Guest guest Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 Being a vegetarian, I always get back fabulous blood test results. Not this time. The doc says I have high cholesterol. I am in shock! I eat maybe 1 egg every 1-2 weeks. I drink soy milk, never cows milk. I eat a little cheese -- not much -- and it's no more than it ever was. I don't eat meat. I eat a little yogurt, but again not more than I ever did. Sheesh! What do I have to do? Have any of you been through this and do you have any helpful suggestions for me? What am I doing wrong? Is it something with carbohydrates? Do I have to eat nothing but raw veggies from now on? I keep wondering if the lab mixed up my tests but this is too scary not to take seriously -- as I've had blood clots in the past and I sure don't want a stroke. Help! How does a vegetarian end up with high cholesterol? Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 On Sat, 02 Nov 2002 20:28:26 -0000, Melinda wrote: >Being a vegetarian, I always get back fabulous blood test results. >Not this time. The doc says I have high cholesterol. I am in >shock! I eat maybe 1 egg every 1-2 weeks. I drink soy milk, never >cows milk. I eat a little cheese -- not much -- and it's no more >than it ever was. I don't eat meat. I eat a little yogurt, but >again not more than I ever did. Sheesh! What do I have to do? > >Have any of you been through this and do you have any helpful >suggestions for me? What am I doing wrong? Is it something with >carbohydrates? Do I have to eat nothing but raw veggies from now >on? I keep wondering if the lab mixed up my tests but this is too >scary not to take seriously -- as I've had blood clots in the past >and I sure don't want a stroke. Help! How does a vegetarian end up >with high cholesterol? > I am told (by my doctor) that it's hereditary. I take one of the statin drugs, Zocor in my case, and it's brought my cholesterol down very nicely to a 'perfect' number. Before I went on the Zocor, I tried eating NO animal foods at all (being vegan) for several months. This didn't budge my cholesterol in the slightest. My grandmother died at age 62 of heart disease. I'm 58, and I don't want to do that. So I'll continue to take the Zocor. I take an aspirin each day also. Pat -- Pat Meadows Books, books! Low prices. Music CDs too! http://www.wellsborocomputing.com/sales.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 > I am told (by my doctor) that it's hereditary. I don't think I believe that, no offense. I think there might be a hereditary tendency... and I'll bet Type O is more susceptible to it... but I still think it's diet-related. > Before I went on the Zocor, I tried eating NO animal foods > at all (being vegan) for several months. This didn't budge > my cholesterol in the slightest. Aha! I'm beginning to think carbs are doing it... and the nurse did say something about the liver turning carbs into cholesterol or something like that. Dr. D'Adamo (of blood type diet fame) took a bunch of high chloesterol Type O blood patients (are you Type O, Pat?) and put them on LOTS of meat, but NO grains and their cholesterol came down. Big surprise, huh? Reminds me of the Atkins diet and how people are claiming they feel so much healthier on it (and Type O is the most common blood type -- they're the big meat eaters). The only change I can see in my diet from the good tests to the bad test is that I've been using my breadmaker and eating more bread lately. I'm a type AB, incidentally, and D'Adamo didn't identify wheat/grains as being nearly so much a problem for us. I got a mailing from a naturopath this week that was interesting. Enzymes run everything in our bodies, we know. He said that seeds, grains, and to a lesser extent nuts contain enzyme inhibitors. He pointed out that they've found seeds in the pharohs' tombs that weren't rotten (enzymes also cause foods to rot) because they have the enzyme inhibitors. He said that when we eat seeds and grains, they inhibit enzymes in our bodies and mess us all up. Interesting! Maybe this is the key? He noted that when we add water to the seeds/grains/nuts (making sprouts) the enzyme inhibitors are neutralized. We've all heard that sprouted seeds/nuts/grains are better for us nutritionally. Well, this might explain why D'Adamo always suggests if we do eat bread, we eat Ezekial bread -- which is made from sprouted grains that are then dried and made into flour. It's called Ezekail bread because (as I remember) the book Ezekial in the bible tells us to eat that way... read the label and you can see. Ezekial bread is found in health food stores, btw. I know the raw foodists soak their almonds in water for a few hours before eating them and I tried that the other day (but I didn't think they were as good -- oh well, I guess I could get used to it). So... I'm wondering how/if I can make Ezekial bread in my breadmaker, and a few minutes ago I talked to my son who lives near a Manna Mills store and he gets " Ezekial flour " there (he makes his bread all the time). He said it's really heavy, though, and he used it only as 25% of his flour for bread... which still leaves 75% " bad " flour. > My grandmother died at age 62 of heart disease. I'm 58, and > I don't want to do that. So I'll continue to take the > Zocor. I take an aspirin each day also. Yikes! I hear you. I'm 56 and this is the first bad blood test I've ever had for cholesterol. My father had one stroke in his 50's then never another and lived to 91. My mother and her sister both had repeated strokes and both died of strokes -- my mom at 86 -- but her last couple of years were miserable. My sister has Reynaud's disease -- which is also circulatory -- and she doesn't eat anything but veggies and brown rice (we all know whole grains are better for us than processed grains). Interestingly, none of these strokes were caused by blood clots -- but by blood vessels just collapsing. So I'm sitting here wondering what on earth to eat -- and haven't eaten yet today. lol! For dinner last night I had some frozen veggies I just nuked in the microwave. But honestly, if I can't have meat or carbs that doesn't leave much -- then again, I might have a great figure come summer. And by next Christmas be " Twiggy. " lol! Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 Is your bad cholesterol high, or is your ratio of good:bad cholesterol too high? If your bad cholesterol numbers are too high, have them take the test again. It could be an anomaly due to something particularly high in cholesterol that you ate recently. Also, I'd suggest consulting a registered dietician - many insurance plans cover this service, and most hospitals will provide nutritional consultations. I have a hard time understanding how carbs can increase your cholesterol count, unless its " hidden " , in ingredients you don't really think about. I know carbs can cause triglyceride/lipid problems ( I struggle with this), but cholesterol, according to my understanding, only occurs in animal products, not plant sources. There is some basic information at http://www.vegsoc.org/info/fats.html If the problem is a ratio that's too high (I have this problem - my bad cholesterol is actually low, but my good cholesterol is alarmingly low as well), there are ways to increase your good cholesterol to bring it more in line. There are very effective drugs to help lower your cholesterol levels. Your doctor will likely have good information on this for you. , " Melinda " <iris054> wrote: > Being a vegetarian, I always get back fabulous blood test results. > Not this time. The doc says I have high cholesterol. I am in > shock! I eat maybe 1 egg every 1-2 weeks. I drink soy milk, never > cows milk. I eat a little cheese -- not much -- and it's no more > than it ever was. I don't eat meat. I eat a little yogurt, but > again not more than I ever did. Sheesh! What do I have to do? > > Have any of you been through this and do you have any helpful > suggestions for me? What am I doing wrong? Is it something with > carbohydrates? Do I have to eat nothing but raw veggies from now > on? I keep wondering if the lab mixed up my tests but this is too > scary not to take seriously -- as I've had blood clots in the past > and I sure don't want a stroke. Help! How does a vegetarian end up > with high cholesterol? > > Melinda -- Sherri " It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones. " - Jean Webster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2002 Report Share Posted November 3, 2002 On Sat, 02 Nov 2002 22:48:14 -0000, you wrote: >Aha! I'm beginning to think carbs are doing it... and the nurse did >say something about the liver turning carbs into cholesterol or >something like that. Dr. D'Adamo (of blood type diet fame) took a >bunch of high chloesterol Type O blood patients (are you Type O, >Pat?) No, I'm A+ (my blood type, I mean). I'd only rate myself about a B- otherwise <grin>, > >So I'm sitting here wondering what on earth to eat -- and haven't >eaten yet today. lol! For dinner last night I had some frozen >veggies I just nuked in the microwave. But honestly, if I can't >have meat or carbs that doesn't leave much -- then again, I might >have a great figure come summer. And by next Christmas >be " Twiggy. " lol! > So far, I am very far from convinced by the Atkins advocates. The few reports I've seen that damned carbohydrates all were dealing with REFINED carbs: white flour, Snack-wells cookies, etc. For myself, I've come to the conclusion that moderation in all things is key and I eat as I please now: however, I've been eating a natural-foods, 'healthy' diet for so many years that it's now the way I *want* to eat. I'd say I eat a low-fat, many fruit and veg diet - on the whole (with occasional exceptions). I make our bread (bread machine), it's whole wheat bread. I've seen the pendulum as to what we are 'supposed' to eat swing - as you have too. So it's very hard to tell. Pat -- Pat Meadows Books, books! Low prices. Music CDs too! http://www.wellsborocomputing.com/sales.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2002 Report Share Posted November 3, 2002 Hi Sherri, They said my good cholesterol is fine, but my bad cholesterol is too high. , Sherri <sherria@o...> wrote: > It could be an anomaly due to something particularly > high in cholesterol that you ate recently. That was one of my first questions, but the nurse said no, it's more of an overall/general picture, not based on something I'd eaten recently. I thought that was strange, as blood is dynamic, always changing -- right? > Also, I'd suggest consulting a registered dietician - many insurance plans cover this service, Thank you. I can look into that. > I have a hard time understanding how carbs can increase your cholesterol count, unless its " hidden " , in ingredients you don't really think about. I'm in the dark, too... I have never worried about cholesterol because mine has always been low, so this is all new to me. > cholesterol, according to my understanding, only occurs in animal > products, not plant sources. That's true -- and I questioned that, too. She said you can get cholesterol from animal products you eat but also that you can manufacture it from eating other foods that don't contain it. That was news to me. There is some basic information at > http://www.vegsoc.org/info/fats.html Thank you. This goes along with what I already knew except for this statement: " The body can make its own cholesterol and so a dietary source is not required. " That is news to me -- and Pat demonstrated that too, when she said she went vegan and still had high cholesterol levels. Seems unfair! lol! Gee, we ought to get low cholesterol as a perk for being vegetarian, doncha' think? When I get to be Queen.... haha! > there are ways to increase your good cholesterol to bring it > more in line. Mine's good, apparently, but others here might want to learn that. > There are very effective drugs to help lower your cholesterol levels. They want to re-test in 6 months and if it's still high then, they'll consider drugs. They said it wasn't high enough at this point to do drugs now, but high enough to be concerned about doing something about it. Thanks, Sherri. Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2002 Report Share Posted November 3, 2002 Hi Pat, > So far, I am very far from convinced by the Atkins > advocates. I've got friends that swear by it, but I think it would be just terrible for me. We are not all alike. I won't try it. > The few reports I've seen that damned carbohydrates all were > dealing with REFINED carbs: white flour, Snack-wells > cookies, etc. That's what I've seen, too. However, the idea of the enzyme inhibitors in un-sprouted seeds/nuts/grains makes sense to me... although I'm no expert. Always happy to learn! > however, I've > been eating a natural-foods, 'healthy' diet for so many > years that it's now the way I *want* to eat. You go, girl! > I've seen the pendulum as to what we are 'supposed' to eat > swing - as you have too. So it's very hard to tell. Amen! Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2002 Report Share Posted November 3, 2002 On Sun, 03 Nov 2002 18:49:51 -0000, you wrote: >There is some basic information at >> http://www.vegsoc.org/info/fats.html > >Thank you. This goes along with what I already knew except for this >statement: " The body can make its own cholesterol and so a dietary >source is not required. " That is news to me -- and Pat demonstrated >that too, when she said she went vegan and still had high >cholesterol levels. Seems unfair! lol! Gee, we ought to get low >cholesterol as a perk for being vegetarian, doncha' think? When I >get to be Queen.... haha! It doesn't always work that way, as my experience did prove. I suppose that - on the whole - vegetarians likely have better cholesterol levels than meat-eaters. For many people, watching their dietary intake of cholesterol apparently helps enough that they don't need meds. I just wasn't one of them. Pat -- Pat Meadows Books, books! Low prices. Music CDs too! http://www.wellsborocomputing.com/sales.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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