Weep for me. I can't get the good cholesterol numbers from my current regimen.

[Radio_Lady]

I can't tolerate the statin drugs. I've tried everything -- this month it was phytosterols.

Know how to DROP 30 UGLY POUNDS? Cut off your head.

I'm going to swim. No dessert for me.

Component Your Value Standard Range Flag
Cholesterol 278 - mg/dL High (This sucks)
Triglyceride 68 < 150- mg/dL (well, I have no idea how I did THAT... they were in the 300s a few years ago!!!)
HDL Chol 61 > 39- mg/dL (OK)
LDL Chol 203 - mg/dL High (This sucks)
Cholesterol/HDL 4.6 < 6.4- (This ratio isn't that bad.)

Sorry that columns don't work exactly.

My doctor is on paternity leave until July 30.

I'm going to do something about this if it kills me.

Dejected,

Radio Lady

[grasswire]

1. did you see this?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92103272

[Radio_Lady]

3. I've tried it, thank you. The muscle cramps came on everywhere after 90 days.

I even added Co-Q 10 at my doctor's suggestion.

I think my liver is just pouring out that crap into my blood -- the only improvement has been in my tryglicerides. I have no idea why.

Oh well, I don't have diabetes and I have the hypothyroid condition under better control. I am a worrier and my husband smiles at me and warbles, "Ellen, everyone has to go from something sometime." Gr-r-r-r.

Nevertheless, I'll read it again and have a consult with my primary doctor on July 30. He's been on three months PATERNITY leave! Good for him!

I'll contact flvegan and see what he has up his sleeve. I've seen his picture and I'm impressed.

My 84-year-old aunt now weighs 95 pounds. She's under 5 feet. She's read me the riot act before but I can't get motivated to just DO (lose the weight and pick up the exercise schedule).

Warm regards,

Radio Lady in Oregon (bloody but unbowed)

[TZ]

4. Genetics

Despite what some people think..for certain people, cholesterol/heart disease has more to do with genetics than anything else..Why else do you see young FIT people drop dead at age 30 from heart attacks..Once I was very fit at 115 lbs (almost too thin according to friends) and my cholesterol was still above 200..Flvegan is wrong..for some people exercise and nutrition do NADA..I'm a biologist..and I DO know about nutrition.
Sadly, it sounds like you got the bad genes in this situation.

Oh and for people like you..please talk to your doctor about your exercise regimen..It can be dangerous for your health if you push too hard.

[hobbit709]

7. Genetics have more to do with cholesterol than anything

Your body has a preset cholesterol level it wants to maintain. a friend of mine afew years back tried to cut down on her cholesterol level-220. After 6 months of eating NO food with cholesterol it dropped 20 points. My cholesterol levels stay in the 160's. My triglycerides are usually around 40. My wife's readings-when she's not on her meds-cholesterol over 400, triglycerides over 900. I eat more grease than she does.

[Radio_Lady]

14. Hobbit709, thanks. We'll find out more about it...

probably before 2039.

That the year I turn 100.

My husband takes a minimum amount of Mevacor (10 mg.). His numbers are vastly improved -- under 200 -- 198 or something. No pains, either. I read him my numbers last night. His comment was, "Well, you have to go sometime from something!"

I really hate him... :sarcasm:

He never worries about his health. He fell off a ladder on a Friday, July 7, 1995. He was trimming the upper branches of a tree. He fell in soft dirt, on his non-dominant left arm. The bone came through the skin by his elbow in a compound fracture, his wrist broke, and he lost half his blood. I was at work and got the call from the police at 4:50PM, and told to go to the Massachusetts trauma hospital. He had been transported there via LifeFlight helicopter.

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law drove me there. The nurse told me they might have to amputate his arm!

After an 11 hour operation, and several days thrashing in the ICU (he didn't know where he was...) I drove to see him the following Tuesday. The first thing he said to me, "I will get over this. I will."

It took about a year, but he did it. Amazing guy. He's like his mother, who lived to 88 -- and never complained through it all.

Thanks for your comments.

RL in OR

[Radio_Lady]

13. Thanks for your input, turtlesue.

Have you seen the website www.spacedoc.net ?

Very interesting.

My family is riddled with cholesterol and also several cousins who get muscle pain from any dose of any statins.

I follow the path of red yeast rice (which was illegal I believe) for several months -- I bought two bottles of 90, one each day. Bu the end of the third month, my numbers were good but I felt like sh**.

I stopped taking the pills, brought one bottle back, and the health food store credited my account.

[fight4my3sons]

5. My mom's husband had the same problem with the muscle cramps

I'll try to find out what he is taking now. He could not tolerate any statin meds at all.

He is a farmer and has to be very active. He is in his mid 60s. They have had to try a few different things with him, but I know that he is taking something now that is working well for him.

[Radio_Lady]

12. Hi fight4my3sons -- love your screen name!

I'd appreciate knowing anyone's secrets including your Dad's!

There is an ongoing legal fight by a New York lawyer on behalf of 17 people (I think that's the right number) who took one of the statins and suffered very difficult irreversible damage. But the case is taking years to get through the courts.

[flvegan]

2. Nonsense.

You want good numbers and a weight loss? Let me know.

Those statin drugs are garbage. Let me know when the avg "doctor" knows shit about nutrition.

I won't wait, nor hold my breath.

You want a real solution, send me a PM.

[Radio_Lady]

15. Do you know about www.spacedoc.net? Hyperlinked below:

www.spacedoc.net

[sir_captain]

18. Not saying

that proper nutrition is not incredibly important, because it obviously is, but suggesting that statins are "garbage" is really pretty moronic. Considering that the majority of cholesterol in humans is produced by one's own body, having a class of drugs that helps regulate this process has saved countless lives.

I know nutrition, etc, is your deal, and that's great, but you ought to be a bit more flexible.

[Radio_Lady]

21. Let's not quibble, Sybil. Sir_Captain, this is about choice, not about flexibility.

There are definitely ways to lose weight without being vegan. There is a lot of controversy about the cholesterol question. We can make our own decisions.

We just met a man who had been a farmer. He was vegan because he felt that raising animals to eat was bad for the earth (too much of a planetary footprint in terms of used resources).

There's also the disgust factor. He asked me if I'd ever been to an abatoire -- and I told him "no" but I had seen the Wiseman film on the subject from the 1950s.

The yuck factor for children is also apparent. I had to explain that the Chinese duck they eat at the restaurant, was once a fluffy little guy following his mother and other babies around. Yes, like Donald Duck. Beef comes from a steer, and so do hamburgers.

I did not have the nerve to tell them where veal comes from.

Thanks very much for your comments, on behalf of Flvegan and myself. He's from my more or less home state and I'm protective.

Cordially,

Radio Lady in Oregon

[sir_captain]

33. Huh?

I don't recall saying anything about meat-eating, so I'm not quite sure why you're replying in regards to that. Of course you can make your own decision...I was just pointing out that there is a very legitimate place in cholesterol control for drugs like statins, bile acid sequestrants, etc. I have no clue what that has to do with veal. Or losing weight, for that matter. Am I just missing something?

[flvegan]

30. Garbage in what

they can do to the body IF they aren't needed. WAY too many doctors knee jerk right to the drugs. I agree that if needed, they're good to have. I didn't mean to dismiss them entirely. Sorry if I sounded that way.

[sir_captain]

32. Yeah, can't disagree with you

about overprescribing. Lipitor is among the most prescribed drugs at the moment. And this whole question of starting children on statins prophylactically just reeks of being a horrible idea. And lord knows, vegan or not, we could all do with a lot less red meat in our diets.

[davsand]

25. Hey--I want all those things! Can you tell me about it?

Pu-leeeez?


I know Atkins, South Beach and some of the low carb stuff can make a huge difference in both cholesterol and Triglycerides, but I'd love to hear what ya got! Pisses me off to pay the drug companies for something I can do on my own with some self discipline.



Laura

[flvegan]

31. Talk to your doctor

before doing any kind of adjusting to your meds, please.

I'll send you a pm in a bit.

[ThomCat]

6. People hate to hear this

but consider a vegetarian/vegan diet. If you're not eating animal products you're not consuming cholesterol. Your number will come down.

At the very least, consider cutting way back on animal products.

Be well. :hug:

[Radio_Lady]

46. Hi ThomCat. My body is overproducing the cholesterol at its own pace.

That's what the doctors say. You need some cholesterol to live.

There are some coconut based diets that people consume and there is NO problem with their arteries. I've interviewed several authors who believe the whole cholesterol thing was good for the pharmaceutical companies, but not for real patients.

Coconut oil is delicious and I love it on cereal (melts at about 76 degrees Fahrenheit into a liquid). It's fabulous on toast!

Read about what happened to coconut oil in "Eat Fat, Lose Fat." Coconut oil got busted because it looks like lard, but it isn't.

Go here:

http://www.eatfatlosefat.com/book.html



Other choices are canola (rapeseed) oil and sometimes olive oil (if it doesn't taste bad). My memories are of having olive oil on my hair and sitting out in the sun.

[MissMillie]

8. raise your HDL

40 is good, 60 is great

you raise it by eating the omega 3s (salmon, tuna, mackerel, nuts, olive oil, canola oil and avocados)

lower your LDL (it really needs to be below 140)

decrease your intake of red meat, pork, dark meat chicken, and shellfish. (Also having a higher HDL will have a good effect of lowering your LDL.)


Get an hour of exercise in every day.

[SacredCow]

9. I feel for you...

My numbers looked about like yours, but the Lipitor worked miracles. Within 2 weeks of taking HALF of the dosage that my doctor was expecting me to be on (she was going to step me up to the full dosage), my numbers were perfect. My diet is so-so; I don't eat much of any fast food, but I do indulge in Mexican food or a nice steak every now and again.

I hope you find the solution to your equation, too!

[Radio_Lady]

20. ...and jealousy is mine. You lucked out. Husband is like that. a tiny tab every day=good numbers.

Well, at least I don't have other diseases.

My first cousin, in her 70s, has Parkinson's Disease.

My daughter-in-law, whom I have never met, has breast cancer.

My friend from high school and college is in good shape, thin, pretty, wonderfully warm woman. Her husband is in the final stages of Alzheimer's Disease. He's probably in his early 70s and he's had the disease for TEN YEARS. Early onset Alzheimer's.

My first boy friend's brother, age 82, got bit by a mosquito and contracted West Nile virus. He spent months in the hospital, and became paralyzed from the waist down.

However, when I talk with him, he is always cheerful and well connected with life. I'm trying to encourage him to buy a computer and get on the Internet.

He won't be so lonely then.

Music, Maestro!

"Look for the silver lining
Whenever clouds appear in the blue
Remember somewhere
The sun is shining...
Da da da da da the thing to do."

and I forgot the rest...

Even with an aging brain, we have to keep on truckin' -- although that is getting more expensive because of the price of gas! :rofl:

[BlueIris]

10. Phytosterols are great. Give those a little time to work.

Also, I'd ditch sugar and meat. Oatmeal.

[Radio_Lady]

16. I have to make that Irish oatmeal that takes time to cook. The instant stuff

is too high in sugar and salt.

Thanks for the tip.

RL

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Cut out sugar and white carbohydrates

It isn't easy---I know. :-( Especially not now during ice cream season. :7 (Even the non-dairy frozen desserts have sugar in the them.)

[BlueIris]

17. Yeah, sugar's the kiss of death.

[Radio_Lady]

24. What do you use for a sweetener?

I won't use aspartame, saccharin, or any of the other chemical sweeteners.

I don't cook much or bake, but I've heard that stevia is great in desserts.

I'll try to find the link to the woman who I interviewed. (searches)

Ah-HA!

It's Lisa Jobs.

Here's the link:

http://betterherbs.serrahost.com/Detail.bok?no=1729

Sensational Stevia Desserts Cook Book
SKU: 9780976

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. When I'm in dieting mode, I just DON'T use sweeteners

Instead of regular soft drinks or artificially sweetened ones, I take some plain sparkling water and pour in just enough fruit juice to give it some flavor.

And I give up pastries, candy, and even (sob!) ice cream.

[Radio_Lady]

35. My masseuse just gives her clients one piece of DOVE chocolate.

She used to hand out a bottle of water, but she now gives you water in a glass. It's about all that plastic, you know.

I went to her today and I'm FLOATING and FEEL SO GOOD after 1 1/2 hours on her table!

If you've never had a good massage, you don't know what you are missing.

[Radio_Lady]

23. I've been using stevia (a liquid from nature) in both drops and "powdered" --

I find it very pleasant.

I try to stay away from sugar generally. Everything tastes so sweet to me that it's almost disgusting.

This website explains a great deal about it:

www.stevia.com

Stevia - Naturally Sweet

Stevia is a South American herb that has been used as a sweetener by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years. The leaves of this small, green Stevia rebaudiana plant have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar.

[grasswire]

19. have you read Dr. Sinatra's web site and recommendations?

He's a cardiologist with a big following, and a lot of his info regarding regimen is on his web site. He's very proactive with supplements for cardiac benefits. Honestly, since I added coQ10 I've seen a great improvement in my own health. He recommends four in particular for heart health. When you have a couple of hours, spend some time on his site.

I wont take statins, incidentally. My numbers were just borderline and they tried to force me onto that. I changed doctors.

Also, have you thought about seeing a naturopath for an opinion on supplements and diet? If there aren't any in LO, there are plenty in PDX.

Oh, and don't eat at Riccardo's Ristorante! :-) That pasta will kill ya, delicious as it is.

[Radio_Lady]

22. Here's an archived thread discussing the subject in Nov. 2006. Perhaps you'd like to look at it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2786618

[Radio_Lady]

26. Good info, grasswire. Sorry for stepping on your.. um... post toes?

Where's Riccardo's Restaurant? I've never heard of it.

We go to Cafe Allegro in Tigard, OR on Main Street.

Two for one dinners are excellent.

A great group of young folks make me pasta with olive oil, garlic and vegetables, and a glass of iced tea (no sugar) or wine. It's delicious.

I know about naturopaths and once consulted with a woman (free) at the Lloyd Center Pharmacy. This was about "menopause" where there has been huge controversies about replacement hormone therapy, use of estrogen and/or progesterone.

Frankly, I send my Kaiser Permanente doctor articles about natural medicines. He's too busy seeing patients to keep up with medicine's fast breaking advances!

:rofl:

[grasswire]

39. Riccardo's is a fixture in Lake Grove

One of the best wine lists in the Portland area, a lovely Italianate courtyard for outdoor dining, and a comfortable neighborhood ambiance.

[Radio_Lady]

42. Where? Lake Grove? I don't know that neighborhood.

We're out to the west off Scholl's Ferry Road. Mostly know the Tigard/Tualatin/Beaverton area, and the downtown area Macadam Avenue where OPB is/was located.

[grasswire]

44. oh I thought you were in Lake Oswego

Sorry. Lake Grove is an older part of the Lake Oswego community along Boone's Ferry.

[Radio_Lady]

45. No worries. Thanks for thinking of me, Grasswire.

I just happened to be in Lake Oswego last night, at a party for radio advertising people given by PARC (Portland Area Radio Council) at the Oswego Lake House. It was lively, but the music was very loud. I know very little about LO, except that I visited a periodontist there when I was having tooth trouble.

We are in Beaverton, off Scholl's Ferry Road, at Sterling Park, a community of 242 families. I moved here a little over ten years ago, in April 1998. Husband Audio Al came earlier, in October 1997. We are truly Portlanders now!

Peace, love and happiness,

Radio Lady in OR

[Radio_Lady]

27. Grasswire, is there a link to Dr. Sinatras site? I've never heard of him.

Thanks.

[grasswire]

38. here's a link to his credentials

http://www.drsinatra.com/c/cv.asp

Here are his top diet recommendations; this will benefit heart and cholesterol

Dr. Sinatra's Healthiest Diet of All

After a great deal of research, I've concluded that the best overall diet is the Pan Asian Modified Mediterranean (PAMM) Diet. There's a remarkable amount of research to back up this healthy and delicious approach to nutrition. It's good for your heart and will help protect you against breast cancer and osteoporosis. And best of all, it's not really a "diet" — it's a lifestyle choice.

Moderate Carbohydrates, More Protein and Healthy Fats

What is a PAMM diet? In a nutshell, it encourages eating cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut; "healthy fats" such as olive oil and low-glycemic carbohydrates such as garlic and onions, plus plenty of fruits, vegetables, soy, and nuts.

The overall percentage of each lines up something like this: 25-30% protein; 25-30% healthy fats; and 45-50% carbohydrates. This is a moderate-carbohydrate diet with slightly more protein than is often recommended.

Note: Like many cardiologists, I used to recommend low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods to my cardiac patients. I was caught up in the low-fat, high-carbohydrate craze that swept across the country ten years ago. Boy, was I off the mark! In fact, I was so wrong that I wrote a book, Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks, in which I highlighted the PAMM diet.

Instead of eating large chunks of meat, Mediterranean people flavor their sauces with meat. And at most meals, they eat fiber-rich fruits and vegetables teeming with phytonutrients and packed with vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols and monounsaturated fats crucial to well-being and cardiac health. Their diets are naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10 and the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium. The same holds true for Pan Asian people, who eat lots of fish, soy, vegetables, and nuts.

Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Fight Disease

The PAMM diet can support more even blood sugar and insulin levels while giving you more energy and helping find your ideal weight or body mass. My patients report that they consistently feel better, experience a better quality of life and, according to the literature, enhance their resistance to diseases such as coronary heart disease and cancer.

Take a look at these important benefits of the PAMM diet:

Cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut contain an abundance of beneficial essential fatty acids, omega-3 oils that reduce arterial clotting and inflammation. They are also excellent sources of coenzyme Q10, an energy-boosting nutrient.
High in low-glycemic legumes such as lentils and chickpeas. These foods slow the release of sugars into the bloodstream, helping to prevent excess insulin release leading to hyperinsulinemia and its related health concerns, including poor heart health, obesity, high blood pressure and high LDL "bad" cholesterol.
Offers a cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables teeming with phytonutrients — carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenols — associated with a lower incidence of heart health problems, vision problems and more
Lower in dairy and excessive quantities of meat, thus less methionine, an amino acid precursor to homocysteine, which is formed without adequate B-vitamin support.
Rich in root vegetables such as garlic and onions, two terrific heart healers noted for their blood-pressure-lowering and antioxidant effects.
High in vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and L-glutathione — key antioxidants necessary to control free-radicals; vitamin E is especially important for cardiovascular health.
Low in saturated fat, creating less arterial plaque.
High in fiber, further helping to stabilize blood sugar by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates and supporting a healthy lower bowel.
High in olive oil, far healthier than margarine, which contains trans fatty acids.
Soy products such as soy milk, soybeans, and tofu are rich in antioxidants that can reduce cancer risk.
May include small amounts of red wine, a rich source of quercetin, which prevents the deposit of arterial plaque.
Now that you're aware of the multiple benefits of my PAMM diet, here's how to apply it:

Decrease your intake of:

Processed foods containing refined white flour and sugar, such as breads, cereals (Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Puffed Wheat and sweetened granola), flour-based pastas, bagels and pastries
Foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (which become trans fatty acids in the bloodstream), such as most crackers, chips, cakes, candies, cookies, doughnuts, and processed cheese
Starchy, high-glycemic cooked vegetables, such as potatoes, corn and carrots
Processed canned vegetables (usually very high in sodium)
Processed fruit juices, which are often loaded with sugars. (Try juicing your own carrots, celery and beets instead, or other fruit and vegetable combinations)
Red meats and organ meats
Oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut and canola
Dairy products such as whole milk, high-fat cheese and whole-milk yogurt.
Increase your intake of:

Oatmeal and higher-fiber pastas made with spelt or Jerusalem artichokes instead of semolina flour pasta. Go to my Pasta á La Sinatra recipe.

Slow-burning low-glycemic vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, kale, spinach, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and legumes such as lentils, soybeans and chickpeas. Go to my Essential Fatty-Acid Salad Dressing recipe.
Onions and garlic
Herbs such as rosemary, ginger and turmeric
Grapefruit, cherries, peaches, plums, dried apricots, rhubarb, pears and apples; cantaloupes, grapes and kiwifruit are suitable; however, they contain more sugar Note: if you take any medications, do not consume grapefruit products.
Protein such as fish, especially fatty, cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines; shellfish. You may flavor your sauces with small amounts of lamb, lean beef, chicken or turkey. And eat up to six eggs a week
Soy products like tofu, soybeans, tempeh and soy milk
Extra-virgin olive oil and sesame oil on salads or for cooking
Nuts and seeds, including raw walnuts, almonds and flax
Low-fat cottage cheese, feta cheese and small amounts of grated Parmesan


That and other info are available here: http://www.drsinatra.com/c/landing_hearthc.asp#1

[Radio_Lady]

43. Thank you so much. I've never heard of him. You're making me hungry.

I made a meatloaf for my husband and I'll be putting together something very veggie.

Had a delicious, once-monthly massage today, and feeling JUST FINE.

Warm regards,

Radio Lady Ellen Kimball

[jobycom]

28. Buy. Follow.

http://www.amazon.com/New-8-Week-Cholesterol-Cure-Preventing/dp/0061031763/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216325606&sr=8-2

Dropped mine from 243 to 159 in about six weeks. Lost 20 pounds. (gained both back, too, but that was a lack of committment).

[Radio_Lady]

36. Thanks for the recommendation, but did you know that the author, Robert Kowalski, has died?

http://www.thehealthyheart.net/newsletter.html

[jobycom]

40. Yes.

Pulmonary Aneurism. In his 60s, IIRC. He had two multi-bypass surgeries in his 30s before he started this program, so that was longer than was expected.

[Radio_Lady]

41. Sadly, death is the outcome for all of us. Similar to Dr. Atkins, who slipped on an icy sidewalk...

and injured himself so severely that he died.

[noel711]

34. Hi Radio... sounds like me...

I went vegan for 6 months.. it wasn't easy, but I was enjoying
myself... if you're real careful, you get a nice gentle buzz from
eating no animal products...

My numbers went way down.... total, HDL, and LDL.
and my blood pressure went down too.

The only number that didnt' go down was the scale.

and that's where Dr. nailed me: what about those pounds?

So, right now I'm trying Atkins, just to give myself
a jumpstart with weight loss. After veganism,
it's tricky to switch, and I'm trying to avoid red meat.

OH, one other thing that helped my numbers: fish oil capsules..
and my skin got way better, and it takes the edge off my
menopausal irritation.

[Radio_Lady]

37. I cannot tolerate fish oil -- tried even the "no burp" oil and still queasy from that!

I take flax seed oil and could process whole flax seed if I really got motivated. My skin is good -- just a little more fragile down there, but I won't go into it. Somebody here on the DU got all upset when I mentioned "vaginal atrophy." Goodness, get a life. I have to hear about "erectile disfunction" and Viagra almost every day for years -- and nothing comparable for older women?