Mon, Jul-07-03, 21:40
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Resident Loud Mouth
Posts: 8,495
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Plan: Retrying
Stats: 239.2/150.6/120
BF:
Progress: 74%
Location: Wyoming
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From the Atkins web site
Quote:
Since I have been on Atkins, my cholesterol has gone up. Why? And what can I do about it?
First, look at what you've been eating. Have you been following Atkins correctly? If you are just starting the Induction phase, be sure you stay below 20 grams of carbohydrates a day as recommended. You may also want to consider a couple other things that may be happening.
First, the increase might be temporary. When a person loses weight, cholesterol usually rises because the body must break down stored fat for energy. Your total cholesterol should drop within two months. Look at your HDL (known as “good” cholesterol) levels. A rise in total cholesterol levels could even be a good thing, if it’s all attributed to HDL cholesterol. If you’ve been following Atkins for some time and your cholesterol levels have not come down, something else is going on.
You may also need to look at a third component of your blood tests: triglycerides. Cholesterol rises in some people when triglycerides drop significantly. If that drop is greater than the LDL increase, your lipid profile may, again, be improved.
High cholesterol that has a genetic component usually responds to changes in diet, but may be difficult to address with diet alone. You may still need to take supplements such as pantethine, essential oils, garlic, red rice yeast and fiber. For a detailed discussion of cholesterol-lowering nutrients, see Dr. Atkins’ Vita-Nutrient Solution. Exercise is also an important component as is cutting back on meats processed with nitrates, such as most bacon, sausage and cold cuts, and limiting intake of hard cheese.
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