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Aug 27

I Ditched The Paleo Diet And Lowered My Cholesterol 35 Points – Prevention.com

Diet Comments Off on I Ditched The Paleo Diet And Lowered My Cholesterol 35 Points – Prevention.com

When you see the same ideas repeated over and over, they can start to sink in. Without ever fully connecting the dots, I started avoiding hummus and stocking up on coconut oil. My thinking (and eating habits) also got Paleo-washed in other ways. These are some examples of the ways the Paleo trendwhich emphasizes eating what our cavemen ancestors didinfluenced my perspective on nutrition:

These shifts snuck up on me gradually, though, and I rarely considered the drawbacks of these beliefs. If anything, I thought I was simply staying current with the latest and greatest nutritional wisdom. Even as I increased the number of skin-on chicken thighs and raw milk cheeses in my fridge, I was sure that my diet was far healthier than what most Americans were eating: I shunned fast food and highly-processed fare, and I lived by food activist and author Michael Pollans edict that you shouldnt eat anything your great grandmother wouldnt recognize. I ate a lot of farmers market vegetables cooked in plenty of butter. (Here are 7 things you should be buying at the farmers' market but aren't.)

But all the while, unbeknownst to me, my cholesterol was creeping up. Way up.

MORE: 12 Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally

I was shocked in May when my doctor brought up cholesterol-lowering medication after a blood test that showed my LDLthe bad cholesterolhad reached 187. She gave me six months to get my number down; if it hit 190, she'd put meon prescription medication.

This was right around the time the American Health Association issued a strongly-worded advisory about saturated fat, based on a review of the best and most up-to-date research. The gist was that saturated fat, in spite of recent media reports to the contrary, is still terrible for heart health.

After several years of headlines claiming that butter was back and that beef is a wholesome whole food, this warning was confusing, to say the least. Arguments discrediting the report cropped up all over the internet. (Buying 100% grass fed beef can be tricky. Here's your ultimate guide to avoiding the fake stuff.)

But with my own heart health on the line, I decided to fully embrace conventional wisdom and follow the AHA's advice. It seemed like the safest bet. I bid bye-bye to my stash of virgin coconut oil and grass-fed ghee and started following the tried, true, and unsexy advice about how to reduce cholesterol and improve heart health.

MORE: Surprise! These 6 Foods Are Great For Your Heart

Back to basicsOvernight, my diet went from vaguely Paleo-ish to mostly vegan. Though the AHA doesn't specifically recommend a vegan diet, I wanted to go as far as possible to cut saturated fat and cholesterol (translation: meat and dairy) from my diet.

For the next two months, I ate as many cholesterol-lowering foods as possible, including the very thingslike oats, whole grains, beans, fruit, and soythat have been sworn off by much of the low-carb crowd. (Here are 6 slow cooker oatmeal recipes that will make your mornings a breeze.)

I gave up eggs for breakfast, favoring almond butter or avocado on sprouted wheat toast, oatmeal, or tofu scrambles. I quit cheese, milk, cream, and yogurt cold turkey. And I have eaten virtually no meatonly the occasional piece of wild salmon. (That's less than the twice-a-week the AHA suggests we eat fish, but as much of the good stuff as my budget allows.)

Here's how to know if the fish you eat is sustainable:

This approach to eating might sound dreary to some, but I actually love this food. I grew up vegetarian, so Ive never had hang-ups about needing meat to be satisfied with a meal. Ive reunited with some of my all-time favorite stapleshummus, tofu, pasta. (Make crispy pan fried tofu with these easy directions.) Before my cholesterol diagnosis, in the sway of the low-carb cult, my relationship with these ingredients had grown complicated. Now I felt free to love them again.

MORE: The Beginners Guide To Going Vegetarian Without Getting Sick

Within a few weeks, I was feeling better. I had more energy, for one thing. During stricter stints on a Paleo-style plan, I would wonder why my arms seemed so heavy during yoga classes or why I didnt want to walk anywhere. Without enough carbs, I felt weak and drained. It was only when toast came back into my life that I made the connection.

The most surprising part of the whole experience for me was that I lost weight while eating a substantial amount of pasta, bread, and beans. I had come to believe that this was impossible; that carbs are the enemy of weight management. Within a week, my stomach wasnt bloated for the first time in ages and my skin looked bright and clear. I thought the infernal Whole30 cleanse had a monopoly on these kinds of results?

Im not a patient person, so I wasn't willing to wait six months for a new round of blood work to confirm what I was already feeling. I scheduled new tests after only 8 weeks, not expecting too much. I just thought a little movement in the right direction would be the encouragement I needed to stick with my new plan. (If you're over 50, make sure you schedule these 5 blood tests.)

When the results came in and I saw I had dropped my LDL by a shocking 35 points, I was as proud of anything as Id ever been in my life. After being told repeatedly by my doctor and others that the high cholesterol was likely genetic, I felt like I had some agency over my own health again.

MORE:Exactly What One Woman Ate To Get Off Her Cholesterol Meds

My HDLthats the good cholesterolwas up 11 points as well. At 152, my LDL remains in the borderline high range. Id like to get it under 129 so I can move into the near optimal territory. And at this point, I have the information and tools I need to do just that.

I know there are many paths to well being and many ways to put together a healthy diet. Certainly, weve all heard testimonials from the Paleo camp about positive health outcomes, and I have no reason to doubt these stories. But for me, it's clear that a plant-based diet is the foundation for good health.

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I Ditched The Paleo Diet And Lowered My Cholesterol 35 Points - Prevention.com

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