Low carb, but high cholesterol?

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spazgirl123
spazgirl123 Posts: 28
in Food and Nutrition
I am looking for advice on low carb foods that are not TOO high in fat and cholesterol (because I have had problems with high cholesterol in the past). I know whole eggs are great for low carb, but I usually don't eat them since 1 yolk=200 mg of cholesterol yikes! I am trying to up my calories, but don't want to overload on carbs. Low carb has always worked well for me, but I'm finding it hard to eat more without eating a ton of carbs! :/

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Rachel
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Replies

  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    Poultry
    Lean meat (for example, lean cuts of beef are not much worse than chicken breast)
    Most vegetables
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
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    Egg whites (or a mixture of egg whites and yolks)
    Chicken
    Turkey
    Fish
    Beef Jerky
    Lean Beef

    Non starchy vegetables

    Lower sugar fruits (Strawberries for example)

    Some cheeses. Read the label.

    Nuts

    That's all I've got for now.
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    Remember that only 20% of your blood cholesterol comes from diet. The rest is chiefly dependent on factors like exercise and genetics.

    You will probably find that your cholesterol improves just from being on a low carb diet. Clinical studies support this, and in fact low carb diets are better over the long term for improving cholesterol than any other diet.

    For myself personally, I get my best cholesterol readings when I eat low carb, and it makes NO difference whether I choose lean meats or foods like bacon and eggs. Yes, I had my best cholesterol readings ever when I was eating bacon and eggs every day.

    Basically, eat a low carb diet and don't stress about dietary cholesterol. Get your cholesterol tested if you are concerned.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    Fish, lean cuts of meat, and vegetables are staples of a low carb protocol and each has little or no dietary fat.
  • ruststar
    ruststar Posts: 489 Member
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    I dropped mycholesterol into normal ranges in one year mostly from exercise and adding more fruits and vegetables. I only lost about 4 pounds, so the exercise seemed to have the most impact.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    Remember that only 20% of your blood cholesterol comes from diet. The rest is chiefly dependent on factors like exercise and genetics.

    You will probably find that your cholesterol improves just from being on a low carb diet. Clinical studies support this, and in fact low carb diets are better over the long term for improving cholesterol than any other diet.

    For myself personally, I get my best cholesterol readings when I eat low carb, and it makes NO difference whether I choose lean meats or foods like bacon and eggs. Yes, I had my best cholesterol readings ever when I was eating bacon and eggs every day.

    Basically, eat a low carb diet and don't stress about dietary cholesterol. Get your cholesterol tested if you are concerned.

    Absolutely ... And is 'high' cholesterol an indicator of heart disease? Nope ...

    My monster scrambled eggs and bacon breakfast is already logged in for tomorrow ... uh ... today ...
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I agree with what agentscully said but that mostly applies to those who have cholesterol issues that can be controlled with diet and exercise.

    If you're really concerned, I would recommend talking to your doctor and/or a nutritionist about it - not a bunch of strangers on the internet who don't know your family history and your past test results.
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    Thanks, that is great info to know! I have dealt with high cholesterol on and off for several years and am only 23, so I just try now to be extra careful with what I am eating. That is good to know that only 20% of my cholesterol comes from my diet though!

    MFP says I can eat 300 mg of cholesterol a day..does this sound about right?
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    It's an anomaly for your serum cholesterol to be greatly affected by dietary cholesterol. If it is, you're in a small minority of people and need to consult with your physician about what you eat.

    Serum cholesterol is more often affected by dietary fat. However, many people who eat low carbohydrate diets typically see improvements in serum cholesterol even though they are eating more fat than ever. This is because they rarely, if ever, have insulin spikes and, therefore, the body is more likely to use fat as fuel rather than store it.
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    Thanks, that is great info to know! I have dealt with high cholesterol on and off for several years and am only 23, so I just try now to be extra careful with what I am eating. That is good to know that only 20% of my cholesterol comes from my diet though!

    MFP says I can eat 300 mg of cholesterol a day..does this sound about right?

    to be perfectly honest, I never count the cholesterol I eat. My latest HDL reading was 124 (not a typo) and my LDL was 104. My triglycerides are under 50. I eat eggs, milkfat, and red meat almost every day. It doesn't change my cholesterol at all (makes it better if anything) so I have completely stopped counting how much I eat. It's a lot, though. :)

    Also, there is no evidence that slightly raised cholesterol has any negative health effects in young women.
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    Wow that is great!! you have really helped me a lot, thank you :) I am going to stop worrying so much about the cholesterol and just give it a go with low carb and adding in more healthy fats. I am glad I can eat whole eggs now without being paranoid about my cholesterol shooting up!
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    Wow that is great!! you have really helped me a lot, thank you :) I am going to stop worrying so much about the cholesterol and just give it a go with low carb and adding in more healthy fats. I am glad I can eat whole eggs now without being paranoid about my cholesterol shooting up!

    eat the eggs! :) besides, eggs today are much lower in cholesterol than they used to be.
  • Cassaaaaandra
    Cassaaaaandra Posts: 184 Member
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    High carb diets can lead to wonky cholesterol levels (often beginning with high tryglycerides). There are plenty of RCTs studying the effect of the cholesterol in eggs on human cholesterol levels and the consensus is that even though they are high in cholesterol it doens't seem to adversly effect a person's cholesterol level and may even improve the ratio.

    I work as an RN in a coronary care unit and I can tell you that there is a lot more to the story of high cholesterol = heart attack. I would be more concerned about the body's stress levels, C-reactive protein, cortisol, and of course genetics and daily exercise habits and smoking. I've seen plenty of non-obese individuals with cholesterol in the normal ranges admitted for acute heart attacks.

    Take care of yourself, exercise, manage your stress levels, don't smoke, eat plenty of ***whole foods***. If you can reap it from the earth without monkeying with nature it's probably all right. The processed stuff, of course, needs to be enjoyed in moderation...even whole grain breads.

    I'm just saying that there is a problem with the system when Cocoa Puffs gets the American Heart Associate check on the box....:sad:
  • heretocount
    heretocount Posts: 46
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    I had high cholesterol then I lost 20 pounds and it down to normal level, I eat crappy too, like fast food, so maybe i will get better with weight loss

    but I just noticed that you arn't wanting to loose much lol, sorry I cant help ya
  • Cassaaaaandra
    Cassaaaaandra Posts: 184 Member
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    to be perfectly honest, I never count the cholesterol I eat. My latest HDL reading was 124 (not a typo) and my LDL was 104. My triglycerides are under 50. I eat eggs, milkfat, and red meat almost every day. It doesn't change my cholesterol at all (makes it better if anything) so I have completely stopped counting how much I eat. It's a lot, though. :)

    Also, there is no evidence that slightly raised cholesterol has any negative health effects in young women.
    [/quote]

    I don't count my cholesterol near as much as I count carbs as well. There is a substantial amount of evidence that doesn't fall in favor or statins for women specifically as they can cause confusion, memory loss, and even diabetes (Let me put on my surprise face :noway: ). Newsflash: our brains need cholesterol as does every cell in our body. Just ensure that you do get the largest portion of your diet from fresh fruits and vegetables and don't skimp on the plant based proteins and fats either ;)
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    High carb diets can lead to wonky cholesterol levels (often beginning with high tryglycerides). There are plenty of RCTs studying the effect of the cholesterol in eggs on human cholesterol levels and the consensus is that even though they are high in cholesterol it doens't seem to adversly effect a person's cholesterol level and may even improve the ratio.

    I work as an RN in a coronary care unit and I can tell you that there is a lot more to the story of high cholesterol = heart attack. I would be more concerned about the body's stress levels, C-reactive protein, cortisol, and of course genetics and daily exercise habits and smoking. I've seen plenty of non-obese individuals with cholesterol in the normal ranges admitted for acute heart attacks.

    Take care of yourself, exercise, manage your stress levels, don't smoke, eat plenty of ***whole foods***. If you can reap it from the earth without monkeying with nature it's probably all right. The processed stuff, of course, needs to be enjoyed in moderation...even whole grain breads.

    I'm just saying that there is a problem with the system when Cocoa Puffs gets the American Heart Associate check on the box....:sad:

    Thank you for this advice and helpful info! That really does make me feel a lot better. I definitely try to eat very clean food, but haven't as well lately as I should. Gotta get back on that tho ;) And yes, you're right, it's sooo sad- there is definitely a problem with the system :/
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    you should definitely get blood drawn now, and then again after 6 months of eating low carb. the results will surprise you!
  • spazgirl123
    spazgirl123 Posts: 28
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    Great, thank you! I am excited to start a low carb lifestyle! It has always worked for me in the past, but I never thought I could stick to it too long for fear my cholesterol would go up. You guys have helped me a lot :)
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
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    Here's the clinical research to back it up. Over the long term, low carb diets are better for raising HDL than low fat diets. Low fat diets cause initial lowering of LDL, but this does not persist over time.

    http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20100802/low-carb-diets-improve-cholesterol-long-term
  • inlander
    inlander Posts: 339 Member
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    Remember that only 20% of your blood cholesterol comes from diet. The rest is chiefly dependent on factors like exercise and genetics.

    Yup! There's nothing wrong with eating cholesterol, so long as you exercise and you're not genetically predisposed to high cholesterol. Eating low carb/high fat/eggs every day increased my HDL and decreased my LDL.

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