How to Lose Weight and Become Healthy - Cholesterol Support

Cholesterol Support

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How to Lose Weight and Become Healthy

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador
24 Replies

Most people think that losing weight involves making some temporary changes to their dietary habits.

If you are overweight, it is likely a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle that includes both dietary and exercise habits (these are usually absent).

Rather than focus on losing weight, focus on the 'process' of being healthy. This involves 30 minutes of exercise daily with an elevated heart rate of over 120 bpm. This can be accomplished with a daily brisk walk. Eventually as your fitness improves you can take 2-3 walks per day that add up to 60 minutes. Consider some resistance training either with weights or your own body weight (push ups).

With respect to food, you must first 'permanently' dramatically reduce sugars. Simple sugars like the white stuff, honey, agave, and all sugar substitutes. Next eliminate soft drinks completely, as well as fruit juices, and restrict alcoholic beverages to 1 drink per day maximum. Ideally it would be a glass of red wine for its heart benefits.

Start eating more fresh foods and avoid packaged foods from the grocery store. Many packaged goods have hidden sugars and are also loaded with unhealthy oils.

Eliminate white flour products like white bread, white pizza dough, and other white simple starches like white rice, and white potatoes. Replace with brown rice, whole grain bread, whole wheat pizza dough, sweet potatoes. Quinoa is also excellent and is considered a protein. Avoid fried foods altogether as the frying oxidizes the oil and contributes to clogging your arteries.

Calorie density is a concept you must learn. The amount of calories per serving plays a role in meal selection. For example, you can have a table spoon of olive oil or 2 apples. Which will fill you up more?

Animal proteins are very calorie dense. Therefore, out of 21 meals per week, try limiting animal proteins to 7 of those meals. 3 should be fish and 4 can be chicken or turkey. You can have red meat once every couple of weeks. Portion size should be no more than 3 oz for any animal protein.

For another 7 meals, fill yourself up with plant proteins like beans (not baked beans in a can with sauce - too much sugar), chick peas and lentils. Look up some Greek and Italian recipes for these foods to make them tasty.

For breakfast you can have nut butters, like peanut or almond butter (organic, no salt, no sugar) drizzled very lightly with honey. You can also have a full cup of an egg-white omelette on whole grain toast. Spice up your omelette with onion, green or red peppers, Kalamata olives, and feta. Egg whites are filling and have very few calories. Egg yolks are fine once a week (2 eggs). This issue with red meat and egg yolks is what they do to your gut bacteria, not the saturated fats.

Have blueberries and an apple or orange daily, and a spinach or arugula salad daily. Use only extra virgin olive oil, or in combination with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for your salad dressing. Avoid all sweet and dairy-oriented salad dressings - they are too calorie dense.

Green tea is also helpful in increasing your metabolic rate which will help you lose weight.

Hold yourself accountable for exercise by buying a Fitbit or similar body metrics device that you wear on your wrist. This way you can document how many steps you take each day and how many minutes you have exercised. Go see your doctor and have your blood-work done semi-annually so you can track triglyceride levels, apoB and apoA levels to monitor your heart health. Also weigh yourself only once per week maximum. Focus on the process, not on the goal.

For more healthy strategies - read all of my posts here:

healthunlocked.com/user/sos007

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sos007
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24 Replies
bobaxford profile image
bobaxford

All good information, agree 100% with your recommendations

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to bobaxford

Thanks Bob. Read my response to Bala below. Gut bacteria research is a relatively new field of study with significant ramifications for the understanding of human health.

sandybrown profile image
sandybrown

Just take this one:

Egg whites are filling and have very few calories. Egg yolks are fine once a week (2 eggs).

UK, TV did a programme, where one person took 2 eggs a say for two weeks, another person no eggs. Blood test was done before and after the programme. No change in any blood numbers for the person who ate two eggs pare day for two weeks.

Another example, in Malaysia, an elderly person closer to 80, climb via a ladder to cut a jack fruit from the tree to give it to his doctor friend as a gift, the doctor fried was very impressed to see the action! afterwards, the elderly person ask the doctor I have bee eating 2 eggs per day most of my life, "Should It stop it?" this is because now days people are saying egg has high cholesterol!

The response from the doctor was from what I have seen there is nothing wrong in you eating eggs, you are healthy, there is no need for any medical checks from me!!!

One food works for one person this does not say this food is good for all.

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to sandybrown

While your anecdote about the man on the ladder may be humourous, it is just that, an anecdote and not scientific evidence. The TV program's 'study' also has very limited scientific validity. The human body is complex and the processes by which disease is generated are complicated and cannot be explained through such over-simplifications. I would also be curious to know if the TV program was sponsored by egg farmers.

As noted in my post, the egg limitation has nothing to do with cholesterol, it has to do with gut bacteria. There is scientific evidence that eating red meat and eggs increases L-carnetine and choline thus triggering the production of TMAO in our body which raises the clotting effect of blood platelets. sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

One of the flaws with the atherogenic effects of LDL-C hypothesis, is why half of the people who have heart-attacks and strokes have normal to low levels of LDL-C. It is because heart-attacks and strokes are caused by blood clots and loose plaque material (LP-PLA2 test will identify your levels) located at damaged sites in our endothelium. Low-grade inflammation may be the cause of the damage in our endothelium.

Gut bacteria has a delicate balance and from academic studies, in most Westerners, is such due to excess sugar, red meat, eggs and dairy, and insufficient plant food, and most especially dietary fiber. Excess consumption of animal proteins and sugar (both free and simple carbohydrates) trigger low-grade inflammation.

This doesn't mean that any of those foods shouldn't be consumed, it means, that they must be limited and a more varied diet must be practiced, focused more on plants rather than animal products and sugars.

Choline is necessary for the body, but an excessive amount can trigger not only atherogenic processes but may also potentially enhance the carcinogenic processes for colon cancer.

Thus my comment about limiting your egg consumption to no more than 2 eggs per week. That said, many studies about eggs suggest 1 egg or less per week is optimal.

Most natural foods have beneficial health effects for human beings. Where we go wrong is in the balancing act of our dietary composition.

Scientists still don't have all of the answers and doctors have even fewer answers because they are the last ones to get the newer research as they are the final link in the chain responsible for implementation of policy changes based on new research.

To date, the best we can make of all the available evidence is that a plant-based diet, rich in fiber, and supplemented on occasion by animal products, provides the best balance of nutrients for a healthy body.

Of course, we must not forget that the human body was designed for movement and so must also ensure that we get out and exercise for 30-60 minutes each day. Without exercise, a healthy diet will have limited benefits.

sandybrown profile image
sandybrown in reply to sos007

Research in human problems are wonderful, new findings ,new medication and new side effects.

At the end of the day in UK, NHS has no testing facility on new medical research problems.

OK, private testing may be possible. A, NHS GP also has to have had the time to read new research materials to understand what one is talking about.

Is there forum for urine/choline posts in Healthuncloked?

How long do we have to wait for this test to be available on NHS and then medication or supplement?

What is the test for blood clotting?

What is the medication for blood clotting today.?

I better stop here!

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to sandybrown

The 'fibrinogen' blood test will tell you if your blood is clotting too easily. It costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $35 to $70 Canadian dollars here in Canada, or 21 to 42 pounds sterling. You only have to get it once a year or whenever you do your check up.

Baby aspirin, 80mg, is used to thin blood, but a balanced diet and exercise as I described in my post should help most people maintain their blood clotting levels in the right range. There isn't a rabbit hole of endless drugs and side-effects as you implied in your response that emanates from my post, or my response to you about eggs.

People seem to get lost in the minutia, the message is have a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet with an emphasis on plants rather than animals.

Penel profile image
Penel in reply to sos007

The effects of gut bacteria is a fascinating subject with lots of implications for health.

The increases in TMAO may be linked to the presence of too many particular bacteria in the gut, usually associated with a lack of diversity. In people with a healthier diverse gut biome, eggs may not be a such a problem.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to Penel

Thanks for the link. Very interesting, it leaves you hanging though without a definitive answer as to whether we should avoid those foods that increase TMAO.

Penel profile image
Penel in reply to sos007

In your circumstance I would be cautious, but hopefully your diet will have helped you develop a good amount of diverse bacteria.

Andyman profile image
Andyman

Fully agree. Just one point if you have a lower starting heart beat reaching 120bpm can be seen as overdoing it. Mine at rest is 40 to 45. So 120 is high for me.

sandybrown profile image
sandybrown in reply to Andyman

It is recommended that you exercise within 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 to 30 minutes to get the best results from aerobic exercise. The MHR (roughly calculated as 220 minus your age) is the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity.

Given this, may be not for every one, therefore you have to stay below 100 bpm?

Not all the machines in the gym are accurate, no one in interested in calibrating the machines. When I start my hart rate is about 80 and I do take it to 110, no more than that.

Andyman profile image
Andyman in reply to sandybrown

This recommendation is true for a normal heart rate of 60ish. As o say some of us are lower so it does not fit.

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to Andyman

Either you are a supreme athlete or have a medical condition or are taking medications to have a resting heart rate that low.

Andyman profile image
Andyman in reply to sos007

No just born like that.

Paul12 profile image
Paul12

There's a lot here: statincrap.blogspot.co.uk/s...

Berthold profile image
Berthold

What do you think of this morning smoothie which seems to supply many essential minerals that are hard to get good portions everyday?

youtube.com/watch?v=JLQ63y5...

Dr Rhonda Patricks smoothie version 2

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to Berthold

The smoothie question is something I've been pondering for some time and do not have a good answer for. However, in general, fruits should be eaten raw and whole because the fiber slows their absorption by your body and avoid an insulin spike - this is critical for cardiovascular health as well as other chronic diseases. That makes fruit juice bad for you. In the video you provided, she adds an apple and blueberries - on their own they are excellent sources of fiber and contain important nutrients for good health including antioxidants.

I'm assuming, but do not know definitively, that vegetable smoothies are unlikely to spike you insulin, but again you lose out on the fiber which is still needed in removing excess LDL-C from the body and keeping your gut-microbiome healthy.

Vegetable smoothies will certainly give you a lot of nutrients in a concentrated form, but other factors must be weighed.

For the record, I don't drink smoothies, but I ensure I eat lots of green vegetables daily including any one or two of: arugula, spinach, broccoli, kale, rapini, dandelion greens.

I also make sure I eat at least one or two of these fruits daily: blueberries, apples, oranges;

One last thing - fiber also satiates you longer compared to liquids. So you might be tempted to eat more if you rely too much on smoothies.

I suggest you watch this video by another doctor who brings up some other interesting issues with smoothies that most people have never considered:

youtu.be/THlSYDeuIds

Berthold profile image
Berthold

Yes the insulin spike from say the banana might also be a concern as I have not went the smoothie route and know in my case that keeping the spike <20 points would be ideal. Tracking just Mg and K levels and keeping them daily to RDA is difficult with food but satiation and early leptin response maybe similar with a slowly consumed smoothie as a breakfast meal. I even went as far as to buy some blueberry anthocynanines to reduce fructose response. I guess you are first pressure cooking your beans to assure all toxins are removed? I find a half of canned white beans will raise my BG levels even if I rinse them well. Good progress on your part.

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to Berthold

I'm not a diabetic so I don't monitor blood glucose that closely other than as part of my quarterly blood test. Beans are a staple in my diet and have them virtually daily, yet my HbA1C is typically 4.7 mmol/l which is at the low end of the range.

I don't use a pressure cooker, just cook them on the stove top for at least 15 minutes to remove the lectins. However, I will now consider the pressure cooker method on your suggestion. Thank you.

Berthold profile image
Berthold

Yes using HbA1C my BG are low and by the common measure it does not indicate T2B so I just asked my doc to allow me to test myself and got a kit. At one time it used to way low at 4.2 but has crept up. Since the conventional method uses BGlucose as a surrogate for insulin response it was proven not accurate by Dr Joseph Kraft years ago but ignored.

profgrant.com/2013/08/16/jo...

I seem to fit his category. I think the method of using beans is an overnight soak and rinse then pressure cooking which I used to do when I was a vegetarian in my younger experimental days. If one feels tired after eating beans it likely is the dip in BG after an initial spike after about I hour digestion. This might be hard to detect without a test but the free BG testers are not accurate +-10% and they do not have calibration fluid. I do eat my raw veggies first and find that filing by the time I start the main course I get to start feeling full. The thing that seems wrong with the smoothie formula is that it uses a cup of water which can lead to eating it to quickly otherwise it needs more thinking as it it close to DrB's whole food smoothie requirement so maybe a quick chop and mix is what is needed.

sluggerpk profile image
sluggerpk

Did you find it hard to get started eating this way? At one time I, was down to 115 pounds and felt and looked so much better. I, have put it all back on plus some. I, know I, will never take another Statin medication again. How did you get started? Are you still sticking to eating this way?

Thank you for whatever info you can give me.

Peggy

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to sluggerpk

Dear Peggy, 4 years ago tomorrow (February 28th), I went to the emergency department of my local hospital with crisis level blood pressure and tachycardia (racing heart). Once there, they didn't let me out. About 2 weeks later I had open heart surgery, triple bypass, and then went home 4 days later. One month after that, during a routine follow up with my cardiologist, I was told the bypass had failed and I now needed 4 stents. I had an angioplasty to insert one stent in early April and another angioplasty in early May to insert 3 more.

I was given a cocktail of pills and told to walk the shopping mall during the winter - viola, poof - I went from being young to old in a matter of a couple of months.

7 months later I realized the statin was destroying my left shoulder and I was in extreme pain. That's when I swore I would make PERMANENT, more aggressive, dietary and lifestyle changes (I initially became a pesco-lacto-vegetarian, but have since modified).

In my mind I felt that I was standing on the edge of a precipice, with a cliff right behind me. In effect I was, and still am, convinced that I have NO margin for error.

I decided to become a vegetarian and increase my exercise activity from simply walking to also going to the gym to do resistance training with weights.

The first 3 weeks were awful as I went through 'withdrawal' from my addiction to simple carbs and sugar - yes, there's a real addiction. This period was characterized by a lot of anger, frustration, short temper and a lot of self pity. Once I got past the 3 weeks, it became much easier.

I held myself accountable by getting a blood test every 6 weeks. This went on for 10 months while the weight melted off and I gradually reduced the dosing for all of my medications, and completely weaned off 2 of them through the 6th month. By the 10 month, October 2016, I took my last pharmaceutical pills (a statin and a beta-bocker).

At my GP's request, I reduced my blood tests to once per quarter and I have continued at this frequency to continue to hold myself accountable for my diet.

I also continue to exercise daily, 4 of those days at the gym and one playing ice hockey.

Part of my success is in the extensive reading I have done. I am an autodidact (self taught) dietitian as a result of my reading.

In addition, I made it my business to read everything about cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and biomarkers for assessing the state of my cardiovascular health. I learned about a dozen new blood tests and learned how to interpret them both individually and collectively.

I read over a hundred medical studies and became a student of the work of Dr. Peter Attia who in my opinion is a genius. He initially had a blog where he wrote about these topics but now has a podcast where he interviews other doctors who are on the leading edge of research in various areas of health.

I continue to look up information on Youtube by listening to doctors who speak at 'Ted-Talk' conferences.

Since my transformation, I look and feel great and don't take any medications. The thought of how I felt after the surgery and my ongoing belief that I have no margin for error, contribute to keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Most importantly, I know and understand what every food contributes nutritionally to the body and brain, and how certain foods damage the body and its organs.

I understand how an incomplete, or unbalanced, diet negatively affects the gut microbiome which in turn disrupts the normal functioning of the body's endocrine system and hormone secretions, as well as brain function and mental health.

I don't view sugar as a treat, I view it as a poison and therefore don't miss it. Once you get past the first 3 weeks of quitting sugar and simple carbohydrates, and you intellectually understand why you quit them, it becomes easy.

I think why most people fail in permanent dietary change is they don't fully comprehend the damage that sugar and simple carbohydrates do to the body.

Aside from triggering the cascade of biological responses that manifest as atherosclerosis, these foods also contribute to the initiation and perpetuation of EVERY MAJOR DISEASE known to mankind.

Cancer, diabetes, renal failure, liver failure, IBS, arthritis, dementia, Parkinsons and Alzheimer's to name the biggest ones. Oh and one last disease - Progeria - premature aging. Yes, longevity is not just a function of genetics, it is greatly influenced by dietary choices and exercise (or lack thereof).

Look up my post on 'Glycation'.

When I see sugar products - I see poison. When I see simple carbs, I see poison.

Sugar is toxic over time, in the same way that tobacco smoke is. One piece of cake or one cigarette is not going to kill you. However, chronic consumption and exposure eventually will.

If you intellectually don't understand that, then you feel as though you are depriving yourself.

Sugar and simple carbs = early death, full stop, period.

I do not feel deprived in any way. You learn to eat differently and appreciate new foods and tastes.

I will tell you what I don't miss:

- I don't miss the drugs and their side-effects

- I don't miss the indigestion;

- I don't miss the gastroenteritis;

- I don't miss the sleep apnea

- I don't miss the constant fatigue

- I don't miss my embarrassment at the beach

- I don't miss the back pain and sciatica

- I don't miss the post-meal energy crashes

- I don't miss cravings for sugar

- I don't miss the waste of money on junk food

- I don't miss over-eating and feeling bloated

- I don't miss my shortness of breath

I will tell you what I now enjoy:

- the way I look in the mirror

- the ability to buy clothes without alterations

- the way I look in a high quality suit

- the energy throughout the day

- my new-found physical strength

- my renewed sense of optimism

- my renewed sense of confidence

- my new found feeling that I control my own destiny as far as my health is concerned

- my pride of appearance when I go to the beach

- my extra skating speed and stamina when playing hockey and ability to compete against guys half my age.

That's how I stuck with my new diet and lifestyle. I hope this inspires you to fulfill your potential.

If I can do it, anybody can.

sluggerpk profile image
sluggerpk

Can you give me some examples of what you eat for Breakfast and Lunch and Supper.

I, just bought a Ninja cooking system and want some ideas for easy healthy meals.

Thank you so much for your reply.

Peggy

sos007 profile image
sos007Ambassador in reply to sluggerpk

Peggy,

For breakfast I will typically have a slice of German multigrain bread, warmed up (not toasted - look up my 'glycation' post), with a healthy portion of organic, unsweetened, unsalted, almond butter. I will drizzle about 1/4 of a teaspoon of honey on top (I dip the tip of a butter knife into the honey jar about a centimeter deep, then lift and let it drip a bit before taking it over the bread and letting it drip on it). I then cover with a light dusting of Ceylon or True Cinnamon powder. Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory agent and is also anti-bacterial. I will consume an English breakfast tea, unsweetened, with a full teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon stirred in, along with a small amount of full-fat (3.8%) goat milk (or grass-fed cow milk). You must stir regularly as cinnamon does not dissolve well. You must swoosh the liquid when you reach the bottom to get the cinnamon into the liquid for the final gulp.

Alternatively for breakfast I will have 2 boiled eggs (I limit this to one or two days per week). Another option is all-natural hummus (either no oil, or only olive oil) on a piece of the German multi-grain bread.

For lunch, I will have grilled or baked fish such as wild caught salmon, trout, arctic char or; canned skipjack tuna drizzed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. I sometimes add crumbled Greek feta and Greek Kalamata olives to the tuna as well. I try and alternate days where I will have the fish or lean grilled chicken breast and days where I don't have any animal protein at all. I eat vegetarian 3-4 days per week.

With that animal protein I will have an arugula salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, Greek feta, Kalamata olives, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds, with a extra virgin olive and lemon dressing. I salt and pepper to taste and also dust on some oregano.

For dinner I will have a legume-based dish. Something like meatless 'chili'.

You can find some good recipes for legumes here:

ricardocuisine.com/en/recip...

olivetomato.com/greek-style...

olivetomato.com/greek-lenti...

allrecipes.com/recipe/25987...

I avoid all processed foods they contain hidden sugars.

Good luck.

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