Glenna Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 I'm on days 4 and worried about things I've read in some of the blogs. I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol and have had my gallbladder removed a few years back. I was hoping to get my cholesterol lower but have reading on the blogs about people's numbers going up! Heart disease and stroke run in my family and I can't let that happen. I'm also VERY fatigued all the time and can't think straight! (Foggy brain) is that normal cause it's only been 2 days of feeling like that and I'm thinking I can't do this! 😩 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kew Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 If you ate a Standard American Diet (SAD) before Whole30, it's very likely that you are suffering from "low-carb flu." That can take a while to resolve. If you were eating paleo before, there can still be a transition period. And I know some other members have had done W30 without gallbladders. Have you searched the forums for "gallbladder"? There's also a lot of debate, I believe, about which cholesterol numbers count. I hope someone more experienced will weigh in on those issues for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Carb flu is pretty standard. Mine lasted with me for a while. Add a few starchy veggies to your next meal. It will help. My blood pressure was never super high 129 / 82 but since in runs in both my paternal and maternal families I do want to keep an eye on it. It had been slightly increasing itself over the years. And during a migraine - it was pretty high. But after a migraine it dropped right down again. After my second whole 30 (tail end of a small migraine - hormones still need balancing) my numbers went to 113 / 62 I was happy with those numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenna Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 Thank you for the input, it probably is the carb-flu, I didn't think I would go through that because I really don't eat much grains. I'm on blood pressure meds right now but not anything for my cholesterol, when I had a blood test about 4 months ago the total was 242, I did have them run a complete breakdown of my numbers and my Dr. Was not concerned after looking at that but I still need to be careful. I'll add some starchy veg to my meals to see if that helps with the carb-flu thanks for the tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Do some diligent internet study on cholesterol numbers and their correlation to heart disease. There is a lot of debate on that right now. As for having no gallbladder you might find this article helpful: http://balancedbites.com/2012/12/faqs-how-can-i-eat-paleo-without-a-gallbladder.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted June 6, 2013 Moderators Share Posted June 6, 2013 Some people see big improvements in their cholesterol numbers when they do a Whole30, so you should not be afraid of the program. And, there is a raging debate about the importance of cholesterol to heart disease. The drug companies have put a lot of money into convincing doctors to put you on meds and forget about it. That is not a good idea. I changed doctors when my original one would not think with me about alternatives. I am genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, so do take meds, but I am not absolutely convinced I would be taking a meaningful risk if I did not. If you want to read for a while, I have posted a collection of good sites below... http://paleononpaleo.com/paleo-high-cholesterol/http://paleononpaleo.com/paleo-cholesterol-testing/http://chriskresser.com/the-diet-heart-myth-cholesterol-and-saturated-fat-are-not-the-enemyhttp://chriskresser.com/the-diet-heart-myth-statins-dont-save-lives-in-people-without-heart-diseasehttp://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2013/05/sudden-cholesterol-increase-it-may-be.htmlhttp://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Glenna, Although I am blessed with the genetics to give me low cholesterol (too low, really), when I went Paleo last year I had my blood drawn not too long before I started and asked it to be drawn again 6 months after I had been eating 80/20 Paleo. My total cholesterol went up a little bit but all of the other numbers got better. My LDLs were lower, my HDLs were higher and my triglycerides were lower. I was shooting for a total cholesterol of 150 and I got it (typically I run about 125). I was pleasantly surprised that the other numbers came along with it. My ratios are now off the charts fantastic. I have been eating tons of coconut oil, ghee, avocados and GRASS FED beef with my vegetables for a year. I had also been eating too much sugar which is why I ventured Whole30 (it literally made up the 20 in my 80/20 Paleo). The Well Being Journal publishes a lot of articles about cholesterol and heart disease. The research is evolving and I think we will one day move to Total cholesterol really meaning jack. A history of heart disease is worrisome, though, so I don't mean to minimize it. And stroke? I bet the blood pressure will go down, down, down on Whole30 unless you have some underlying pathology that makes it high that diet will not address. We are killing ourselves with food. Please don't underestimate the power of cleaning up your diet. Of course, stick with your MD but don't be scared to remove sugar and processed foods to focus on vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats and moving your body to feel better. I have been told we are not an elitist group so I should say this isn't for everyone, but I do feel strongly that your beef should be grass fed. The grass fed beef has less total fat, much more Omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (thought to be heart protective), and contains anti-oxidants that corn fed beef will not. For example, a sirloin steak from a g/f steer has between 1/3-1/2 less fat that its corn fed counterpart; which puts it along the line of chicken without the skin! And that meat has up to 6 times more Omega 3s. Pasture raised chickens lay eggs that contain up to 20 times more Omega 3s than factory chickens. It is astounding. So, if you can afford it and you are scared to eat meat because of the health concerns then look into grass fed beef and go from there. If you are able to shop at a larger farmer's market, often the local farmers have g/f meats that won't break the bank. Another member posted today that she found g/f rib eye at Kroger's grocery store. The word is spreading that people want it so I hope the demand will lower the price a bit. You can also buy bulk and freeze. And coconut oil? The studies that lumped coconut oil in with the other saturated fats as being cholesterol elevators was done on hydrogenated coconut oil (transfats). Virgin coconut oil contains med chain fatty acids which actually may work to lower LDLs and total cholesterol. I wish you luck with your decision! Don't go by what I type, but instead dig further yourself if your interest is peaked by what I am saying. We are all about information sharing and encouraging. I don't want to tell you what to do. ~Pam (p.s. I felt like crap for 2 weeks when I first went Paleo) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenna Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 Thank you everyone for your great information, Tom, I am also predisposed tot high cholesterol and high blood pressure so far I have not gone on meds for the cholesterol but I do take meds for the high blood pressure. I gues that is why my concern is there, I will look into all the resources that you have given me. Thank you again, this forum is such a great support! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.