High Cholesterol....need new diet plan.

[lukenick1]

Make half of every plate vegetable. Meaning green veggies -- potatoes and corn don't count the same.

I really like roasted vegetables, so 2-3 times a week I make a BIG sheet pan. I just use five bags of cheap frozen veggies. They're even good with a runny egg and a bit of cheese over the top for breakfast.

I know what you said about medicines, but consider a statin. Some doctors think everyone over 40 or 50 (and I don't know your age) should take one -- it slashes your potential for heart attack or stroke. It's worth a bit of research.

I will NEVER consider a statin unless it is my absolute last resort. Yikes.......Many Many risks and bad side effects of statins. No thanks.

 

[gardengalB4]

My husband uses Ganoderma coffee to lower his cholesterol.

 

[mrodgers]

I will NEVER consider a statin unless it is my absolute last resort. Yikes.......Many Many risks and bad side effects of statins. No thanks.

Yup. Mom stopped hers because she now has 5 pills to take for her ruined liver because of the cholesterol medication she was taking. Countless others I know who started and had big complications on cholesterol medication.

 

[lukenick1]

My husband uses Ganoderma coffee to lower his cholesterol.

Hmmmmm I am intrigued

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yup. Mom stopped hers because she now has 5 pills to take for her ruined liver because of the cholesterol medication she was taking. Countless others I know who started and had big complications on cholesterol medication.

I wasn't able to tolerate being on them due to the severe joint and muscle pain it caused. I felt like I aged in fast forward 20 years. Yet, there are plenty of people who do just fine on them.
I am certain that statins are the reason my father is still alive at almost 81 when every other male in his family was dead by 66. His uncle died of a massive heart attack at 55.
He is a walking miracle, with 1 coronary artery 90% occluded, so much so that they couldn't get a stent in there, and more than 10 years later, he is still going.

ETA: My cardiologist recommended foods with whole grain. Cheerios & plain oatmeal. He also said so many things are marketed as heathy that really are not. OJ for example. Stick with whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible. He said eat an orange, not just the juice. Not applesauce, eat an apple.
Our nurse practictioner said that the whole grains are like little sponges that soak up the cholesterol from your blood.
She also suggested glucomannan.

 

[cvjw]

I have lowered my cholesterol 22 points in a couple months by eating oatmeal for breakfast. I just use low sugar oatmeal packets, add in some dried fruit, some sliced almonds, some extra oatmeal (to counterbalance the sugar) and use almond milk as the liquid.

 

[dalmatian7]

After many years of steadily rising cholesterol, I made it a point to eat Metamucil Fiber Thins on a daily basis for the past year. I used them to replace my morning granola bar snack. My cholesterol was 30 points lower at my last check up with no weight change (I am at a healthy weight for my height with normal blood pressure) or other changes to my diet and only moderate (ie dog walking and some light strength training) exercise. My normal diet includes whole milk, butter, and red meat but in moderation, watching portion size, sodium, and added sugar with 5-7 servings of fresh or frozen fruit and veggies everyday (tough in the winter). Now I am working on getting a good exercise routine set up that I can follow more regularly in the winter.

 

[Disneymom8181]

High cholesterol runs in both sides of my family. I have been able to keep mine healthy by this program: high protein instant oatmeal made with skim milk for breakfast, salad for lunch with vinegarette dressing and a small amount of shredded chicken, and a sensible but normal dinner. I keep fresh fruit on the counter (or in my purse if I’m out in the afternoon) to snack on in the afternoon, and I also have individual bags of pretzels and skinny pop on hand if I have a major snack craving (low/no cholesterol and the bags make portion control easy). Bonus is this keeps the weight off. I also walk my dog in the morning and evening for 1.5 miles each time, and use my exercise bike 3-5 days a week for 45 minutes.
The plan works for me because my dinner is always varied and normal, just reasonable portions, so easier to do oatmeal and salad every day

 

[Eureka]

Exercise is also very helpful in reducing cholesterol.

I agree. Last year my numbers were higher than my doctor wanted to see. I was more mindful of my diet but mainly stepped up (pun intended) my walking routine. In three months when I had bloodwork repeated, my numbers had dropped almost 35 points.

 

[runwad]

I agree. Last year my numbers were higher than my doctor wanted to see. I was more mindful of my diet but mainly stepped up (pun intended) my walking routine. In three months when I had bloodwork repeated, my numbers had dropped almost 35 points.

Just curious how long or how many miles do you walk?

I jacked up my knee and had surgery last year. I'll never be able to walk my 10k steps again until I get a knee replacement. I got this health walker that is kinda like a eliptical, maybe; but you don't really bend your knees just kinda glide, almost like cross country skiing. I've been doing that 30 min a day because I can't walk for exercise. My cholesterol isn't high enough for drugs, just crossed over into high becasue of non activity with my knee. Anywho, just curious how long you actually walk for it to have made an impact on your numbers like that?

 

[DLgal]

Just curious how long or how many miles do you walk?

I jacked up my knee and had surgery last year. I'll never be able to walk my 10k steps again until I get a knee replacement. I got this health walker that is kinda like a eliptical, maybe; but you don't really bend your knees just kinda glide, almost like cross country skiing. I've been doing that 30 min a day because I can't walk for exercise. My cholesterol isn't high enough for drugs, just crossed over into high becasue of non activity with my knee. Anywho, just curious how long you actually walk for it to have made an impact on your numbers like that?

Jumping in. Walking won't lower your cholesterol anymore than the exercise you are already doing. It's a matter of being sedentary vs active. People who don't workout at all might notice a decline in cholesterol once they start being active.

10k is an arbitrary number of steps concocted by a Japanese tech company for the first consumer pedometer. But it has no basis in health. Recent studies have concluded that about 4,000 daily steps is adequate for improving cardiovascular health. However, this isn't an accumulation of all your steps in a whole day, it should be 4000 deliberate steps, done in a continuous walk. This should take most people about 30-45 minutes. You should walk at a brisk enough pace that you feel like you are exerting effort.

Given your surgical history, the machine you are using sounds like a good substitute for a daily walk. Just need to get your heart pumping for 30 minutes most days, or 150 minutes a week.

 

[Eureka]

Just curious how long or how many miles do you walk?

I jacked up my knee and had surgery last year. I'll never be able to walk my 10k steps again until I get a knee replacement. I got this health walker that is kinda like a eliptical, maybe; but you don't really bend your knees just kinda glide, almost like cross country skiing. I've been doing that 30 min a day because I can't walk for exercise. My cholesterol isn't high enough for drugs, just crossed over into high becasue of non activity with my knee. Anywho, just curious how long you actually walk for it to have made an impact on your numbers like that?

I have a slipped disc and hip bursitis so what I do is pretty low impact. I walk a two-mile route three to four days a week when I walk outside. That takes me 36 minutes. I have a small treadmill and when I walk inside I do 30 minutes, which is about 1.5 miles. My cholesterol was 232 I think at first and dropped to 194. I had slacked off with the walking but after the first appt, I ramped back up. That was a year ago and I have gained some weight since then and that kind of concerns me, but I’ll deal with that next time I have a physical. This was all to see if/what I could control without meds, which I have never taken for cholesterol and don’t want to start. But I do have genetic factors so we’ll see as I get older.