Lowering Cholesterol

[Pagal4321]

Hey guys,

Just got back from the doctor's office and it seems my cholesterol is super high for someone my age. So looks like I'll be needing to make drastic changes to my lifestyle.

Just wondering if anyone can give me any tips that would help me in this. My plan right now is to cut back on red meat, fried foods and start to workout at least 4 times a week.

[BlackEleven]

Stop drinking beer
Switch to skim milk

[Flash Walken]

adopt a vegan diet.

[Prototype]

Sex with at least one other person...

[worth]

what were the numbers?

Are they putting you on drugs?

lowering your grains and lowering sugars is important to lower cholesterol. eliminate pop and soda like coke and sprite and that junk. that stuff is the worst thing you can put in your body.

just a fun thing i noticed: look how many grams of sugar are on a pop can. i looked at some carbonated citrius drink a couple months ago and it said 29g of sugar. i looked at sugar cubes for your coffee, and each cube is 4 grams. that means there are over 7 sugar cubes in one can of pop. i was suprised by this big time.

anyway, if your cholesterol gets too high, your doctor would probably recommend putting you on drugs if they haven't already. I don't buy this at all. there are plenty of ways to reduce cholesterol to appropriate levels without drugs.

[brownie]

Cheerios

[troutman]

I'm no doctor, but this book was helpful for me:

http://www.thehealthyheart.net/

oat bran, nuts, one drink of alcohol per day

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Watch what your foods are cooked in - they type of oil can make a difference. A Pakistani friend of mine discovered the ghee he was using was causing ridiculous cholestrol numbers. Tossed that out and found it made a significant drop, along with a drop in fried and other oily foods.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by fotze

So I guess you like to save up those drinks and use them all on one day.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

A keg of prevention is worth - what was the question?

[looooob]

just make sure the choices that you make are sustainable long term ones for you,

[Tower]

Eat foods with High density lipid protiens in them. They clean out the low density crap in your viens and take them back to the liver.

Use sunflower oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Like avacado! mmm good.

brown rice in stead of breads. Brown rice pasta instead of regular pasta.

these to start....

[OilersBaby]

The same thing just happened to my husband (about 3 months ago). Since then, he's been doing a LOT of cardio, eating foods that are low in fat, more veggies. Cut out EGGS and SHRIMP completely. Egg yolks and shrimp are VERY high in cholesterol. If you can't quit eating eggs, eat "Egg Beaters" which are made with only egg whites (high in protein, no cholesterol).

Fish such as salmon is great for you.....

Sugar is bad for you but has nothing to do with your cholesterol level.......

Basically Here are Foods that will Help you:
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains, like cereal, rice and pasta
Lean red meats and poultry without skin (up to 6 total ounces [cooked] per day)
Low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy products
Lean fish and shellfish
Beans and peas
Nuts and seeds in limited amounts
Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts


Here are Foods to AVOID:

• Whole milk, cream and ice cream
• Butter, egg yolks and cheese, and foods made with them
• Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
• Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
• Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
• High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
• Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
• Duck and goose meat
• Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
• Fried foods
• Shrimp

In terms of exercise, cardiovascular exercise reduces your cholesterol level quicker than strength training such as lifting weights.

Oh yeah, one more thing, high fiber foods are great for lowering cholesterol. Basically, when fiber is eliminated from your body, it attaches itself to the bad cholesterol and takes it with it (when you go to the bathroom). If you can handle eating a lot of high fiber cereal such as Kashi, that's awesome.....

- High fiber foods include green veggies such as spinach, broccoli, nuts, popcorn, bananas, oranges, apples (with skin), lentils, black eyed beans, kidney beans, beans in general, berries are awesome!

[OilersBaby]

Originally Posted by fotze

I've heard Indian (East) have a tendency to high cholesterol, heart ailments, is that true?

Good rule of thumb, if it tastes like nothing, it is good for you, tastes good = Bad!

Yes, you are absolutely correct...East Indians and other Southeast Asians have a tendency to have higher cholesterol and heart conditions. This has to do with diet. Lots of Indian food is cooked with oil and is high in fat (most Indians eat white rice an lots of bread), not to mention the veggies cooked in oil. On the other hand, the Japanese have one of the lowest levels of cholesterol because they eat a lot of OMEGA 3 acids which is found in fish. THey don't eat a lot of red meat or foods high in fat.

Rina

[redforever]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

The same thing just happened to my husband (about 3 months ago). Since then, he's been doing a LOT of cardio, eating foods that are low in fat, more veggies. Cut out EGGS and SHRIMP completely. Egg yolks and shrimp are VERY high in cholesterol. If you can't quit eating eggs, eat "Egg Beaters" which are made with only egg whites (high in protein, no cholesterol).

Fish such as salmon is great for you.....

Sugar is bad for you but has nothing to do with your cholesterol level.......

Basically Here are Foods that will Help you:
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains, like cereal, rice and pasta
Lean red meats and poultry without skin (up to 6 total ounces [cooked] per day)
Low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy products
Lean fish and shellfish
Beans and peas
Nuts and seeds in limited amounts
Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts


Here are Foods to AVOID:

• Whole milk, cream and ice cream
• Butter, egg yolks and cheese, and foods made with them
• Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
• Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
• Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
• High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
• Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
• Duck and goose meat
• Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
• Fried foods
• Shrimp

In terms of exercise, cardiovascular exercise reduces your cholesterol level quicker than strength training such as lifting weights.

Oh yeah, one more thing, high fiber foods are great for lowering cholesterol. Basically, when fiber is eliminated from your body, it attaches itself to the bad cholesterol and takes it with it (when you go to the bathroom). If you can handle eating a lot of high fiber cereal such as Kashi, that's awesome.....

- High fiber foods include green veggies such as spinach, broccoli, nuts, popcorn, bananas, oranges, apples (with skin), lentils, black eyed beans, kidney beans, beans in general, berries are awesome!

All very good suggestions and comments. Now another thing to keep in mind, is that 80% of your cholesterol makeup is inherited( Yup, a lot has to do with the DNA you inherit from your parents. Of course, diet plays a big part too, especially if you are into a lot of fried foods etc

If your cholesterol has mainly gone up because of your diet and lifestyle, then of course, if you change your diet and lifestyle, you can get your cholesterol readings under control.

BUT, if it is inherited, then by all means, try to eat and live as healthy a lifestyle as possible, BUT, keep in mind, this might not be enough to favorably change your cholesterol readings. And in some cases, a change in lifestyle sadly will not make much of a difference. Do not be afraid to take the medication that can be prescribed to get your cholesterol under control. There can be a lot of fear mongering regarding medication of any kind, but dont forget, high cholesterol can lead to sudden death, so consider your odds and look into any possible side effects and complications of the various medications out there and then make a decision.

[Eddie Bronze]

Break up with your girlfriend. Not only will your cholesterol levels plummet, it will fix every problem you ever had!

[OilersBaby]

Well, also being overweight increases your cholesterol levels. If someone slightly overweight lost 10 lbs, they would see their cholesterol level as well as their risk for diabetes drop. Obesity is a risk factor in developing these conditions. The best thing you can do for yourself is stay lean. I'm 5'8", 125 lbs, and I dont always eat well, but I exercise like crazy to ensure I'm healthy. Losing FAT (not muscle) will help you be healthier and also you can cheat once in a while in terms of eating and it's not so bad

[DuffMan]

I'm one of those with high cholesterol thanks to my ancestors. Diet and exercise only has limited results, but it doesn't hurt. Drugs is the thing for me.
Here is another really good show, I saw a couple of weeks ago. you can watch it online. It explains a lot including what happens to your arteries. Also says some new drugs coming out to higher your HDL levels, Hooray for drugs.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/heart/

[4X4]

Originally Posted by OilersBaby

Here are Foods to AVOID:

• Whole milk, cream and ice cream
• Butter, egg yolks and cheese, and foods made with them
• Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
• Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
• Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
• High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
• Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
• Duck and goose meat
• Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
• Fried foods
• Shrimp

Apparently I have some bad eating habits. I've been ~195 (6'2") since I was 20 (8 years) but after living with my sister for a few months, she insisted that what I was eating wasn't good.

My main question is about shrimp. What's so bad about it? I eat tons of shrimp. By tons, I mean that I down a whole shrimp ring in one sitting at least once a week.