Raw diet and increasing cholesterol

[Jul]

Three years ago this past July I started eating a raw food diet. The first year I was very strict - never cheated. It was all was good, I said good bye to asthma and lost weight. For the last 2 years I occasionally eat a little cooked food at dinner (brown rice, squash, millet, tofu) maybe once or twice a week - not an entire meal - just along with my salad. Some weeks not even that. Also maybe once a month I will go out for Indian food - vegan. My diet is not perfect, but I thought it was working for me. Before I found raw food I was a total carnivore - eating meat almost every night.

Last week I went for a physical (my first since spring of 2006). I was shocked to find out my cholesterol went from 160 to 180. How could that be? They also said my potassium was high. (huh, too many bananas?). I feel good, I just ran my 4th marathon since being raw. My skin does have a yellow green hew, and I have gained back the weight I originally lost.

I eat pretty simple - green smoothie for breakfast, salads for dinner and a lot of fruit all day long. In the beginning I took classes to become a raw food chef. However I quickly discovered those heavy nut based meals make me feel bloated. I very rarely eat that way today.

Any ideas on why the increase in cholesterol? I know I'll never go back to how I used to eat, but I do feel a little cheated.

Thanks
jul

[Revvell]

That's why I don't go to doctors. Their tests have been shown to be 50% inaccurate.

I have a client who went to a doctor ~ his cholesterol (or something) was high. He went to another doctor. It was fine. Went to a third doctor ~ still fine. You know what he did? Obsessed about the first report. :rolleyes:

You say you feel "cheated". Well, you're "cheating". You've gained the weight back that you eliminated. Is that a good thing? Is it fat or muscle that you've gained? Yellow/green hued skin? sounds like liver detox, no?

Tofu???? *wrinkles nose*

Anyway, this, for me, would not be something to concern myself about. As I said, don't go to doctors.

[sport]

We have a different scale over here and anyone over 5.0 is put on Lipitor. (half the country are on it). Mine is 7.5 and I like it that way.
People do not believe me when I tell them because they still believe the doctors in spite of the fact that 75% of people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol.

[sport]

People with high cholesterol live the longest. This statement seems so incredible that it takes a long time to clear one´s brainwashed mind to fully understand its importance. Yet the fact that people with high cholesterol live the longest emerges clearly from many scientific papers

From this website

http://www.westonaprice.org/moderndiseases/benefits_cholest.html

There are many other websites which will tell you the same.