First off, and very importantly, let me start by saying there is probably not a single doctor out there that will support or even probably recommend my little experiment.
For as long as I can remember, or at least for the past 25 years I have been diagnosed with high cholesterol and high triglycerides. My cholesterol has been as high as 330 and my triglycerides as high as 525 - that I know of. Doctors did not always share their test results with me, but they never could understand why I was even still alive. Yes, before you ask, the LDL has been high as well. That has reached 214.
Apparently, if your cholesterol is over 199 the statistics think you should be approaching death. For your triglycerides when the gauge reaches 149, they will start digging your grave. When the LDL is over 99 and all the other factors are in place, they just start covering you up.
Over the years, I have been on all kinds of prescription medications that were supposed to control cholesterol, but, they had no impact on my test results. My doctor swore I smoked, drank, never exercised, lived on fried and processed foods, and lived and worked in a stressful environment. None of which was, or is, correct.
In fairness, I will admit that I did start smoking when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I would swipe my daddy's Camel's. At my worst, in my early adulthood, I was smoking up to 5 packs a day. Keep in mind this was not lighting a cigarette and laying it down, I was compulsive about smoking one after the other and lighting them off each other. By the time I was in my 20's, I had developed tumors in my throat, so I quit smoking. That was 40 years ago.
My life has been spent on the road, living in hotels and eating in restaurants so eating properly was not always an option or at least not practiced. In the past 15-20 years, however, I have been cooking my meals, from scratch, using processed ingredients at a minimum.
I am a conscientious shopper and cannot remember the last time I put something in the cart and did not read the ingredients label. The doctors had convinced me that I was to eat no cholesterol. If the label or a recipe indicated cholesterol - or relatively high cholesterol, it did not get purchased or cooked. The process of not purchasing or cooking high cholesterol meals was second nature to me. It does not matter what I eat or did not eat, it never affected my cholesterol issues.
Yes, I exercise regularly. I am not obsessive compulsive about it and do not spend hours at it, but, I am an active person and do what I can or feel like. Any amount of exercise does not phase my cholesterol issues.
Let us not overlook the homeopathic, vitamins, minerals, and folklore remedies for cholesterol issues also. I have probably tried them all and spent a fortune in the process. None of these efforts affected my cholesterol issues.
Years ago, in my young adult life, I had an occasional social drink. Now I probably have one drink every few years.
As a true entrepreneur, I own my own business and have always been independent. There is little or no stress because I control how and when I do what, for whom. I am a public speaker and lecture; and I host a computer club and own a computer learning center where I teach people how to use software and computers. Oh, and I have written three books and have a publishing company.
I have lived, worked or traveled in every state in the US, visited four continents, and been around the world. My goal is to visit the remaining three continents, South America, South Africa and Antarctica.
In fairness to medical science, I will tell you what I have learned over the years about "hypercholesterolemia" - nice word. That big word means high blood cholesterol. Having high blood cholesterol in the blood is not a disease, it is a metabolic derangement that is considered secondary to various diseases. It also can contribute to many diseases, most notably, cardiovascular disease.
Lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the bloodstream. When the cholesterol levels are elevated, abnormalities result. Cholesterol levels are generally affected by diet, genetic factors, and the presence of other diseases, such as diabetes and an underactive thyroid. In all the places I have lived, and all the doctors I have seen in my life, no one performed an LDL Receptor test on me to determine if I had the genetic factors. No one ever tested my thyroid.
What we learn, is that if we listen and read, we learn. Medicine is a science and not all doctors are proficient at the science. Now I realize I am not a doctor and a little information or knowledge can be dangerous, and we should never self-diagnose - but, who knows your body best?
Here is something to ponder. Have you been diagnosed and are being treated with arthritis? Do you also have cholesterol issues? Did you know that cholesterol issues can result in cholesterol deposits or patches at tendons or joints that can result in deformities or pain? So, is your problem cholesterol, or is it arthritis?
Anyway, I digress. The issue is, what did I do to turn my cholesterol reading around?
I went on a "high cholesterol, low carbohydrate" diet. For the first time in a very long time, I am eating eggs and meat to my heart's content. Every morning I eat eggs with bacon or sausage. For lunch and dinner, I have whatever meat I want, in any quantity I want - even liver. The starchy carbs have not left my diet completely because I believe we need a little of everything to stay reasonable healthy. But, it is a rare occasion when I eat pasta, potatoes or breads. Incidentally, it is absolutely amazing how many products are truly high in carbohydrates. That was an education in itself.
Understand this was a risky venture for me, and I am doing it without a doctor's supervision. Other than my cholesterol issues I am in excellent health. But, there are numerous doctors and hospitals within walking distance of where I live so I knew that if I got into trouble, help was close by.
Now, my findings. Within three months, my cholesterol had dropped from 231 to 217. Within four months, it was down to 181. The triglycerides dropped in three months from 374 to 224. The estimated chronic heart disease ratio went down from 5.4 to 4.8. Do I feel better, absolutely! Is this experiment right for others? That is not my call.
After this week, I will be off my cholesterol medication and will see how just being on this test diet will impact my cholesterol issues. If you are interested, follow me, I will keep you posted.
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