It Works, If You Work It !!

[Footslogger]

Last year at this time I had my annual blood work done. My cholesterol was markedly high - - so much so that a physician friend of mine suggested I get a Cardiac Plaque Test (sophisticated type of CT Scan).

Long story short ...I did some research and instead I decided to go on a serious regimen of Omega 3, Flax Seed Oil and Grape Seed Extract - along with working oatmeal into my diet about 3 times a week. Just got my blood work done for 2008 and my cholesterol is DOWN by 30 points. LDL, HDL, Total and ratios are all within normal limits.

I'm pretty psyched !! Guess I'll be staying on those suppliments ...

'Slogger

[tina.anderson]

I am pretty young and I have a very good diet, but my parents both had problems with their cholesterol last year and they went on a similar plan to what you did as far as supplements go, along with regular exercise, and they both have ratios actually a little lower than normal now. A good diet, exercise and good health supplements really do work.

[SouthMark]

I was diagnosed with PAD three years ago (100% blockage in right leg and 90% in left renal artery) and the first Fem-Pop bypass clogged in less than a month. I started using Omega 3 supplements, oatmeal every morning, low fat diet and cycling daily and now over a year since my second Fem-Pop and renal artery stent my total cholesterol is 103 and no blockage.

[Footslogger]

I think the best part for me is that aside from the suppliments, I really haven't changed my lifestyle very much. I've always gotten a lot of exercise and I still drink my fair share (and maybe a little more than my share at times) of beer, wine and JD.

Nice thing about it is not having to take the prescription cholesterol lowering drugs and dealing with all the side-effects.

All things considered ...I could still drop dead tomorrow but at least I seem to have the cholesterol thing under control for now.

'Slogger

[tazie]

Last year at this time I had my annual blood work done. My cholesterol was markedly high - - so much so that a physician friend of mine suggested I get a Cardiac Plaque Test (sophisticated type of CT Scan).

Long story short ...I did some research and instead I decided to go on a serious regimen of Omega 3, Flax Seed Oil and Grape Seed Extract - along with working oatmeal into my diet about 3 times a week. Just got my blood work done for 2008 and my cholesterol is DOWN by 30 points. LDL, HDL, Total and ratios are all within normal limits.

I'm pretty psyched !! Guess I'll be staying on those suppliments ...

'Slogger



That is fantastic, congrats. Did you do this without statins? That's even better, in my opinion. I'm guessing you exercise/work-out, too...
In any rate, great job! :)

[jesse]

way to go!!!! About 4 years ago my cholesterol was high. The doctor told me if I could not get it down by diet and exercise, I would need medication. I started eating more raw fruit and vegetables, less red meat and sweets. It worked.

I think way too many people, take the easy way with medication. Miracle in a bottle. Trouble is it doesn't address the cause of the high cholesterol and your health is going to keep on deteriorating.

[The Weasel]

Well, triple bypass patient the year before I started the AT, I know a bit about this. You don't need most 'supplements' and you can do the same thing, frankly, cheaper by a regular diet. A few thoughts:

1) Omega3 is smart, since it's just cod liver oil, but without some of the minor risks of fish. But eat canned tuna 3x a week and you get about the same benefit.

2) Just cut out all or nearly all fat from your diet, down to 10% (or less) of total calories (remember that fat has twice the calories of protein/carb). Make what you consume unsaturated, which helps boost HDL (the "good" cholesterol). This will crash about 30 points from your cholesterol level overall.

3) Eat pistachios and walnuts and peanuts. These are high in sterols, which raise HDL and cut cholesterol.

4) Oatmeal daily, or vary it with other oat cereals (Cheerios, etc). Not just 3x a week.

5) Blueberries, dried (Costco's are GOOD and cheap, relatively). Also recognized medically to cut cholesterol. Great, of course, in that oatmeal.

6) Eliminate or drastically reduce red meats, which are both relatively high in fat and also add external cholesterol. Replace with bean dishes or things like hummus.

6) Exercise literally cuts cholesterol.

6) Those that haven't figured it out already can recognize that most backpacking menus are 'heart healthy'. Pasta and noodles have little fat, and adding tuna (not with oil - that's not fish oil) is great. Oatmeal with dried blueberries is perfect. Gorp (skip the chocolate, yeah, I know, life's a pain!) with nuts, fruit and Cheerios. Bagels with peanut butter. And the walking helps, too.

Congratulations on what you've done; going to the diet above will drop your cholesterol, without medication, to the 150+/- level.

TW

[T-Dubs]

Long story short ...I did some research and instead I decided to go on a serious regimen of Omega 3, Flax Seed Oil and Grape Seed Extract - along with working oatmeal into my diet about 3 times a week. Just got my blood work done for 2008 and my cholesterol is DOWN by 30 points. LDL, HDL, Total and ratios are all within normal limits.
'Slogger

Congratulations on your improved health. It's sometimes surprising what can be done with a few changes.

I was in a similar situation a year ago. My doctor's scale of coronary health/cholesterol is to divide your triglyceride level by your HDL. It should be well below 2. At the time my ratio was 98/56.

I asked, 'what foods do I need to eliminate; cheese, eggs, red meat, etc?' He told me to stop eating sugar and refined grains, lose some weight and exercise a little. On my own I added some of your listed suppliments; the main one being fish oil. At my last exam my Trigl/HDL was much better, at 69/70 and my total cholesterol was way down. From everything I've read in the past few years, controlling the effects of insulin is the key to good health.

Congratulations once again. Job well done!
TWS

[Footslogger]

That is fantastic, congrats. Did you do this without statins? That's even better, in my opinion. I'm guessing you exercise/work-out, too...
In any rate, great job! :)

=================================

Yup ...totally without statins. I do exercise (cardio and resistance) at least 4 days a week for about an hour or so and we walk just about everywhere we can here in Laramie (nice thing about a small town).

What I don't know and need to try and figure out is ...which of the 3 suppliments was/is most influential in lowering the cholesterol in my case. I take a pretty minimal amount of each but would consider upping the intake if I knew it would make an even bigger difference.

Guess I'll do some more research ...but in the meantime I'm gonna stick to the regimen I'm on.

'Slogger

[Footslogger]

way to go!!!! About 4 years ago my cholesterol was high. The doctor told me if I could not get it down by diet and exercise, I would need medication. I started eating more raw fruit and vegetables, less red meat and sweets. It worked.

I think way too many people, take the easy way with medication. Miracle in a bottle. Trouble is it doesn't address the cause of the high cholesterol and your health is going to keep on deteriorating.

========================================

Yeah ...on a totally separate note, we both cut sugar totally out of our diets and pay a lot more attention to the amount of fruit and vegatables we consume. But we still gobble down a good Ribeye about every 2 weeks or so. We just cut back on portion size. We used to each eat a whole steak. Now we get a nice 10 - 12 ouncer and cut it in half.

I am willing, within reason, to make some lifestyle changes and add suppliments to my diet if I know they really make a difference. But I refuse to modify my life to the point where I can't eat and do things I enjoy.

'Slogger

[take-a-knee]

Anytime a physician wants to prescribe statins (cholesterol lowering drugs)and your total cholesterol number is 250 or less, you are dealing with an uninformed quack. If you get your cholesterol numbers below 200, you are setting yourself up for a hemmorrhagic stroke, I'll take my chances with an MI, there is no third party research proving that statins actually prevent MI's anyway. Red yeast rice extract is a naturally occuring lovastatin, and the drug companies have been trying to ban its sale as a supplement for years. This supplement doesn't have the horrible side effects of the patentable drug, that is no weakness from profound muscle wasting.

[Footslogger]

Anytime a physician wants to prescribe statins (cholesterol lowering drugs)and your total cholesterol number is 250 or less, you are dealing with an uninformed quack. If you get your cholesterol numbers below 200, you are setting yourself up for a hemmorrhagic stroke, I'll take my chances with an MI, there is no third party research proving that statins actually prevent MI's anyway. Red yeast rice extract is a naturally occuring lovastatin, and the drug companies have been trying to ban its sale as a supplement for years. This supplement doesn't have the horrible side effects of the patentable drug, that is no weakness from profound muscle wasting.

====================================

Some of what you said is news to me ...and I work in the medical field. Not saying your incorrect but suggesting that doing things which lower cholesterol to what is considered "normal levels" is setting a person up for hemorrhagic stroke is a tad extreme.

But hey ...what do I know - guess I'll have to do some more reading on the topic before I form an opinion regarding the hemorrhagic stroke thing.

'Slogger

[T-Dubs]

TW,
A few thoughts of my own, if you don't mind. I'm not a professional in this area but I have read extensively. (Heck, I even watched Oprah once...that makes me almost a professional, doesn't it? :) )

**I hope this 'drift' doesn't detract from the accomplishments of Footslogger's recent health improvements.


A few thoughts:

1) Omega3 A high grade fish oil can be taken daily without the risk of mercury and other contaminants. 6 oz. of tuna daily is asking a lot

2) Just cut out all or nearly all fat from your diet Research now tells us to keep this up around 30%; unsaturated when possible; for brain function.


4) Oatmeal daily (Cheerios) Processed cereals (even Cheerios) have a huge glycemic load--which is a bad thing.

6) reduce red meats Lean cuts of red meat are excellent sources of protein and, in moderation, will not adversely effect cholesterol.

6) Those that haven't figured it out already can recognize that most backpacking menus are 'heart healthy'. Pasta and noodles Pasta and noodles should be avoided on any diet. They wreck havoc with your insulin causing weight gain and high triglyceride levels. The demands when hiking should negate the ill effects but, on the whole, avoid processed grains.

The current food pyramid is under scrutiny by science (finally). I know it may be hard to believe the government could actually screw something up but the reliance on FDA recommended carbohyrates is the probable cause of our obesity 'crisis'.

TW

Thanks for listening,
TWS

[Jan LiteShoe]

Last year at this time I had my annual blood work done. My cholesterol was markedly high - - so much so that a physician friend of mine suggested I get a Cardiac Plaque Test (sophisticated type of CT Scan).

Long story short ...I did some research and instead I decided to go on a serious regimen of Omega 3, Flax Seed Oil and Grape Seed Extract - along with working oatmeal into my diet about 3 times a week. Just got my blood work done for 2008 and my cholesterol is DOWN by 30 points. LDL, HDL, Total and ratios are all within normal limits.

I'm pretty psyched !! Guess I'll be staying on those suppliments ...

'Slogger

Hey Toots,

Congratulations on those healthy changes.
No circulation, no brain. :)

Nutrition is something I pay alot of attention to, even to the point of growing alot of my vegetables and fruits organically. A couple comments:

- Exercise is the number one good thing for anyone to incorporate. That clears up so many "slow decline" things all across the board.

- The supplements you listed are very good. Very good. If you want to go further and use food "as a supplement", Chia seeds

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chia_seed
also have a fair amount of omega 3s, and are especially good for endurance sports such as running and backpacking because they help you stay hydrated. You can mix a spoonful of those babies into alot of things. Google around - here's one:
http://www.chiaforhealth.comSome other research-backed advice a friend (who lowered her blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol with a complete dietary change) gave me:

"* Avoid trans fatty acids like the plague. Hydrogenated and
partially hydrogenated oils (the trans fatty acids) are the
number one killer in the modern diet.

* Lower homocysteine levels. While there is a considerable
amount we do not know about homocysteine, we do
know how to use nutritional supplements to reduce
homocysteine levels.
This is done through three independent
routes: (1) using folic acid with vitamin B-12, (2)
using trimethylglycine (TMG), and (3) through B-6. The
first two work through a process called methylation, and
the B-6 through transsulfuration. Such a combined
approach can normalize homocysteine in 95% of the
people studied.

* Optimize Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios by eliminating
bottled vegetable oils found in your supermarket, except
for olive oil, and supplementing with fish oil and flax seed
oil, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Much of the
problem with inflammatory disorders actually stems from
a lopsided imbalance in dietary intake of the omega-6
and omega-3 fatty acids and the resulting cascade in
pro-inflammatory activity. The ideal ratio is roughly 1 to 1;
however, over the past 30 years, people from industrialized
countries have replaced much of their dietary
saturated fat (on the mistaken advice of their doctors and
the media) with vegetable oil omega-6 fatty acids. Ratios
of 20 to 1 and 30 to 1 are now not uncommon. From a
biochemical standpoint, this sets the stage for major arterial
inflammation. (See the October 21, 2002 newsletter.)

* A good antioxidant formula that contains OPCs (oligomeric
proanthocyanidins), can help repair damage to
arterial walls.

* And if you’re desperate to lower cholesterol levels
without subjecting yourself to the side effects of the statin
drugs, supplement with niacin and policosanol. Policosanol
is a natural supplement made from sugar cane. It works by
helping the liver control its production and breakdown of
cholesterol, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that
prevents LDL oxidation. Clinical studies show that
policosanol is as effective as prescription drugs in lowering
cholesterol levels, without their dangerous side effects.
And, in addition, it reduces the inflammatory response in
the arterial wall."

Again, congrats on working things back to health without medication and subsequent side effects.

[A-Train]

Congrats Slogger. Keep up the good work!

I've since lowered mine a lot after having elevated levels (as a kid!). Too much fast food on the road with my dad while he was on business I guess...

I had elevated levels before taking off on the AT, and my doc said "I think all the walking will take care of it". And that and a more healthy diet did the trick.

Here's to continued health!

[Footslogger]

[quote=Jan LiteShoe;529237]Hey Toots,

Congratulations on those healthy changes.
No circulation, no brain. :)

=============================

Thanks Liteshoe ...might be picking your brain next planting season. Speaking of which though - - our growing season out here is pretty short compared to yours.

As for the no brain part, well, the 60's probably played a bigger part in the overall brain cell death picture than circulation.

But yeah, working around medicine as I do and seeing the gallon sized ziplock bags of pill bottles some patients bring to the clinic, I am pretty psyched that I was able to get things back where they belong without prescription meds -- especially at my youthful age.

'TootSlogger

[Jan LiteShoe]

========================================

Yeah ...on a totally separate note, we both cut sugar totally out of our diets and pay a lot more attention to the amount of fruit and vegatables we consume.
'Slogger

I just saw this. Also a huge change and, as someone with a gigantic sweet tooth, something I work with.
Kudos to T-Dubs and his comments.

My sweetheart is diabetic,, and that has forced me to clean up my own diet somewhat so that we can cook and eat together.
:)

Hard exercise such as backpacking will burn off those Snickers, but ordinairly high glucose even in a healthy person sets off a cascade of unhelpful chemical events.

We've been experimenting with stevia, a natural sweetener. Have you heard of it? It's my find of the year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

You have to keep trying different brands because some have an off-taste (the liquid drops seem more so). Some taste the same as sugar to me. You can bake with it, or sweeten drinks with it (Michael uses it in his coffee, and I like to make lemonade or hot cocoa with it). That little bit of sweet goes a long way toward satisfying my sweet urges.

Swanson's Vitamins sells it cheaper than any I know (good prices on other supplements as well):
http://tinyurl.com/2wj3xj

Here's another source:
http://www.stevia.com/

[Footslogger]

[quote=Jan LiteShoe;529276]
We've been experimenting with stevia, a natural sweetener. Have you heard of it? It's my find of the year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

=================================

Hadn't heard of Stevia ...will give it a look. We've gone a long way towards recalibrating our tastebuds so that we don't need the actual "sweetness". We sprinkle a little Splenda on things and in beverages nowadays.

Now, about that whole brain-dead thing ...

When someone tells me that something is a "No-Brainer" should I get nervous ???

'TootSlogger

[Mags]

:banana Awesome! Good job!

[take-a-knee]

Stevia rocks, the japanese have used and studied it to death, no untoward effects. It is a bit of an aquired taste in coffee, took about a week to get used to it. I have yet to learn to cook with it, that is on my to-do list. Xylitol (alcohol sugar) is another cooking option I need to investigate. Many think that high-fructose cornsyrup, which is what the food industry loves 'cause its cheap, is a huge contributor to our obesity problem, what I mean is it is more likely to be stored as fat than even table sugar. You just about have to stay away from processed foods to avoid it.

[take-a-knee]

====================================

Some of what you said is news to me ...and I work in the medical field. Not saying your incorrect but suggesting that doing things which lower cholesterol to what is considered "normal levels" is setting a person up for hemorrhagic stroke is a tad extreme.

But hey ...what do I know - guess I'll have to do some more reading on the topic before I form an opinion regarding the hemorrhagic stroke thing.

'Slogger

The whole paradigm regarding the cause, or at least the major cause of arterial plaque is moving towards inflammation, and away from so-called high cholesterol. This is similar to the research regarding ulcers some years ago, when a doctor postulated a bacteria was the cause (helicobacter pylori) he was mocked and ridiculed by the medical establishment. He laughed all the way to the bank to cash his Nobel prize check.

There is a correlation between elevated cholesterol and heart disease, but it is just that, a correlation without a lot of real answers. Inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein are more predictive of a cardiac event. Chronically high normal white blood cell counts are predictive for the same reason (inflammation) IE, normal is 5,000-10,000 WBC's per cc, if you look back through your physicals through the years and you've been running 9,000, and you didn't have an infection, you may have a problem.

[gungho]

way to go!!!! About 4 years ago my cholesterol was high. The doctor told me if I could not get it down by diet and exercise, I would need medication. I started eating more raw fruit and vegetables, less red meat and sweets. It worked.

I think way too many people, take the easy way with medication. Miracle in a bottle.

You are exactly right. I finally started to take control of my life this past June. I was weighing close to 300lbs,my blood pressure was 173 over 119 and my triglycerides were 465:eek:. I totally changed my eating habits including plent of fruits,veggies and all natural foods and cutting out red meat,sweets, and fried greasy foods. Of course my wife Roots was my inspiration and gave me the will power to do this. We also joined a gym.

But everytime someone asks me how I did, they are expecting me tell them about this new pill or program. When they hear the truth they say "that's just to hard,I 'm not doing that".

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I have modified my diet to include fish 3+ times per week with at least one of those being a fish rich in Omega 3, eliminated all oils except canola and olive from my diet, switched from refined to whole grain products (pastas, rice, bread) and make sure I get 5+ servings of fruits and veggies daily. I lowered red meat to no more than twice a week. My overall cholesterol dropped 40 points, my bad cholesterol dropped 60 points while my good cholesterol rose 55 points. My doc is a happy lady.

[Grinder]

about cholesterol:
in 1974, mine was 254 for total and it was considered normal at that time. By the early eighties cholesterol was a card carrying bad guy. I was a runner at the time. With a low fat diet and 50+ miles a week, my total cholesterol got down to a 193 low. Then, the miles began to catch up with me. Back aches and stiffness slowly cut my mileage down and my cholesterol slowly rose, stabilizing at around 245/250.

2 years ago I resorted to Zocor and it immediately dropped to 170 ish.

I recently cut the zocor doseage in half to 10mg and added fish oil.

I haven't noticed any side effects.




About Stevia:

Last year, while investigating hiking , and related areas, I stumbled onto Stevia mentioned on this forum.

An example of our government protecting us is the fact that Stevia descriptions by sellers cannot mention "Sweet"` "Sweetener" . or "sugar replacement" any where in the product description.
Can you say "Sugar Lobby at work"??

I'd appreciate a lead on getting the stuff at affordable prices, The only local supply was at GNC. It was priced at 10 cents a packet. (100 packets for $9.99) Packets were similar to restaurant type in size.



Miles of Smiles
Tom

[wakapak]

Slogger and everyone else...Awesome job!!!

It's so refreshing and good to hear that people are changing their diets and lifestyles and getting results!!

I sometimes feel like I talk till I'm blue in the face about this stuff to people and they don't believe me that it can work, they just want to "miracle fix" without having to change anything....

And about Stevia, it is a great sugar replacement!! Personally, i think it's way better that using Splenda and stuff, because Stevia is a natural sweetener unlike Splenda, which has some crazy things that happen as it breaks down in the body.

Teblum, not sure what kind of health food stores, grocery stores, etc are in your area, but it's worth a try to check there also and see if the prices may be different.

[T-Dubs]

Congratulations on those healthy changes.
No circulation, no brain. :)

* Optimize Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios by eliminating
bottled vegetable oils found in your supermarket, except
for olive oil, and supplementing with fish oil and flax seed
oil, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Much of the
problem with inflammatory disorders actually stems from
a lopsided imbalance in dietary intake of the omega-6
and omega-3 fatty acids and the resulting cascade in
pro-inflammatory activity.

Jan,
Thanks for bringing this information to light. I was going to add some of this to my original post but you've said it better here.

I've included 2 links, one is Good Morning America ( I've linked before) and an interview with Gary Taubes. This book takes to task the alledged 'science' behind our current ideas of healthy eating. As I've mentioned, it's not an easy read but the excerpt is interesting. He's taken his research and condensed it down into 10 or so points.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=3654291&page=1

The other is a site for the Zone Diet (I'm not advocating this route) that has good information on fish oil and Omega 3 benefits.

http://www.zonediet.com/OMEGA3/tabid/64/Default.aspx

This is turning out to be one of my favorite threads in a long time. It's interesting to hear information on nutrition from different sources.

Thanks, all!

TWS

[Jan LiteShoe]

Stevia rocks, the japanese have used and studied it to death, no untoward effects. It is a bit of an aquired taste in coffee, took about a week to get used to it. I have yet to learn to cook with it, that is on my to-do list.

T-A-K,

You're right about cutting down or avoiding processed foods.

I have

Stevia Sweet Recipes: Sugar-Free-Naturally (Spiral-bound)
by Jeffrey Goettemoeller (http://www.whiteblaze.net/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/102-4070232-0090545?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Jeffrey%20Goettemoeller)

on order right now; said to be the most health/whole-food oriented. The others books on Amazon teach how to substitute stevia for sugar, but the recipes still contain many foods high in the glycemic index (white flour, etc).

Toots, you've kicked your sweet tooth - I'm envious.
Sweets are my Achilles heel.

[Footslogger]

Toots, you've kicked your sweet tooth - I'm envious.
Sweets are my Achilles heel.

=============================

Totally "kicked" might be a stretch ...but we stopped adding sugar to anyting a long time ago. Don't think we even have a granule of sugar in the house.

That said ...I can be talked into hot fudge sundae without much effort !!

Sparingly, of course !!

'Slogger

[maxNcathy]

This is very confusing...

Someone in the know please share a list of specific foods to help keep me strong and healthy as I hike.

Or will one apple a day keep the Dr at bay?

What seven(7) foods would be on your list.. and in your backpack.. if you practiced what you thought to be true.?

[Jan LiteShoe]

This is very confusing...

Someone in the know please share a list of specific foods to help keep me strong and healthy as I hike.

Or will one apple a day keep the Dr at bay?

What seven(7) foods would be on your list.. and in your backpack.. if you practiced what you thought to be true.?

Why seven?

You can get away with a number of eating sins due to the amount of exercise you'll be getting. For example, refined sugars - you'll bring your blood sugar right down hiking.

You'll also crave salty things and, before too long, high-fat things.

I think the best thing you can do for yourself is avoid the transfats of processed foods, and read the labels. Do your best, but mainly go hiking.

Some healthy options:

Off the top of my head, a good nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) on just about anything would be to your benefit.

Dried fruit and nuts are good gorp. You can get creative on the dried fruits - blueberries, cranberries, pineapple are pretty available now in grocery stores, and have some anti-inflammatory effects - that comes in handy while hiking!

An excellent fat is olive oil. I carried a squirt bottle of it and added it to all my suppers. It kept the fats up, with little sat-fat consequence. You often have to split a bottle with a friend or be willing to leave it behind for other hikers, but you'd be surprised how often I found it in hostels, etc.

I ate a lot of packaged tuna, which I love, on my trek, but that was before I understood much about the mercury therein. Today I'd probably not eat as much of it.
You can hard boil eggs and carry them with you for a couple days, they make good breakfasts on the fly.
I also added dried milk to some dinners (mashed potatoes).

I carried a good multivamin/mineral supplement.
Grab fresh veggies every chance you can as you pass through town. I loved to carry a green pepper out of town or my very fave, a ripe avocado. Same with bananas.

I craved milk when I got to town. Chocolate milk.
:)

That said, I ate my share of Fritos, Snickers, crappy noodle dishes, pre-made gravy packets loaded with transfats, and other processed crap (Skittles comes to mind). One of my most restorative dinners was a 4-serving package of Three-Cheese instant mashed potatoes, with a packet of chicken and a packet of gravy - a one-pot delight that raised my energy levels visibly. I won't say it was the healthiest meal (trans fats in the gravy), but it served it's purpose, and gave me lots of potassium, needed carbs and protein.

You'll be working so hard on a thru-hike that your diet will change appropriately. The chatter here is really about keeping pre- and post-hike health.
:)

[Footslogger]

Only thing I'd add to what Liteshoe said is that due to the rate you are burning calories during a distance hike ...you need to replenish energy stores MUCH more frequently than you ever would at home. For that reason I would suggest you pay as much attention to snacks as you would to one of your "major meals" during the day.

I ate damn near constantly during my thru in 2003 and I believe that was one reason I was able to carry on ...

'Slogger

[Jan LiteShoe]

I ate damn near constantly during my thru in 2003 and I believe that was one reason I was able to carry on ...

'Slogger

Well, that and a high pain tolerance ...
:)

[Footslogger]

Well, that and a high pain tolerance ...
:)

===============================

Funny how time affects the memory in terms of pain ....so selective !!

There were days when I had all to do to put one foot in front of the other. Thinking back on it now it doesn't seem like is was that bad.

But yeah, those kidney stones definitely got my attention and elevated my pain threshold.

'Slogger

[maxNcathy]

Thank you Jan and Footslogger.

I wonder if we should eat much less tuna due to mercury.
I saw salmon in packages, maybe they have less mercury??

I like your idea of getting dried blueberries and cranberries. I love raisins and apricots too.

I suppose a variety of nuts would do better than say just peanuts or walnuts, eh?

Do you think cheddar cheese is a good thing to carry?

Would OH Henry bars be as good as Snickers?

Are macaroni or noodles necessary for a hikers diet?

[Footslogger]

Thank you Jan and Footslogger.

I wonder if we should eat much less tuna due to mercury.
I saw salmon in packages, maybe they have less mercury??

I never worried too much about the mercury personally and I ate quite a bit of the foil packaged tuna (and salmon when I could find it)

I like your idea of getting dried blueberries and cranberries. I love raisins and apricots too.

I suppose a variety of nuts would do better than say just peanuts or walnuts, eh?

Your own GORP recipe is ALWAYS better than a store bought mix. Nice thing is you can change the ingredients and go heavier on certain ones.

Do you think cheddar cheese is a good thing to carry?

I didn't carry cheeze all that often myself so I can't really comment

Would OH Henry bars be as good as Snickers?

Compare the labels yourself. Been a while but from what I remember a Snickers FOR ITS WEIGHT is about the most dense source of calories in terms of candy bars. I'd say if you have a favorite other than Snickers go with it !!

Are macaroni or noodles necessary for a hikers diet?

NO ...but they are light and convenient and make a good base to which other things can be added to create a good and nourishing meal.

'Slogger

[wakapak]

Thank you Jan and Footslogger.

I wonder if we should eat much less tuna due to mercury.
I saw salmon in packages, maybe they have less mercury??

I like your idea of getting dried blueberries and cranberries. I love raisins and apricots too.

I suppose a variety of nuts would do better than say just peanuts or walnuts, eh?

Do you think cheddar cheese is a good thing to carry?

Would OH Henry bars be as good as Snickers?

Are macaroni or noodles necessary for a hikers diet?


I did carry cheese on my thrus, and loved it!!
as was stated by Jan and Footslogger...you will definitely need to eat more while out there hiking. WIth that said, you can still eat healthy if you want. I hiked off and on with a few vegetarians....only difference i noticed was they sometimes needed to eat more...

Above all, just enjoy yourself out there!! It's a wonderful adventure!!:)

[Montego]

A couple of years ago my doctor said my cholesterol was too high and that I needed to get into shape................Told him "round" was a shape............doctor had NO sense of humor :D

[WILLIAM HAYES]

add coenzyme Q10 to your protocol and a baby aspirin

[Dogwood]

GOOD FOR U! CONGRATS! GOOD TO BE HEALTHY!

Some pts. to ponder:

1)Cholesterol is found only in animal products. Its not found in plants, fruits, nuts and seeds. Reduce or eliminate food from animals and U will be taking in less or no cholesterol!

2)Anti statin drugs are the largest single category of pharmaceutical prescription drugs sold in the US(lots of $$$ made on these cash cows)

3) The human body manufactures cholesterol so U need it in some amt. for something!

4)Some people with high levels of cholesterol exhibit no significant medical problems, while others with comparatively low cholesterol levels exhibit major medical problems

5)The leading cause of death in the US is cardiovascular disease, which is often correllated with high cholesterol levels

WHAT"S GOING ON HERE???

One of the reasons the human body manufactures cholesterol is to repair microscopic tears in artery walls - Kind of like putting a piece of duct tape on a leaky pipe to patch up the hole. Cholesterol levels can be problematic when the body manufactures too much or too little of it, uptake is more than the body can assimulate, it becomes too "sticky", or too much starts to adhere to arteries. What can cause too much cholesterol to adhere to artery walls? A process called scarafication - etching of the artery walls - can occur when unnatural man made things start showing up in the diet that were never meant to be there, like certain forms of chlorine in water, hydogenated, and partially hydrogenated oils. Some states(areas), like NY City, are aware of the serious health risks associated with these super heated and chemically altered oils and have considered or are moving towards banning them. For what it's worth, in this hiker's opinion, U definitely should avoid hydrogenated and P hydogenated oils! This isn't the full story about cholesterol but maybe U have something else to think about now other than just hiking boots. GET INFORMED!!! IT'S YOUR LIFE!!! CARPE DIEM!!!

[take-a-knee]

Thank you Jan and Footslogger.

I wonder if we should eat much less tuna due to mercury.
I saw salmon in packages, maybe they have less mercury??

I like your idea of getting dried blueberries and cranberries. I love raisins and apricots too.

I suppose a variety of nuts would do better than say just peanuts or walnuts, eh?

Do you think cheddar cheese is a good thing to carry?

Would OH Henry bars be as good as Snickers?

Are macaroni or noodles necessary for a hikers diet?

Cathy, the mercury in fish is thought to be a consequence of the worldwide burning of coal, it gets in the jet stream and is carried over the oceans. I think the current reccomendation is no more that twice weekly for tuna.

Walnuts and almonds are supposedly the healthiest nuts.

As for pasta, I've recently discovered Barrilla whole wheat pasta, it is tasty and nutritious. I only eat whole grains, you don't get the insulin spike as bad with them so your body is less apt to store fat, especially if you eat them with a small serving of protein.

[Dogwood]

Thank you Jan and Footslogger.

I wonder if we should eat much less tuna due to mercury.
I saw salmon in packages, maybe they have less mercury??

I like your idea of getting dried blueberries and cranberries. I love raisins and apricots too.

I suppose a variety of nuts would do better than say just peanuts or walnuts, eh?

Do you think cheddar cheese is a good thing to carry?

Would OH Henry bars be as good as Snickers?

Are macaroni or noodles necessary for a hikers diet?

Tuna, being at the top of the food chain, tends to absorb the heavy metals from the fish it feeds on. WILD caught salmon tends to have very low levels of heavy metals. Look for it.

Some heart healthy nuts and seeds that I advise U check out are: hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pine, Brazil, pistachio, raw shelled pumpkin and sunflower seeds. By the way oz for oz, lb for lb, almonds have more calcium than any other food! All foods that come from the ground - fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds contain calcium

Cheddar cheese can be a fair choice of food when hiking but personally I would rather get my calcium and protein from whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables and bypass the "bad" things I get with most cheese

Snickers? Oh Henry? OHH MY! Convenient but the healthiest? NO way!Better to avoid this highly refined processed dead food and opt for the same wt. trail food with higher calories and better nutrition. DON'T confuse some studies that may pt. to potential health benefits of JUST chocolate(it's actually somewhat bitter, think cocoa nibs) with marketing hype that promotes refined sugar bars combined with real chocolate! U could say it's chocolate flavored sugar! Mix up some unblanched slivered almonds, pine nuts, raw shelled pumpkin seeds(pepitas), and raw sunflower seeds for a more nutritious higher calore hear healthy alternative. If U add dried fruit seek the kind that has no added sugar.

[Fiddleback]

Anytime a physician wants to prescribe statins (cholesterol lowering drugs)and your total cholesterol number is 250 or less, you are dealing with an uninformed quack. If you get your cholesterol numbers below 200, you are setting yourself up for a hemmorrhagic stroke, I'll take my chances with an MI, there is no third party research proving that statins actually prevent MI's anyway. Red yeast rice extract is a naturally occuring lovastatin, and the drug companies have been trying to ban its sale as a supplement for years. This supplement doesn't have the horrible side effects of the patentable drug, that is no weakness from profound muscle wasting.


Citations, please.

[take-a-knee]

Bear in mind what I said in an earlier post about elevated cholesterol only being recognized as a corollary of arterial plaque and not the cause of it.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9902/06/strokes/

http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/low_cholesterol.htm

You must also realize that truly high cholesterol levels, IE 300 or higher, significantly increase the risk of blood clots (ischemic stroke). The HDL component of any lipid profile should be as high as possible (35-40% of the total count). It is the high density lipoproteins that return lipids to the liver for processing, if this level is low, the lipids , especially in the presensce of vessel inflammation, can get turned into plaque. Elevated blood pressure exacerbates this effect. Maintenance of normal blood pressure (120/80) is paramount. This means vigorous exercise for most people, especially as they age.

[Fiddleback]

Thanks.

[T-Dubs]

Maintenance of normal blood pressure (120/80) is paramount. This means vigorous exercise for most people, especially as they age.

And then we get into the situation where extended, vigorous exercise can bring on low-grade inflamation, which has it's own sets of consequences.
I'm a firm believer in moderate exercise, weight loss and weight training. Probably the last item is the most important and most over-looked.

As far as triglycerides and cholesterol, what is the significance/ratio of LDL and VLDL? What role does this play in the whole mess of things?

TWS

[Jan LiteShoe]

And then we get into the situation where extended, vigorous exercise can bring on low-grade inflamation, which has it's own sets of consequences.


Citations, please.
:)

Seriously, I think I live my lie with low-grade inflammation, if you include backache and other aches and pains (esp. after gardening!).

[GGS2]

We all do, as we age. Facts of life. Just remember its all temporary.

[take-a-knee]

And then we get into the situation where extended, vigorous exercise can bring on low-grade inflamation, which has it's own sets of consequences.
I'm a firm believer in moderate exercise, weight loss and weight training. Probably the last item is the most important and most over-looked.

As far as triglycerides and cholesterol, what is the significance/ratio of LDL and VLDL? What role does this play in the whole mess of things?

TWS

I agree that most exercise should be moderate, I haven't ran a mile faster than about 8:30 in years. Jack Lallane has advocated short term, intense bouts of cardio a couple of times weekly, or at least once weekly. 20min to no more than 30 min. For us older types I wouldn't reccommend wind sprints, something like a Precor Elliptical or a Stairmaster PT 7000 Stepmill. The latter can be hard on your knees, don't do it every day. The Precor can be used to rehab a knee, I plan to buy one when I have an extra three grand.

As for weight training, everyone should do it, not just "cargo men", we scrawny/weak types have a greater need to save/preserve muscle than the big guys. A set of dumbells and a bench are sufficient.

As for the VDL/LDL, I'm inclined to say a high VLDL number is bad, but I'm not really sure, I'll have to read up on that. I don't think it has been that many years sinces they've been fractionalizing that portion of the lipid profile.