Cholesterol ranges

[Ceelos81]

Hi everyone I’m new on this forum and would love some insight on my numbers and what success stories you had bringing down your bad numbers and raising your HDL.

A little a about myself I’m a 36 yr old male and I’m 5’11 175lbs and not very active as I should be.

I added my last lipid panel results done a few months ago

Thank you!

[sos007 Ambassador]

Your HDL is low and your triglycerides are very high.

This tells me that you have too much processed foods, simple carbohydrates and sugar or its equivalents in your diet. You need to eliminate these things and bring down triglycerides to the lowest level possible. Ideally below 60.

Eating healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, omega-3 fats (as found in fish like salmon), legumes and high fiber fruit like blueberries and apples, will enhance your HDL values.

For your next blood test get your Apo B and Apo A1 values or get an NMR Lipoprofile. These tests will determine your LDL-P (particle number) which is more important than LDL-C (cholesterol volume). LDL-P is a better risk indicator.

Your ApoB/ApoA1 ratio should be 0.8 or less.

[Ceelos81 in reply to sos007]

I’m in the United stars and the ranges here most be different. Triglycerides they want them under 100 and HDL night than 40 I’m at 36

Only fish I eat is tilapia I don’t like salmon. Is chia seeds good for omega intake? I heard they are rich in fiber too

[sos007 Ambassador in reply to Ceelos81]

I'm aware of your unit of measure as I live in Canada and get some blood test referred to US labs. The ranges provided by labs generally cover the middle 90% of population results. Being in the 'normal' range does not tell us what is 'optimal'.

While being under 100 mg/dl is better than where you are now, optimally you want to be as low as possible, mine is 51. My HDL is 89 (the higher the better).

Tilapia is a poor quality fish:

lyvies.com/en/3-reasons-why...

Before my health crisis I avoided ALL fish. Since then, I have learned to eat salmon, trout and Arctic Char. These 3 fish are all high in omega-3 fatty acids. You can also take supplements.

Fish is all about preparation.

My wife will slather extra-virgin olive oil on a filet of one of the 3 fish types noted above, then add salt, pepper, garlic, some cajun spice, cover with sliced red onion and slices of tomatoes. Bake in the oven until done. You will enjoy it.

Arctic Char is the least fishy tasting fish among the 3 mentioned. Trout is also mild.

Chia seeds are also a great source but they are not as high in protein which is important for muscle mass.

Eating fish instead of beef is healthier as beef increases levels of homocysteine which can contribute to blood clots. Blood clots are what causes heart attacks and strokes.

I also never liked avocados before, but I have learned to like them. When it comes to your health, you need to adjust your tastes and habits for your own benefit.

It is also critical to exercise daily. A minimum of 30 minutes of walking at a brisk pace to elevate your heart rate above 120 bpm or ideally 130 bpm. If I don't get to the gym, I will ensure I get 15,000 steps in daily which is essentially a 1 hour walk along with normal activity.

Read my pinned post to the right of this page: 'How I Conquered Heart Disease and What I Learned in the Process'.

Watch this video: youtu.be/ZSpB-j5DL9E(Not working as expected?)

Good luck!

[DakCB-UK in reply to Ceelos81]

There are so many fishes besides salmon! Tuna is a meaty one, mackerel and sardines are oily, snapper and grouper are fiddly but different again, then there's the less oily white fishes like cod and skate... And many more besides.

Some people like beef but not turkey and similarly, some like tuna and not salmon.

[DakCB-UK in reply to sos007]

Could be inherited dysfunction, not necessarily excessive refined carbs... but in the US, I feel it's usually refined carbs. I certainly had a very hard time there avoiding them!