Pre-diabetic/Type 2 Question
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DietPrada
Posts: 1,171 Member
I switched to Keto 4 years ago after being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. The good news is that I have effectively reversed that diagnosis eating this way, the bad news is that eating bacon and having butter and cream in my coffee every day has driven my cholesterol levels sky high. Is there anyone in this group doing low carb but not to Keto levels who have had success heading off diabetes? And how low would be low enough. I've been trying to alter my eating plan this last week by eliminating the butter and cream and cheese and fatty meats, the end result being I'm sitting on about 75g carbs, 70g fat and 106g protein. Is this going to be too many carbs and undo all the hard work I've done avoiding diabetes? Note, still no "white carbs" or sugar, the 75g has come entirely from vegetables and possibly a low carb (high fibre) wrap or two.
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First, good for you that you fought off prediabetes. That is huge! I am puzzled that your cholesterol has increased (mine decreased) with this WOE. Also, research I've seen lately says that previously red flag high cholesterol foods like eggs, bacon, and butter are perfectly fine to eat and should not negatively affect blood cholesterol. Are you physically able to exercise regularly? Are you avoiding bad fats like canola and other vegetable oils? Are you getting good Omega 3 oils and/or taking a krill oil supplement? Is your Vit D optimized?
Here's a good link for more info:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx1 -
Hello Ebony! I eat about 60 net carbs a day and am very close to being med free (im T2D). If avoiding diabetes is your main concern, its important to monitor your blood sugars. That way you can see if you are spiking after eating certain foods. Each person reacts differently to certain high starch foods. As healthy as sweet potato is, if I eat more than a few ounces my blood sugar sky rockets. I have eaten a cookie here and there and it barely makes a beep but if I eat a cup of rice I might as well have given myself a sedative! I fall dead asleep (side effect of high blood sugar). I would suggest getting some lab work done prior to see where you are starting at. A1C, things like that. Now I still take Metformin so maybe that helps me to have the higher carb count, I am not sure. I am waiting to reach my goal weight to discontinue meds to see where I stand. Best of luck to you! O there are some great apps to keep track of your blood sugars too!1
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In January 2016, I went on a diet after getting a scary pre-diabetic diagnosis. I eliminated sugar, most bread, snacks and seconds. I was trying to trim calories and worked on portion sizes. I lost 40 pounds by the next appointment, and my total cholesterol had fallen to 156. I had a fasting blood glucose of 300 something - 348 I think. I had not dodged the diabetes bullet. My A1C was 12.8 - sigh.
I have been doing the LCHF thing since a month after my diagnosis because that was the only thing I tried that seemed to lower the blood glucose levels to anything reasonable. I quit taking my statin. I brought the A1C down to 6.8 in three months and then 6.1 by the next appointment. I get the next lipids panel in July, and I will see the impact on all that. The fire for me to put out was the blood glucose, and I have continued to lose weight with the LCHF. I will reassess all this in July and maybe go back on the statin if I need to. In the meantime I am working on the blood glucose and tweaking things.
FWIW, I was at 5 net carbs for the day today, and I met my protein goal. There may come a time when I have to adjust the diet to reduce fats or re-balance things, but for now the monster presenting itself to fight is the blood glucose.3 -
First, good for you that you fought off prediabetes. That is huge! I am puzzled that your cholesterol has increased (mine decreased) with this WOE. Also, research I've seen lately says that previously red flag high cholesterol foods like eggs, bacon, and butter are perfectly fine to eat and should not negatively affect blood cholesterol. Are you physically able to exercise regularly? Are you avoiding bad fats like canola and other vegetable oils? Are you getting good Omega 3 oils and/or taking a krill oil supplement? Is your Vit D optimized?
Here's a good link for more info:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx
Hi, yes, I read all the Keto research too. The "butter and other saturated fat is good for you" studies etc. I bought into it for 4 years. It might be true for some people, but my personal experience is different. Before I started Keto, even at 100lbs overweight, my cholesterol readings were always perfect. Each year since I've been Keto my levels have gone up. Last year was 6.3, this year is 7.7. High cholesterol does NOT run in my family, but here I am. Everyone (on here) keeps saying "it doesn't matter, it doesn't mean anything, it's not dangerous" but I'm not prepared to take the risk I'm afraid. 2 separate doctors have told me my climbing cholesterol readings are of concern and I need to stop eating a diet heavy in saturated fat, and I am going to listen to them.
I exercise regularly, and I do not eat canola or other "bad" fats. My fats for the last 4 years have come from dairy, and meat. I don't eat processed foods or "trans fats" either.2 -
Sounds like you're working hard and doing everything right. By all means, follow your dr's orders. I'm certainly no dr. Just relaying my personal experience in the off chance it may help you. The only thing else I can think of is that you potentially have an underlying thyroid issue. Keto is incredible for many people, but is not the right fit for absolutely everyone. I did it for about 3 months, and then I started skipping cycles and losing hair. Bumped my carbs to the 75-100 per day range and increased my thyroid meds, and the next time blood work was drawn, my trigs were halved. Your mileage may vary. Good luck!4
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Another T2 here. When you say your cholesterol is high, what do you actually mean? What are the numbers? From my lab review of about a year ago. While looking at my LDL number, "Your cholesterol is very good." Then my HDL, "Your cholesterol is perfect!" Then, "Your total cholesterol is higher than we like but that's because of your HDL and we don't want to bring that down. Just keep doing what you're doing."
For the last 2 lab tests the focus has been on my A1C, both times it has been 5.0 and I have been told, "Keep doing what you are doing." My goal is to die with my fingers and toes still attached and my eyes still working.
My father died of a heart attack at 87 with all of his systems still functioning the day before he passed. A good friend died in his fifties of diabetes complications. He was legless and angry at the world. I'm 70 and I know which end I prefer. Tomorrow I will have bacon and eggs for breakfast.6 -
KeithF6250 wrote: »Another T2 here. When you say your cholesterol is high, what do you actually mean? What are the numbers?
She said in another post total cholesterol was 7.7 I think. That converts to 298 on the scale I am accustomed to using.
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There are people who eat LCHF and see very high cholesterol, me included, and they are called hyper-responders. In addition, several of my other lipid markers aren't looking great either. My goal is to lose the rest of the weight, about 20 lbs. and then start tweaking my diet, meaning cut out extra fats-- I think I am off all grains, sugars and refined carbs for life. I only eat "healthy" saturated fats, like grass-fed butter, organic coconut oil etc.. and keep my net carbs to less than 20g.
One thing to think about is that some people claim that while you are losing weight your cholesterol and LDL can rise (see links below). Maybe try to lose your weight first and then make adjustments to your diet. Though if you have high cholesterol, I read you should skip bullet proof coffee...
If your other lipid markers look good, I don't know if I would sweat it too much yet ...
I started taking several supplements (Niacin, vitamin C --high dose-- curcumin to start) designed to help control cholesterol and LDL. I also read suggestions to switch to PUFA's instead of using saturated fats. I am going to adding more white meat chicken to my diet for now and see what happens with the supplements and after I reach my weight loss goal.
Here are some links to get you started ...
https://www.dietdoctor.com/get-elevated-cholesterol-low-carb-diet
https://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-diets-and-cholesterol/
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I've also reversed prediabetes eating low carb and I also have seen my cholesterol levels increase (both LDL and HDL) since eating keto. My dr isn't concerned about it yet but I'm wondering if ti will just continue to rise. If so, I'd be interested to get the particle test done since I know people on here have talked about the significance of that if LDL is rising.2
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From Diet Doctor:
Potentially troubling cholesterol results
However, there are also potential problems, even if they are rare. On average, the elevation of total and LDL cholesterol is so small that most studies do not even pick up on it. But for a smaller number of people – possibly around 1-2 percent of the population – there can be worrying elevations of LDL and total cholesterol, beyond what can be considered normal. This potential risk is worth taking seriously. It can also be worth taking steps to correct it.
For example, a small subgroup of people, probably partly due to genetics, can end up with total cholesterol numbers over 400 mg/dl (10 mmol/l) on a strict low-carb diet, and LDL numbers over 250 mg/dl (6.5 mmol/l). This is not normal. Even if the lipid profile is otherwise good – with high HDL and low triglycerides – it may be unhealthy.
Looking closer at modern cholesterol tests in such cases there’s usually a high LDL particle count, and the apoB and apoB/A1 values are usually abnormally high. These numbers all indicate an increased risk of heart disease.
What to do
If you get a non-healthy lipid profile on a low-carb diet there are a few things to consider, in this order:
1.Stop drinking Bulletproof coffee (butter, coconut fat or MCT oil in coffee). Don’t drink significant amounts of fat at all when you’re not hungry. This alone can often normalize cholesterol levels.
2.Only eat when hungry and consider adding intermittent fasting (consistently reduces cholesterol levels).
3.Consider using more unsaturated fats, like olive oil, fatty fish and avocados. Whether it will improve your health is unknown, but it will lower your cholesterol. And as it’s abnormally high that may be enough of a reason.
4.Finally, if step 1-3 is not enough: Consider whether you really need to be on a strict LCHF diet for health reasons. If a more moderate or liberal diet (e.g. 50–100 grams of carbs per day) can still work for you, it will also likely lower your cholesterol. Just remember to choose good unprocessed carb sources (e.g. not wheat flour or refined sugar).
This is essentially what I've done. Eating a fair bit of salmon and avocado, cut out my morning butter/cream coffee, only eat lunch and dinner, and no dairy (other than a bit of skim milk here and there). I've also added more vegetables (eggplant, Brussel sprouts, onions, capsicum, cabbage, carrot, tomatoes etc) and my carbs are sitting at 50 - 70g (fat at about 70g). It's a balancing act. I have 3 months before I go back to the Dr for more blood tests, I am determined to bring my readings down and avoid medication, and also avoid type 2 diabetes. Seems daunting, but I don't want to die.4 -
Genetics do play a big role! I've tested with hyperlipedemia since I was 20 years old. All of my family, even the ones without diabetes, struggle with high cholesterol and triglycerides. Since starting LCHF, my tris are still high but not as high. i think in part because my body is better metabolizing food. I never added xtra fat to my foods though because i had plenty on me to use lol2
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I second the need for thyroid tests. My blood cholesterol levels have always been "concerning". Even in my early 20s. I am 36 this year, have been treated for low thyroid function finally, still working on correct dosage and finally my numbers are coming down towards normal. My doc doesn't even seem to see the connection but low thyroid function and high cholesterol often go hand in hand. I have to keep educating them.
Aside from that suggestion I don't have much to offer. Good luck on finding the balance you need!!1 -
@genmon00 Diabetes (even pre) seems to cause all kids of havoc in the body. It seems to gum up all the works! It wouldn't surprise me a bit if we could track back the diabetes part of the genetics and find the links there!1
