A New Look at Fat in the Diet

[Corporateburnout]

Stop saying that !!!

Bud Select has only 3.1g of carbs and Mich Ultra 6g. They're not my Sam Adams but better than no beer at all.

 

[braumeister]

Bud Select has only 3.1g of carbs and Mich Ultra 6g. They're not my Sam Adams but better than no beer at all.

Oh, never mind then. I thought he was talking about actual beer.

 

[Corporateburnout]

Oh, never mind then. I thought he was talking about actual beer.

The actual beer you're talking about has between 12 and 16 grams of carbs. Sorry but for diabetic folks like me this is one third of the daily carb allowance. No thank you.....

 

[Katsmeow]

A low carb diet will definitely help lower you cholesterol, triG and LDL numbers as it did mine but you also need to increase your level of exercise.

I don't think this is right. Low carb diets are generally known for lowering triglycerides and often raising HDL. That is good. Some people see a rise in LDL with low carb, although in many instances this may be found to be the larger particle LDL which many believe is not dangerous. Total cholesterol may indeed go up on low carb although the overall cholesterol ratio may be improved on low carb.

 

[Corporateburnout]

I don't think this is right. Low carb diets are generally known for lowering triglycerides and often raising HDL. That is good. Some people see a rise in LDL with low carb, although in many instances this may be found to be the larger particle LDL which many believe is not dangerous. Total cholesterol may indeed go up on low carb although the overall cholesterol ratio may be improved on low carb.

I should have stated that my statement was based on my own results (your mileage may vary) and not on any studies. My last lab results in January which was 3 months after starting a strict low carb diet and a moderate exercise program was as follows:

Total Chol down from 195 to 151
TriG down from 110 to 82
LDL down from 136 to 90
Glucose down from 194 to 102
A1c down from 7.4 to 5.0

 

[F4mandolin]

Stop saying that !!!

I keep saying it.....then not doing it. Really packed on some weight this winter and I'm afraid I am going to say it again......I drink too much beer.

 

[Chuckanut]

I recommend this book, which I think is one of the better ones on how to implement a low-carb way of eating, and what to expect. The author is a diabetic but much of the information also applies to non diabetics who want to improve their health. The link is for Amazon, but you can get it at many libraries for free. Free is good!

Diet 101: The Truth About Low Carb Diets: Jenny Ruhl: 9780964711655: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Katsmeow]

I should have stated that my statement was based on my own results (your mileage may vary) and not on any studies. My last lab results in January which was 3 months after starting a strict low carb diet and a moderate exercise program was as follows:

Total Chol down from 195 to 151
TriG down from 110 to 82
LDL down from 136 to 90
Glucose down from 194 to 102
A1c down from 7.4 to 5.0

I think mileage for individuals does vary. In my case, when I did low carb my total cholesterol and LDL went up, my HDL went up by 1, my Triglycerides and fasting glucose went down (not A1C - I'm not diabetic). But, regardless of my or your individual results, what I've seen repeatedly is that more typically low carb increases HDL, LDL, and sometimes total cholesterol and lowers triglycerides. However, the increase in LDL may not be all that it seems because it may be an increase in the larger, fluffier particles.

 

[AllDone]

Normally triglycerides, LDL and glucose/A1C will drop with weight loss achieved by any means. HDL is a trickier beast and may go in either direction with weight loss. Exercise will raise HDL for some folks.

 

[Rusa]

So now I'm wondering if & when they are going to tell us they were wrong about cholesterol? I tried one of those medications a few years ago & decided the side effects weren't worth it to me. I'm fairly skeptical at the widespread popularity of cholesterol lowering drugs. Think about it ---- big pharma came up with a new pill for millions of people to start buying in their 30's thatthey will take every day & buy for the rest of their lives that will supposedly prevent heart disease. There's gotta be a lot of economic motivation for them to hype a product like that.

+1. It's been known for years that cholesterol generally does not cause arthrosclerosis, it is only correlated with it. The statins have an anti-inflammatory effect that is probably the reason why they have some effect on atherosclerosis-related heart attacks and strokes (and generally only for a limited population of males over 50 with prior heart attacks). Some day "they" will have to eat crow about this...can't wait to see the groveling. Ancel Keys was so very very wrong.

 

[Rusa]

I actually miss the old Swanson TV dinners. They tasted great, were simple, and judging by the picture, a lot less calories than the current versions.

 

[Katsmeow]

Normally triglycerides, LDL and glucose/A1C will drop with weight loss achieved by any means. HDL is a trickier beast and may go in either direction with weight loss. Exercise will raise HDL for some folks.

For me, the most recent numbers I have for these (not the A1C) are from 2011. The first time was in June, pre low-carb and the second was in December, after eating low-carb for 5 months. In the meantime I lost about 15 pounds.

Triglycerides and glucose went down. LDL and total Cholesterol went up. HDL went up by 1. I was also regularly exercising during this period.

 

[franco45]

If you get a chance, read "The great Cholesterol Myth" . Statins are a multi billion dollar business. The reality is that half of the people that have heart attacks have high Cholesterol and half have normal or low cholesterol. Even the AHA has backed away looking at cholesterol numbers.
Government backed programs demonized fats and backed grains and now we have obesity. The tide is turning. "Wheat Belly" and several similar books are making people aware of the hazards of eating wheat.,
Dr Oz will have a program about the subject tomorrow.

 

[sengsational]

I think mileage for individuals does vary. In my case, when I did low carb my total cholesterol and LDL went up, my HDL went up by 1, my Triglycerides and fasting glucose went down (not A1C - I'm not diabetic). But, regardless of my or your individual results, what I've seen repeatedly is that more typically low carb increases HDL, LDL, and sometimes total cholesterol and lowers triglycerides. However, the increase in LDL may not be all that it seems because it may be an increase in the larger, fluffier particles.

That's more like my experience, but got a bigger HDL increase. My ratios got 'better', but the TC went up. So some docs that still look at the calculated LDL value might want to have me take a statin, others might say 'no problemo'.

 

[RAE]

I keep saying it.....then not doing it. Really packed on some weight this winter and I'm afraid I am going to say it again......I drink too much beer.

Don't be so sure that the beer is responsible for your weight gain. I eat a real food/moderately low carb diet (very few processed foods, very few grains, no pasta, no sugary drinks, no sweet desserts), but I am not about to give up beer (my wife is a home brewer). My weight actually dropped after switching to eating the way I do now, despite continuing to have a beer or two most evenings. Yes, beer is brewed from malted barley, but it's not converted immediately to sugar (and then stored as fat) by your body, as most non-fermented grain products are. If you really enjoy your beer and don't want to give it up, my advice is to look at the rest of your diet to see where there is room for improvement. I'm convinced that processed foods, and especially those made from grains/sugar, are responsible for most of the weight gain people experience as they get older, not beer (consumed in moderation).