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| Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? | |||
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| ZenBohemian
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 10 |
High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 9:15 AM Hey all. I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience and what they did about: I had my blood work done before Christmas about 1 or 2 weeks after I became a full vegan, although I'd been about 90% vegan for a couple of months before that. It turns out that my triglyceride levels are a bit too high and I need to lower them. I know that a vegan diet will usually eliminate any cholesterol problems but I've read that triglyceride levels can be related to sugar intake, body fat and exercise. I've just lost 35 pounds but have about another 35 pounds to go so I'm wondering if the high triglycerides level is because of my weight or if it's my diet. I eat very healthy with very little refined carbs but I do still have maple syrup on my oatmeal every morning and I eat a lot of dates to combat my sweet cravings. I also have a lot of nuts, seeds and avocado. I do a moderate amount of exercise in the winter but not nearly as much as I normally do in warm weather. So my question is: should I try to eliminate even more sugar from my diet and lay off the rice and whole wheat, or do you think continued weight loss will do the trick? Perhaps I just haven't been vegan long enough to see the full benefits? The weight is coming off steadily and I'm hoping this alone will lower my levels because I really don't like the idea of cutting out carbs or what little sugar I have. My blood sugar levels are fine, by the way. I'm going to do a little diet adjustment and see what happens but I'm just really curious as to other people's experience. Thanks! |
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| tklovesveggies
Joined: 12/27/09 Posts: 5 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 9:32 AM I, too, had super high Tri levels-found out it August. Added exercising (a little weight lifting, walking 1 hour a day) and cut WAY back on the "white poisons" (white flour, white sugar, white rice, white pasta). Love my white foods! They Don't give up, you are doing great!! 35 off - woohoo!!! |
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| josie
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 12 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 9:46 AM Hi, I'm not sure about you specifically concerning your triglyceride levels; however, I have heard that nuts and avocados can add some unwanted fat to a vegan diet. But they are also very healthy, so maybe it's just a moderation thing. In any case, this is probably an excellent question for Susan Levin! |
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| mailelei
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 1 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 9:55 AM My girlfriend had gotten a report like that and she was drinking wine---I guess the fruits would contribute to that number as well. You're doing a great job though and that too will fall into line with a little patience. |
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| Mariberry
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10:01 AM Great question! I got the same report: high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugar. (oh...and high BMI too - mustn't forget that part!) The only thing perfect is my blood pressure (118/52). Anyway, my doc told me the high Tri # is due to my body not liking the carbs I'm eating (even though I tend to be a whole grain type of gal...) Portion control is definitely my demon. I, too, am hoping this new program will see a concrete improvement in all my numbers. As mentioned, it would be great to hear from Susan or Jill regarding this question. Make it a great day, everyone! All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance" |
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| Susan Levin
Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10:01 AM Informed input by everyone. And I think you guys covered it. Usually triglycerides are affected by fats in the diet AND refined carbohydrates such as the "white poisons" mentioned above. You definitely want to watch all fats and then be mindful of types of carbs. Whole grains (rice, whole grain wheat, oats, quinoa, barley, etc.), beans, vegetables, and fruits are not the carbs you want to limit. It's the super processed ones such as white bread, crackers, cookies, and sugar. I would avoid drinking juice as well - even 100 percent juice. If you want a fruity beverage, blend up some whole fruits, that way you get all the fiber. Susan Levin, MS, RD |
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| ZenBohemian
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 10 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10:02 AM Thanks TK. That's encouraging. I guess I must be impatient because I expected ALL my cholesterol levels to be really good. And Josie, who's Susan Levine? Yeah, I've wondered about the effect of the high fat in those items. I don't think I eat THAT much of them but it feels like a lot since people always say to avoid nuts etc. because of the high fat content. I am trying to eliminate oils from my diet (sunflower and olive I use in cooking and salad dressing). I know that those who recommend a 10% fat intake wouldn't be thrilled with my fat intake (as many believe that your cholesterol levels must be much much lower than the general guideline given if you want to avoid heart disease), but so far it's helping me lose weight and feel good which is the priority right now. My plan is to drop at least 25 more pounds and then maybe I can focus on lowering my fat to 10% and see if I can get my overall cholesterol levels to the super low range. One step at a time, right? Thank you both. |
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| ZenBohemian
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 10 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10:06 AM Oh, now I know who Susan Levine is! Thank you all. Susan, could the high level of triglycerides (my other levels are fine) be simply due to weight? I'm 5'5" and 185 pounds. |
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| Susan Levin
Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10:16 AM ZenBohemian wrote: Susan, could the high level of triglycerides (my other levels are fine) be simply due to weight? I'm 5'5" and 185 pounds. Excess weight probably is an independent contributor to high TG. I think your notion to lose weight and see how the lab work follows is a good one. But do be mindful of reducing fat intake and avoiding those foods that turn to sugar so quickly once ingested (discussed above). Given your awareness of how diet and lifestyle affect your labs, I'm inclined to believe you are well on your way to an ideal weight and ideal lipid levels. Susan Levin, MS, RD |
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| ZenBohemian
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 10 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10:28 AM Thank you very much -- it's greatly appreciated! |
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| clarsa
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 3 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 4:47 PM Even tiny traces of hydrogenated oils can impact your triglyceride levels, because hydrogenated oils prevent you from producing the enzymes that break unhealthy fats into healthy fats. This taxes your pancreas and liver, raising your triglycerides. High fructose corn syrup can also tax your pancreas and liver, raising your triglycerides. Unfortunately, whole-grain breads and crackers, and other prepared/processed foods, are often made with partially hydrogenated oils and HFCS. Read labels carefully and get rid of those two things for three months (or however long you go between getting your lab work done) and see if there's a difference. For some people, it doesn't seem to matter. For some people, the impact almost defies logic. I've seen a difference in fasting blood sugars of 60 points after just a few grams of hydrogenated oil. Healthy fats are usually not a problem. Moderation counts, but for many people with a propensity for high cholesterol or high triglycerides, increasing good fats, such as walnut and avocado (oil or whole food), and canola oil, actually lower ldl and tris. In fact, very strict vegans may need to add fat in order to reduce cholesterol. Animals (such as humans) produce cholesterol to answer the body's need for fat. If you're getting adequate fat in your diet, this may signal your body to stop producing so much cholesterol. I'm not a doctor. I just do research for fun. ~ Clarsa in Colorado |
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| ZenBohemian
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 10 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 4:59 PM Thanks Clarsa. That's quite interesting, especially given that my TGs are higher than my husband's and I eat better than he does in general. As for the whole wheat and whole grain bread, it amazes me how much junk gets added to bread that's advertised as healthy whole grains. I've been trying to make my own as much as possible. Not too sure how to make my own tortillas, though. Time to learn! Leigh. |
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| shanna
Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 5:22 PM Corn tortillas are really easy and fun to do if you like making a little bit of a mess. You can get the masa flour at the grocery store, add water, let it sit a little while, press and put in a dry skillet. No added fat. And totally delicious when they're hot! The messy part is pressing them. You can get a press at a kitchen store or Mexican market or online. There's almost always a recipe and instructions on the flour package. Azetca is a popular brand, but if you are concerned about GMO corn you can probably get it organic. Never made flour ones, but typically they have added fat (sometimes lard, gross). I usually buy the organic Whole Foods or Ezekiel tortillas, both whole wheat and corn. No HFCS or transfats in either of those. What can't you put in a tortilla? I have not found anything yet. |
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| Mariberry
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 10:49 PM My dog ate my whole package of whole grain tortillas today I realize this has nothing to do with the topic. Just thought I'd share All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance" |
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| LoriAOF
Joined: 01/02/10 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 9 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 10:58 PM All of my numbers are bad. All the cholesterol, sugar, and blood pressure. I'm only 10 lbs over weight. Most of them are hereditary for me. BUT, I gave up alcohol for about 6 months and my triglycerides went from over 300 to closer to 150. Another time I was vegetarian for 4 mos and my total cholesterol dropped 40 points, which was still not enough to avoid meds. So NOW, I am hoping that eating vegan will lower my numbers. My dr recently doubled the strength of my statin. I will show him by becomming vegan!!!! |
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| shanna
Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Friday, January 8, 2010 at 12:35 AM
My dog ate my whole package of whole grain tortillas today Ha ha ha, that's cute. Our dog once ate a bar of soap...and vomited bubbles all over my mom's carpet. Dogs are awesome. |
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| freshstart
Joined: 01/07/10 Posts: 10 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Friday, January 8, 2010 at 6:06 PM I'm a little concerned about some of the choices that people are making as vegans which may be why triglycerides are up. Even though pretzels, breads, crackers, etc. are considered vegan, they can cause blood sugar levels to elevate due to the processed flour. This causes the pancreas to produce more insulin which then gets stored as fat. Triglycerides are the fat that travels through the blood to get to storage. |
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| celtred
Joined: 11/23/10 Posts: 1 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 10:55 PM I, too, was recently diagnosed with very high triglycerides and cholesterol of 201. I was also diagnosed as low thyroid, and my doctor suspects this is the reason my numbers are high. I am vegan and take vitamins, so I was really baffled by these numbers. Does anyone have experience with low thyroid affecting cholesterol and triglycerides as a vegan? |
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| VeganRD
Joined: 01/10/11 Posts: 1 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Monday, January 10, 2011 at 7:04 PM ZenBohemian: FIrst, congratulations on your weight loss and your commitment to a vegan diet! Second, forgive me if I'm repeating what's been said here already. Re: nuts, seeds and avocado. Not sure how much of these foods you are consuming but even tho they're considered "healthy" fats, they're still fats and have the potential to increase your triglyceride (TG) levels. It's doubtful that a small amount of maple syrup could be elevating your TG on its own. Have you had a thyroid panel done recently? Hypothyroidism can cause elevated TG levels. Too much carbohydrate can elevate TG levels, especially fruit and fruit juices, so I would limit yourself to 4 oz juice (OJ with calcium is a good choice) and 1-2 med pieces of fruit/day. About 3 dates = one fruit serving. I would concentrate on increasing your exercise. A great way is to get a pedometer (Maybe you could borrow one from a friend. If not, they are not expensive) Calibrate it for your stride length following directions and after wearing for one day, try to increase the number of steps you take each day. You can even walk around your house while you're reading or talking on the phone. Hope this helps! |
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| murphyjr
Joined: 05/20/13 Posts: 3 |
RE: High Triglycerides level as a vegan? Posted Monday, May 20, 2013 at 1:25 AM So I have just had blood work done. Been a vegetarian since October 2011. Gradually moved toward vegan diet. Cholesterol 211, triglycerides 231 - doc not worried about either number. But did put me on Armour thyroid, and vitamins for B12 and D deficiency. Thyroid and B12 run in the family (who, until recently, were meat eaters.) It's been a long time since anyone has posted. Wondering how things have worked out. |
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And a super congratulations to you for taking charge of your health and doing so well!
Ever since I put her on arthritis meds she's able to get up to her old tricks of climbing up and stretching to get at things!! (she's a 13 year old Rottie X) Geez Louise. (love her to bits though)| New Topic Reply Subscription Options |
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