While at work, a co-worker and fellow sports fan casually mentioned that ex-NBA ball player Armen Gilliam, dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a game of ball. Being around the same age as Gilliam, pushing 50, I asked myself, with all the eggs I eat, could I possibly be vulnerable to something like that happening to me so suddenly and unexpectedly?
Although I am still a poultry and fish eater, for personal reasons I am gradually decreasing (not eliminating) my intake of chicken. I will probably always eat some chicken but my system tells me eggs are a better way to go on a daily basis for me.
Simply put, I love eggs. Although I have moved up to pasture raised eggs, my eggs over the last couple of years have been the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's cage free/free range eggs. I consider them "better" but not necessarily "best". But, I was to find out that they have served me well.
Here in Portland I currently don't have a doctor, but they have a place called Any Lab Test Now, where you can go in and get blood work for anything; HIV, Cholesterol, Testosterone levels, prostate PSA, any of the tests you can get a the to doctor. I went over, told them I just wanted to check my cholesterol cause I'm eating 15 to 20 eggs a week, every week. So they took my blood and the next day I got my results. I wasn't too worried because I was sure I was in great health so far as that is concerned, but just wanted to make sure.
My test results simply astonished me. No only were they good they were considered OPTIMAL. Now I am not totally attributing this to eating eggs, but I proved to myself that eating all those eggs was not a detriment to my cholesterol levels.
As a quick note, I scramble my eggs in coconut oil, and my cholesterol test results show that coconut oil fat, although highly saturated, has not been a detriment to my health, and along with quality eggs, probably helped contribute to my good cholesterol scores. Definitely did not hurt 🙂
Here is a basic break down of a couple of those cholesterol test numbers that we all are probably familiar with.
LDL Cholesterol("Bad Cholesterol")
LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries and increase your chances of getting heart disease. That is why LDL cholesterol is referred to as "bad" cholesterol. Although I don't think LDL is technically "bad", it works in conjunction with HDL, and it seems the two need to be more in balance.
My LDL results…..
(The lower your LDL cholesterol number, the lower your risk)
Less than 100(Optimal), 100-129(Good), 130-159(Borderline High), 160-189(High-Caution), 190 and above(Very High-Danger)
My LDL score 79 !!!!!!!!!! WOW
HDL Cholesterol ("Good Cholesterol")
HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease by taking the "bad" cholesterol out of your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries. The line below explains what the numbers mean.
My HDL results……
(The higher the number, the lower your risk.)
60 and above (Optimal, low risk), <40/men, <50/women (too low, higher risk)
My HDL score 80 !!!!!!!!!! WOW (I was told "good" HDL cholesterol is very rare to be that high)
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food and the body. A high triglyceride level has been linked to higher risk of coronary artery disease.
My Trigliceride results……
(The lower the number, the lower your risk.)
30-150(Optimal), 150-199(Mildly High), 200-499(High), 500 and above(Very High-Danger)
My Triglyceride score 31 !!!!!!!!!! Triple WOW
Total Cholesterol
Your total blood cholesterol is a measure of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and other lipid components. Doctors recommend total cholesterol levels below 200.
My Total Cholesterol score 175, I'm all up in the zone. Although, my understanding is below 200 is optimum for the "American Diet" other low risk cultures can have optimal standards of 150 or lower
For me, I have proven to myself that the cholesterol in eggs myth is truly a myth for me, and from other research of mine, cholesterol is necessary for the body's normal functioning. I am ratcheting down my intake of eggs simply because my 5 egg omlettes on the weekend kinds of over-stuffs me, it's just that they are so delicious. However now I can enjoy them without that cholesterol worry in the back of my head, the one that we all seem to have falsely ingrained in us, from who knows where. ~dw~
15 Responses
DW,
Congratulations on the opening of your blog.
I believe your contribution will be valuable to those readers who can benefit from a balanced approach. I appreciate the tone and content of your blog entry, since it is written in the first person POV.
Do you know your results of your previous Comprehensive Metabolic Panel 1.5 years ago from Northwestern Hospital?
Do you believe your residence on the West Coast (or other lifestyle choices) is a factor for your balance of cholesterol levels?
Besides organic eggs, what are some of your other food options during the 1.5 years of your health transformation?
What is your workout regiment? Do you practice yoga, tai chi, meditation, or aerobic excercise?
Enough for now. Keep up the good work.
AWB – Last CMP 11/28/2011 Cholesterol/LDL/HDL/Tri/VLDL 126/69/36/104/21
Prev CMP11/6/2010 Cholesterol/LDL/HDL/Tri/VLDL 141/86/33/112/22
AWB.
1. I am not sure what the results were at Northwestern. My scores have never been too bad anyway. So I cannot, and I am not saying eggs gave me good Cholesterol numbers, I’m saying the eggs obviously didn’t screw up my Cholesterol. I am quite sure at NW the HDL was much lower, because I would have notice the high score at that time. The results are no longer on line at NW. I remember at that time I didn’t know how to interpret the numbers and they didn’t help me.
2. I don’t think it’s west coast Weather yet, I have only been out here one year. But I really love these 45 degree winters.
3. I do think that cholesterol is due to eggs alone. I don’t think one thing in and of itself gives you your scores. It seems to be a combination of things and the end result of everything you. I have found that salmon, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Eggs, and occasional butter and cheese are all high in fact an have not affected me negatively. I don’t think saturated fat is the culprit, I think it’s unhealthy saturated fats that cannot be processed by the body. I had to change my mindset about that saturated fat thing and just make sure all my fat came from healthy sources, fat is as necessary and important as anything else.
4. I’m lucky because I can eat the same thing say in and day out. For breakfast I have a plant based protein smoothie with fruit and veggies such as kale and spinach (actually pretty tasty) http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-RAW-Protein-622g/dp/B0031JK96C/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1324576835&sr=1-1-catcorr, mid morning meal is Oatmeal and about 3 or 4 eggs, although last few weeks its 1 egg, I’m cutting down on eggs, afternoon another of the same smoothie, unless I get some Whole Foods Pizza or some other healthy treat like a turkey sandwich from Whole Foods. Dinner is normally Whole Wheat Pasta with Flax http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FDMM1C/ref=rcxsubs_mys2_product_title , and salmon. I make my Own salad dressing simply mixing Olive Oil and apple cider vinegar, I also add garlic and spices to the pasta. On occasions I will get something from the Whole Foods food court like chicken and Garlic potatoes or a turkey sandwich, but like I said, I can go for weeks and weeks eating exactly the same thing. And it’s all pretty good. So when I wanna “cheat”, I hate that word, it’s no big deal.
5. At least your Triglycerides numbers are low, which means you don’t have that junk in your arteries. And the LDL is pretty low. It seem like you gotta get that HDL up. I think that LDL being called “bad” is a misnomer, it’s just as necessary as HDL. I wanna get my total cholesterol below 150 because they in that book The China Study, 170 is only low for the Western diet, and other cultures with lower rates of cancer and diabetes have total Cholesterol from 90 to 140. I expect that to happen as I lay off all the eggs. But I still expect them to be in balance. I’m not a doctor, but if you can’t eat eggs, I will look into what you might wanna consider to get that HDL up. I just don’t think you should be afraid of “healthy fats”.
6. Working out is something I’m very consistent at. I do three days a week and I don’t think I missed a day in 5 years. I not so big on specific regiments, I believe you should just get in there and workout. I was actually considering bringing in tai-chi next year. No yoga, but I am learning to just take my time and stretch before workouts. I’m luck again cause I’ve always had that workout “bug”
~dw~
" . . . but if you can’t eat eggs, I will look into what you might wanna consider to get that HDL up. I just don’t think you should be afraid of “healthy fats”
DW,
Not afraid of healthy fats. Just not a consumer of egg. I regularly consume avocados, which some critics believe are fattening. I've they are considered essential for HDL and lowering LDL. I also consume raw walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans. Some say cashews are difficult to digest. It doesn't matter, they work for me. I use coconut oil on my skin after using aloe vera gel. For salad dressing, I use flax/olive oil and cocnut/rice vinegar on spinach leaves. Rarely do I use commercial dressings.
Good to see you can Harry are practicing optimum health habits. Maybe others wil board the ship. – AWB
Avocados is “good” fat. As a general statement, any plant based fat is good fat. Yeah I can see how some fold don’t or won’t consume eggs. I eat cashews all time and they are hard to digest, they gave me gas. But I learned to soak them in water for 2 hours and then dry them. That make them digestible. It works for me, no more gas. I have a dehydrator for nuts and fruit to dry them out. That salad dressing like a good recipe. I’ll throw it on mu blog. I’m using this coconut vinegar also that is awesome. I go harry into it and he is teaching me stuff now, like throwing all my veggies into my smoothie.
Avocados is “good” fat. As a general statement, any plant based fat is good fat. Yeah I can see how some folks don’t or won’t consume eggs. I eat cashews all time and they are hard to digest, they gave me gas. But I learned to soak them in water for 2 hours and then dry them. That make them digestible. It works for me, no more gas. I have a dehydrator for nuts and fruit to dry them out. That salad dressing like a good recipe. I’ll throw it on mu blog. I’m using this coconut vinegar also that is awesome. I go harry into it and he is teaching me stuff now, like throwing all my veggies into my smoothie.
Very good information. Lucky me I found your site by chance (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
Thanks, sorry if the article is too long, it was one of my first and I wasn’t concise yet. Anyhoo, I have been quite sure that eggs HELPED my cholesterol levels. From all that I learned about cholesterol, the cholesterol in eggs has absolutely nothing to do with the cholesterol that causes problems. I think the issue with cooking is more the poor oils that people cook in and not the eggs themselves. I’ve recently moved up to pasture raised eggs, to get as high quality as possible.
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking the time and actual effort to make a top notch article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.
Thanks for your comment. Don’t worry, I put off blogging for 3 years. The energy comes out when it’s time.
Another great post Doug. I eat three eggs a day all week. Guess that pus me at about 21! LOL. I haven't checked my Cholesterol but I am certain it is fine. Even if it wasn't I woudn't be worried. As you age, Cholesterol is supposed to be higher (DRs don't tell you that either because they don't know or because they want to push their statins for kickbacks). Cholesterol actually serves the body as a means to repair cells and as you age you need more cell repair. There is something to be said for they type of cholesterol (good and bad levels) but even the bad cholesterol is useful. I figure if I eat healthy fats and pastured meats I will have nothing to worry about. Traditional cultures thrived on this type of diet!
From my research, cholesterol from food and high cholesterol have nothing to do with each other. I really think they should stop calling it “bad cholesterol”, it’s misleading. So far as LDL and HDL, one moves to the liver, the other moves out of the liver. It seems to me like they should be in balance, just like everything else in the body. Many people are simply out of balance. So when my LDL/HDL was 79/80, it seems simply that my body is in balance. I want to write something on this whole pastured meats thing because you are right that traditional diets in certain cultures at e lot of meats, i.e. the Eskimos and Aborigines and they were not getting these “Western Diseases”. So there hast to be a “sweet spot” between an all plant based diet and healthy meats. Another issue is that if you are African American like myself you’re more vulnerable to low Vitamin D, and eating salmon is one good way to resolve that. My vitamin d scores are optimal as well, but if I were vegetarian, I would be running into problems with low vitamin D.
Yes, I hear that Vit D levels are higher in seafood than even in milk! I look forward to reading your cholesterol post. I try to understand it all, but my brain better understands the cultural and historical perspective as evidence much better.
What I do know is that all the suposed evidence against saturated fats and cholestorol are not there! There are a bunch of peer reviews that all refer back to each other but no conclusive studies. And every single one of them dismisses traditional cultures which is the longest human trial ever. Amazing.
I’m totally with you on that. as soon as I read your first comment today, it gave me the inspiration for my next post. I will be called “A case for animal protein: Salmon and Vitamin D”. I am up into this historically cultural nutrition thing also, because although there is some validity in a plant based died being associated with low cancer, the Eskimos often ate 100% meat and fat and they were not getting cancer. As well as the plains Native Americans and their Buffalo. I’m working on another article called “I am my own lab rat” where I am also saying that I try to stick to foods tested through time. It still too “wordy” in my head, I’m trying to cut it down to a quick post.
Oh, and I think the studies with saturated fats and such was nothing but a marketing scam to get people to buy newfangled oils.
I just happened to findcome across your website and your write up Optimum Cholesterol Levels after 15+ eggs a week for over a year!!!-
The Gaia Health Blog. The essay you give kind of causes me think. Thanks for the write up.