Triglycerides and Vytorin

[Lisa]

I've pinpointed the Vytorin as causing the pins/needles pain in my feet, numbness in some toes and fingers, papules on my hand (maybe dermatomyositis) and am constantly tired, in spite of hiring a personal trainer for several months and still was exhausted. Now going up steps is exhausting and I'm only 48. My bad cholesteral is still less than 200, my good cholesteral is slightly low, but without statins my triglycerides are over 800, which is horrendous. I've gained some good insight/info from reading this forum. Can anyone help me with the triglyceride issue?
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[sos_group_owner]

Hi Lisa & Welcome to the Forum,

High triglycerides are primarily caused by a high carbohydrate diet.
Low HDL is usually caused by a lack of saturated fat - healthy saturated fats are coconut oil and butter. Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil is also a very healthy fat (contains critical omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and most of the fatty acids are actually omega-9 which is monounsaturated)

Completely avoid anything that contains trans fats - hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.

When we are told to eat the "heart healthy" low fat - low cholesterol" diet , we are usually driven to a high carb diet. If the label says low fat or no fat, we think it is a healthy choice. Most low/no fats foods contain sugar to compensate for the loss of "fat" flavor. One extreme example: IC vs sorbet - sorbet is "pure sugar" and anything BUT healthy.

The "white foods" cause triglycerides to SOAR...
- Sugar (biggest offender), rice, potato, bread, flour.
Pasta is the least likely to cause elevated triglycerides.

Replace the white foods with (not a complete list):
* Stevia (completely natural) sweetener
- (I prefer the liquid - found in healthy food stores)
* Brown/wild rice
* Sprouted Grain bread or bread made with spelt flour
* Barley
* Sweet potatoes
* Whole grain pastas
* Steel cut oatmeal
* Buckwheat
* Millet

Cinnamon (C. cassia - spice isle variety) helps to control triglycerides and blood sugar levels. Available in 500 mg capsules (Walmart, etc) - take one to three capsules daily.

Has your doctor checked your thyroid?
Informative article about high triglycerides and "underactive thyroid":

Excerpt: "Triglyceride levels ranging from 400-1000 mg/dL are considered high and levels greater than 1000 mg/dL are considered very high. High levels of triglycerides may indicate liver disease (cirrhosis), an underactive thyroid problem, uncontrolled diabetes, an infection of the pancreas (pancreatitis), kidney disease, or a diet too low in protein and too high in carbohydrates."

Source:

[url]http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/triglycerides_test.jsp[/url]

Fran