10 replies to this topic

[shanek]

Did some addition, here is about the stats for top 10 (didn't add the last few btw but the trends are clear)

D3 20
Fish oil/omega 3 19
Magnesium 13
Vitamin K 10
Green/white Tea 8
Acetyl-L-Carnitine 8
Resveratrol 6
Curcumin 5
Multi 5


-BoddyB

Cool post. Does the community think that list still stands?

[niner]

D3 20
Fish oil/omega 3 19
Magnesium 13
Vitamin K 10
Green/white Tea 8
Acetyl-L-Carnitine 8
Resveratrol 6
Curcumin 5
Multi 5

Does the community think that list still stands?

Mostly I think it does. IMO, D3 would come with a caveat that you should test 25-OH-D3 levels, and try to supplement to between 30 and 50ng/ml. If diet is not very good, I'd raise the priority of the multi, but ideally we would all have great diets. Since the time of this thread, something new has come onto the scene- C60-oo. I have to put it in a special category though: I take most of the things on this list, and would have little problem recommending them to others. I take C60-oo, and if I could only take one thing, that would be it, since I could get everything else from nature. However, I don't know enough about the long term safety of C60-oo in humans, or about its developmental toxicity to recommend it to everyone.

[shanek]

Mostly I think it does. IMO, D3 would come with a caveat that you should test 25-OH-D3 levels, and try to supplement to between 30 and 50ng/ml. If diet is not very good, I'd raise the priority of the multi, but ideally we would all have great diets. Since the time of this thread, something new has come onto the scene- C60-oo. I have to put it in a special category though: I take most of the things on this list, and would have little problem recommending them to others. I take C60-oo, and if I could only take one thing, that would be it, since I could get everything else from nature. However, I don't know enough about the long term safety of C60-oo in humans, or about its developmental toxicity to recommend it to everyone.

Awesome. I'm already on the D3 (no testing, I know, I know..), Fish Oil (4g standard concentration), and just started Magnesium Malate. I also use 4 of the 6 pill dosage for Orange Triad, Creatine, and Beta Alanine on lift days.

All of that said, my LDL is high and my HDL @ 40. My fasted glucose is tested @ 110, but my a1c is 5.2 (I practice Intermittent Fasting, if applicable). I suppose I'm not overtly worried about the cholesterol (230 total, btw) or the glucose (because of the a1c), but.. I just did the 23andme thing, and my heart disease risk is 20% higher than normal. So, being that it will most likely be my heart that kills me, I've been reading and reading about.. well.. what to do. "Good and Bad" has become more convoluted with initial research, however, and I'm needing a bit of guidance.

I'm 27, male, 6'0 and 175 lbs. I exercise (compound weightlifting) 3-4x a week. I smoked for 10 years, but have given it up for the last 3 (although I smoke here and there when drinking). I also drank 4-5x a week for a 2 year period. After this phase, I was a "weekend warrior" and binged 1-2x a week. I have only drank in moderation (2-3 drinks, 1-2x a week) for the past 3 months.

I'm trying to decide what other steps to take in terms of supplementation. I am also studying for my GMAT and have dabbled with Piracetam (.7g dosages) and Choline Bitartrate (.7g every 2-3 days).

Being that I've lurked your forums for quite some time now and have read your posts, I'd be much obliged if you could offer any insight into my life. I am at that stage where I "know just enough to be dangerous" and some direction from the wise could prove beneficial

Thank you to all who read.

Edit: Just realize I derailed this thread and it should have been started as its own. My 2nd post and I'm breaking rules already >:\

Double Edit: Saw you were from Philly. Me too. Nice to "meet" you niner.

Edited by shanek, 28 January 2013 - 04:52 PM.

[mikeinnaples]

Your question should be split into another thread to keep this one on topic, but I am going to respond to you here just in case it doesn't.

First of all, you haven't quit smoking until you can socially drink and still not smoke. You are still a smoker and you need to quit completely. Your fasting glucose is too high for someone at your age that is healthy, your hdl is too low, and your ldl is too high. You drink too much still and while its nice that you exercise, you are going about it wrong. Add in the fact that you say you have a 20% higher heart disease risk from your 23andme.. yeah you need to change your lifestyle.I am not trying to be an ass to you, I am just being blunt and trying to help.

What is your diet like? This could have impact on your glucose and heart, among other things.

Why aren't you doing any cardio? Yes, I know compound lifts at the proper intensity level will get your heart pumping, but it is absolutely not the same as regular cardio. Incorporating proper cardio into you week will have an across the board impact on your health as well as things like your cholesterol numbers. I suggest adding cardio to your routine *after* lifting. Mix standard cardio with HIIT. Personally I alternate days between 30 minutes of running and HIIT.

Once your diet is proper, your exercise balanced, and you knock off your remaining levels of bad lifestyle, you will notice a large change. If you still have cholesterol problems at that point, I would suggest Niacin ..and not the flush free kind. Start with 50mg of pure nicotinic acid and work up as you can tolerate the flush to 1-2g. (At your current numbers I would say 2g, but it depends on how much your lifestyle, diet, exercise affects them once you change). I have to do this as well because my cholesterol genetics. Keep in mind that niacin supplementation can increase glucose number, and you need to compensate for that by extra effort on the diet/exercise.

I used to be in the 30's in HDL and these days it is in the 80's and 90's.

[shanek]

Awesome reply Mike. This level of knowledge is why I finally joined.

I hadn't smoked at all in 2-3 years. Now I have one or two a month. I definitely understand the, "you're either a smoker, or you're not", though. And I also realize the problem is the alcohol, which I've made enormous changes so far (again, I know, but gradually progressing here!) Do you really think 2-3 drinks 1-2x's a week is too much? I can switch to 1-2 drinks 1-2x's a week if that seems more reasonable. I love a nice bourbon stout here and there!

As far as the weight lifting.. I was doing cardio 2-3x a week but once I picked my GMAT materials up, I had to start shaving time elsewhere. I kept the weight lifting but started exiting the gym afterwards (pulled 315x5 last night @ 170lbs, whoo!) I will admit that I have genuinely considered giving up weights and switching to a sprinter's regimen for the heart perks.. But again, I'm on the fence with a lot of things, that's why I'm on these boards trying to learn from you guys.

My diet :Edit: Deleted biased info :Edit: is very close to the following: 40% of calories from carbs, 40% of calories from protein, 20% of calories from fat. No refined grain, avoid all processed foods, eat as few chemicals as possible. My three primary food groups are chicken broccoli and rice. The first time my cholesterol tested high I was up to 200 lbs (on purpose), so I figured I'd drop the weight and see what happens. My cholesterol is worse @ 170. I've been hypercaloric for about 8 months now and hover between 170-175. I had to cut down on the diet a bit because my mind wasn't as sharp as I'd like it to be while studying. Also, I practice intermittent fasting; I eat between the hours of 1PM and 9PM only, with 70% or so of the calories coming after my workout (~6PM onwards). I was not doing this the first time I tested high, so I don't believe it has any impact.

I also agree that my fasted glucose is high, but my a1c was a bit reassuring (thinking my diet is controlling it). My primary concern at the moment is metabolic syndrome / insulin resistance. I should mention that I had a Cardio CRP done that came back fine, and a extensive lipid profile done- my LDL is Pattern A (large, bouyant).

Also, check this out (from a member at another knowledgeable forum):



At this point, I'll shut up and let you all speak.

Edited by shanek, 29 January 2013 - 01:36 PM.

[shanek]

http://circ.ahajourn...8.full.pdf html

Should I drop weight lifting and cardio much more often? I'm having trouble finding something that says: At risk for heart disease? Do cardio! (As opposed to my weight lifting)

[Kevnzworld]

Here are my thoughts.
I don't think that having a few drinks a couple times a week socially is a problem. " health wise ".
You can buy a glucose meter and check your fasting and post prandial glucose more often. A 110 fasting reading if confirmed with another test is pre diabetic. I would check your multi to see if it has chromium. I would add more ( chromium gtf, or picolinate ) to get you to 400 mcg. There are other things that can increase insulin sensitivity or lower the amount of glucose the liver makes from protein. There is a form of cinnamon that is helpful, also chlorogenic acid if from green coffee beans.
Personally I also take Metformin, but you would require a prescription for that.
The one thing missing from your list that stands out to me is vitamin C and E. I believe in taking at least 1500 mg of C daily in divided doses. Preferably a buffered ascorbate version, not ascorbic acid.
I would add 400 mg of the gamma or mixed tocopherol form of E. The amounts and forms of C and E in a multi aren't adequate IMO, but others might disagree.
I agree that adding moderate cardio to your routine would be helpful as well. I wouldn't drop weight lifting. A moderate mixture of both is best.

[hippocampus]

Taurine?
And of course: lifestyle changes, not just supplements. Healthy diet (no desserts!, at least 5 fruits and vegetables every day), exercise (look into VHIIT), different forms of fasting (see the documentary Eat, Fast and Live Longer, can't find it on youtube), social support (don't know if it's connected to glucose and LDL, but it lowers stress and thus lowers risk of cardiovascular and other diseases; the same is true for mindfulness meditation and other stress lowering techniques).

[shanek]

Multi:

25 mcg of Chromium Chelate, but no Taurine. I will look into both of these extensively.

200 IU of Vitamin E(as D-Alpha, D-Beta, D-Gamma, D-Delta Tocopheryls And Tocotrienols)

500 mg Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - I will look into updating this with a better source

Thanks for the input guys, open to any and all suggestions!

Edit: Just bought a glucose meter, chromium, and taurine.

Edited by shanek, 30 January 2013 - 01:46 PM.

[mikeinnaples]

I believe there is evidence to support 1 'drink' a day as being more pro health than negative. While your actual total number of drinks a week isn't bad, I would say that is would be better for your to have 1 drink 5x a week than 3 drinks 2x a week. Personally, a glass of wine or a little scotch/brandy/whiskey with dinner is what I typically do a couple nights a week.

Regarding your exercise, I agree wholeheartedly that you should not stop lifting period. If you can only exercise 4x a week for an hour due to schedule, I personally would spend 40 lifting / 15m HIIT / 5m stretching and rolling. Keep in mind that I am not a fitness expert I am however an athlete and have been in the gym and playing sports my entire life.

[shaggy]

I'd supplement with grape seed extract too. It has beneficial effects on blood sugar and lipids, particularly postprandial levels of blood glucose and Ox LDL.