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You are half right. Most people think they eat healthy but they do not eat healthy according to their genetics.
I come from a family with high cholesterol and early heart attacks. I also have my genetics. The one issue with me that stood out was in my Fatty Acid Desaturate genes (FADS1). My FADS1 genes are more like an Eskimo's than like the polish Italian that I am. People with these types of variant in their FADS1 genes need to eat much more omega 3 in their diet to lower cholesterol. I eat a almost zero added oil diet, rarely eat nuts, but I eat fish everyday (Sardines and Kipper Snacks).
I thought as well that I ate healthy before knowing my genetics and my cholesterol was 215 and i only weigh 145 LBS and was a vegetarian. Now that I switched to fish only my cholesterol is 145 and many more of my other health issues subsided.
To me, anyone will hugely benefit from looking closely at the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 that they eat (Nothing higher than 1 omega 3 to 3 omega 6) but some of us will more than others.
I love it when posters link true scientific journal articles, rather than a lame opinion piece from Huffington Post or some such nonsense. That's pretty uncommon. Although these articles are too technical for me to understand (psychology and ophthalmology are my thing,) I'm going to plow through them as best as I can. Thanks a lot!
Fasting blood sugar was 244. LDL cholesterol 211 (total cholesterol 273). I have to go on meds from both. I'm 41 and exercise on the elliptical from 30 minutes every day....how can my cholesterol be so high? I do need to loose 60 lbs and I eat bad....but I thought exercise would help? For all I know I could have been like this for many years. Am I on he verge of a heart attack or stroke or can I fix think with diet and weight loss ? (and continue to exercise of course)
You are not on the verge, unless your doctor says so. When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was sent to a diabetes educator. She told me a very simple analogy. Your health is a door. The door is shut. The lock is diet. The key is exercise.
Just one of those isn't enough to open the health door. You need both.
And your food journey isn't going to be easy. You have trained your taste to like what it likes...now you have to retrain it. I love salads now. I like veggies. It's trial and error on simple sauces to make veggies and chicken or fish yummy. And sauces don't have to be rich -- cook the chicken in a pan, deglaze with a little water to get chicken broth, add a little lemon juice and some Italian herbs and garlic, cook down for a minute and add a pat of butter off heat.
You've also very probably not paid attention to portion size. That's harder in some ways. But you can fool your eye, and make smaller portions more appealing by using smaller luncheon sized plates rather than dinner plates. (9 inches versus 10 1/2 inches). At restaurants -- automatically plan to take half of the dinner home, if you can't get a half portion.
I've lost about 80 pounds over a long time...and it's staying off. I found that for me, little steps toward the goal was far easier than a radical change I couldn't keep up. Keep a food diary, and see what you could cut and not miss. When I was diagnosed, that's what I did, and I never had to eat rice again. It sent my sugar sky high, no matter how little of it I ate, and I didn't really care about it -- so out it went.
Comical isn't it? If you go "intense" for 20 minutes a day (that is keep your heart rate in the 80-90 percent of max range) ..you will get all the exercise you will ever need. People want to talk the talk (I work out 40 minutes look at me!)but meanwhile they arent even breaking a sweat.
Very true...my mother will chat with friends on the phone while 'doing her treadmill'.. Ive given up on her...she doesn't want to change.
You are not on the verge, unless your doctor says so. When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was sent to a diabetes educator. She told me a very simple analogy. Your health is a door. The door is shut. The lock is diet. The key is exercise.
Just one of those isn't enough to open the health door. You need both.
And your food journey isn't going to be easy. You have trained your taste to like what it likes...now you have to retrain it. I love salads now. I like veggies. It's trial and error on simple sauces to make veggies and chicken or fish yummy. And sauces don't have to be rich -- cook the chicken in a pan, deglaze with a little water to get chicken broth, add a little lemon juice and some Italian herbs and garlic, cook down for a minute and add a pat of butter off heat.
You've also very probably not paid attention to portion size. That's harder in some ways. But you can fool your eye, and make smaller portions more appealing by using smaller luncheon sized plates rather than dinner plates. (9 inches versus 10 1/2 inches). At restaurants -- automatically plan to take half of the dinner home, if you can't get a half portion.
I've lost about 80 pounds over a long time...and it's staying off. I found that for me, little steps toward the goal was far easier than a radical change I couldn't keep up. Keep a food diary, and see what you could cut and not miss. When I was diagnosed, that's what I did, and I never had to eat rice again. It sent my sugar sky high, no matter how little of it I ate, and I didn't really care about it -- so out it went.
Wow! That's awesome...keep up the good work. It's not always easy, but the results are often the key to keep you on track.
I'm not trying to talk myself out of doing more. I'm just saying that 30 minutes everyday of high intensity exercise I would think would think would help with cholesterol....of course diet is the main thing which I am going to change completely.
Well it's not now is it?
I am the correct weight and have great cholesterol numbers, I eat mainly fruit, vegs and grains, and exercise 1 hour 5 days a week. I'm 50.
The exercise you are doing has probably stopped your numbers from being worse, but you are very unhealthy.
This is one of the easiest health problems to have...... it's 90% within your control.
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I am normal weight and at age 30 my cholesterol was really bad. A little pill and diet modifications and it's perfect. I do eat too many carbs but there was an obvious genetic factor.
I have always had high cholesterol even when I was below weight. Now that I am older and overweight I still have high cholesterol. I exercise 5-6 days a week, high intensity for 60 minutes and lift weights. It's all in what you eat, exercise is minimal.
you just said it, you eat bad and you need to lose weight. Do that. Ignore cholesterol, that's just a scam. blood sugar too. All that matters is eat healthy and exercise and you'll be fine.
I am normal weight and at age 30 my cholesterol was really bad. A little pill and diet modifications and it's perfect. I do eat too many carbs but there was an obvious genetic factor.
Exactly. A girl such as myself didn't have much time on this earth to eat crappy enough to cause herself develop a total cholesterol of 279 at age 17, particularly since I was a pretty slim thing, and still am, 22 years later. With a low dose of Simvastatin, my numbers are within normal limits. But I also exercise and eat healthy 80% of the time. The other 20% I have fun, but I'm not going to deprive myself all the time.
Interesting discussion on heart disease and early risk factors. Dr. Michael Greger reveals some very sobering findings on this very topic. He also discusses what can be done about it, even with kids.......starting today.
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Ive given up on her...she doesn't want to change.
