High cholesterol, no plaque, low blood pressure, high blood sugar, metabolic syndrome

By genetics, my triglycerides and cholesterol run very high. My dad died at 42 from a heart attack (he had other co-morbitities). I also have always run low blood pressure. The only way I have ever gotten my triglycerides down, HDL up and blood sugar normal is by eating a high fat, lower carb (I never did low carb - just a bit lower), and low no added sugar eating plan. Doing so brought my cholesterol and triglycerides into the totally normal range (unheard of in my family) and my blood sugar normal. I have metabolic syndrome but honestly, that means nothing more then high lipids, high sugar and lower HDL. Avoiding fat is only going to make matters worse and eating high carb is going to make matters worse. You should probably do some research on high fat, moderate carb, low sugar type of eating to accomplish what you're looking for. And good for you for refusing statins. If people only understood how bad they are for the body!

Edited to add: BTW, it doesn't matter as far as what a diet is "geared" for in the terms your talking. There's enough evidence that high fat improves both triglycerides/cholesterol and blood sugar regardless if any of the other things apply to you.

I'm leaning towards the higher fat plan too. MFP can help because you can weigh out the portions and understand how quickly fat calories add up.

Salt would be good for you for your low blood pressure. A good regular cardiovascular workout would help too.

I'm imagining a Greek salad with a rich salad dressing based on olive oil and lemon juice/red wine vinegar, dressed with Feta cheese and olives.

BigGuy47 wrote: »

You're meeting with a chiropractor regarding diabetes, BP and CVD?

I'm curious about that too. A chiropractor is an odd choice for those concerns

cat111719 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

Can you ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietician?

Let me clarify, my chiro is someone who I've known for over 30 years, and is truthfully one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to nutrition and sports medicine. He definitely knows more about my health than my PC doc, who told me to cut my fat and salt intake and take statins and sent me to an endocrinologist who offered no dietary advice whatsoever, just said I most likely have auto-immune diabetes. I just mentioned to my chiro what was going on with me, and he volunteered to look at my lab work and help me make some adjustments.

Nothing wrong with this at all. I have rarely found a doctor that knows more then my ND's when it comes to actually fixing health issues and not just throwing drugs at it. Don't let others discourage you. :-)

And I completely forgot to mention the salt thing that was mentioned above. If you feel yourself crashing in the afternoons, a half tsp. of sea salt in warm water does wonders for bringing blood pressure up and increasing energy.

ronjsteele1 wrote: »

cat111719 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

Can you ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietician?

Let me clarify, my chiro is someone who I've known for over 30 years, and is truthfully one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to nutrition and sports medicine. He definitely knows more about my health than my PC doc, who told me to cut my fat and salt intake and take statins and sent me to an endocrinologist who offered no dietary advice whatsoever, just said I most likely have auto-immune diabetes. I just mentioned to my chiro what was going on with me, and he volunteered to look at my lab work and help me make some adjustments.

Nothing wrong with this at all. I have rarely found a doctor that knows more then my ND's when it comes to actually fixing health issues and not just throwing drugs at it. Don't let others discourage you. :-)

And I completely forgot to mention the salt thing that was mentioned above. If you feel yourself crashing in the afternoons, a half tsp. of sea salt in warm water does wonders for bringing blood pressure up and increasing energy.

You are giving medical advice?

Sued0nim wrote: »

BigGuy47 wrote: »

You're meeting with a chiropractor regarding diabetes, BP and CVD?

cat111719 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

Can you ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietician?

Let me clarify, my chiro is someone who I've known for over 30 years, and is truthfully one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to nutrition and sports medicine. He definitely knows more about my health than my PC doc, who told me to cut my fat and salt intake and take statins and sent me to an endocrinologist who offered no dietary advice whatsoever, just said I most likely have auto-immune diabetes. I just mentioned to my chiro what was going on with me, and he volunteered to look at my lab work and help me make some adjustments.

That is not an answer to this. If your chiropractor was ethical and knowledgeable he would refer you back to an actual specialist who is part of your medical team and has access to your medical reports and tests

You are accepting the word of a "friend" with no professional training in the areas that you have issues in over a consultant endocrinologist who is a trained and experienced professional?

A chiropractor is a neuromuscular specialist.

Please think long and carefully about your next action. You have a potentially life threatening and certainly life limiting potential diagnosis and you are putting your trust in a friend who is qualified in spinal manipulation

Edit to add: Also please be careful of internet trolls and people who would advise you to do specific things like take a teaspoon of salt. Also not qualified, also don't have access to your medical records and probably doing it for the laughs with no conscious thought that there is a human being behind your words who has people who love them too

Chiropractors and ND's have way more nutritional training then doctors do and in a lot of states they are able to order medical tests and read them as well. I think even less of "specialists." I had an endocrinologist tell me that the MRI showing my damaged pituitary didn't matter. Really? Because once an ND took that into account we were able to change all kinds of things in my health for the better. Look, just because most of the people on this site don't believe in alternative practitioners, does not mean they are not good. I have found good natural practitioners are like a good doctor. You look long and hard and interview like crazy to find the good ones. This is no different then when I was looking for good doctors for my kid (I ultimately fired 3 oncologists for their stupidity). No one is telling YOU to do this, but this lady has every right to see the person she feels is the best fit for HER. You can disagree all you want. But in the end, she's responsible for her own healthcare and her own choices and she has that right. Feel free to give your advice - it's a free country. But you don't have the right to tell someone they should or shouldn't do something b/c you don't agree with it. She is an adult. I'm sure quite capable of weeding through whatever she reads on the internet to help her determine which direction she wants to go with her health. The difference between you "only AMA" people and the alties (for lack of better words to contrast the two) is we trust people with their own health to make their own informed decisions - even if it goes agains the mainstream. And just like medicine, there will be successes and there will be failures. That exists on both sides.

And I didn't say a "tsp" of salt. I said a half tsp. It is a well known help for low blood pressure and WAS given to me by an MD. If you've never had low blood pressure then you wouldn't have a clue what that feels like when you're tanking. Salt water can be a lifesaver at those times. And quite the opposite of what you think. I'm way more aware that this person is an individual and one size does not fit all. That is exactly why I prefer natural medicine over traditional. Because it takes the entire individual as a whole. Don't pass judgement on someone you know nothing about (me or my background). Until we've all walked a mile in someone else's shoes, we really don't know squat about them. I'll give you the same courtesy.

OP claims to be a Reiki practitioner. Reiki is considered pseudoscience. Let's get the popcorn ready.

stevencloser wrote: »

No, stop right now. A chiropractor or naturopath do not have more nutritional training than a doctor and they're not a valid alternative for treating diabetes. What you're advising right there can actually hurt someone's health.

Given how little nutritional education many MDs have, it's entirely possible that an alternative practitioner has more training, BUT that still doesn't mean they're well-qualified to give advice. If you need help managing your diet to help control complex medication problems then the best qualified professional is someone who specializes in nutrition, that is, a registered dietitian.

To the OP, it sounds like you're dealing with some potentially serious health conditions, even if you're not seeing any clear ill effects now. Seeing a registered dietitian and having that person coordinate with your treatment team (primary care provider, endocrinologist, etc.) is likely your best option.

OP claims to be a Reiki practitioner. Reiki is considered pseudoscience. Let's get the popcorn ready.

Nice. Give everybody more reason to stomp on OP, who came her for dietary advice. Hope it made you feel good about yourself.

For prediabetes and insulin resistance I highly recommend the book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. It's a low carb approach that will help any diabetic lower their insulin needs and blood glucose swings.

I also recommend Cholesterol Clarity or the Great Cholesterol Myth. Peter Attia also has a great cholesterol series on his blog that is worth reading.

Good luck.

Sued0nim wrote: »

CorneliusPhoton wrote: »

My naturopath has the same letters after her name as my conventional doctor.

So you would assume she holds a conventional medical degree and would ask questions over whether she fully qualified (e.g. A medical graduate can use degree qualifications but may not be fully qualified as a practicing doctor in my country)

That would be an interesting conversation actually, what makes a scientist move into a non scientific field such as naturopathy

I know at least two personally that made the switch because once they got into the field and saw how little MD's actually cared about patients healing their bodies vs. just throwing drugs at them they were horrified. They opted for another 4 years of ND school to change their focus. There are also many homeopaths in the US that are MD's as well. I know of several in a couple of different states. I guess they're not real in your eyes either? At one time in the US, every medical school here taught homeopathy as a valid mode of medical treatment. They did not eliminate it until the AMA was created.

ronjsteele1 wrote: »

Sued0nim wrote: »

ronjsteele1 wrote: »

Sued0nim wrote: »

BigGuy47 wrote: »

You're meeting with a chiropractor regarding diabetes, BP and CVD?

cat111719 wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

Can you ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietician?

Let me clarify, my chiro is someone who I've known for over 30 years, and is truthfully one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to nutrition and sports medicine. He definitely knows more about my health than my PC doc, who told me to cut my fat and salt intake and take statins and sent me to an endocrinologist who offered no dietary advice whatsoever, just said I most likely have auto-immune diabetes. I just mentioned to my chiro what was going on with me, and he volunteered to look at my lab work and help me make some adjustments.

That is not an answer to this. If your chiropractor was ethical and knowledgeable he would refer you back to an actual specialist who is part of your medical team and has access to your medical reports and tests

You are accepting the word of a "friend" with no professional training in the areas that you have issues in over a consultant endocrinologist who is a trained and experienced professional?

A chiropractor is a neuromuscular specialist.

Please think long and carefully about your next action. You have a potentially life threatening and certainly life limiting potential diagnosis and you are putting your trust in a friend who is qualified in spinal manipulation

Edit to add: Also please be careful of internet trolls and people who would advise you to do specific things like take a teaspoon of salt. Also not qualified, also don't have access to your medical records and probably doing it for the laughs with no conscious thought that there is a human being behind your words who has people who love them too

Chiropractors and ND's have way more nutritional training then doctors do and in a lot of states they are able to order medical tests and read them as well. I think even less of "specialists." I had an endocrinologist tell me that the MRI showing my damaged pituitary didn't matter. Really? Because once an ND took that into account we were able to change all kinds of things in my health for the better. Look, just because most of the people on this site don't believe in alternative practitioners, does not mean they are not good. I have found good natural practitioners are like a good doctor. You look long and hard and interview like crazy to find the good ones. This is no different then when I was looking for good doctors for my kid (I ultimately fired 3 oncologists for their stupidity). No one is telling YOU to do this, but this lady has every right to see the person she feels is the best fit for HER. You can disagree all you want. But in the end, she's responsible for her own healthcare and her own choices and she has that right. Feel free to give your advice - it's a free country. But you don't have the right to tell someone they should or shouldn't do something b/c you don't agree with it. She is an adult. I'm sure quite capable of weeding through whatever she reads on the internet to help her determine which direction she wants to go with her health. The difference between you "only AMA" people and the alties (for lack of better words to contrast the two) is we trust people with their own health to make their own informed decisions - even if it goes agains the mainstream. And just like medicine, there will be successes and there will be failures. That exists on both sides.

And I didn't say a "tsp" of salt. I said a half tsp. It is a well known help for low blood pressure and WAS given to me by an MD. If you've never had low blood pressure then you wouldn't have a clue what that feels like when you're tanking. Salt water can be a lifesaver at those times. And quite the opposite of what you think. I'm way more aware that this person is an individual and one size does not fit all. That is exactly why I prefer natural medicine over traditional. Because it takes the entire individual as a whole. Don't pass judgement on someone you know nothing about (me or my background). Until we've all walked a mile in someone else's shoes, we really don't know squat about them. I'll give you the same courtesy.

I will always disagree with what I consider to be bad advice

And I will always object to anyone who gives someone advice over the Internet for a diagnosed medical condition like you have, even if they profess to be a qualified medic (which I know you haven't) ... I believe that to be wrong and unethical. And no qualified ethical medic would do so, neither should a well meaning unqualified poster.

I absolutely believe I do have the right to tell someone to take care over accepting advice like you have chosen to give over the Internet because I don't agree with the act of you doing so, I think it it harmful. You don't know the interplay of her conditions and whether salt is indicated or contraindicated. I offered my advice to "think long and carefully" and to "take over internet trolls" and it is up to the poster to take that advice or not. I have never seen you before I have no idea if you are one of the new breed of MFP posters who posts bad advice or incorrect information just to amuse themselves or not.

If you are honestly posting then I would simply say, I disagree with the advice you have given and that "Natural" medicine, while your personal choice, encompasses a world of quackery

You guys must think people are really stupid that they wouldn't actually look things up and read before trying something. I just give people more credit then that. OP is obviously doing some homework along the way here. Pretty sure she'd check on the salt thing first too before trying it. For those that actually don't look things up before trying them (not talking about OP here), I would call them stupid.

Well, they could always, you know, ask their medical doctor.