South Beach Diet Fat Chicks on the Beach!

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Old 02-25-2008, 08:13 PM   #1  
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Question Has SBD Improved Your Lab Test Results?

I just wondered if anyone on SBD has seen an improvement in your lab results.

I have had slightly elevated total cholesterol & LDL levels since turning 50 (and going through menopause) so I thought I would have my labs rechecked since going on South Beach. I have only been eating SBD for 6 weeks when I had my blood drawn but I figured it might have improved them, so I had them checked again. Sorry to say, they were about the same -Total cholesterol 210, HDL (the good kind) was actually down to 66 from 82 last year, and LDL (the bad kind) was 132, up from 121 last year. My doctor said it usually takes 90 days on a diet to see changes, but after 6 weeks I had hoped to see some improvement. I have always eaten a fairly healthy diet, but I know that I'm eating more fish, nuts, healthy oils now than I used to.

Just wondered what anyone else had experienced with South Beach.

My mother has had high cholesterol and high BP the last few years and I was hoping to tell her that my diet was a sure way to improve her labs.
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Old 02-26-2008, 05:43 AM   #2  
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I have never had mine checked in association with SBD but DH takes a medication for cholesterol. The first time we did SBD back in 2003, his levels came down to normal, even low. The cardiologist let him try to come off his medication. He did try, but the numbers were going back up, so back on medications. I don't think he has had them checked this go round.
This diet could help your mom improve her labs, even if your numbers aren't as responsive.
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Old 02-26-2008, 05:44 AM   #3  
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Your just borderline. It maybe actually improving. I have a couple tricks up my sleeve that I learned from the Island doc when I was in Maine. He had an amazing success rate with this.
Look at the carbs first. My suggestion? go to oat and wheat bran for starches and use just those two things without eating any of the endosperm. Try without beans you can always add them back. Sometimes the starch in them has an adverse effect. Spices Cinnamon, Cayenne if you can tolerate it, garlic, leek and onion.

( white part) (Whole grain has all parts) Have the oat bran in the morning. Second get a hold of as much Salmon, Herring, sardines as you can for your protien. I know you'll probably have to go with canned since your away inland. Get the whole canned, not the deboned. ( its the cheaper kind)
Watch the calories on this though they are high but they work. The type of fat doesn't seem to interfere with weight loss. I eat kippers and salmon at least 3-4 times a week and maybe more and my weight has been dropping quickly.
You also should have some flaxseed in there too that might help.

No alcohol at all.

Do the meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar very stable. If you've not checked your blood sugar I would try doing that fasting, and 2 hours before meals or a glucose tolerance. should be 70-110. ideally right around 70 for fasting.

Exercise really really important even more for cholesterol control than weight loss.

I've not pulled out all the stops yet. anyway try some of these things see if you have a better reading in a month or so.
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Old 02-26-2008, 10:24 AM   #4  
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I've been on South Beach for years now. One of the reasons that I started was that my cholesterol (total, bad, and trigycerides) were high. They have been fine since I started even though I have regained some of my weight back and need to start staying on plan better.

I do eat oatmeal almost every morning with lots of cinnamon and that is supposed to help. I used to exercise and I'm sure that helped but it has gone by the wayside with the divorce. I'm trying to make time again for that.
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Old 02-26-2008, 11:10 AM   #5  
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Your just borderline. It maybe actually improving. I have a couple tricks up my sleeve that I learned from the Island doc when I was in Maine. He had an amazing success rate with this.
Look at the carbs first. My suggestion? go to oat and wheat bran for starches and use just those two things without eating any of the endosperm. Try without beans you can always add them back. Sometimes the starch in them has an adverse effect. Spices Cinnamon, Cayenne if you can tolerate it, garlic, leek and onion.

( white part) (Whole grain has all parts) Have the oat bran in the morning. Second get a hold of as much Salmon, Herring, sardines as you can for your protien. I know you'll probably have to go with canned since your away inland. Get the whole canned, not the deboned. ( its the cheaper kind)
Watch the calories on this though they are high but they work. The type of fat doesn't seem to interfere with weight loss. I eat kippers and salmon at least 3-4 times a week and maybe more and my weight has been dropping quickly.
You also should have some flaxseed in there too that might help.

No alcohol at all.

Do the meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar very stable. If you've not checked your blood sugar I would try doing that fasting, and 2 hours before meals or a glucose tolerance. should be 70-110. ideally right around 70 for fasting.

Exercise really really important even more for cholesterol control than weight loss.

I've not pulled out all the stops yet. anyway try some of these things see if you have a better reading in a month or so.

Don't drink alcohol.
Been eating Quaker oat bran hot cereal for breakfast every day for years. (until Phase I)
Use a ton of cinnamon on my oatmeal. Also nuts.
Haven't had any other carbs besides oatbran, just fruit.
Blood sugar is in the normal range (Had it checked with the cholesterol)
Eat onion and garlic most every day.

I could exercise more & I could eat more fish. I do like salmon and tuna.
I am just surprised that it didn't come down more with the weight loss and better diet.
My doctor said it is related to menopause and aging. She suggested fiber supplements also. Said it would help with constipation and may help reduce cholesterol. My husband drinks the OJ with the plant sterols in it as well as oatmeal and his cholesterol has dropped a lot. I do not care for the OJ but I know ther are margarines out there that offer the same thing. I tend not to use butter/margarine though.
I know my cholesterol is not that high, but for the first time in my life, it is high for me. I used to be in the 160-170 range.
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Old 02-26-2008, 12:41 PM   #6  
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It would probably be better not to drink fruit juices. I agree with the fiber suppliment but they can bind you sometimes if you don't have enough water with them. Tuna fish isn't going to help much. Salmon, Herring, sardines are better. If they taste strong try the pickled herring. Its in the store refrigerator section. I would be really careful with the margerine. Butter is actually not so bad. THe cholesterol is sometimes tied in to insulin fluctuations. Now if he just did one Blood sugar test and its okay your probably alright but if you can get ahold of the equiptment or know someone who can do it for you try doing it 2 hours before eating and near bedtime. I realize it may not be practical but the numbers may help figure things out. Sometimes if you tend to hypoglycemia you have insulin surges. Those can raise the cholesterol I think. Its not well proven but practically speaking it seems to be related. I'll chew on this for awhile and if I think of anything else I'll let you know. I do know that cutting the simple sugars and other fast absorbing carbs is helpful. I have book that is nutritional medicine I'll browse through for some more ideas. Its a really good book.
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Old 02-26-2008, 01:46 PM   #7  
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I have had my blood sugar tested repeatedly. I'm a nurse and we used to test ourselves on the glucometers at work. Also have had it tested in lab work several times a year with health screenings. Always normal.

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Sometimes if you tend to hypoglycemia you have insulin surges. Those can raise the cholesterol I think. Its not well proven but practically speaking it seems to be related. I'll chew on this for awhile and if I think of anything else I'll let you know. I do know that cutting the simple sugars and other fast absorbing carbs is helpful. I have book that is nutritional medicine I'll browse through for some more ideas. Its a really good book.
Sounds interesting!

I think I'll try the fiber supplements though. I do drink lots of liquids.
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Old 02-26-2008, 02:29 PM   #8  
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ah so you play with the glucometer and pulse ox too huh? Okay the main thing that the book targets are the Omega 3 fats and antioxidents. So green tea, broccoli stuff like that. Coffee is a bad one too and can cause a problem sometimes. Yes I know thats its own food group.

Also stress does a number on it too.

There are some counterintuitive things which I've seen work for some people. going with a low calorie high fat diet sometimes works. When Rick started dealing with this on the island, He tried Atkins diet both his tri's and chol dropped dramatically. I know of several people that also tried it with simliar results. The SB equivalent would be a modified phase one which is essentially what I do. Its modified because you use bran from wheat and oat instead of starch. The diet there was of course high in seafood because most of these people were fisherman.
It turned out to be good for weight loss and dropping the cholesterol. The calorie intake was on the low side usually around 1500 but I'm guessing here. 1500 is low for someone lobstering. It's counterintuitive but it did work well in that particular situation.

Its not in the mainstream yet but I would bet we'll see something on carbs relating to cholesterol levels one of these days, something more definitive that is than one doctor's diet.
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Old 02-26-2008, 09:18 PM   #9  
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ah so you play with the glucometer and pulse ox too huh?
And the doppler when I was pregnant to hear fetal heart tones!
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Old 02-27-2008, 09:08 AM   #10  
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My doctor put me on SB after some less than strellar lab results. Looking back, nothing was terribly high, but enough that I was VERY motivated to change and follow the diet. I gave myself a couple of weeks to do reading (and splurge), started the diet the weekend before Thanksgiving (and cheated that one day!). Had another round of tests six weeks later and every single number had improved. I was happy, doctor was happy, and here I am on the SB way of life for the long haul!

Granted I have not gone back for a over a year - I really do not like doctors and HATE (and I genuinely use the word) to have blood drawn - I am quite pathetic. I know I need top schedule an appointment, but may hold out for the two year mark!

Morale of the story - it does work! I followed the diet - ate the eggs, kept in meat, etc - but also added so many more veggies, whole grains, cut the sugar - I also added in excercise on most (6 out of 7) days of the week, may not be necessary to lose weight, but I feel it is key to being healthy. I look better, feel better, and I believe my "insides" are better too! Keep it up!
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