my hcg experience

[mxim]

as i mentioned 2 weeks ago,i am using 300iu of hcg 2 to 3x per week and am getting wonderful results. my testes are at a normal size and my libido has improved quite dramatically. i am also noticing a slight difference to my build.as for my state of mind,i feel very upbeat and have more energy.including testosterone would be wise but my wife and i are still trying to have another child,so until she is preganant,its hcg only.
also my blood LIPID results from just befor starting hcg were as follows:
total cholesterol-203
LDL-128
HDL-53
I have a family history of high cholesterol. my doctor says at my age(38),he would'nt worry until my ldl hit 180 or higher.i do have to watch what i eat and continue with my cardio. i have low bodyfay(8-9%) and you would never guess my choesterol is high.

 

[dj75]

mxim:

hasn't the HCG reset your testosterone to normal levels permanantly?

 

[mxim]

there have been situations where that was said to have happened. my T levels are obviously much higher but i would "bet the farm" that they revert back to lower levels once i discontinue hcg. hcg still causes suppression of LH.

 

[dj75]

Would you ever try to come off and see that happens? You never know....... maybe your body will respond in a positive way.......your testicals are working fine.......so your concern will be LH........maybe clomid to increase LH for a 4-6 month test?

 

[SWALE]

An elevated LDL is important at ANY age. Why wait until it makes you sick to do something about it???

 

[mranak]

mxim: If you aren't already, then I highly recommend you start taking fish oil supplements. They are proven to help with cholesterol.

 

[greatgro]

mxim: If you aren't already, then I highly recommend you start taking fish oil supplements. They are proven to help with cholesterol.

They aren't hugely effective with cholesterol. But they are highly effective with triglycerides.

 

[mranak]

They aren't hugely effective with cholesterol. But they are highly effective with triglycerides.

How is that even possible, considering that the triglyceride level is used to calculate LDL cholesterol?

 

[SWALE]

The first thing to do is to start taking fish oil. This will dramatically reduce the oxidative stress load. It is only oxidized LDL's that are dangerous.

Nexst, cut out ALL supplemental trans fatty acids (aka partially hydrogenated oils). They both elevate total LDL's and oxidize same.

 

[Ronin_]

The first thing to do is to start taking fish oil. This will dramatically reduce the oxidative stress load. It is only oxidized LDL's that are dangerous.

Nexst, cut out ALL supplemental trans fatty acids (aka partially hydrogenated oils). They both elevate total LDL's and oxidize same.

is eating salmon fillets including skin 4 times a week as good as taking fish oil capsules each day Swale?

 

[prot]

I shouldnt comment

but I will.. I haven't seen one study demonstrating a causative relationship between heart disease and cholesterol. In fact for people over 75 it is recommended that they not be checked because higher cholesterol is associated with longer life. I do believe that familial hypercholestemia is strongly associated with heart disease but that high cholesterol has no association with heart disease in a normal population. If fact if Swale is as old as I think he is he remembers that cholesterol levels of 220 and lower were once considered fine. Why did it change? The "normal" people were the ones having heart attacks so the medical community lowered the top level. Then they tried using the ratios of LDL/hdl when that didn't pan out. Cholesterol levels that are too low are also associated with early death. Inflammatory markers are proving to be much better predictors of cardiac events.

 

[DavidZ]

is eating salmon fillets including skin 4 times a week as good as taking fish oil capsules each day Swale?

I'm a believer in eating right to the max and supplementing to the min. I eat fish about 10 times a week. IMO, the fish oil I get in real fish is much better for me than fish oil supplement.

Also, I always trim the fat and never eat the skin. I don't have any reference for this, but I supect that the bulk of the toxins are stored in the fat, just like red meat.

News reports of late say that farm raised salmon (99% of what's sold in the fresh fish section of supermarkets) has high levels of PCBs. Therefore, I don't buy it anymore. However, canned salmon is caught wild. I have canned salmon about 1 or 2 times a week.

 

[SWALE]

You cannot eat enough fish to get the omega-3's you need without getting poisoned in the process.

I do not worry about CHOL at 230, as long as my guys are on fish oil.

It's not how high your CHOL is, it is how you got that way. Trans fatty acids and a high omega-6/omega-3 oxidizes LDL's. This is why we need to keep CHOL in check, and why the numbers show it is of value (for CV risk) to drive down CHOL and LDL with a statin drug: when doing so, you HAVE to lower oxidized LDL's.

We had to lower the guidelines because our diets are so much worse now.

Funny thing, statins lower CV risk, but the patient dies younger. Great trade-off, eh?

Eat right, train, take your fish oil and other supplements. You couldn't do better than that!

Eat right, train.

 

[cpeil2]

but I will.. I haven't seen one study demonstrating a causative relationship between heart disease and cholesterol.

What about the Framingham study?

 

[DavidZ]

You cannot eat enough fish to get the omega-3's you need without getting poisoned in the process.

I'm highly skeptical of this claim.

Study after study shows that a diet that's high in vegetables and fruits is beneficial to your health in many, many ways. Yet, study after study shows that when the isolated vitamins and nutrients are taken separately in pill form (i.e., supplements), these same health benefits are not observed.

In other words, the beneficial powers that these special substances have are only available when they are in the context of the complete food in which they are found. Isolating them in pill form takes these powers away.

Eat troll-caught tuna!

I do not worry about CHOL at 230, as long as my guys are on fish oil. It's not how high your CHOL is, it is how you got that way. Trans fatty acids and a high omega-6/omega-3 oxidizes LDL's.

Yes, but you can't undo the effects of Trans fats with supplements, either. All you can do is eliminate Trans fats from your diet.

Funny thing, statins lower CV risk, but the patient dies younger.

Not according to the latest studies I have read. I'm opposed to Statins, but I'm not willing to change the facts to suit my argument.

Eat right, train.

That's the ticket!

 

[mranak]

is eating salmon fillets including skin 4 times a week as good as taking fish oil capsules each day Swale?

I'm not sure about all the toxins, but the mercury is found in highest concentrations in the skin.

 

[mranak]

You cannot eat enough fish to get the omega-3's you need without getting poisoned in the process.

I'm highly skeptical of this claim.

Study after study shows that a diet that's high in vegetables and fruits is beneficial to your health in many, many ways. Yet, study after study shows that when the isolated vitamins and nutrients are taken separately in pill form (i.e., supplements), these same health benefits are not observed.

In other words, the beneficial powers that these special substances have are only available when they are in the context of the complete food in which they are found. Isolating them in pill form takes these powers away.

Your argument does not correlate with SWALE's assertion.

And I presume that studies have been done using concentrated fish oil, anyway.

 

[DavidZ]

Your argument does not correlate with SWALE's assertion.

So? What is this a cult or something?

And I presume that studies have been done using concentrated fish oil, anyway.

There are many studies that demonstrate the health benefits of the "Mediterranean diet" and other diets high in omega-3's. But it's a leap of logic to conclude the fish oils pills will yield the same benefits. That's clearly not the case when it comes to vegetables/fruits and the isolated supplements.

If you DEFINITELY with the benefits of omega-3's, then eat a Mediterranean diet. If you take fish oil pills, you may get some or all of those benefits, or you may not. AFAIK, the science is not yet in on the latter, but it certainly is in on the former.

 

[pmgamer18]

Well for what it is worth the FDA said a week or so ago that eating fish may not be safe and the good filtered fish oils were better and safer.
I can't find anything out there on it but I heard it on CNN. Here is a good link on what is good to eat.
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/fda.html
Phil

 

[mranak]

Of course, diet is crucial to living healthy. We all know that you can't use supplements to make up for a poor diet.

But the benefits of fish oil are not only because they deliver Omega-3 oils. It is because of the specific kinds of omega-3 oils that they deliver: EPA and DHA. It is very difficult to get significant amounts of these specific fatty acids, without or without the "Mediterranean diet."