Nutrition review, more tests, more prescriptions

DrA sent a message that my thyroid results were normal, but he'd like to see a 3 day food log, that he's never seen anyone "eat their way into high cholesterol", and he's respectful of the keto/low carb diet for athletes, and of my food limits.

So September was way out of normal for food log, I'm now over-aware of eating "healthy", not eating as much with stomach upset, and just out of whack. So I picked three random days in August. Here's what I sent. This averaged over time to be 20-50g of saturated fat a day, and I looked up the recommendations to be 13g of SF for 2000 calories. Huh?

I will promptly start the statins. And it would be prudent for me to follow up with a lipid specialist. To my understanding, Dr Braverman put in a consult for a nutritionist.

I tend to eat the same foods all week by doing a bulk meal prep on weekends, and purposefully avoid buying the same foods week after week. I log foods so I can track any symptoms from re-introducing new foods.  Recent new foods include avocado and nuts, with limited success. Shown below are three random days from my food log in August before the heart symptoms started. September was not typical due to stress, schedule disruption, and subsequent stomach upset. When I review averages by week, my food log program says 20-50g of saturated fat per day, and 300-900 mg cholesterol. 

I strictly avoid added sugar and grains, avoid as much as possible vegetable oils. I'm not at all prone to nibbles of candies or cookies or snacks. Rarely eat in restaurants. And supplement with a prebiotic, protiotic, antioxidant "greens" powder starting in late August. Not in the log is 1-2 cups a day of home-brewed strong Kombucha, 1-2T of raw ACV, and 1-2 tsp added salt to recipes (my blend of iodized, potassium salt, and sea salt). 

Day #1

4 oz ground beef, as measured raw

0.5 c pineapple

2 oz beef liver, measured raw

0.13 c coconut milk

1.5 T tomato paste

1 T sunflower seeds

3 oz beef chuck roast

1 cup steamed carrots

3 egg 

1 T butter

2 oz pork rinds

2 clementine oranges

Day #2 (did a 5K this day)

1c 5% fat Fage yogurt

~ 1 cup blackberries

half banana

4 oz ribeye steak, as measured raw

3 eggs

2 pieces bacon

0.5c home brew whole milk kefir

2 Clementine orange 

4 oz pork rinds

1 cup whole milk kefir

0.5 can of salmon

1T olive oil

Day #3

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

5 macadamia nuts

3 eggs + 3 egg whites

0.25 avocado

1 oz chicken liver

1 T butter

6 oz 85% ground beef, measured raw

2 clementine oranges

1 cup whole milk kefir

And since no experiment comparing a before and after is complete without, well, a before, here's three days in August 2014: 

Mayhaps a peek into the "before" eating when my cholesterol numbers were lower will provide insight. I have food logs back to 2014 when symptoms were the worst and I was still learning what caused problems. Here are the same August days in 2014. The biggest difference I see between the before/after is addition of red meats and removal of most all fruits,  vegetables, and grains. While 2014 is what the AHA might call "heart healthy" my logs also show daily GI symptoms, missed work,  and rapid weight loss at this time.  

Day #1 ran 6 miles Half banana

1 T Ghee butter

2 egg whites

Quinoa rice cereal

5 strawberries

1.2 pint blueberries

0.5 c ricotta cheese

Kiwi fruit

Orange

2 scoops protein powder

1 T ghee

1.5 cup sweet potato

2 cup cantaloupe

3 oz ground chicken

2 c eggplant

2 c zucchini

1 c daikon radish 

1 banana

Day #2 ran 4 miles 1 egg

0.5T ghee butter

Large sweet potato

Banana

¼ c cranberries

2 cup green beans

1 oz prosciutto

2 eggs

2 cups mixed greens

0.5c rice 

3 carrot

3 c eggplant

1 tomato

3 oz ground chicken

Rice and quinoa cereal

0.5c walnuts

2 clementine oranges

1 scoop protein powder

Day #3 no training

0.25 c walnuts

1 scoop protein powder

Medium sweet potato

3T maple syrup

Quinoa and rice cereal

2T coconut butter

1c carrot chopped

2 eggs

1 c white potato

2 pieces bacon

6 egg white

Banana

2T Almond butter

medium sweet potato

2 cup green beans

WOW I can't believe what I used to eat, the variety and foods I haven't' thought of in years! This was 2014, I was already low FODMAP and I didn't start SCD until June 2015. Then in late 2016 started NSNG, then in December 2017 started Keto, and in 2018 removed most all veg from my diet. 

I will grant that my current foods could promote high cholesterol. Question is, what types of changes can I make? Assuming the high saturated fats are a culprit -- that includes dairy, red meat, my chocolate (to my surprise!). Swap out a red meat meal for more fish? Swap out butter for more olive oil? 

As I'm typing, got calls from DrB office. The Crestor prescription is in and she gave me side effects heads up. Ugh. Also the genetic testing office will call me. 

Another call -- in addition to my CT for pelvic and abdomen on Oct 29th he's adding in an "echo" ECG.