Thoughts On Dietary Change For High Lipids

Frankdee20

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Well, I’m minimizing carbohydrates and lowering fat intake and eating more vegetables (mostly carrots broccoli mushrooms and peas) ... Doing lean meats like fresh Turkey breast, Chicken, Fish and limiting eggs (used to eat a lot of them).... This should help me lose weight (I’m 6’3” and 235 pounds) as I’m very sedentary.... My cholesterol was 280 and triglycerides were 435..... No pre diabetes suspected, the triglycerides began 5 years ago after stress and heavy drinking (I’m better these days) and just doing less alcohol has helped (trigs were as high as 470-500)... but cholesterol went up from 235 last year (maybe too much eggs).... what do you think of low fat and lower carbs ?
 

HLP

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More saturated fats, less carbs but not no carbs.
 

Hans

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Niacin, inositol, magnesium, vitamin D, B1, copper, zinc, etc., are very effective at lowering triglycerides. But the issue is low thyroid and elevated lipolysis, most likely due to inflammation and hypoxia going on somewhere in the body.
I personally would go moderate/high protein, high carb and very low fat. Something akin to the diet of Walter Kempner, but with salt. With time, your inflammation should reduce and your lipids would drop along with lipolysis.
Perhaps consider niacin, inositol, vitamin E, aspirin, vitamin B1, magnesium and thyroid. This should not replace a nutritious diet though. A diet rich in shellfish, skim milk, fat free cheese, organ meat, fruits, and starches that you can tolerate.
 

Matt C

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Niacin, inositol, magnesium, vitamin D, B1, copper, zinc, etc., are very effective at lowering triglycerides. But the issue is low thyroid and elevated lipolysis, most likely due to inflammation and hypoxia going on somewhere in the body.
I personally would go moderate/high protein, high carb and very low fat. Something akin to the diet of Walter Kempner, but with salt. With time, your inflammation should reduce and your lipids would drop along with lipolysis.
Perhaps consider niacin, inositol, vitamin E, aspirin, vitamin B1, magnesium and thyroid. This should not replace a nutritious diet though. A diet rich in shellfish, skim milk, fat free cheese, organ meat, fruits, and starches that you can tolerate.
Hey Hans,

I've been reading a lot of stuff on your site, really dig such a hub of good info.

Since you might have a similar response to me re: your comment above... I started investigating my health when my hair started thinning and i didn't have as much energy. I've done a bunch of tests and the markers that come back abnormal are:

Low Neutrophils
High Total, LDL, and non HDL cholesterol
High reverse T3

My thyroid tests come back normal except for a really high reverse t3 which i'm sure is causing the bad converting of cholesterol which is why it's high. My liver tests come back normal but i've read that may not be a good indicator of a sluggish liver. My reverse t3 was high a year ago and since then it's only dropped slightly even though i've made an effort to reduce cortisol etc.

Any tips you might have for me?
My diet consists of eggs, rice, meats, liver, fruit smoothies, gelatin, aspirin here and there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Hans

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Hey Hans,

I've been reading a lot of stuff on your site, really dig such a hub of good info.

Since you might have a similar response to me re: your comment above... I started investigating my health when my hair started thinning and i didn't have as much energy. I've done a bunch of tests and the markers that come back abnormal are:

Low Neutrophils
High Total, LDL, and non HDL cholesterol
High reverse T3

My thyroid tests come back normal except for a really high reverse t3 which i'm sure is causing the bad converting of cholesterol which is why it's high. My liver tests come back normal but i've read that may not be a good indicator of a sluggish liver. My reverse t3 was high a year ago and since then it's only dropped slightly even though i've made an effort to reduce cortisol etc.

Any tips you might have for me?
My diet consists of eggs, rice, meats, liver, fruit smoothies, gelatin, aspirin here and there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Matt,
How much calcium and salt are you eating daily?
How many calories are you consuming daily?
Do you know where your vit D level is at?
 

Matt C

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Hey Matt,
myHow much calcium and salt are you eating daily?
How many calories are you consuming daily?
Do you know where your vit D level is at?

Hey Hans, my calcium comes back from tests in range, same with corrected calcium at 2.35 mmol/L and
2.34 mmol/L respectively but I don't eat all that much calcium in my diet. Milk in coffee only. Cheese here and there along with nettle tea.

Salt I get plenty of. I always eat when im hungry and usually have big meals, sometimes i wonder if my big carb meals are causing issues with my insulin because I'll eat a big meal of carbs and protein and yet I always crave something sweet not long after no matter how much I eat. Fasting glucose tests come back normal however.

Vit D has been borderline low in the past but since working from home i get plenty of sun and it's now in range at
81 nmol/L

My testosterone always comes back optimal or on the high end, estrogen is normal too. I just really can't seem to lower my reverse T3, cholesterol and in turn, my morning and afternoon cortisol according to a 24 hour adrenal test i've done.
 

Hans

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Hey Hans, my calcium comes back from tests in range, same with corrected calcium at 2.35 mmol/L and
2.34 mmol/L respectively but I don't eat all that much calcium in my diet. Milk in coffee only. Cheese here and there along with nettle tea.

Salt I get plenty of. I always eat when im hungry and usually have big meals, sometimes i wonder if my big carb meals are causing issues with my insulin because I'll eat a big meal of carbs and protein and yet I always crave something sweet not long after no matter how much I eat. Fasting glucose tests come back normal however.

Vit D has been borderline low in the past but since working from home i get plenty of sun and it's now in range at
81 nmol/L

My testosterone always comes back optimal or on the high end, estrogen is normal too. I just really can't seem to lower my reverse T3, cholesterol and in turn, my morning and afternoon cortisol according to a 24 hour adrenal test i've done.
Serum calcium is never really a good indication if you're eating enough calcium or not. Testing for parathyroid hormone is much better.

What have you tried before to lower your cortisol?
You could perhaps have cortisol resistance so it's not turning off CRH, or perhaps inflammation, (tissue) estrogen and serotonin is stimulating its release. Or it could be a lack of progesterone. Is your DHEA also high?

Do you have digestive issues?
 

Matt C

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Serum calcium is never really a good indication if you're eating enough calcium or not. Testing for parathyroid hormone is much better.

What have you tried before to lower your cortisol?
You could perhaps have cortisol resistance so it's not turning off CRH, or perhaps inflammation, (tissue) estrogen and serotonin is stimulating its release. Or it could be a lack of progesterone. Is your DHEA also high?

Do you have digestive issues?
Thanks for the response Hans and I apologize to the OP for hijacking the thread.

To lower cortisol I use gelatin and/or collagen daily. Holy Basil tea has been a new addition. I tried Ashwaganda but heard that could raise serotonin so i stopped. I meditate here and there also.

I do smoke weed on weekends however, and combining that with watching tv or playing PS at night might be very counterproductive.

I have to look into getting parathyroid checked.

Progesterone and Prolactin have come back normal when i checked them last year.

I checked DHEA last year and it came back normal at 7.3 nmol/L but my DHEA to Cortisol ratio was on the border line of low.

I don't have digestive issues. There will be some days where I don't clear my bowels but i wouldn;t say there is constipation.
Sometimes i've had coconut or MCT oil and i've gotten nausea in my stomach, telling me I might have a yeast overgrowth.

I tried going off coffee last week to rest my adrenals but i had a terrible week cause of it with abnormal sleep. i only have one coffee a day too.
 
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Hans

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Thanks for the response Hans and I apologize to the OP for hijacking the thread.

To lower cortisol I use gelatin and/or collagen daily. Holy Basil tea has been a new addition. I tried Ashwaganda but heard that could raise serotonin so i stopped. I meditate here and there also.

I do smoke weed on weekends however, and combining that with watching tv or playing PS at night might be very counterproductive.

I have to look into getting parathyroid checked.

Progesterone and Prolactin have come back normal when i checked them last year.

I checked DHEA last year and it came back normal at 7.3 nmol/L but my DHEA to Cortisol ratio was on the border line of low.

I don't have digestive issues. There will be some days where I don't clear my bowels but i wouldn;t say there is constipation.
Sometimes i've had coconut or MCT oil and i've gotten nausea in my stomach, telling me I might have a yeast overgrowth.

I tried going off coffee last week to rest my adrenals but i had a terrible week cause of it with abnormal sleep. i only have one coffee a day too.
Just to get a better background of your current health status, what other specific symptoms (both mental and physical) do you experience?
 

Matt C

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Just to get a better background of your current health status, what other specific symptoms (both mental and physical) do you experience?

Sure, really appreciate this help hey.

After 12 months travelling South America which involved heavy drinking and bad eating for most of it may have been the cause of a lot of these issues.
Mentally I was depressed for awhile after returning to my home country but I feel this has been rectified with a better diet, especially with gelatin and bone broths.
My motivation and ambition has suffered greatly the last few years also.

Physically it's a lack of energy after waking up even with good sleep. Receding hairline and dandruff are issues I can't correct. Dandruff has been a long on going problem that shampoos can't resolve so i'm convinced it's internal.

Low body temperatures is a big indicator for me. I wake up with 36.1 and throughout the day it averages around 36.4 (97.52). Only on occasional days will I get to the optimal 37 degrees (98.6).

Often at night my legs are restless although I supplement with magnesium, but as you know, magnesium can be wasted in a hypo like state.

So I think I will focus on my liver, perhaps supplementing with milk thistle as even though my liver tests come back normal, my reverse t3 is still really high. I have tried sythentic T3 (Tiromel) but that didn't do much. I didn't "feel" a difference and my temps only slightly increased momentarily even though I followed Wilson's T3 method.
I'm actually going to try Tiromel again now that I can get adequate sun/nutrition/focus on liver health.

I train with weights 3 x a week and never over train. I've always been athletic so it's discouraging that my body can't correct this issue even with good nutrition. I've done a food sensitivity test (although not the best one out there) and only yeast came back as a mild sensitivity.
 
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Hans

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I've started feeling better in terms of mental and physical energy since upping calcium and vitamin D. I'm waking up more refreshed in the mornings without feeling I need coffee.
Restless legs are due to insufficient energy to inhibit the excited state. Sometimes the electrolytes can substitute for each other, but not completely. So the magnesium might be helping, but you might actually need calcium or salt or potassium. Calcium along with salt are both very thermogenic. If you take 1-2g of calcium I can bet that you'll feel warmer. Calcium is synergistic thermogenic with thyroid.

If I were you I'd try a more potent anti-cortisol, such as progesterone or 6-keto progesterone with thyroid or if you don't want to use hormones, then a blend of adaptogenic herbs, such as Schisandra, eleuthero and Rhodiola can greatly help against the stress.
 

Matt C

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I've started feeling better in terms of mental and physical energy since upping calcium and vitamin D. I'm waking up more refreshed in the mornings without feeling I need coffee.
Restless legs are due to insufficient energy to inhibit the excited state. Sometimes the electrolytes can substitute for each other, but not completely. So the magnesium might be helping, but you might actually need calcium or salt or potassium. Calcium along with salt are both very thermogenic. If you take 1-2g of calcium I can bet that you'll feel warmer. Calcium is synergistic thermogenic with thyroid.

If I were you I'd try a more potent anti-cortisol, such as progesterone or 6-keto progesterone with thyroid or if you don't want to use hormones, then a blend of adaptogenic herbs, such as Schisandra, eleuthero and Rhodiola can greatly help against the stress.

I'm bringing back skim milk in my diet starting this week. will also add in more spinach. I've seen a lot of people be critical of calcium supps so i'll try and get it from food.
I've been back eating liver again after a couple weeks off and i'm not feeling all that great after eating it. a little nauseas sort of how i've felt when i've taken too much coconut oil on an empty stomach.

I just have a couple questions Hans;
If my reverse t3 and cortisol are elevated, would one coffee a day be doing me a disservice do you think?
Also, I've read so many benefits of aspirin on here and on your MenElite site but i've also seen a study showing reduce T4 and T3 in subjects taking aspirin (https://watermark.silverchair.com/j...xXaA0TCu7dbAndED1JyLkiDigF4cEgs7aai9Izxw9neh0).

Do you think Aspirin is no good for someone in my situation?

I enjoy taking aspirin and baking powder and collagen before workouts as it gives me a good boost. I never take more than one aspirin a day either.
 

Hans

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If my reverse t3 and cortisol are elevated, would one coffee a day be doing me a disservice do you think?
I don't think so. Some people might be very sensitive, while for others, coffee has a pro-metabolic effect, especially if combined with milk and some sweetness, such as maple syrup.
Also, I've read so many benefits of aspirin on here and on your MenElite site but i've also seen a study showing reduce T4 and T3 in subjects taking aspirin (https://watermark.silverchair.com/j...xXaA0TCu7dbAndED1JyLkiDigF4cEgs7aai9Izxw9neh0).

Do you think Aspirin is no good for someone in my situation?
I can't open that study for some reason.
From this study: Changes in Thyroid Hormones by Treatment With Aspirin and Prednisolone in Subacute Thyroiditis With Hyperthyroidism - PubMed
"In patients treated by aspirin initial increase in T3 level occurred transiently with simultaneous decrease in the T4/T3 ratio. These changes suggest the increase in peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. Even in severe cases of subacute thyroiditis associated with hyperthyroidism, aspirin treatment is an effective therapy and there is no recurrence following withdrawal of the medication."

I think a normal aspirin daily should be fine.
I enjoy taking aspirin and baking powder and collagen before workouts as it gives me a good boost. I never take more than one aspirin a day either.
Aspirin might interfere with the training adaption, if taken too close to the workout. I'd rather take it at least 6 hours away from a workout. Ginseng and other herbs are able to blunt the rise in cortisol as well as serotonin in response to training.
 

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