need your help with dd and cholestrol

[dis2cruise]

my dd who is 14 yrs old 5'2 in height and only weighs 113 lbs had her yearly phyiscal with her dr., she had her yearly blood work done as well and yes she did fast before the test.

well her dr called me on saturday to tell me her over all cholestrol is
225 and her bad cholestrol is 131 she didn't tell me her good cholestrol count was we have been down this road before
with her in the past however this is the highest her count has ever been

my dd is athlethic is into sports and just in general very active. could someone lead me to recipies that are lower in colestrol?? I do try to make
non fat foods in the house on a regular basis. the last time I fried any foods has to be in probably 5 year if that. at times my dd loves her junk food (like we all do) if someone could lead me also of some "fun" foods to eat as well this would be helpful too

I do feel this is a family thing with higher cholestrol so if my dd eats high fat foods this really doesn't help her out she does eat fruit everyday as well.

 

[Mellie2162]

Could you maybe talk to a nutritionist to get a good idea? Also, I dont know if this is an option or not, but what about those over the counter fish oil supplements? My DH takes these for his cholesterol and it has come down a great deal with that and cutting out his fatty foods.

 

[golfgal]

My MIL had a hard time bringing down her cholesterol even with meds so her dr put her on the diabetic diet. It helped tremendously. She lost a lot of weight (not that your dd need that) and her cholesterol is now in the normal range, WITHOUT meds. I agree with seeing a nutritionist. Often for medical reasons like this your insurance might pay for the consultations. Often it isn't so much what you eat vs the combinations of foods you eat.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, I would see a nutritionist and a doctor that deals with cholesterol specifically.
Pediatric Gastro maybe? Not sure.

My DH is one of those people with VERY high cholesterol. It has been over 500 at times. It is a real struggle with him.

This will be a lifelong battle for her so the sooner you get with a professional and try things the sooner she will be able to take charge of her health.

Life insurance is an issue with DH as a matter of FYI. He cannot get the higher payout due to his levels. He tried.

 

[golfgal]

Yes, I would see a nutritionist and a doctor that deals with cholesterol specifically.
Pediatric Gastro maybe? Not sure.

My DH is one of those people with VERY high cholesterol. It has been over 500 at times. It is a real struggle with him.

This will be a lifelong battle for her so the sooner you get with a professional and try things the sooner she will be able to take charge of her health.

Life insurance is an issue with DH as a matter of FYI. He cannot get the higher payout due to his levels. He tried.

What do you mean by this? I am not sure I follow?

This is a good point though. It is probably a VERY good time to buy some life insurance on your DD--not so much for her now but for when she is older and has her own family. If she has a history of high cholesterol she will be paying big bucks for life insurance premiums in the future. Given that she is only 14 now, her premiums will be considerably lower then they would be even when she is 21. Just something to think about.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What do you mean by this? I am not sure I follow?

This is a good point though. It is probably a VERY good time to buy some life insurance on your DD--not so much for her now but for when she is older and has her own family. If she has a history of high cholesterol she will be paying big bucks for life insurance premiums in the future. Given that she is only 14 now, her premiums will be considerably lower then they would be even when she is 21. Just something to think about.

He tried to get the higher dollar payout with life insurance thru his work. His cholesterol is too high and they would not allow it.

And yes, buy your dd life insurance NOW as she may have a harder time securing it later.

 

[Creativebeth]

A high carb diet causes an increase in cholesterol. Cut back on refined carbs and see what happens. You usually see a good result in 3 to 6 weeks.

Beth

 

[anniemae]

High Cholesterol runs in my family as well. I switched from ground beef to ground turkey. I also switched to whole wheat pasta. I also use a margarine that lowers cholesterol. My dr. said to stay away from trans fats. they are the worst!! My dr. said she cannot stress this enough. Look for foods that are trans fat free, and when reading the label, nothing with "partially hydroginated oil" that means trans fats.

Good luck, and I also agree with others who said to talk with a nutritionist. They can help with a good cholesterol lowering diet.

 

[KikiFan]

Could you maybe talk to a nutritionist to get a good idea? Also, I dont know if this is an option or not, but what about those over the counter fish oil supplements? My DH takes these for his cholesterol and it has come down a great deal with that and cutting out his fatty foods.

My daughter has also struggled with high cholesterol. She's got a condition called acanthosis, it's a dark ring around her neck from the high triglycerides. I didn't want to start her off on prescription drugs, so I convinced her Dr to let us try fish oil first. The dark ring around her neck is about 95% gone. Even he was amazed.

 

[Momto3Disneyprinces]

See a nutritionist, but I have had great luck with eating as much soy proptein as possible....They say 25 grams will help decrease cholesterol, but that much is hard to take unless you are a big tofu fan....But, they make Pita bread with it not, and Kashi makes some good cereal with a high amount of soy protein...You could try soy cheese as well, but your DD may not like it as much...

By the way, I am diabetic, and this was the reccomendation of the nutritionist I saw because soy protein is easier on your kidneys. Just watch the sodium content, as a lot of the packaged stuff has it added.

 

[SeeDisney]

I also would try giving her oatmeal as well. Use skim milk.

Good luck to your daughter. I too have high cholestral -- 213, I'm watching what I eat too.

 

[noodleknitter]

Mine was always high, but I have a small risk ratio. The doc never mentioned that part. It hasn't been a problem, so check yours.

 

[npmommie]

High carbs will cause high triglycerides.
did the doctor tell you her HDL? that is an important number and very important for risk factors. It is probably high because she exercises ( you want this number to be high it helps carry the bad cholesterol ...LDL...out of the body)

things to help,
if you use dairy, switch to skim milk, and low fat or no fat cheese.
get rid of transfats
the more animal products you can get out of your diet the better
if you eat any animal use only white chicken turkey and fish.
make vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts the majority of the diet. use the animal product as a condiment, not the majority.
use monounsaturated oils like olive, canola

we use Earth Balance, or Smart Balance depends on where I am shopping.........it has the plant sterols and it tastes just as good as butter imo.
hth

 

[wdwmom2]

To the people who have high cholesterol, have your docs mentioned using Red Rice Yeast. It is a suppliment that you can get at most health food or even drug stores.

My doc suggested trying it. My cholesterol is 202, nothing to start medication over, but we are watching it.

DH's cholesterol was 222 in December and they brought him back for a recheck about 1 month ago. In the meantime, I found out about the RRY and mentioned it to DH. Not sure why they didn't mention it to him . He started taking it about 1 month before the follow-up bloodwork. His cholesterol is down to 176 now. No diet change, just the RRY and the 3 fish oil capsules that he has always taken.

 

[Beca]

As another poster mentioned, sugar causes high cholesterol...not oils. Dee McCaffery has written a really good cookbook that helps explain this (she is a chemist and a naturopath). My family doctor is an MD and a naturpath, and she says the same. Get off sugar, refined flour (of any variety), and any processed carbs, and your cholesterol will drop. My cholesterol had begun to creep up, and I had to change my diet significantly (because of systemic yeast overgrowth). Now, my cholesterol is borderline, but over 70% of my cholesterol is HDL, while only 30% is LDL, so my dr. is not concerned.

Oils are so important. I take fish oil, flax oil and coconut oil daily. The biggest change I have seen in my health has come after I began to take the coconut oil. If you do put your dd on the traditional "low fat" diet for this condition, please make sure she is getting the essential oils she needs.

However, I do think you are right....genetics plays a HUGE part in cholesterol levels.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yep, the OP mentioned how her daughter is healthy, athletic, a healthy weight.. etc....

In reality, these may not have that much bearing on cholesteral at all. Sometimes the thinnest people have scary high cholesterol...

It is in the individual body's metabolism, and how a lot of cholesterol is manufactured by the body, not necessarily straight from the diet.

Sometimes it takes meds to bring it down..

If you are really concerned, you could look for a good doctor/dietitican who specializes in this problem.

Try different diets (restricted carbs.. restricted fats.. high fiber.. etc..) try these one at a time and see if they have a noticible effect.

Supplementation with fish-oil seems very interesting and promising. I have heard that if the body gets the 'good' oils that it needs, then it will not make as much cholesterol. And, the ratio of good-cholesterol to bad-cholesterol could make a differenct too.

 

[dis2cruise]

wow thanks everyone for all of your responses and sooo quickly too

I will get out our book today and see if there is a nutrionist
available for her. whatever type of diet she will be on the whole
family will do it together...hey we all might lose a few pounds and lower
our cholestrol too.

the only problem with my dd is she is a picky eater, she wouldn;t even
look at oatmeal so this is the part where we have to work together and try
to make her try new foods.

 

[noodleknitter]

wow thanks everyone for all of your responses and sooo quickly too

I will get out our book today and see if there is a nutrionist
available for her. whatever type of diet she will be on the whole
family will do it together...hey we all might lose a few pounds and lower
our cholestrol too.

the only problem with my dd is she is a picky eater, she wouldn;t even
look at oatmeal so this is the part where we have to work together and try
to make her try new foods.

How about cheerios?

 

[golfgal]

He tried to get the higher dollar payout with life insurance thru his work. His cholesterol is too high and they would not allow it.

And yes, buy your dd life insurance NOW as she may have a harder time securing it later.

Have him check with an outside insurance source vs his company.

wow thanks everyone for all of your responses and sooo quickly too

I will get out our book today and see if there is a nutrionist
available for her. whatever type of diet she will be on the whole
family will do it together...hey we all might lose a few pounds and lower
our cholestrol too.

the only problem with my dd is she is a picky eater, she wouldn;t even
look at oatmeal so this is the part where we have to work together and try
to make her try new foods.

Well, that makes things harder but she is just going to have to get over that. It is going to come down to eat right or die unfortunatly and at that age it is something she will have a hard time grasping.

 

[Buckalew11]

My sister has always had high cholestrol also (well, since they have tested for it). She is 48, thin and exercises everyday.

Her numbers stay high but her ratio between good and bad cholestrol stay good and that is VERY important. Your doctor needs to give you the whole story.

My sister sticks to mostly a diabetic type diet. She eats 6 small meals a day.

It is also important to know what her homocystine (spelling) numbers are also. Inflammation is where you get into trouble. Dr. Oz says that he sees people with heart trouble whether they have high cholestrol or not-- there is no rhyme or reason to that but the blood test for inflammation is very important according to him.