Gundry has a pretty poor reputation in nutritional science. He is not a nutritionist, or a scientist, his books misrepresent other peoples’ studies, and he has a an agenda to sell products.
An example of a critical point of view on his efforts:
http://nutritionstudies.org/the-plant-paradox-by-steven-grundy-md-commentary/
“When I hit 60 I am having a DNR tattoo on my chest.”
Please post back here how that goes.
The tattoo?
Inherently the success of the message would mean no update. But I will try. I am hoping that CC is off my radar at that point though.
Better say more than just “DNR,” so there’s no confusion. And I’m not sure if that’s considered a legal statement. Hoo Boy.
@sorghum - I do not disagree with you.
But removing lectins from my diet for 6 weeks sounded intriguing ( I cannot find much positive about lectins) and we are taking a very conservative approach by trying the parts of his diet that make sense to us based on similar writings of others.
I survived the 3 day “fast” of green smoothies and salads and the day or 2 where it felt like my body was adjusting. I am a huge skeptic and an even bigger worry wart, but for me a these past few days have made a positive difference on how I feel.
It is tiring to constantly worry about the cardiac risks associated with my chronic inflammation and high cholesterol. My allergist at the Mayo is all excited about personal biomes and gut bacteria as it relates to individual reactions to histamines and inflammation so this adds credibility to the concept of altering my gut bacteria. We will approach our diet with moderation and cease if problems arise.
Anyone considering a major diet change should consult their doctor.
So an update: I talked to my doctor about the test. He said considering that I have high cholesterol, a CT scan might be a good idea. Of course, the cost would be on me, so I’m calling around to get prices. I called the biggest hospital in Maine, and the billing office had no idea what the price would be. She’s going to research it and call me back. Such a pain to shop around for medical procedures. Yes, there’s a website that you can look at for comparison prices, but it’s pretty much useless. I called two of the places that had reasonable prices listed, and neither of them do CT scans any more!
Very few doctors ever received nutrition education in med school. Most of them don’t have the time to actually delve into the research.
Try a Registered Dietician. The old joke is the secretary probably knows more about basic nutrition than the doc.
ML, they need the code to look up the billing.
It is very hard to follow the eating habits needed to practically guarantee not having a cardiac event.
If you start with vegetables and end with vegetables then add a healthy fish ONCE A WEEK.
You are 99% there and yes that is about all ypu can eat Vegetables.
I got the anti-inflammatory v. Inflammatory list today and it’s not ‘all’ of the veggies. But the principle of cleaning up your diet makes huge sense.
It’s not hard, if you start with what you do like on the list.
@MaineLonghorn - if you are looking for the ct calcium scoring, mine cost $120. They do it at the same locations that they do mammograms.
I was reading another study that another indicator of heart disease risk is the ratio of triglycerides to hdl. It should be 2:1 Mine is at that ratio, so another check mark in the column of, perhaps I should hold off on statins for now.
In the good column for me - my diet, exercise, inflammation supplements, 0 on the calcium score, low triglyerides, high hdl
In the bad column for me - high c-reactive protein, high ldl’s
I just found I have high cholesterol (well, in May, but just retested and it’s a bit higher even now) and do not want to start a statin, though my doctor does want that. I don’t like the potential side effects at all.
I had thyroid cancer a few years back so have no thyroid and take synthroid every day…and the cholesterol bit is possibly at least somewhat related to that.
I’ve been on a low carb diet for 4 months - only carbs I eat are veggies and a little fruit - and my cholesterol is higher (both LDL and HDL), though my weight has gone down by 30 lbs. I may try less saturated fats and see what happens.
Not sure what I’l do, yet. But enjoying reading about options.
The various ratios like total/HDL, triglycerides/HDL, LDL/HDL may matter, though. Generally, more HDL => good, more LDL => bad, more triglycerides => bad.
My DH also lost weight and his cholesterol went up, his doc suggested red yeast rice and watching for a year as his body adjusts to the new build
I think I’m questioning whether high cholesterol is even an issue that needs attention if my triglycrides are low and my HDL is high. And even if it is, as I am still losing weight, I think it best to wait and see what happens.
@OHMomof2 here’s a link that you may find informative:
@somemom as to red rice yeast: my former neighbor is a PhD in plant biology(?). He worked for well known company that sells various OTC health related products that are marketed for various health issues. He told me that one drug company who makes statin (Pfizer?) threatened/got into a law suit with some company who was touting their OTC red rice yeast product as a cholesterol reducing treatment. Apparently red rice yeast and statins are very, very close in chemical makeup. My neighbor told me that company promoting red rice yeast had to back off on their claims.
“Apparently red rice yeast and statins are very, very close in chemical makeup.”
It is possible that the yeast produces statin-like compounds, but there is no way an organism would have a chemical makeup of one isolated compound. 
It is also possible that a pharma could “shut down” a company for false ads by winning a lawsuit, but most likely, the FDA moved in when the company began making health related claims. Only a handful of such claims is allowed for supplements without all rigors of clinical trials, mostly based on years of scientific studies (and health benefits of soy apparently are failing this test).
Red yeast rice contains lovastatin (which is sold as a prescription drug Mevacor, Altoprev, and generic): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_yeast_rice#Red_yeast_rice_and_drugs
Note that lovastatin can be found from other fungal sources, such as oyster mushrooms.
Regarding cholesterol levels and ratios:
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/LDL%26HDL.html
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/making-sense-of-cholesterol-tests
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316586.php
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol-ratio/faq-20058006
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664115/
Bascially, you want total/HDL, triglycerides/HDL, and LDL/HDL to be low.
Many pharmaceuticals have roots in plants and marine organisms, so that is not surprising. If the compound produced is the same as a drug, it will have roughly the same effect and same side effects if taken in the same amounts. Surely enough:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/red-yeast-rice-station-alternative-not-harmless-either/
Consider adding extra grain fibre (Metamucil type, at least twice a day or more if you low carb and have low fiber) for helping cholesterol and (real) exercise is a magic bullet for HDL.