I Love My Doctor

[Ajax]

Symptom: High blood pressure.
Doctor's instructions: Start on the DASH diet immediately- Avoid all fried foods, red meats, chips, refined sugars and white breads. Eat leafy green vegetables, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish and lean meats and whole grains. Blood pressure re-check in 2 weeks.

Also scheduled during the same 2 week period: Colonoscopy.
Doctor's instructions: 2 weeks prior to your colonoscopy, avoid the following foods: Leafy green vegetables, seeds, nuts, and all fruits and vegetables containing seeds such as tomatoes and whole grains.

[kdh]

I think the DASH diet is a load of crap, especially the low fat part. Ask your doctor how many times a patient of theirs has lowered their cholesterol or blood pressure using it.

What worked for me was strength training, importantly not just aerobic exercise. Periodic fasting. Take a yoga class. Sometimes don't eat for long periods, say 16 hours or more. Get your body used to ketosis.

Works for me. My weight is healthy and I'm never hungry.

[BeauV]

Ajax, I’m with Keith on this. My Admiral had seriously high blood pressure and was on two different meds to control it. Then after the “change” she started putting on weight. After a while she decided enough was enough and started eating the way Keith is. Fasting often, plenty of fat, very very low on Carbs (20mg max per day, often in the low teens), and lots of veggies which are not filled with carbs. In addition, she exercises for a minimum of 1 hour per day, and often more.

The results were astounding. She dropped 34% of her body weight, and now weighs what she did in college. She’s strong and feels great. One of the two blood pressure meds is gone and the other is down to about 1/4 dose. She keeps getting light headed from low-blood-pressure! So the last med will be probably be gone soon. At the moment she’s below normal.

I can’t tell you how shocked (and thrilled) I was that she did this. On her, it really really really worked.

[BeauV]

One more item, Eric might know the answer to this, I heard from a friend that there is a fecal test one can take rather than a colonoscopy. You might ask about that.

[TheOffice]

The admiral and I had our colonoscopys done the same time. Figured we would be miserable together. Poor Uber driver who took us home!

[Ajax]

I think the DASH diet is a load of crap, especially the low fat part. Ask your doctor how many times a patient of theirs has lowered their cholesterol or blood pressure using it.

What worked for me was strength training, importantly not just aerobic exercise. Periodic fasting. Take a yoga class. Sometimes don't eat for long periods, say 16 hours or more. Get your body used to ketosis.

Works for me. My weight is healthy and I'm never hungry.

It did work for me. My doctor (and other studies I've read) do not recommend ketosis.

I went from eating crap, to the DASH diet for 10 days, plus light exercise.
My blood pressure went from a rampaging Stage II hypertension (top number)/Stage I hypertension (bottom number) to "normal" in 2 weeks.

Even if DASH is a lie, switching from a steady diet of eggs, fats and sugars to mostly vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes and lean meats can only be healthier.

[Tim Ford]

One more item, Eric might know the answer to this, I heard from a friend that there is a fecal test one can take rather than a colonoscopy. You might ask about that.

Hmm...best to wait for Benno to give us the real news, but I'm pretty sure the fecal test just looks for blood in the stool. It doesn't show polyps, which are precursors for colon cancer. About 1 out of 20 polyps turn into malignant growths. Those need visual inspection and removal and cauterization.

Or, what the hell do I know? Maybe there's a poop test for polyps? In any case, if they find 'em, they gotta go. And when you gotta go, you gotta go!

[LarryHoward]

One more item, Eric might know the answer to this, I heard from a friend that there is a fecal test one can take rather than a colonoscopy. You might ask about that.

Hmm...best to wait for Benno to give us the real news, but I'm pretty sure the fecal test just looks for blood in the stool. It doesn't show polyps, which are precursors for colon cancer. About 1 out of 20 polyps turn into malignant growths. Those need visual inspection and removal and cauterization.

Or, what the hell do I know? Maybe there's a poop test for polyps? In any case, if they find 'em, they gotta go. And when you gotta go, you gotta go!

Tim,

I think that you are correct. If I understood my internal medicine guy, the fecal blood test can provide a clear "there is a problem" indication but late in the game. He keeps telling me that the gold standard is him taking a look and removing polyps as they show up.

[IrieMon]

Even if DASH is a lie, switching from a steady diet of eggs, fats and sugars to mostly vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes and lean meats can only be healthier.

Doesn't the Power Ranger luv that Smith Island Cake ? You need some rock-solid discipline in that household

[kdh]

I think the DASH diet is a load of crap, especially the low fat part. Ask your doctor how many times a patient of theirs has lowered their cholesterol or blood pressure using it.

What worked for me was strength training, importantly not just aerobic exercise. Periodic fasting. Take a yoga class. Sometimes don't eat for long periods, say 16 hours or more. Get your body used to ketosis.

Works for me. My weight is healthy and I'm never hungry.

It did work for me. My doctor (and other studies I've read) do not recommend ketosis.

I went from eating crap, to the DASH diet for 10 days, plus light exercise.
My blood pressure went from a rampaging Stage II hypertension (top number)/Stage I hypertension (bottom number) to "normal" in 2 weeks.

Even if DASH is a lie, switching from a steady diet of eggs, fats and sugars to mostly vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes and lean meats can only be healthier.

Going from eating crap and no exercise to anything else is going to help. "Do not recommend ketosis" is a bizarre notion, as ketosis is a normal metabolic process.

There is a ton of debate on what is a "healthy diet." The modern view is that simple sugars and carbs, or "processed, high-glycemic-index food," is the scourge of the modern diet. Fats get a break.

Old habits die hard. People take the low-fat gospel, even though its adoption made us fat, as undeniable.

http://garytaubes.com/works/books/good-calories-bad-calories/

[Ajax]

I am vaguely familiar with the new tests that Beau is talking about. Unfortunately, they are only good for people who have NEVER previously had a colon problem. People like me, who have already had surgery, and been diagnosed with cancer or precancerous tumors are specifically excluded from these new tests.

As far as the new food habit goes, it was not objectionable at all. The food has been tasty and satisfying. There were a few days early on where I was constantly hungry but I've adjusted and now it's just occasional, minor hunger pangs instead of "hangry." The trick was getting my wife to support me. She'll bake a whole Smith Island cake for just the two of us. She's a carb fiend, and craves breads, pasta, potatoes in large quantities and in "white" form.

Once I told her that my numbers were headed in the wrong direction, she agreed to change and has been a huge help.

I've eliminated most refined sugars from my food. Breads and pastas have been replaced with whole wheat/whole grain and pumpernickel versions. I try to use wraps vs. bread.
No more processed, microwave meals. I take cut up, whole fruit or salads with a sandwich of tuna or lean meat. I'll have a few almonds.
No fried food (not that we fried much anyway.) I've eliminated chips and crackers. We bake or grill.
I was eating eggs and some sort of breakfast meat every single day for awhile.
I find that Kashi cereal gives me a good dose of fiber and grains or oatmeal. I also make these egg white things that are stuffed with a mix of vegetables- zucchini, carrots, peppers and scallions

I don't care if fasting works, I'm not doing it. I'd rather make healthier choices and reduce my portions than torture myself by eating nothing for 12-24 hours.

[Ajax]

Doesn't the Power Ranger luv that Smith Island Cake ? You need some rock-solid discipline in that household

Yes, I covered that in my lengthy response while you snuck this in.

We both have a voracious sweet tooth that is difficult to tame. We also both love food as a "social" thing. We enjoy dining out, we use food to celebrate good things that happen to us, and all sorts of negative things. I told her that occasional Smith Island cake is OK. Baking, keeping and eating an entire cake is NOT ok.

Next time she bakes one, 1/2 to 3/4 of it gets donated to friends or the office.
When she baked Xmas cookies last year, thank GOD we put them in the freezer before distribution so that we didn't eat them. We gave 90% of them away...which is what you're supposed to do.

[kdh]

I eat pretty much anything I want. I love bread, especially a good white sourdough or brioche, but am wary of eating too much, especially before dinner at restaurants. For me it's mostly a vehicle for ingesting mass quantities of butter, especially butter from grass-fed animals.

I also love dark chocolate and ice cream, which we make from scratch using eggs from our backyard chickens, local maple syrup, and cream from a farm in Vermont. I eat as much as I want.

I find breakfast a bother during the week so always skip it other than a black coffee. I eat little fruit, and certainly no fruit juice. Ann likes to eat vegetables, which I don't mind. I enjoy a green salad with olive oil and salt.

I eat a lot of meat of all kinds and fish, but try to avoid corn-fed anything, which is ubiquitous. I can taste the corn. Whatever's freshly available. A lot of cheese.

I weigh 145 lbs, a bit more than I did in high school but I have way more muscle now from exercising. I hate feeling hungry and rarely have that experience.

[Ajax]

Well, back from my 5 year colonoscopy. This is the first time that I've had zero polyps. That's great news but unfortunately, it doesn't give me a pass on future 'scopings.

I pretty much crammed all of my preventative screenings into a 2 week period so I've been to the doctor's offices an awful lot. My blood pressure is now really good. As long as I continue my better eating habits and get some exercise, the cholesterol and A1C will follow. No medications have been prescribed.

I do have one pesky little anomaly though... I've complained about minor heart palpitations for years but no doctor took me seriously. This doctor finally has, and put me on a heart monitor. I have an occasional, ventricular premature contraction. Sort of an early or extra heart beat. As long as they remain infrequent, they probably present no threat. If they increase, then treatment will be warranted.

[IrieMon]

My blood pressure is now really good.

Fantastic ! Great to hear.... and glad the doc finally commented on your heart trips.

[Olaf Hart]

Well, back from my 5 year colonoscopy. This is the first time that I've had zero polyps. That's great news but unfortunately, it doesn't give me a pass on future 'scopings.

I pretty much crammed all of my preventative screenings into a 2 week period so I've been to the doctor's offices an awful lot. My blood pressure is now really good. As long as I continue my better eating habits and get some exercise, the cholesterol and A1C will follow. No medications have been prescribed.

I do have one pesky little anomaly though... I've complained about minor heart palpitations for years but no doctor took me seriously. This doctor finally has, and put me on a heart monitor. I have an occasional, ventricular premature contraction. Sort of an early or extra heart beat. As long as they remain infrequent, they probably present no threat. If they increase, then treatment will be warranted.

No caffeine for you....

[Ajax]

Well, back from my 5 year colonoscopy. This is the first time that I've had zero polyps. That's great news but unfortunately, it doesn't give me a pass on future 'scopings.

I pretty much crammed all of my preventative screenings into a 2 week period so I've been to the doctor's offices an awful lot. My blood pressure is now really good. As long as I continue my better eating habits and get some exercise, the cholesterol and A1C will follow. No medications have been prescribed.

I do have one pesky little anomaly though... I've complained about minor heart palpitations for years but no doctor took me seriously. This doctor finally has, and put me on a heart monitor. I have an occasional, ventricular premature contraction. Sort of an early or extra heart beat. As long as they remain infrequent, they probably present no threat. If they increase, then treatment will be warranted.

No caffeine for you....

I tried eliminating caffeine in the past. It made no difference. I really can't seem to tie the beats to any kind of behavior or activity.
I'm not really a hardcore addict. I never drink soda and I only consume 1 cup of coffee per day. I do love chocolate, which is also a stimulant but I've cut way back. I haven't heard back from the cardiologist yet.

[BeauV]

Ajax, all that sounds like pretty good news. Both my lovely Admiral and I have noticed a consistent steady decline in cholesterol readings with exercise, but it takes a few months of steady exercise to have an effect.

Do read up on Pattern B vs Pattern A cholesterol, I'm sure Eric has a better way to recommend finding all this. The problem is much more complex than folks think and the simple combined total cholesterol number can be quite misleading with respect to the actual risk of a heart attack caused by a blockage.

[kdh]

Do read up on Pattern B vs Pattern A cholesterol, I'm sure Eric has a better way to recommend finding all this. The problem is much more complex than folks think and the simple combined total cholesterol number can be quite misleading with respect to the actual risk of a heart attack caused by a blockage.

Amen, brother. Indeed, I think the evidence is that a low-fat diet reduces LDL cholesterol by shifting to risky pattern B--less total volume but the same number of particles. Stacey's diet might actually increase LDL volume a bit but will shift to the more benign pattern A.

I grew up in Framingham where the famous heart study was done. A buddy's dad is a participant.

[Benno von Humpback]

Olaf and Steele are the guys to ask about this stuff.