T Nation

Cholesterol Issues and Many More

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Hey guys…so i recently got some blood work done at the request of my doctor and he checked out my cholesterol and triglycericdes…turns out pretty much everything is out of whack…my triglycerides are high, HDL is low and LDL is high… Overall I’m not too happy with this…

A little bit about me…I’m 22 years old 6’3 300 pounds…I am an offensive linemen so losing a bunch of weight is not really an option…I don’t know what my BF% is right now but i know it definitely needs to be lowered by next season…

So I’m looking for some advice on:
a) how to get my triglycerides and cholesterol back in order and
b) help to overall lower my BF%

I would say my diet right now is OK, could be better though. I don’t eat fast food very often at all…

THANKS!!

#2

[quote]PSYCH0_GUY wrote:

A little bit about me…I’m 22 years old 6’3 300 pounds…I am an offensive linemen so losing a bunch of weight is not really an option…

THANKS!![/quote]

hate to break it to you, but it is an option, and a very smart one.

Of course this is a personal choice.

If it were me, unless I was headed to the pro’s where the financial and professional rewards would offset my health (to a degree obviously), then I would focus on losing weight and eating better.

At the very least start supplementing with fish oil. Probably double dose of Flameout per day would be a great start, but would be a costly one as well. Assuming you’re not on blood thinners.

#3

I’ll bet your diet is not OK at all. How about keeping a food log and posting a typical day’s meal? Also, it’s hard to judge what “high” and “low” is without actual numbers. Any diet expert here will want to know.

Also, did you remember to fast before getting the test done? Nothing but water for 8-12 hours before the test? All the measurements are based on fasting, so if you ate anything at all, the numbers will be skewed.

#4

testing for cholesterol doesn’t need to be fasted, triglycerides yes though

#5

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:

If it were me, unless I was headed to the pro’s where the financial and professional rewards would offset my health (to a degree obviously), then I would focus on losing weight and eating better.

At the very least start supplementing with fish oil. Probably double dose of Flameout per day would be a great start, but would be a costly one as well. Assuming you’re not on blood thinners.[/quote]

Well…I am already playing pro ball so losing a bunch of weight is not an option if I want to keep my job…I am going to start supplementing with fish oil, I also eat omega 3 enriched eggs most days (which could be part of the problem for the high cholesterol levels, but doesn’t explain why my HDL is not at a better level)… I can get my test results numbers if someone really wants to know and can give me some good quality help

#6

I bet you’re eating lots of carbs.

#7

Start limiting your overall calories and carbs. Eat protein/carbs only after waking and pre/post training/practice. Eat protein/fats at all other time of the day, making sure that most of your fat intake is from healthy sources like olive oil, nuts, etc.

Counter-intuitive as it may sound, start eating eggs - at least 4-6 per day. If you can, buy freerange/omega eggs. They won’t have a significant impact on your total cholesterol and should put your HDL/LDL numbers in line.

To summarize:
Lower calories and carb intake
Carbs+protein on waking and before/after training or practice
Meat+veggies every other meal

All the best.

#8

Everyone on these forums seem to be so carb-phobic. Fiber has been shown to help cholesterol levels by lowering ldl and increasing hdl. Getting plenty of fiber means eating lots of fiberous green veggies, whole grains, and some fruit. Im not suggesting go carb crazy, but moderation is always key. As people have mentioned above, healthy fats will help out too. salmon, olive oil, and nuts are great options.

Being over weight and having a BAD diet would give you high tri’s, high ldl, and low hdl readings. Sometimes you’d be shocked with all the shit (or lack of healthy foods you eat) daily if you just write it down. Good luck with getting your blood tests in order and with ever eating strategy you decide to use.

#9

[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
I bet you’re eating lots of carbs.[/quote]

well gee, he’s a pro football player, what do you expect him to be eating?

#10

Cutting carbs is a very good way to lower triglycerides, raise HDL, and increase your LDL particle size (which is explained here: http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/nutritional-approaches-large-vs-small.html ).

#11

Fish oil will help.

#12

[quote]elusive wrote:
Everyone on these forums seem to be so carb-phobic.[/quote]

And it’s a good thing, too, because the medical establishment has been so carbophilic for so long, and continues to be today. We are offsetting decades of poor nutritional advice from the mainstream “authorities”.

One of the better points of this forum is the relative scarcity of fools who subscribe to the government recommended, low-fat, high carb diet.

[quote]elusive wrote:
Fiber has been shown to help cholesterol levels by lowering ldl and increasing hdl. Getting plenty of fiber means eating lots of fiberous green veggies, whole grains, and some fruit.[/quote]

Fiber tears up the digestive tract, paving the way for chronic inflammation and auto-immune disease.

http://www.biblelife.org/fiber.htm

Did you know that there’s nothing beneficial about having lowered cholesterol? It is the ratio of HDL:LDL that is more important than the total.

You should stop listening to the AMA and start researching things for yourself.

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Nominal Prospect wrote:
I bet you’re eating lots of carbs.

well gee, he’s a pro football player, what do you expect him to be eating?[/quote]

He didn’t say he was pro. And what I expect him to be eating is irrelevant. He asked a question, I’m responding.

His lipid values are in the tank because, in all likelyhood, he’s eating tons of sugary crap.

[quote]bimmerczech wrote:
Cutting carbs is a very good way to lower triglycerides, raise HDL, and increase your LDL particle size (which is explained here: http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/nutritional-approaches-large-vs-small.html ).[/quote]

Right on.

#13

[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
He didn’t say he was pro. And what I expect him to be eating is irrelevant. He asked a question, I’m responding.

[/quote]

"Well…I am already playing pro ball " hmmmm

#14

NP, I agree with you that the AMA is carbophilic as you put it, but im not suggesting he gets 65-70% of his cals from CHO’s. Eating in moderation, having balanced meals with healthy food selections will usually do the trick.

Your “evidence” against fiber is lacking and your source that you linked proves what exactly? Im willing to keep an open mind and look at future research that suggest anything that goes against common knowledge, but it would have be from a credible source. We can all find something that opposes another view point and post a link.

As for lowering cholesterol, of course I meant lowering his LDL’s and improving his HDL’s. Obviously, there would be no benefit to having low cholesterol if HDL’s were low as well. The AMA may be a TERRIBLE source to rely on for bodybuilders or athletes looking to improve body comp. or performance, but it does OK for overall health. my 2 cents and experience.

#15

What’s the ideal ratio for LDL to HDL

Mine:

LDL 136
HDL 105
Tri 67

Total 254

Nurse said “fantastic”… so is it as near as you can get to 1:1 is best?

I am high fat and low carb and eat 2 eggs EVERY day with bacon. I had cholesterol in the 290s with low HDL about 3 years ago… but that was before I started working out and eating low carb. I was generally an unhealthy slob.

#16

as far as cholesterol try avocados to offset some of the ldl and try using coconut oil for a fat source 0 cholesterol… if it dosent have a liver there wont be any cholesterol.

Heres are a couple of articles on coconut oil if you are unaware of its benefits:

#17

Thanks for all the info so far guys…what do you think would be a good amount of calories for me to take in daily…I can afford to lose a few pounds right now since I have awhile before next season starts up but I gotta maintain most of my body weight…Also, I have read tons of different opinions on amount of protein needed per day…

Some places say 1 gram per pound of body weight, some say 1.5 grams per pound…some say 1 gram per pound of lean body weight…what is your opinion?

Last question, what is a good breakdown per day for my calories coming from protein, fat and carbs.

thanks alot for all the help

#18

[quote]PSYCH0_GUY wrote:

Last question, what is a good breakdown per day for my calories coming from protein, fat and carbs.

[/quote]

Dude, just eat some fish oil. Seriously.

#19

[quote]beebuddy wrote:
PSYCH0_GUY wrote:

Last question, what is a good breakdown per day for my calories coming from protein, fat and carbs.

Dude, just eat some fish oil. Seriously.[/quote]

I understand that…I have already planned on adding some fish oil to the diet but I need to fix my entire diet and need a starting point to start planning it off of

#20

[quote]PSYCH0_GUY wrote:
beebuddy wrote:
PSYCH0_GUY wrote:

Last question, what is a good breakdown per day for my calories coming from protein, fat and carbs.

Dude, just eat some fish oil. Seriously.

I understand that…I have already planned on adding some fish oil to the diet but I need to fix my entire diet and need a starting point to start planning it off of

[/quote]

Well, sorry for being so terse, it’s just that you are going to get conflicting opinions and IMO it would be a shame to listen to whoever yells the loudest. So much nutritional “info” is bullshit, and a lot of what’s already been posted is bullshit. I mean, I think I saw a Mercola link somewhere above, lol.

So the only reason I want to really stress the fishoil is because I don’t overthink or worry much about any of this stuff, but I do take fish oil and my blood test values are all awesome.