and LDL stays around similar levels but the type of LDL changes to the healthier, larger pattern a, which is now thought to be heathful. Cholesterol Clarity, and The Great Cholestetol Myth are good books on the topic.

    IF can also help with treating insulin resistance and CAD.

    If you like videos, these are some that I liked:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1vvigy5tQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpllomiDMX0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAWdHYSrh7M
  • amdcp61
    amdcp61 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm not sure what your question is. What are you trying to do - gain or lose weight, bring your cholesterol numbers down, control your blood sugar? How will you know whether you have achieved your goal?

    I don't know a lot about high cholesterol, but I am a Type 2 diabetic, so...

    Three years ago, the doctor told you that you were borderline diabetic - was that based on a single fasting blood glucose test or an A1C? In that three years, have you gained or lost weight? Had any medical issues? You should probably go back and have your bloodwork re-done and compared to the previous readings; a trend is much more informative than a snapshot. If you're looking for blood glucose information, ask for an A1C, it tells a lot more about your status.

    You say you have no "visible" symptoms - Do you own a blood glucose monitor and do you use it regularly? If not, why not? No noticeable symptoms doesn't mean that you are in "normal" ranges, it just means that you aren't completely out of whack.

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