High Cholesterol

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

boone7247

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 15, 2011
2,973
884
113
Near the City
Bingo. It took 3 pages for me to finally see someone mention it.

Fasting - because research shows it is beneficial for a number of reasons:
Promotes weight loss
improves heart health
helps control inflammation and helps heal the digestive tract
cholesterol

You can implement a number of various ones - 16/8, 24 hour fasts multiple times a week, and some longer. I have done up to 36 hour fasts (as the longest I have gone) and yes it is a mental game. I highly recommend working this into anyone's routine.

Just look at Russell Okung and what he has done lately with fasting. He said he's in a much better place than prior both physically and mentally.
Yeah, I have it gets great results for diabetics and pre diabetics as well.

Personally I do 16/8 most days. Know I feel better since I started it a 3 or so years ago. Blood numbers weren’t horrible before but they are better since. Weight control is easier.
 

4theCYcle

Well-Known Member
Jul 14, 2013
2,258
1,168
113
Urbandale, IA
For weightloss, it's all about energy balance (calories in / calories out). There are many ways to accomplish that, and different methods are more palatable (pun intended) to different people. I do fine limiting carbs. Some people do better limiting eating time. Some track macros. Some use meal prep services. As long as it's sustainable, the method doesn't matter. In every case, the result is fewer calories in. Weightloss improves pretty much every health metric. There's nothing super special about keto or Caveman or intermittent fasting or grapefruit or [silver bullet].

I cannot recommend enough though that people NOT do Russel Okung's 40 day water fast.

I listened to a podcast last weekend about metabolic syndrome in athletes that was really good: It discusses how the drive for bigger athletes leads to worse health outcomes even for professionals - dudes who train really hard for 10+ years.

I mean yes, there are circumstances where different strokes for different folks applies. I'm not saying go out and do what Okung did. He likely had a health professional monitor his progress and numbers. That doesn't work for everyone. I'm just saying that fasting in some form is pretty effective.

The general person can not just do 1 thing and expect it to work. Usually a combination of exercise, better eating, and keeping a reasonably clean environment can benefit a person.
 

4theCYcle

Well-Known Member
Jul 14, 2013
2,258
1,168
113
Urbandale, IA
Yeah, I have it gets great results for diabetics and pre diabetics as well.

Personally I do 16/8 most days. Know I feel better since I started it a 3 or so years ago. Blood numbers weren’t horrible before but they are better since. Weight control is easier.
I used to do it more often, but sleep schedules and eating schedules for our child have made it more difficult to do it regularly. I do need to start implementing it sometime again.
 

besserheimerphat

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
10,278
12,517
113
Mount Vernon, WA
I mean yes, there are circumstances where different strokes for different folks applies. I'm not saying go out and do what Okung did. He likely had a health professional monitor his progress and numbers. That doesn't work for everyone. I'm just saying that fasting in some form is pretty effective.

The general person can not just do 1 thing and expect it to work. Usually a combination of exercise, better eating, and keeping a reasonably clean environment can benefit a person.
Agree with the bolded, and would add that several small changes is often more impactful than a single large change (and is often more sustainable in the long term for lasting results).
 

ZRF

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2015
4,392
2,114
113
Okay was diagnosed with high Cholesterol 242 So getting some meds, but curious how some who have this have changed their diet.

I guess lots of fish for me, etc

Both the good HDL and bad LDL were high.

If your good is high your overall ratio might be pretty good. Personally if I had to choose between being under 200 and having low HDL, which is general genetic and tough to raise, versus being over 200 and having high HDL I'd choose the latter. Every single time.

Typically cholesterol descends from the smallest, in terms of triglycerides (bad), vldls (bad), ldl (bad), and HDL (good) in terms of the easiest to modify with lifestyle change. Remember Super Size Me? That guy completely wrecked his bad cholesterol after eating like complete **** for only 1 month. After his "experiment" was over and he reversed course, the numbers changed accordingly. But I've known several people who had strict diets, exercised routinely, yet had complete ******* numbers for their HDL. I'm talking sub 20s which is utterly abysmal.

IMO the easiest change starts at the store. Fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats (non red meat), and healthy grains...basically the periphery of most stores. Avoid eating out as much as possible as you have no control over what they put in or cook with (oils) your food. If you don't cook or don't consider yourself a good one, learn. Knowing how to prepare, season, and modify food/recipes will really come in handy. It's not just about eating healthy it's about preparing healthy food that tastes good. If the diet is bland most have a hard time sticking with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fsanford