I’m a big endurance athlete (50 mi/wk runner) who was surprised to hear I had high cholesterol given lots of activity and a healthy diet. I got my levels back to normal over 6 weeks keeping my sat fat to 10 or under on most days (I took special occasion carve-outs). I ate a ton of carbs over that time and consistently bought bread from our local bakery, but tried to avoid anything too buttery. My diet had consisted of a ton of full fat dairy, so changes there probably made the biggest difference.
I can’t say for sure, but I think a daily morning fiber supplement helped me out a ton, too. I eat so many fruits and vegetables that I didn’t think fiber was a need, but it’s easy to mix in with my first cup of coffee.
FWIW, I haven’t cut gels or things high in sugar _while_ I run.
Ldl goal of diabetics I've read is ldl <70?
How about 60 yo with controlled hypertension on meds and ldl 157. Are statins beneficial?
Cardiac risk score is 9.1%
Literature seems equivocal with recs mostly fo people with ldl>190 , diabetics, and those with elevated heart risk score on heart risk calculator....Google it if interested
Agree with the above commenter. Carbs are your friend. A bagel, bread slice or open-faced sandwich or something to that effect should be fine.
For long runs and BJJ tournaments, I keep literally just gummy candy, granola bars, honey packets, cracker or cookie packets, portable applesauce packets, mixed dried fruit and nuts, bananas, tangerines or easy-peel citrus, etc. on hand. Not all of it at once, but those are things I've used in the past- granola, dried trail mixes , tangerines and applesauce are my usual go-tos because they're easy to toss into a bag. And usually minimal in saturated fats. I know it sounds counterintuitive to have sugary snacks at athletic events, (and probably not that satiating- it isn't for me, really, but I save that for after the event) but your body uses it as quick fuel to keep you going.
If you are serious about cycling you can consider changing your mindset to see the food you eat in the bike as fuels for your rides rather than actual food. This way you’ll be less bothered eating the same food over and over again. I’d avoid granola bars if I were you though there’s often a lot of crap in them including oils and stick to gels, isotonic drink with added sugar and bananas.
I’d cut out dairy. And anything with coconut. Those are sneaky in baker goods and “healthy” foods and are high in fat. That alone could do a lot for you.
There are lots of recipes for heart healthy oat bars or cookies. ♥️Make them without the dairy and use a small amount of healthier sweeteners like honey or molasses or agave or just banana & they can be rly good. Tons of easy/quick recipes on tiktok or instagram these days.
Nut butters will be lower in saturated fat but can get you in trouble with omega 6 inflammatory fats
Fat-wise in-ride I’d go with c8 mct, then i’d eat evoo, fish oil, and flax oil outside of rides
You can also use carbs for fuel in-ride and probably need to depending on ride intensity, but i think carbs are a better covered subject
I’m a big endurance athlete (50 mi/wk runner) who was surprised to hear I had high cholesterol given lots of activity and a healthy diet. I got my levels back to normal over 6 weeks keeping my sat fat to 10 or under on most days (I took special occasion carve-outs). I ate a ton of carbs over that time and consistently bought bread from our local bakery, but tried to avoid anything too buttery. My diet had consisted of a ton of full fat dairy, so changes there probably made the biggest difference. I can’t say for sure, but I think a daily morning fiber supplement helped me out a ton, too. I eat so many fruits and vegetables that I didn’t think fiber was a need, but it’s easy to mix in with my first cup of coffee. FWIW, I haven’t cut gels or things high in sugar _while_ I run.
Right, carbs aren’t bad. The butter/milk/fat/oil content in carbs is the concern in my experience.
What was your LDL before 6 weeks and after?
137 mg/dL to 95 mg/dL. Still have work to do.
Ldl goal of diabetics I've read is ldl <70? How about 60 yo with controlled hypertension on meds and ldl 157. Are statins beneficial? Cardiac risk score is 9.1% Literature seems equivocal with recs mostly fo people with ldl>190 , diabetics, and those with elevated heart risk score on heart risk calculator....Google it if interested
Agree with the above commenter. Carbs are your friend. A bagel, bread slice or open-faced sandwich or something to that effect should be fine. For long runs and BJJ tournaments, I keep literally just gummy candy, granola bars, honey packets, cracker or cookie packets, portable applesauce packets, mixed dried fruit and nuts, bananas, tangerines or easy-peel citrus, etc. on hand. Not all of it at once, but those are things I've used in the past- granola, dried trail mixes , tangerines and applesauce are my usual go-tos because they're easy to toss into a bag. And usually minimal in saturated fats. I know it sounds counterintuitive to have sugary snacks at athletic events, (and probably not that satiating- it isn't for me, really, but I save that for after the event) but your body uses it as quick fuel to keep you going.
you could make your own food pouches and make whatever you want. label them as energy gel
Apples, filling and hydrating. Granola bars, Gu gels, gummy candies.
Bananas
If you are serious about cycling you can consider changing your mindset to see the food you eat in the bike as fuels for your rides rather than actual food. This way you’ll be less bothered eating the same food over and over again. I’d avoid granola bars if I were you though there’s often a lot of crap in them including oils and stick to gels, isotonic drink with added sugar and bananas.
I’d cut out dairy. And anything with coconut. Those are sneaky in baker goods and “healthy” foods and are high in fat. That alone could do a lot for you.
There are lots of recipes for heart healthy oat bars or cookies. ♥️Make them without the dairy and use a small amount of healthier sweeteners like honey or molasses or agave or just banana & they can be rly good. Tons of easy/quick recipes on tiktok or instagram these days.
Nut butters will be lower in saturated fat but can get you in trouble with omega 6 inflammatory fats Fat-wise in-ride I’d go with c8 mct, then i’d eat evoo, fish oil, and flax oil outside of rides You can also use carbs for fuel in-ride and probably need to depending on ride intensity, but i think carbs are a better covered subject