HDL vs LDL and Taking the Smart Approach to a High-Fat Diet - Keto Cut Day 24
Hey everyone! Yesterday I wrote a post that addressed the question: "is it unhealthy to eat a high-fat diet?" Today I'll tell you about HDL and LDL which are extremely pertinent to the questioning of a high-fat diet.
LDL stands for "Low-Density Lipoprotein" and is often referred to as "bad cholesterol" because it takes cholesterol to your arteries where it can build up and lead to heart disease and high cholesterol readings.
HDL stands for "High-Density Lipoprotein" and is often referred to as "good cholesterol" because it takes cholesterol to your liver, where your liver will break it down and eventually excrete it from your body.
Adding more HDL to your diet can actually even decrease your LDL levels, which will lead to an overall improvement in cholesterol and risk for the symptoms of high cholesterol.
I found some recommended cholesterol levels from Healthline:
- "HDL: The higher this number, the better. It should be at least higher than 55 mg/dL for females and 45 mg/dL for males.
- LDL: The lower this number, the better. It should be no more than 130 mg/dL if you don’t have heart disease, blood vessel disease, or diabetes. It should be no more than 100 mg/dL if you have any of those conditions or high total cholesterol."
https://www.healthline.com/health/hdl-vs-ldl-cholesterol#causes
My favorite food sources that are high in HDL:
- Olive Oil
- Fruit (ones that are high in fiber)
- Certain Nuts (my go-to are almonds)
- Avocados
Also keep in mind that working out more is a great way to naturally lower your LDL levels and get your cholesterol back on track!
So long story longer, eating a diet that's high in fat - provided that it's high in the right type of fat - will actually lead to improved cholesterol levels!
This is not medical advice, please talk to your doctor if you're concerned about your cholesterol levels! I personally get my cholesterol levels checked yearly!
Day 24 Log:
Weigh-In:
| Start Weight (lbs) | Goal Weight (lbs) | Weight Lost (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| 198 | 173 | 12 |
| Today's Weight (lbs) | Fat Mass (%) | Body Mass BMI |
|---|---|---|
| 186.2 | 20.2 | 20.3 |
Workout:
Leg Day:
| Movement | Weight lbs | # Reps | # Sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 245 | 8 | 4 |
| Leg Extensions | 180 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Squat Press | 450 | 8-10 | 4 |
| Hamstring Curl | 220 | 12-15 | 4 |
| Standing Calf Raises | 225 | 15 | 4 |
| Cardio | 10 Minutes - Stair Master |
Here's the Question of The Day, don't forget to post your answers in the comments!
QOTD: Do you know what your cholesterol levels are? Do you get enough HDL in with your regular diet? What's your favorite food with HDL?
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts below and I look forward to seeing you in the comments!
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Not my favorite but sardines. Costco has the version Tim Ferris recommends and it has more of a smokey taste than fishy taste. Amazingly, I can eat them
Haha thats's a good one! I've been hearing about sardines all over podcasts recently, Joe Rogan, Aubrey and Tim Ferriss!! I may have to give them a shot, but I'm definitely no fan of fish!
Yes, yes, yes! Im a huge fan of keto!
You and anyone else who likes keto might be interested in this guy Mark Sisson and his "primal blueprint" which is very similar to paleo. And paleo is very similar to keto.
Here's a few of his posts that explain this approach:
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/introducing-the-new-primal-blueprint/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-to-the-primal-eating-plan/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/
Well done on this information
Great post from you
Thanks for sharing
Just wanted to correct something, i think they don't take cholesterol to the arteries, but to all the tissues instead, cholesterol is the precursor of most of the hormones like testosterone, etc... and it's a building block of the cell membrane, so we always need some, our body produces cholesterol, everytime we ingest cholesterol through eggs and such our liver actually produces less.
One thing that increases the LDL is steroids, it's one of the reasons to stay away from them!
I haven't checked my cholesterol in 1 year, i should though, but i know that i have a nice ratio of cholesterol without even measuring it, i eat from 50g-100g of peanut butter a day, and 20g of olive oil! Both of them increase the HDL cholesterol
LDL lipoproteins can cause plaque buildup in the arteries. Though I could see how that can be seen differently than actually carrying cholesterol to the arteries. Same negative effect in my book! I am a little confused on whether the cholesterol actually goes to the arteries, or if it just contributes to the plaque itself. Here's what I found on webmd:
Nice work with the PB and olive oil! Those are some great fats! I have pretty great numbers for cholesterol and I eat similarly!
A variety of things can improve HDL cholesterol levels, especially my favorite food oily fish, such as fresh tuna, and Dr suggest me that eating 2–3 portions of oily fish each week can increase HDL levels in the blood. And also brightly colored fruit and vegetables have been shown to improve HDL cholesterol levels,
Wow, you know they have made cholesterol sound like a dead end in diet. I always thought that cholesterol was all bad until today. It's a delight to know that we have good and bad cholesterol but the question is, how do we know the good from the bad? Is it by simply eating foods said to contain HDL and avoiding that said to contain LDL?. Is it possible for a diet that contains good cholesterol to also contain bad cholesterol at the same time?
Yeah, it's really surprising when you find out the truth about how food really works! Big food companies and pharma companies have been known to skew public opinion in big ways to keep their big profits going!
Yeah I'd say the best course of action is to read up on the foods that are higher in HDL and eat more of those than the ones with high levels of LDL.. That said, you shouldn't cut your favorite foods completely out of your life, moderation in everything is essential!
Wow so some cholesterol can be good for the body? I was always of the misleaded opinion that cholesterol is bad, and can never be good?
I think my favourite food with HDL is groundnut meal.
I however do not know my cholesterol level at all.
Yep! It's a very misleading idea. I talked about it a bit in my reply to @sistem! Big food and pharma companies like to mislead us and make big profits from it!
hmm groundnut meal, that sounds interesting! I would recommend getting your levels checked whenever you get the opportunity. It's important to know!
Best way to increase HDL is to exercise regularly.
That and a healthy diet are they key!
I agree.
Glad to hear it! What's your favorite workout routine?
Back and arms are always a great workout!
Well I got low HDL and high LDL so used to go to gym and then finally started doing jui Jitsu. I did it for a few months but I injured myself so kind of taking it easy right now. Usually try to go to gym if I can.
That there was a normal level of cholesterol on eating fish and greens (dill, parsley, salad ...). Green removes cholesterol from the body.
HDL is a great way to re-normalize your cholesterol levels!