Wed, Feb-10-16, 06:27
|
 |
|
|
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
|
|
Trig/HDL is the only ratio I have paid any attention to in the past five years. But then with Dr. Westman as my doctor, a co-author of Cholesterol Clarity, that would make sense. 
He along with many progressive doctors and cardiologists like Dr. Sigurdsson (good blog) and Dr. Davis, suggest that ratio rather than the TC/HDL. If you want to really delve into why, I would recommend the CC book. I have copied parts of the book into previous threads on this forum (maybe can find some for you later) but read back through here.
From your before LC numbers, you have work to do. As Nancy mentioned though, Trigs usually drop dramatically very quickly (unless they are messed up by the weight loss process itself, which often happens in the first few months).  don't retest right now.
If you really want the inside scoop on your arteries, consider the CAC test:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=471526
Quote:
DOCTOR’S NOTE FROM DR. ERIC WESTMAN: The more I read articles, perform research, and follow patients in my clinic, the less concerned I become about the traditional way of looking at their blood cholesterol levels. I don’t even worry about blood cholesterol for the vast majority of people who have basically normal levels. Medical doctors were taught—and then we taught our patients—that cholesterol in the blood is a bad thing; that LDL cholesterol is lousy or lethal and that HDL cholesterol is healthy. And, because the pharmaceutical companies have only been able to create medications that lower LDL, we have not heard much about HDL. American medicine has a way of quashing minority opinions. Maybe in our rush to create guidelines or in the competitive nature of pharmaceutical companies we have forgotten how to do true science. The reality is that there have always been a group of scientists and clinicians who never believed in this flawed interpretation of cholesterol—men like Dr. Gerald Reaven, most famous for identifying metabolic syndrome, and Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who popularized the low-carb, high-fat diet. Instead, they emphasized the importance of lowering triglycerides and raising HDL cholesterol. They didn’t know the reasons for this back when they were making these proclamations, but they knew that addressing these blood components could be helpful to the patients dealing with obesity and chronic disease. Now, with greater scientific precision, we know just why triglycerides and HDL are a much better pair of numbers to look at than LDL-C and total cholesterol.
Moore, Jimmy; Westman, Eric C. (2013-08-25). Cholesterol Clarity: What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers? (p. 107). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.
|
TRIGS:
Quote:
What are optimal levels for good health? Here’s where reality veers dramatically from conventional wisdom: The “desirable” number promoted by mainstream health experts is ridiculously high. Instead of 150 mg/dL, you should be aiming for 100 mg/dL or less. In fact, we suggest 70mg/dL as the optimal range for healthy triglyceride levels. Can you lower triglycerides naturally? Sorry if I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but I can’t resist the song: Decrease your carbohydrates! Do this and your triglycerides will drop like a rock. My wife Christine is the perfect example of this. She had triglycerides pushing 300 mg/dL in 2008 and, in just six weeks, got that number down to 130 by eating a low-carb diet and taking a cod liver oil supplement. When she kicked her M&Ms and Skittles habit, her triglycerides dropped even further, to an amazing 43 mg/dL.
Moore, Jimmy; Westman, Eric C. (2013-08-25). Cholesterol Clarity: What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers? (pp. 200-201). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.
|
HDL:
Quote:
What are the optimal levels for good health? HDL has been all but ignored by mainstream medicine, which focuses almost exclusively on LDL and total cholesterol. And yet it can be argued that this number (along with triglycerides) is the best predictor of heart disease risk. To derive the biggest benefits for your cardiovascular health, you want your HDL cholesterol at 70 mg/dL or higher, which is more than what mainstream experts recommend. Anything below 50 should be cause for concern. Can you raise HDL naturally? If you love consuming animal fats but have cut back to keep your cholesterol numbers down, take heart: One of the best ways to raise your HDL cholesterol is to consume more dietary fats, including healthy saturated fats, such as coconut oil, butter, cream, full-fat meats, and dairy, as well as monounsaturated fats like avocados and olive oil. Sounds too good to be true, right? But consuming a high-fat diet provides your body with the raw materials for making HDL cholesterol. Additionally, HDL production responds to regular exercise, reducing alcohol consumption, and (if you’re up for it) periodic, intermittent fasting of sixteen hours at a time.
Moore, Jimmy; Westman, Eric C. (2013-08-25). Cholesterol Clarity: What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers? (p. 198). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.
|
So you can see, the OPTIMAL ratio is 1. Below 2 is Good, that should be your first goal. Good tips above to acheive that 
Last edited by JEY100 : Wed, Feb-10-16 at 06:39.
|
|
Linear Mode
