Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Just had a blood test done and my results came back with a total cholesterol of 267. Of course the doc called and said he was a bit concerned as high cholesterol runs in the family. He gave me the typical "watch your cholesterol-rich and high-fat foods" speech and told me to come back in a year to have it checked again. But, he didn't mention anything about the breakdown of total cholesterol, which looks like this:

Triglycerides: 59 HDL: 111 LDL: 144 VLDL: 12

I've been eating pretty clean Paleo since January (about 90% of the time). Typical day consists of two eggs with salsa, two slices of bacon and a glass of coconut milk for breakfast, a big salad with grilled chicken, olive oil and balsamic for lunch, and grilled veggies and a protein (typically beef or pork) for dinner. Supplementing with 5,000 IU of Vitamin D, 3,600 mg of fish oil and a multivitamin. Lift heavy for 20 minutes 3-4 times a week, spring once a week and walk for 30+ minutes almost every day.

I'm 6'1", 156 lbs with a body fat percentage around 10.

I don't think I have any reason to be concerned, but of course the doc and my parents think I should cut the eggs and bacon and eat more whole grains (which ain't gonna happen).

Thoughts?

flag	asked Jun 1 2011 at 19:22 Chris 31●2

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congrats on the 111 HDL that is amazing. I wish mine was that high! And your trigs are great!! – Kim The Nourishing Cook Jun 1 2011 at 20:11

Thanks! I should add that I usually start every day with a hot mug of green tea with lemon and ginseng, and I finish every day with a square of 85% dark chocolate and a 5oz glass of Cabernet. – Chris Jun 1 2011 at 20:15

good man Chris! Your diet looks great, your fitness routine looks great and your numbers look great. I bet you look & feel great too. So there's no problem! My numbers are very similar to yours(tg 61, hdl 101, and ldl 78) but my ldl has been over 100 before. Good doctors have told me my numbers are excellent, but if I go to a cheap clinic to take advantage of their low prices for bloodwork, they're always appalled when I tell them what I eat. Haven't always been Paleo, but I've eaten high animal fat/butter my whole entire life. Don't worry about it. It protects your health over the long term. – tartare Jun 1 2011 at 22:11

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i feel like sometimes people have lingering doubts in the back of their minds about fat. Ignoring the convention advice of "low fat" and eating more like my grandparents did was one of the smartest things I've ever done, and like I said, I've done it my whole life. I never try to meet any daily percentage of fat, or worry about calorie numbers, I eat as much or as little fat as I feel like on any given day - I just never worry about it. That's worked pretty well for me so far. Listen to your own body before you listen to anyone else. – tartare Jun 1 2011 at 22:16

Just curious...why do u take a multivitamin? Dr. Cordain says their pretty ineffective especially if you're eating grass fed meats. – Chris Jun 28 2011 at 20:20

pamipoi · Answer 1 · 2011-06-01 20:17:44Z UTC

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You could always find a new doctor...

answered Jun 1 2011 at 20:17

pamipoi
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i second that.....just buy them a paleo book and say here I want you to become the doctor I seek. – The Quilt Jun 1 2011 at 20:49

Travis Culp · Answer 2 · 2011-06-01 20:42:20Z UTC

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If the doctor didn't say, "first off, you have excellent TGs and HDL..." then you should stop listening to him.

Sounds like you have a pretty good diet that should keep you healthy for a long time.

answered Jun 1 2011 at 20:42

Travis Culp♦
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Appreciate the feedback. I'm fasting every five days or so, too. I don't feel like I have any reason to be concerned. – Chris Jun 1 2011 at 20:55

Jack Kronk · Answer 3 · 2011-06-01 21:55:42Z UTC

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dude, you aced the test. your numbers look great.

well done. welcome to the whacky world of conventional medicine.

and better yet, of course, welcome to paleohacks.

answered Jun 1 2011 at 21:55

Jack Kronk
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Fred B · Answer 4 · 2011-06-01 21:38:50Z UTC

It's only "high" because of your high HDL - which is a good thing.

This is a great example of how total cholesterol can be misleading (even meaningless). If your doctor was only looking at the total (which seems unlikely, yet possible) a person with this breakdown would have received a thumbs up:

HDL: 10 TRG: 300 LDL: 120

Which I would argue is a cause for concern. I'm surprised he didn't say anything about the low TRG and high HDL.

Mike · Answer 5 · 2011-06-01 23:12:26Z UTC

Chris,

As I understand, LDL is frequently calculated rather than directly measured. There are different equations for calculating it too.

I'd suggest searching around on Archevore/PaNu and on Dr. Davis's Heartscan blog for more info on that.

These blogs would also have good info re the composition of LDL and percentage of it being VLDL.

Mike

22-year-old with “high” cholesterol?

5 Answers