cholesterol

[Tinker2015]

how can cholesterol go up in a week when you haven’t eaten. Nurse did it one Tuesday. Slight increase. Tuesday after doctor wanted full bloods cholesterol too. It was up I am baffled as I have not eaten that much I am on a soft diet due to Tmj so eaten two bowls porridge a day cereals at dinner mashed stuff tea potatoes or veg fish I think stress has pushed it up.

[Happyrosie]

if you read up about how to reduce a high cholesterol count, for instance via the website of Blood Pressure UK, you might get some insights on why this might happen if you compare your diet now with what it was before.

I seem toremember reading that boiled or baked Potatoes were better for you than mashed, but I can’t at the moment find the reference to this. There may be other elements for instance if your liver thinks you are eating much less, and thinks you are in danger of starvation, it might put more cholesterol into your blood stream. I don’t know whether it would or not, but it’s just a thought.

[Tinker2015 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thankyou for your comment

[Lowerfield_no_more]

You have not told us the degree of increase, or whether you are on lipid controlling medication. Was the increase significant as in >1 mmol/l or only a bit more say by a couple of decimal points. Was one test fasting which can make a difference. Our bodies are complex and our diet and general health and the time of day will surely affect how much blood lipids we have at any one time, and so inevitably it will vary. My tests in the past over 25 years have never been consistent only changing noticeably when the dose has changed. But the thing that really matters is the approximate level you are running at and whether your health professional advises you need to take on board more lifestyle measure to better control it or whether it requires medication, or if you are already taking it whether the dose needs adjusting.

[Tinker2015 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

not on statins was controlled with diet and plant sterols for quite some time but two months back developed problems with on going pain and inflammation in jaw and ear. My diet mainly hasn’t changed on the whole. But stress has been the biggest part I had two readings a week apart 5.87 then 6.52. A lot higher than I normally am. I think the last one six months previous was 5.5. I did go off my diet here and there but went back on it again but it’s gone up more than ever before these last six months I have been under a lot of stress and since the jaw pain worse still. I believe that stress alone can cause it

[davebal67]

Cholesterol levels is the measurement in what your body needs to produce for all its demands regarding Lipoproteins etc

The true measurement is the ratio between tryglycerides and hadl ratio. Less than 1 you are very heart healthy.

My trigs are 0.5 with a ratio of 0.4.

I stay away from porridge as it has a very high glycemic load which causes a huge spike in blood sugar.

[Kimkat in reply to davebal67]

Wow! So porridge has a high glycemic load? I usually have porridge every day during the winter, not so often during summer months. I’m really shocked at this, as it’s normally a food that is mentioned in healthy eating. I’ll need to reassess my diet from now on, I already fast during the morning hours and don’t eat until around 11.30, this healthy eating thing is so confusing 🫤

[davebal67 in reply to Kimkat]

We are all uniquely diffrent and how my body reacts to certain foods will be different per say to how someone else's. For me I keep my blood sugar spikes to a minimum and definitely wouldn't say porridge is unhealthy but it's not for me as is no other Cereal.

I have eggs or a frozen fresh fruit smoothie as a start to my day.

The biggest difference for me was the reduction in visceral fat and the removal of ultra processed foods.

[Partner20 in reply to Kimkat]

You are correct in saying that porridge oats are generally classed as being a low GI food. Having plenty of fibre puts it on most healthy food lists, too.

[Partner20 in reply to davebal67]

Porridge oats are normally classed as a low GI food in most food lists.

[davebal67 in reply to Partner20]

I don't believe anything that's printed on healthy food choices, hence why I fully believe in continous blood glucose monitors and how my body reacts to glucose overload which is the typical Uk Cereal breakfast.

[Kimkat in reply to davebal67]

Are you using the Zoe by any chance or are you blood glucose monitoring because of diabetes?

[davebal67 in reply to Kimkat]

No, I am not diabetic anymore, I was in 2020, for a brief period. I don't use the Zoe app but use libre sensors to monitor my score.

My h1bac last 4 scores were 33, 32,33 and 35. I have had my Homa Hr score calculated which was 1.2 and I am regarded as Metabolically Healthy.

Sugars are not required in any diet and they are the cause of the rising heart disease in the western diet. Unfortunately, I am one of those statics due to poor dietary choices in my twentys, thirty etc.

I have taken bodyscan measurements and I have a metabolic age of 42. Not bad considering I am 58 next year.

My diet contains saturated fat but no seed oils, I cook with Olive oil but at a low heat and never reuse oils. I eat a lot of bananas and apples.

I had a bypass last year and had my vessels checked this year with no furring checked by a Cardiac Ct.

[Tinker2015 in reply to davebal67]

I have been looking up what foods to avoid for low triglycerides since I been on a soft diet due to tmj been eating some wrong foods your right with cereals I cannot eat bread so been having cereals about three times a week mash potatoes anything I can mash up I eat white fish twice a week and egg and oily fish will need to adjust its hard what to eat been making my own soup too for lunch some days

[davebal67 in reply to Tinker2015]

It's more important what you do after a carb laden meal. By going for a short brisk walk can alter the effect off the glycemic load. Each night I walk 3 to 4kms after dinner and 3k at lunch during the week.

In 2024 my average step count is 13.5k per day.

[Kimkat in reply to davebal67]

That’s great news, I eat relatively healthily but unless I analyse it I don’t really know. I have a pacemaker but also no thyroid which comes with its own set of problems 🫤

[RoyMacDonald in reply to davebal67]

I think it depends on the type of milling. I have totally unrefined oats and eat them soaked in water and they seem to be very slow passing through my system and I never notice an energy spike.

All the best

Roy

[Happyrosie]

there’s been a recent research study comparing those who added biscuits cakes etc to their diet, as opposed to those who had “good” fats in their food. After only four weeks, blood tests and MRI scans showed big changes (for the worst) in the “bad fats category.

this isn’t answering your original question but does show that dietary changes are measurable fairly quickly.

[Vms49]

I don’t know why someone has said porridge spikes your blood sugar unless they make it with milk and add sugar . What you add when cooking can alter the value of your food oats are healthy if cooked correctly . Mash potato is exactly the same as boiled if you do NOT add milk and/or butter.

[MoretonCross in reply to Vms49]

Probably best to avoid potatoes altogether. I know I do...

[Vms49 in reply to MoretonCross]

I know but if they are on a soft diet and want to mash fish into potato and veg as long as they don’t add anything fatty they can be healthy