Wellness

[VaBelle35]

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@bebe777 wrote:

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@VaBelle35 wrote:

Cholestacare/Fibermucil, for me, has worked.  I use it in combination with eating Primal (paleo).  While my total number didn't change, I flipped my HDL and LDL significantly.

I have not gone for my 2016 physical yet only because my work health insurance no longer requires and annual physical for the premium discount, so I decided to take care of a dermatology issue instead.

I may go in April while I"m off work.  I like to go when I'm not stressed.

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@VaBelle35, thanks so much for sharing your results with CholestaCare/Fibermucil. The Primal (paleo) diet -- and Mark Sisson's version of it -- is really the way to go. I know that Andrew and Mark are still good friends, so I'm mystified as to why it doesn't seem as though Andrew has chatted with Mark about diet.

That's great that this combo has had a positive effect on your HDL numbers and lowered your LDL number.

I also try to have a full physical every year, but sometimes it's every 15 to 18 (yikes!) months. I should be more diligent but since I have a great diet and I use good supplements I tend to feel like I'm probably in good shape. -- It was interesting to read about the changes in Andrew's numbers and what he did to get his numbers back in shape.

I hope your derm proceedure goes well.

bebe

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@bebe777   I am really surprised at all the foods Andrew listed as giving up in his blog.  I'm sure there's more to it, but it's only been a few months.  I can't imagine him being able to sustain that diet for the long term, especially the way he exercises.

[Kindaglitzy]

@bebe777. Thanks for posting his annual schedule along with the TS's. Might have replenished a couple more items today if he was not going to be on in April.

[Mom2Dogs]

@bebe777...I forgot to ask you...does your step father take any other drug for the A-fib?  My dh sees the cardiologist every 6 months for a thyroid blood test and a routine visit. I am going to have him ask if he can get off the bloodthinner drug...but I find that a bit scary as well does my husband, it is hard to decide to go off a med and trust a supplement to to the same job, but  also know the drugs have side effects.

I will be anxious to see what his doctor says.

Again thank you for your helpful information.

[Tinkrbl44]

I'm new to AL and wonder how often he does his shows on HSN .... monthly?  ... every couple months?     How often?

I only  want to buy a couple things and see how they work ....  buying ten products and starting them all at once will tell me nothing about their effectiveness.   You get the idea.

So .... if I get only a couple things, when will be the next time he'll be back with good prices?   TIA

[CWS22]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

I'm new to AL and wonder how often he does his shows on HSN .... monthly?  ... every couple months?     How often?

I only  want to buy a couple things and see how they work ....  buying ten products and starting them all at once will tell me nothing about their effectiveness.   You get the idea.

So .... if I get only a couple things, when will be the next time he'll be back with good prices?   TIA

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AL will be back next month (April). Check out an earlier post in this thread (post 59) for his usual schedule of visits.

[bebe777]

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@sueinsf wrote:

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@bebe777 wrote:

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@sueinsf wrote:

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@bebe777 wrote:

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@FLGators wrote:

How much is too much Vitamin D3? I have his Vitamin D3-2500; I have COQ10 w/2000 D3. this Essential has 2000 D3. My levels are fine at the moment & I have been taking 4500-5000iu. Wondering if an additional 2000 be too much? Essential 1 is my must have, may have to alternate on vitamin d3 in take if it's too much. Hope he has the larger size bottles, DH & I share. 

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For myself, I take more vitamin D3 than the average person because I'm overweight and the body sequesters Vitamin D in fat. So I have to take more vitamin D3 to make sure enough of it winds up in the prefrontal cortex of my brain, in my fast twitch muscles (which help prevent falls) and in that big old muscle (my heart).

For the past 4-5 winters, I've been taking around 9,000 IU of Andrew's D3 daily. I get some of the D3 from his other supplements (e.g. COQ10 TSV and his Elite multi-vitamins), then supplement the rest with his Vitamin D3 specific supplements. -- In the spring and fall I take 5,000-6,000 IU daily. -- I don't generally wear sunscreen in the summer because I have medium skin color and don't burn. If I know that I'll be outside during a summer day, then I'll probably just go with whatever Vitamin D I'm getting in Andrew's various other supplements I'm taking (and not take any specific Vitamin D3 supplements).

If I wasn't overweight, I'd probably be taking 4,000-6,000 IU daily in the cold winters (where the sun is less intense and provides less of an opportunity for the body to make vitamin D). -- In the spring and fall, I'd take 4,000 IU daily. And in the summer, I'd take it on a day by day basis.

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For those wondering how much to take, Andrew has often recommended having one's Vitamin D levels checked and I'd say it is probably good to do that, see where your levels are and talk to your doctor before deciding how much D3 you need.  I know when my levels were normal and I was still taking about 3500IU daily, my doctor felt that was too much.  I believe Andrew takes 4000-6000IU but he also says 1000-2000IU is sufficient for most people (which is probaby why he had 1500IU previously and 2000IU currently in the Essential 1).  Since he has been putting D3 in multiple products, I stopped buying it on its own. 

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HI @sueinsf, 

It's good to see you around here. I hope life is treating you well.

I just wanted to mention that Andrew feels that between 2,000 IU and 4,000 IU of Vitamin D3 is what he recommends for the average person who is of normal weight. 

Some factors that would lead people to take more than this include: 

* being overweight -- D3 gets sequestered in body fat

* being darker skinned -- the body absorbs less sunlight and so makes less vitamin D3 from the sunlight that it absorbs

* being elderly -- as we age, it gets more difficult for people to absorb their supplements. That said, after taking Andrew's Essential-1 of three weeks, my mom's D3 level was 30 (which doctors consider normal... though Andrew feels it should be much higher). And my mom's B-12 was 992 (normal is within the 500-1,000 range).

* probably a compromised immune system would make it more difficult to absorb supplements.

-- bebe

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Hi @bebe777!  Hope life is treating you well too

I agree with the factors you mention.  For me, since I have a good immune system, don't yet consider myself too elderly and have light skin, most of those don't necessitate me taking high levels of D3.  I also live in California where I get a fair amount of sun regularly.  Since my levels were normal when last checked and my doctor already told me she thought 3500IU too much, I don't know that I need 3500-4000IU daily.  I also eat pretty healthy and consider supplements just that -- supplementing my diet (not my sole source), so I also feel I get some of my needs through food (such as eggs, cheese and salmon for D).   

I would just caution others to not just go by Andrew (or us on the boards), but to talk to their doctors and have their levels checked (which he recommends), as those are important considerations in making that decision as well.

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Hi @sueinsf, excellent recommendation!!!

-- bebe

[bebe777]

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@VaBelle35 wrote:

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@bebe777 wrote:

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@VaBelle35 wrote:

Cholestacare/Fibermucil, for me, has worked.  I use it in combination with eating Primal (paleo).  While my total number didn't change, I flipped my HDL and LDL significantly.

I have not gone for my 2016 physical yet only because my work health insurance no longer requires and annual physical for the premium discount, so I decided to take care of a dermatology issue instead.

I may go in April while I"m off work.  I like to go when I'm not stressed.

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@VaBelle35, thanks so much for sharing your results with CholestaCare/Fibermucil. The Primal (paleo) diet -- and Mark Sisson's version of it -- is really the way to go. I know that Andrew and Mark are still good friends, so I'm mystified as to why it doesn't seem as though Andrew has chatted with Mark about diet.

That's great that this combo has had a positive effect on your HDL numbers and lowered your LDL number.

I also try to have a full physical every year, but sometimes it's every 15 to 18 (yikes!) months. I should be more diligent but since I have a great diet and I use good supplements I tend to feel like I'm probably in good shape. -- It was interesting to read about the changes in Andrew's numbers and what he did to get his numbers back in shape.

I hope your derm proceedure goes well.

bebe

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@bebe777   I am really surprised at all the foods Andrew listed as giving up in his blog.  I'm sure there's more to it, but it's only been a few months.  I can't imagine him being able to sustain that diet for the long term, especially the way he exercises.

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@VaBelle35, lol, agreed. My total cholesterol is around 135-140 (65 is my HDL) and I start each day with three scrambled eggs (from free-range chicken that are not fed grain) and have 4oz of grass fed beef (in a hamburger) for supper. -- I prefer hamburger over a small piece of steak because the hamburger meat is ground up which aids in digestion of the protein. I also regularly run iron defficiencies and so it's better for me to have meat in my diet each day. -- In each case, I purchase my eggs and meat from a local small producer who has been vetted by the green market.

VaBelle35, you know how much I love cheese but in recent years dairy products have not so much been my friend, so I just don't eat cheese as much... though I still enjoy it on occasion. And I love my occasional tidbits of yummy butter.

I've never been really clear on whether or not Andrew has always eaten pasture raised beek and chicken... instead of grain fed animals. -- Pasture raised beef and chicken results in a good Omega-3 profile for thse meats, while grain fed meat/chicken results in a bad Omega-6 profile for them. There are both good Omega-6s (e.g. primrose oil) and bad Omega-6s:  grain fed meat/chicken results in food with bad Omega-6s. -- I feel that part of the reason for my great cholesterol numbers is because my eggs/meat comes from animals who have been pasture raised. 

I also have always questioned the link between cholesterol and eggs.  And in the past few years, there's been more studies coming out questioning this connection. So I was surprised to read Andrew's take on eggs. -- That said, I can't quibble with his results.

It will be interesting to read about Andrew's progress over the coming months. -- One good thing about Andrew is that he is honest and transparent. Obfuscation is not a word in his vocabulary.

-- bebe

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From Andrew's recent blog post...

The competitive part of my personality kicked in and it was now, “Me Versus My Cholesterol.”  I have always said that diet is the most powerful tool for our good health, so it was time for me to get serious about diet.  Medications were a last resort, so I was willing to make whatever dietary changes were required.  I immediately eliminated all egg yolks, and eggs have always been one of my favorite meals or snacks throughout the day.  Eggs are also the principal source of cholesterol in many diets.  In the past, it would not have been unusual for me to eat more than a dozen eggs in any given week.  I eliminated heavy cream, which Muriel would add when making her yummy scrambled eggs, and I also eliminated cheese, butter, milk, red meat, etc.  My primary sources of fat became extra virgin olive oil and avocados, nuts and seeds.  My sole sources of animal protein became fish, chicken, turkey and egg whites.  I started each day with a bowl of Ultimate Oat Bran or Oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, 2 capsules of cinnamon extract and some sliced almonds or pecans.  Throughout the day, I ate healthy vegetables, legumes and soups, as well as sautéed edamame and/or dark green salads (with fish, chicken, turkey or egg white added).  For dinners, I had fish or chicken with vegetables.  Even if I had a fruit smoothie, I would sprinkle oat bran and flaxseed into it, along with my protein powder.  I also took Fibermucil and CholestaCare capsules with every meal.  A few weeks later, I called my doctor, who has been a friend for the past 30+ years, and told him I wanted to come back to get re-tested to see what my dietary changes had done for my numbers.  He said, “Give it a chance.  It has not been long enough.”

[VaBelle35]

@bebe777

Something Andrew has said many times is that they eat out a lot because that's where Muriel gets her inspiration for the dishes she cooks and she re-creates at home.  Now, they are not going to Applebees, but I doubt every meal they eat out is grassfed beef and pastured eggs.

I can't imagine that they don't eat organic, free range, grassfed everything.  They can certainly afford it.

I just have to scratch my head at that blog post.  I actually read it twice when he first posted it because I couldn't believe what he was saying.

Personally, I think, as he said, his competitive nature kicked in and he is just focused on the number.  He is numbers driven with his diet and exercise (he talks a lot about how fast he can do something or how long he can do something every visit) and I think all the research and rational thought goes out the window when his numbers don't track.

I can't live without steak, so I am thrilled I have so many sources of grassfed here.

[VaBelle35]

@bebe777  And just putting Mark and Andrew side-by-side, they are both aging very well and look incredible at their age.  Andrew is very rigid and focused and Mark is very casual about what he eats diet and his exercise routine.

So I can't really fault Andrew's methods as he seems to be getting the same result as Mark.

It's confusing though.

[willdob3]

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@VaBelle35 wrote:

We will be getting Marine Collagen 4.0 (if you count the MSM version) at some point.  Andrew said he's working on making it so that it doesn't foam up when you mix it and leave residue on the glass.  

And he said he just turned 60.

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@VaBelle35 

Any other changes to it? I'm currently using the version with MSN in it (I think). I add it to hot tea and have never really noticed it foaming or leaving a residue. Or if I did I just figured I need to stir it a bit more.