Here are assorted questions and answers from my mailbox:
Cholesterol
Q
Hi Doc,
I’m a 43yr old female who has lost over 100 pounds, the last half of which has been primarily on a keto/paleo low carb, high fat diet while intermittent fasting (20/2) and exercising regularly. My problem is my blood results and more importantly what they mean to a medical I will need to pass for employment. The job I am hoping to apply for demands a rather strict medical and my high LDL will most likely count me out. They won’t care about particle size and even if my other markers are good they will point at the LDL. I’m looking for advice on what my options might be. So here are my most recent results:
The LDL figure is the concern even though I know that it doesn’t tell the whole story and doesn’t necessary mean I’m going to die of a heart attack tomorrow. In fact, if it wasn’t for this job I would be relatively happy with my results and just continue to lose weight and do what I’ve been doing thus far. I’ve heard all about LDL particle size and VAP tests and the like however I am in Australia and I don’t think those tests are available to me. I know also that while losing weight LDL can increase and you may not show an improvement until weight has stabilised. But regardless of all that, I’m going to be judged on just that total LDL figure for this medical (regardless of particle size) even if it’s not the best indicator of my health. I have an excellent tri/hdl ratio which I hear is a much better indicator. I may not get the opportunity to apply for this job for another 6mths and in the meantime I really want to improve that LDL figure to give me a chance of passing the medical.
Do you have any suggestions for someone like me who needs to lower that overall LDL figure for my job of choice? It is very difficult to be judged on a marker that may have little to do with my overall health but that is the catch 22 I find myself in.
I greatly appreciate any guidance.
Cheers!
A
Hi!
I wouldn’t worry about the health implications of your numbers either. However, just in the interest of improving that LDL number and getting that job, here’s what you can do:
- Eat less saturated fat (like dairy fat) and more monounsaturated and omega-3 (like olive oil, avocado, fish).
- Eat less fat and more slow carbs (like potatoes, root vegetables, brown rice).
The first option likely won’t slow weight loss at all, the second might. But combining them may be necessary to get that LDL to where you want it.
40
Is LCHF diet good for women who suffer with Polycystic ovaries & IBS?
Thank you
"A majority of patients with PCOS have insulin resistance and/or are obese. Their elevated insulin levels contribute to or cause the abnormalities seen in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis that lead to PCOS. Hyperinsulinemia increases GnRH pulse frequency, LH over FSH dominance, increased ovarian androgen production,[12] decreased follicular maturation, and decreased SHBG binding; all these steps contribute to the development of PCOS.[citation needed] Insulin resistance is a common finding among patients of normal weight as well as overweight patients"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome
sofie.. try carbonated water!
Kim.. they are high in carbs.. digestible ones!
And one should awoid foods that are high in carbs!
Thanks
You know.. step 1 is to eat real food.. step 2 is to eat less carbs if one need this!
Everybody need step 1.. some altso need step 2!
Its more about how much carbs affect your blood sugar/insulin levels!
http://www.philadelphia.co.uk/philadelphia3/page?siteid=philadelphia3...
I imagine Heinz Baked Beans are out of the quest hehe
.
And Honey I guess is a no no to
Green beans like Haricoverts are low carb!
Honey is sugar.. verry much fructose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_beans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peas
Have quite a bit of weight to loose so cutting out as much carbs as i can.
Wondering what are good foods for snacks? Are all nuts good? Cashew nuts and peanuts are my favorite so hoping they are a good snack for it hehe ^^
Try to eat real food.. eat enough to stay satisfyed without snacking!
Cashew have the highest carb content, macadamia the best fats, least carbs.
I think walnuts and almonds have the best mineral content.
Eat som cold cuts if you get peckish, or chees with butter!
It take some time to go a whole day without snacking and meals betwen!
So make the transitation bit for bit.. who knows.. you mayby gonna like almonds, macadamia and walnuts.. or dont need snacks?
Try to have some better things to snack on in the begining.. like ready made eggs, dryed meat like serrano ham or like them.
When I am hungry in the afternoon I either have a plain yogurt with cocoa powder (no sugar), sparkling water, tea. I occasionally eat greens with a bit of bacon, or a coffee, or sliced turkey, even a few scallops with balsamic vinegar. You could have an egg, too.
This is my second try with low carb. It is working now but the first time it didn't because I ate WAY too much. Keep in mind the idea is to eat less, and that the fat just makes it easier for you to eat less. The other thing you can do is get fuller with greens. Now I just eat the same thing all the time and my body is used to it. I hardly ever have a snack.
I am doing full out no carbs or sugars. And its going well.
And thanks for all the help
Verdict: vegetable (but not grain) fiber is beneficial in moderate amounts – about one-half pound of vegetables per day. But think about vegetables and fiber as accompaniments or flavorful condiments to fat and protein, which should form the bulk of calories consumed, rather than the other way around."
http://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-2-nourish-your-body
You know.. if they was eating bad and return to that, they could have stayd on there unhealty diet from the beginning.
But if one need a better life style, one can always start with what one eating.. you are nothing els then what you eat!
I am pregnant and I think this may have something to do with it. Also, I am eating carbs at night (like rice, pasta or potatoes and sometimes fruit) because of the pregnancy.
Please advise. Thank you!
Eat more food.. nutrient rich food.. for your baby, and your self.
Eat something to that morning coffe.
Thank you
Put some veggies in your coffe insted!
http://www.dietdoctor.com/thirty-grams-of-carbs-in-two-ways
Thank you in advance for your comment.
Its more that its easyer to get all essentiall nutrients on a mixed diet.. one dont need to take that much nutrient conciderations!
But keep up the egg consumption.. its make it easyer for you.. to nourish your body!
"Overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat vegetarian diet also resulted in weight loss but without the additional cardiovascular benefits."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608162426.htm
Hypoglycemia is often caused by hyperinsulinemia.. take a C-petid test at your local GP!
The thing is.. that one use more fat instead of blodsugar.. and keton buddies do replace a lot of glucose then.
But.. if you have this condition with hypoglycemia.. you should get a dignose altso.. so its not other that need to take care about with medecines or soo.
Soo to your problems.. becuse you seems to reversed your husbands.
121 is not that much weight anyhow.. but it shouldnt get to be more anyhow.
It could be a lot of things.. fore instance this diet is energy dens.. so mayby you should ad some non stachy veggies so you get satisfyed easyer by the amount of food.
Do you have an ide about how many calories you are eating?
But it can altso be that you have to get more fat adapted.. or you eating to litle?
Egg Quiche (cheese, bacon) w/coffee 1
Coconut cookie 1.5
Swiss cheese/salami Rollup .5
Onion Pie 5
Strawberries/whipped cream 3
Pork rinds 0
Coffee 1
Pork Loin/salad 3
Celery 0
1 tsp almond butter 1
This is an average day, but should give you an idea. I hope I'm not eating too much but the doctor told me as long as I count the carbs and keep them under 40 I would be fine. I keep them usually under 20 for six weeks now. And because I have always been thin, I can't imagine I'm eating too much as I feel satiated quickly. Is there a chance I haven't changed over into a fat burning mode yet and will begin to lose weight? Can I get thinner then 121 do you think?
Again, thank you for helping me, I have watched so many of your videos and learned so much!
I will stay on this diet no matter what because I believe in the science behind it but it sure would be nice to see a little decrease in my weight, lol.
Second.. you have gained som pounds, it could be water, fat or muscles.. or all of it!
How about your waist and hips.. are they bigger, is your pants feels smaller?
You know.. your scale is not any good to measure your helt or body composition.
I can tell you right now that weight is not your goal.. its your healty body composition.
If one do al lot of low fat weight losses, then one lose muscles.. and the first ones body do when you give it nutrient food is to restore muscles and internal organs.. those you have used as fuel.
If one is an healty person and only counts carbs.. then one eat more fat, meat, veggies till one is satisfyed.. and you have an buildt in calorie counter.. how regulate your energy intake.. by your apetite.
The first thing thats happen is that one eat smaler portions.. and then one eat fewer times a day.
Its very comon to eat no more then two times a day on this diet, and nothing betwen.. mayby som black coffe/tea for relaxation.
For some peopel it goes smothly.. they adapt to another eating pattern in no time.. others have to strugle.. often to get rid of old eating habbits.
The food seems be propper enough.. but thats not my kind of food.. and how about the fat?
Its verry importen to eat the fats.. it should be high of your energy demand.. not a lot on your plate.. but in the food you eat.. so you get satisfyed, unhungry for a long time, and get all energy you need to feel fine.
I give you an exampel that weight could be the wrong goal.. its a swedish forum.. but you only need to look at the picture!
http://kolhydrater.ifokus.se/discussions/517462458e0e743b790008fa-var...
I think I'm having trouble eating only a couple of times a day, I tend to "pick" about in the kitchen however I did check my calorie count for today and it is 950 so I don't know what the problem is.
Unfortunately, my pants are a bit tighter so I regretfully believe it is definitely fat that I'm putting on.
My husband and I have no idea how or why I'm gaining weight except the saturated fat that I'm not used to eating. However, my husband LOVES the extra weight on me and does not want me to lose weight so that is a big plus.
By the way, I was shocked by the pictures and it was very encouraging to me, thank you.
It seems to me that you are skinny and your body is regaining its normal female composition?
Your husbands reaction seems to indicate that?
And if you are skinny and the weight puts on at the right female places.. there shouldnt be that much to worry about.
Soo.. my amatuer diagnose is.. your husband have metabolic syndrome.. and you suffering frome Chronic dieters syndrome!
There is no chance that one could be healty of eating 950 Calories a day.. you should at least eat about 1300-1500 Kcal as a minimum!
Its indicate that you dont have the muscles you should have!
Heres an Calorie calculator.. its somthing to play with, not the whole truth.. merely an indicator!
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
This calorie calculator is a great tool however so much that I have read about LCHF is that counting calories is not needed, and just eat until I'm full, this is also what our doctor said however, I will definitely start to count them again, thank you!
Soo.. you probably dont need to count.. just eating low carb Hig fat.. till you are satisfyed.. it was only to show that you probably eat too litle.. and thats the cause wy you gaining weight!
Your body is in a period of recomposition.. probably to a more healty and female version.. (Kris2.0 ?)!
And your picking in the kitchen is an indicator that you dont eat enough, when you eats!
Soo.. my huble thoughts about it is, that you have dieting your MBR down.. and have to restore it.. and probably gain some muscles back.
I know a lot of swedish women on our forums that have the same problem as you.. dieting there whole life and become skin and bones.. and then they get lovehandels!
Some have to strugle a longer time to get there MBR up.. and its almoste about to get some more muscles, by eating enough.. and in some cases do some exercise.. like long brisk walks.. to stimulate muscle growt!
If you have been dieting all your life, it is possible you are eating with your head and not your belly. You have to learn how to feel hunger and satiety again, and not gauge your food intake by what you think you should eat but what your body really wants.
To every good advice Zepp gave, I would add to feel the difference in your energy level and moods. There will be a noticeable difference! Also in my case the skin was much better.
Good luck!
And you are so right Sophie, I notice I have a very hard time stopping my "grazing" even when I'm not hungry because I'm so used to it after eating years of empty carbs and always being hungry.
One last question if I may, do you all have "desserts"? I have several recipes for LC cheesecake and chocolate pecan ice cream, made with splenda. My husband asks me to keep some small dessert in the fridge a few times a week as long as its low carb and I wondered what you thought?
I very much appreciate you taking the time to help me with this, and now I'm off to eat some beef tips and salad with lots of Caesar dressing!
But now I try to eat no dessert at all. If I am still hungry after a meal, I try having tea, with or without coconut milk, or magic bullet coffee (with coconut oil).
I am also a huge fan of frozen cauliflower (I have this thing for frozen foods). To me it is as sweet as candy and I eat it when I want a treat.
For a bit I let myself have 5 raspberries for dessert. But the sugar they contain trigger more sugar cravings for me. I prefer to limit sugar intake, just because it makes it so easy to increase sugar consumption.
My main advice would be to use coconut products as dessert. I think all in all it's a very good habit to get rid of eating sweets. This said I find it unbelievably difficult. Again, unless I feel nauseatingly full of fat after a meal, I have to resist really hard not to have dessert.
I avoid all sweeteners. I can't quote studies, but I did work on a text (I am a translator) explaining how they induce later consumption of sugar, as your body expects the glucose that was perceived to have been absorbed in the mouth, signalled by the sugary taste.
Its seldome any problem to have desserts on weekends as a part of an healty diet.
But its much up to comon sens.. some goes from junkfood to eating mostly LCHF desserts.. thats not the propper way to nourish ones body!
Vipped cream with the berries of the season is an exelent dessert as a part of of a weekend meal!
And I think you got it anyhow.. you can make some more advanced dessert too.. but let it be a small part of a meal.. a small good ending!
I can give you a link to our LCHF-baking and dessert queen.. but I have a strong proclamier!!
Its for those how is alredy healty and slim.. I cant eat that.. I cant stop eating such a thing!
http://www.mariannslchf.com/
Fat- 57%
Carbs-17%
Protein- 27%
Sat Fat- 44%
Mono Fat- 31%
Poly Fat- 24%
Calorie intake was 943
Carbs 46 ( I never have more then about 25 but forgot that spaghetti squash is high in carbs)
Any advice on how I should modify my diet to feel more energetic and possibly lose weight although I'm fine staying at this weight now (120) but would love to have more energy.
You need more fat.. for energy.
And the easyest way to get more fat is to eat fatyer food.
Or garlic butter?
Becuse some do lose there apetite.. they dont recognaise there hunger signals any more without carbs making blood sugar to sving a lot!
Some others.. used to eat for comfort do get hungry all the time.. becuse of the same reason.
We know only one soulution for both problems.. to eat more.. till its gone.. and one recognaise ones apetite signaling!
Calories still counts.. but dont bother to count them to much, only make shure you are in a normal range for your weight and activity.. and you got energy and feel fine!
You probably lost some water.. going in to ketosis, you can breath on each other your husband and you.. if its smell like acceton you are in ketosis!
Its comon in the beginning.. but as you both smells alike then its not that big problem..its often goes away after some time.. but one can always try to not breath to nearly to strangers!
For energy, I should eat fat such as cheese or butter right? I made a batch of hollandaise sauce to put over our vegies and meat. Yesterday, total fat was 68% Protein: 22% and Carbs 10% is that a good day?
I'm getting excited that I might finally understand why I have had so much trouble on this diet! Thank you!
But ketosis is not any magic, its only means that you not eating enough carbs for your bodys emediate demand for glucose.. then it start to do some in the liver.. and make fat predominant fuel.. and some of that turns in to keton buddies, that replace some glucose.. perticaly in the brain and in your hart and kidney.
For energy you should eat lard like in meat, and fish fat and use normal amounts of butter and other dairys for coocking.. and one can sprinkel some good olive oil on sallad greens.
But if one eat fat free meat like chicken, then one need to ad som fat sauces.
I am currently trying to conceive. I started about 120lbs overweight. I have lost 60lbs in 4 months doing low calorie, high carb with vigorous exercise 5 days a week but I now feel very tired, very lethargic and worn out. I am considering if it would be a better plan for me to switch to low carb, but I'm worried about the effect of this on a baby? My friend told me that ketones can cause fetal brain damage so it is very dangerous to be in ketosis in the first three months of a pregnancy. Is this true? If not is it safe for me to try low carb?
And then I want to know.. you are not trying to lose weight on a starving diet in pregnancy I hope?
And if you not is pregant then you can swith to a low carb high fat diet, buth make a smoth transitation becuse you gonna get a lot of transitation side effects others.. going to the opposit diet!
You know.. Inuits probably was in ketosis there whole life.. and they seems to have born healty childs anyhow!
But one shouldnt swith to a drasticaly different diet in the middle of pregnancy.. becuse its a lot of hormones that goes beserk in the transitation!
No, I'm not currently pregnant, but have been told my chances of conceiving are better if my weight is in the normal range, hence my desire to get it down to try and improve my chances.
Obviously when I get pregnant I will moderate my diet, but my worry was about those first few weeks when i wouldn't know yet know I was and what effect a low carb diet might have before I found out and put the brakes on.
It is really interesting what you say about the Inuits, I hadn't thought of that at all!
Thanks for the warning about the side effects!
Its probably a part of metabolic syndrome?
And the way get rid of that is a low carb high fat diet!
"How to Get Pregnant"
http://www.dietdoctor.com/how-to-eat-to-get-pregnant
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf-helped-me-get-pregnant
It was incredibly helpful, thank you ever so much
Try to get test of longtime sugar, C-peptide.. some with PCOs need Metformin for a normal and steady blood sugar.