Stinting Lipids without Statins (IV) - Execution

With only 3 months to show results I took myself on a war path starting in December, '07 to prove to my doctor that I could change the course of my lipid charts.

With my exercise regimen reasonably in place - an hour of yoga twice a week and a decent 3+ hour hike every week - the areas I had to work with were my weight, diet and adding Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and Niacin to my regimen.
 
Niacin: Perhaps the trickiest part of the plan is how you build up to the therapeutic dose of 3 grams of Niacin per day. Niacin causes a release of histamines when first introduced - causing temporary itching and hot flashes - uncomfortable but not dangerous. There are several methods and tricks to build up the dosage, I'll describe what worked for me.

1. I started with 100mg/day for 2 or 3 days - taken as soon before falling asleep as possible. It helps to take a baby aspirin about 1/2 hour before bedtime. Spicy dinners can aggravate the flush when getting started.
2. Step up the dosage to 200mg/day after a couple of days. I continue to take my Niacin just as I am ready to switch off at night - literally, just before I can't keep my eyes open any longer. The itching and hot flash is rarely strong enough to wake you up.
3. Double to 400mg/day - again for a couple of days before taking it to a gram, then two and finally 3 capsules each night.

I personally prefer the regular Niacin over the slow release or the newer non-flush kind. If you have more discomfort than you'd like to tolerate - try the non-flush variety. I've come to a personal conclusion that the slow release kind puts a sustained load on the liver without respite for recovery on top of that therapeutic concentrations are not achieved.

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids: This is the easiest part of the whole regimen. Just get your favorite Omega-3 supplement and take up to 2gm/day. I settled on the one from NSI discounted by Vitacost.com.  

The Diet: I watched out for the Glycemic Index (GI) of foods and began including those with low GI and shunning high GI foods.

1. I kept a bag of these dry roasted small chickpeas with brown skins (chana, चना)  handy and kept popping a few whenever I remembered. With a GI between 10 and 30 (depending in the variety), the chana I was never really very hungry at meal time and was able to get away feeling satisfied with only 1/2 my normal intake. For about a month, I kept a very close watch on my intake and The Daily Plate was extremely useful in keeping track of my intake: calories, fat, carbs, protein, what have you.
2. Replaced most things white with colored alternatives, e.g. refined sugar, white bread, rice, were banished from regular meals. I still take a bite or two to satisfy the taste buds - strictly just the taste buds!

The Weight: Around the time I just happened to come across the book Sugar Busters! Cut Sugar to Trim Fat from which I gained an understanding of how sugar, and most things white, in our diet converted into stored fat within our system. The main steps I took that helped me lose 14 lbs were:

1. Elimination of most things white from my daily diet: refined sugar (replaced by brown sugar and honey); rice (brown rice, on rare occasions; preferred whole wheat tortillas); potatoes.
2. Take about a gram (1/3 tsp) of White Bean Powder along with my 1st bite of any meal that I thought to be high in carbohydrates. These are available in capsule form or in bulk. I poured the gram or so of the power on my first bite of food and if necessary sloshed it all down with liquid. The powder has a mild tolerable taste. If you choose the capsule, it must be taken 1/2 hour before meals. Caveat: Skip taking the bean powder if you are planning any exercise after the meal. (I found out the hard way!).

With this regimen, I was able to achieve the numbers on my chart in 3 months at my February, 08 checkup. IMO, the key is consistency - just stick with the program and results will happen - it gets easier after you see the results!
Remember, if your physical constitution does not cooperate, go take the prescribed statins - keeping the lipids in check is more important than how you get them down!
May the force be with you!

Header Photo: Sunset in Waikoloa, Hawaii - July, 2009.