..

[C.Ann]

.......................

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I also have very high cholesterol from family history. Definitely tell her to eat oatmeal preferably the one that you cook for 15 minutes, steel cut oats. Skim milk, flax seed (can go in the oatmeal and other foods), veggies, fruit, egg whites, limit red meat and fried foods. Even though I watched my diet, I still could not control the high cholesterol without meds. Tell your cousin good luck.

 

[C.Ann]

I also have very high cholesterol from family history. Definitely tell her to eat oatmeal preferably the one that you cook for 15 minutes, steel cut oats. Skim milk, flax seed (can go in the oatmeal and other foods), veggies, fruit, egg whites, limit red meat and fried foods. Even though I watched my diet, I still could not control the high cholesterol without meds. Tell your cousin good luck.

Thanks! A few things she asked about that I couldn't answer were:

Peanut butter
white bread
pasta
sugar

Yes? No?

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My doctor recommended the Mediterreanean Diet. Try doing a search on it if you're interested. Basically, you avoid all white (think highly processed) foods. That includes white pasta, crackers (made with white flour), cookies, breads that aren't whole wheat, etc. Lean meats (beef very infrequently), fruits and veggies are fine. Fish like salmon or tuna should be eaten a few times a week. Low-fat dairy is fine in moderation. Whole wheat pasta and brown rice are fine but you want to concentrate on lean meats and produce. You can add olive oil and have small amounts of red wine but no other added fats or alcohol. I did this faithfully for 3 months and my cholesterol went up 1 point! It ended up being genetic for me so now I'm on meds. Diet and exercise can work for some people so it's worth a try.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks!

 

[LadyZolt]

Peanut butter -- the kind you have to stir, not the stuff like Jiff or Skippy. Jif, Skippy, etc., have the bad oils that will raise your cholesterol.

White bread: Won't hurt cholesterol per se, but since it's just sugar, it'll affect triglycerides in the long run. Since she's making a diet change anyway, switch to whole grain now. It'll keep her fuller longer and add important fiber to her diet.

Pasta: Same thing as white bread -- buy a whole grain pasta.

Add to diet: Fish oil supplement (the 1,000 mg ones two or three times a day), and also I added red yeast rice. Research says that 1800 red yeast rice (I take the 600 one three times -- breakfast, lunch and dinner) has the same effect as a cholesterol med like Crestor. It's OTC, though, and you can find it at Walmart or any place like that in the vitamin section.

More veggies, less meat, and read the labels. I used to just look to see if it had "cholesterol," but she should also look to make sure it has no or very little saturated fat, no trans fat (of course), and stuff that has unsaturated fat (like the kind in nuts) is good. So, high in unsaturated fat, low in saturated is the way to go.

You have to read the labels 'cause they can be tricky. Like, say a serving of almonds (which are good for you). It'll say "Fat: 9 g." You might think that's bad, and it would be if it was all saturated fat. But then if you read more, it'll say "Saturated Fat: 0.5 g Trans Fat: 0" and that's hardly any of the "bad" fats, so that means that the other 8.5 g's have to be the "good" kinds. So, really tell her to read labels carefully.

Just for general purposes, I'd avoid anything with "partially hydrogenated" anything in the label. I'm sure as she begins to read more about it, she'll get a feel for what she should and shouldn't eat. And also, while exercise doesn't itself decrease cholesterol, it can help keep her heart healthy, so if she's not active, she can start that, too.

I feel a zillion times better since I started watching my cholesterol, too. LOL! I hope your sister does as well.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Judy from Boise]

The only foods that have cholesterol are animal based, including eggs. So right away she can switch to non fat dairy items, egg beaters, and lean meat. The kicker is your body can use any saturated fat and "turn" it into cholesterol.
So any saturated fat she can avoid the better.
Then there foods that can help "cleanse" our bodies from fatty build up in the vessels, like the previously mentioned oatmeal.People with high cholesterol need to use both approaches plus meds.

 

[C.Ann]

..................

 

[maddmike]

I have fought high cholesterol for years and finally had to take meds. I am not overweight and in general good health but my body makes too much cholesterol. The best natural thing a person can do is exercise and avoid fats especially saturated fats. I went on a totally fat free diet for three months to try to lower my levels. I only lowered them by 10 points but lost nearly 20 pounds I didn't really have to lose. I don't like taking any meds but I tried one that has worked well. My total chol. level went from 275 to 140 and eat anything I want now. Plus I gained the 20 lbs back without a problem.

 

[mikehn]

What about Omega 3 supplements, Costco has super size bottles.

 

[daisax]

Eggs have gotten a bad rap. Unless you're one of a small minority of people who are sensitive to dietary cholesterol, eating eggs won't make a difference (and there's some evidence that eggs reduce the level of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol). They're a great source of protein.

Saturated fat is a far greater cause of high cholesterol since it prompts the body to produce cholesterol. What you ingest in terms of cholesterol isn't nearly as big a factor as once thought.