Effects of my high fat/low carb diet

[BookNut]

My primary care dr. is an integrated medicine doctor and gives lots of advice on nutritional treatments as well as medicine. She is convinced of the accuracy of the fairly new research on High Fat, Low Carb diets. She refers to it as an anti-inflammatory diet and says it is good for helping with arthritis, cancer, heart and respiratory issues. At her advice, I have been on the diet since November. Alas...so far it has not helped with the respiratory issues...but it sure has helped with my cholesterol. My bad cholesterol,has been fine, but triglycerides and good cholesterol...not so much. So...I thought I would share. The book I read to get started was Grain Brain. It points the finger at bad fats and sugar as the enemy, and blames many health issues on our decades long low-fat diets, and especially processed food.


Anyway, I was very interested to see how my cholesterol levels would come out after being on a low carb, high fat diet for 6 months. I think My doctor is on to something, getting rid of carbs like potatoes, bread and sugar. I have cut out all bread, cookies and crackers....anything made with flour. Tough, but I got used to it.


The results? My bad cholesterol stayed about the same ... only 6 points higher. I've always been in the good range. Not super low, but good, so 6 points is still under what is considered high. BUT....my triglycerides went DOWN 40 points and my good cholesterol (which was good anyway) went up 27 points. The cholesterol/HDL ratio is about as good as it could possibly be. That is the number she looks at the most closely. So yay! It is working for me. Who'd a thunk that increasing my egg consumption, butter consumption, switching to heavy cream, and full fat yogurt (only Fage makes it) and sour cream would actually improve my cholesterol!!!


Now....if it would only improve my breathing....!!

[pberggren1]

I'm very pleased to hear about your diet helping you Jacquie. I will have to find this book called Grain Brain. Do you follow the diet in this book?

I'm so sorry to hear that your breathing is not well. What is the diagnosis and prognosis on that?

[BookNut]

Thanks Phil!! My allergist keeps referring to my breathing issues as an "asthma-like disease." I have various diagnoses....asthma, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, COPD, and...wait for it....non-allergic, chronic rhino-Sinusitis. All of this even though I have never smoked any substance in my life.

The book is quite interesting. There is also a cookbook. I'd skip that. Not necessary. The diet is simple. NOTHING made with flour of any kind or oats, or any grains, or sugar, or sugar substitutes. You also have to go easy on fruit, especially tropical fruit. Berries are the best. Unlimited quantities of what he defines as good fats....Butter, full fat yogurt, nuts, olive oil etc. Counter to standard wisdom....the fattier the better. Skim milk apparently has the highest amount of sugar, with whole milk in the middle, and heavy cream the least. Go figure! There is no limit to meat or to veggies that grow above the ground. Limited amounts of the starchy veggies that grow underground, such as potatoes, carrots and even onions.

Really, it is the Atkins diet...though you can have a total daily carb count higher than Atkins allows. If you are not on prednisone, which tends to elevate sugar levels, about 100 g of carbs a day is OK. If on pred....should be closer to 50 g. 100 is pretty doable.

It is hard the first two weeks. I had the "wheat belly" flu. Basically sugar withdrawal for about two weeks. After that, I noticed that my food cravings had gone away. Wheat Belly is the name of another book about the diet. It talks more about the effects of wheat and sugar on the body. Grain Brain emphasizes the bad effect on the brain.

So....Whew! Are you still awake? I need to get to sleep!! Hope all this was of some help!

[MCC]

Atkins or high meat/animal fat diets are regarded as quite unhealthy now, I'm really suprised that your doctor recommended it. And the fact your bad cholesterol went up is proof itself it's not doing you good, surely?

check this out: Atkins Diet Alert / Neal Barnard, M.D., president / a PCRM site

AtkinsDietAlert.org is brought to you by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a leading advocate for preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM has been speaking out about the dangers of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets since its founding in 1985. Scientific studies show that low-carbohydrate diets raise cholesterol levels in a considerable number of individuals, sometimes to a dramatic degree. These diets also typically accelerate calcium losses and have led major health organizations to raise important questions about their possible contribution to heart problems, kidney abnormalities, osteoporosis, and other health problems. Given the seriousness of these health risks, and the strength of the scientific evidence currently available, PCRM hopes this Web site will encourage people to be wary of high-protein diets and to choose healthier options. PCRM is also concerned about possible legal liability for doctors who prescribe these diets.

I do agree with less refined carbs though and of course a much more veggies and fruit based diet.

[Lilly]

Hi Booknut! I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet! So Hi! Im Lilly, and your post jumped right out at me. I was overweight by 30 lbs for a long time, just not overeating, but eating "anything" and good and bad food alike. When I went to a Dr appointment and the scale said 160, I had to do something. I know being on low dose prednisone for 24 yrs did not help any, and the 3 rolls on my back were proof of that. So I went on the old South Beach Diet. It seemed healthy. I cut out all bread, sugar, and ate 3 meals a day with 2 snacks. It kept my sugar level and I did not have the highs and lows that make you crave sweets, or salty, or BOTH!. Well in 2 months, I lost 20 lbs. and I realized that ALL of my joint pain and arthritis had gone away! I woke up in the morning without "creaking" down the hall to get my coffee. I was streatching, and feeling pretty good! I am still on the diet. I have the last 10 to go. But I feel so good on it, that when I sometimes have some sugar for a special occasion, I can feel it, and get right back on it. When I shop at the grocery, I usually find everything I need is on the edges of the store, all the fresh foods, the REAL foods. And Frozen real foods are very convenient for me since I live alone. I just thought I would share, I LOVE any less pain in my life. And at my age, "48" I am getting the arthritis pains that creep in! I Love eating healthy, it helps in so many ways. I kindof make the diet "my own", I never do anything "by the book"..... but I follow the main way the diet works, and that 20 lbs sure feels good to be off, no more back rolls! Well Jacquie, so nice to meet you! :-)

[LisaT]

I have cut out all wheat and dairy because I'm sensitive to them dairy immediately makes me phlegmy and with stenosis, phlegmy is not something I want to be! When I first cut out wheat (pre-prednisone), I lost 20 lbs without changing anything else. I wasn't really looking to lose weight, it just DROPPED off me. I do still eat other grains and try to make them whole grains and I'm guilty of buying processed gluten-free foods... I'm now trying to start cutting down on starchy stuff and sugars. One step at a time. There will never be agreement among all of the 'authorities' on the best diet, so I think we each have to do our research, go to our own docs, know ourselves and our bodies and pick and choose what works best for us. I'm still working on it! But one suggestion I think is really worth trying, if you have breathing issues or stenosis, is cutting out dairy. My personal belief is that humans were not meant to consume a substance nature created to fatten up baby calves...

And yet, both my kids are hooked on dairy, as I was... I plan to wean them when they're a bit older and/or willing to eat more variety. Right now it's all I can do to get enough food into them that they're not running on mere fumes... Sorry for the tangent...

[LisaT]

Thanks Phil!! My allergist keeps referring to my breathing issues as an "asthma-like disease." I have various diagnoses....asthma, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, COPD, and...wait for it....non-allergic,chronic Sinusitis. All of this even though I have never smoked any substance in my life.

The book is quite interesting. There is also a cookbook. I'd skip that. Not necessary. The diet is simple. NOTHING made with flour of any kind or oats, or any grains, or sugar, or sugar substitutes. You also have to go easy on fruit, especially tropical fruit. Berries are the best. Unlimited quantities of what he defines as good fats....Butter, full fat yogurt, nuts, olive oil etc. Counter to standard wisdom....the fattier the better. Skim milk apparently has the highest amount of sugar, with whole milk in the middle, and heavy cream the least. Go figure! There is no limit to meat or to veggies that grow above the ground. Limited amounts of the starchy veggies that grow underground, such as potatoes, carrots and even onions.

Really, it is the Atkins diet...though you can have a total daily carb count higher than Atkins allows. If you are not on prednisone, which tends to elevate sugar levels, about 100 g of carbs a day is OK. If on pred....should be closer to 50 g. 100 is pretty doable.

It is hard the first two weeks. I had the "wheat belly" flu. Basically sugar withdrawal for about two weeks. After that, I noticed that my food cravings had gone away. Wheat Belly is the name of another book about the diet. It talks more about the effects of wheat and sugar on the body. Grain Brain emphasizes the bad effect on the brain.

So....Whew! Are you still awake? I need to get to sleep!! Hope all this was of some help!

hi Jacquie, I'm curious about your signature line, honourary weggie (haha... Autocorrect tried to change it to honorary wedgie. Pls excuse the canadian spelling of honourary, it's one of my ongoing disputes with autocorrect.) Is honourary because you were originally or at some point diagnosed? Or share similar symptoms?

I'm glad to hear your diet is working so well. I wonder what would happen with your sinuses and breathing issues if you switched cow dairy for coconut milk, almond milk or some other substitute. Have you ever tried? Many people with sinus issues and breathing troubles find relief in cutting out dairy. Most doctors deny the connection. You're lucky you have a doc who integrates nutrition. In med school they receive very little training about it.

One question, does the book you refer to say all grains are equally mind-muddling, or only those containing gluten? It may be a while before I get around I reading it (although I too am a book lover, I just have a long list...)

[BookNut]

Atkins or high meat/animal fat diets are regarded as quite unhealthy now, I'm really suprised that your doctor recommended it. And the fact your bad cholesterol went up is proof itself it's not doing you good, surely?

check this out: Atkins Diet Alert / Neal Barnard, M.D., president / a PCRM site



I do agree with less refined carbs though and of course a much more veggies and fruit based diet.

I am not very conversant with atkins. And I know there is a controversy about the low carb, high fat diets. But if you do some reading based on the sources of the books Wheat Belly and Grain Brain it does make sense. My bad cholesterol has always been in the normal range, and fluctuates about 10 points typically. It is still well within the normal range. My doctor says that the good cholesterol and the ratio between the two is more significant, and also keeping triglycerides low. So a lowering of the triglycerides by 40 points, and raising of the good choleterol by 27 points is quite significant. The diet does not recommend deep fried foods, or trans fats. Just good fats. And you will find that recommendation is becoming much more main-stream. Even the ban in eggs is being loosened. Even by Dro Oz, who frequently recommends increasing the good fats and decreasing the carbs! Anyway...the authors to read and consider their thoughts are William Davis and Daniel Perlmutter.

[BookNut]

Hi Booknut! I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet! So Hi! Im Lilly, and your post jumped right out at me. I was overweight by 30 lbs for a long time, just not overeating, but eating "anything" and good and bad food alike. When I went to a Dr appointment and the scale said 160, I had to do something. I know being on low dose prednisone for 24 yrs did not help any, and the 3 rolls on my back were proof of that. So I went on the old South Beach Diet. It seemed healthy. I cut out all bread, sugar, and ate 3 meals a day with 2 snacks. It kept my sugar level and I did not have the highs and lows that make you crave sweets, or salty, or BOTH!. Well in 2 months, I lost 20 lbs. and I realized that ALL of my joint pain and arthritis had gone away! I woke up in the morning without "creaking" down the hall to get my coffee. I was streatching, and feeling pretty good! I am still on the diet. I have the last 10 to go. But I feel so good on it, that when I sometimes have some sugar for a special occasion, I can feel it, and get right back on it. When I shop at the grocery, I usually find everything I need is on the edges of the store, all the fresh foods, the REAL foods. And Frozen real foods are very convenient for me since I live alone. I just thought I would share, I LOVE any less pain in my life. And at my age, "48" I am getting the arthritis pains that creep in! I Love eating healthy, it helps in so many ways. I kindof make the diet "my own", I never do anything "by the book"..... but I follow the main way the diet works, and that 20 lbs sure feels good to be off, no more back rolls! Well Jacquie, so nice to meet you! :-)

Thanks for posting. I too lost weight when I started this. Unfortunately, I have had to be on prednisone so much lately, that a lot of it has rolled back on...literally. I am embarking on a slight change to my breathing treatments that will hopefully keep me off the pred. If i can stay off and stop cheating with chocolate, I should go back down again. Especially if I can get out walking again. Your story is encouraging!

[BookNut]

hi Jacquie, I'm curious about your signature line, honourary weggie (haha... Autocorrect tried to change it to honorary wedgie. Pls excuse the canadian spelling of honourary, it's one of my ongoing disputes with autocorrect.) Is honourary because you were originally or at some point diagnosed? Or share similar symptoms?

I'm glad to hear your diet is working so well. I wonder what would happen with your sinuses and breathing issues if you switched cow dairy for coconut milk, almond milk or some other substitute. Have you ever tried? Many people with sinus issues and breathing troubles find relief in cutting out dairy. Most doctors deny the connection. You're lucky you have a doc who integrates nutrition. In med school they receive very little training about it.

One question, does the book you refer to say all grains are equally mind-muddling, or only those containing gluten? It may be a while before I get around I reading it (although I too am a book lover, I just have a long list...)

So glad to hear from you. My signature is "honorary Weggie" because I was briefly diagnosed with it. I went for a second and a third opinion and it has been ruled out. However, in the process, I found this forum and have not only found it helpful....but have fallen in love with the wonderful folks who hang out here. So...no one has kicked me out yet!! Many of my issues are similar.

I am not a huge fan of meat, so getting the right fats and protein have been difficult. I have tried almond milk and coconut milk...but it did not seem to help the breathing issue. It is definitely the full fat cream in my coffee and the full fat greek yogurt that has reduced my appetite so that I am not constantly wanting to eat. That has been the biggest boon to me. I get hungry every four hours instead of every two previous to the diet.

Grain Brain lists all the grains as a no-no except for almond flour. I have not found a good recipe for anything bread like with almond flour. The emphasis on good fats is because Dr. Perlmutter believes that our big brains need fat to prosper. And there is pretty wide spread support of that. Pediatricians recommend whole milk for babies and children to support their rapid brain growth. Perlmutter believes that our rise in obesity is from our low fat diets. So many processed food added sugar and other carbs to make up for the loss of taste when fat was removed.

So...eating around the edges of the store is really the best, even if you still eat bread. The center aisles are basically junk food. I am fortunate to be retired and able to spend more time cooking whole foods.

Great to hear from you!!