Tips on dieting with high cholesterol
jenster540
Posts: 13 Member
Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
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Replies
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I don't have any experience with high cholesterol but I do know that most people can reverse diabetes and obtain normal cholesterol levels with a whole foods, plant based diet. (Engine 2 Diet, The China Study, Forks Over Knives)6
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jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
I'm no doctor, so please take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but my understanding is that increasing exercise and losing excess weight is far more important for lowering cholesterol than what you eat. Unless you have a specific genetic condition that I forget the name of, familial something-or-other, that requires you to avoid high cholesterol foods.
To lose weight, log your food here accurately and consistently, and hit your calorie goal. Move more, log purposeful exercise here, and eat back at least some of those calories. Walking is a great place to start, exercise-wise. I'm sure others will come along with more info. Good luck!8 -
I had high cholesterol when I started...I started eating more whole foods and in particular making sure I ate my veggies and some fruit (things that were sorely lacking previously). I also started including things like oats and beans and lentils into my diet on a regular basis.
But really, I think dumping the excess 40 Lbs and regular exercise did more than anything else. Eating better just made it easier to dump the weight I think.3 -
jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
I'm no doctor, so please take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but my understanding is that increasing exercise and losing excess weight is far more important for lowering cholesterol than what you eat. Unless you have a specific genetic condition that I forget the name of, familial something-or-other, that requires you to avoid high cholesterol foods.
For most people, yes. Unfortunately some of us are exceptions to the rule. I went from borderline obese (BMI 30) to normal weight (BMI under 23), and my cholesterol went from high normal to really high. I expected it to go in the other direction, but it went up,3 -
jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
I'm no doctor, so please take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but my understanding is that increasing exercise and losing excess weight is far more important for lowering cholesterol than what you eat. Unless you have a specific genetic condition that I forget the name of, familial something-or-other, that requires you to avoid high cholesterol foods.
For most people, yes. Unfortunately some of us are exceptions to the rule. I went from borderline obese (BMI 30) to normal weight (BMI under 23), and my cholesterol went from high normal to really high. I expected it to go in the other direction, but it went up,
You may have familial high cholesterol rather than diet/lifestyle cause.0 -
jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
I'm no doctor, so please take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but my understanding is that increasing exercise and losing excess weight is far more important for lowering cholesterol than what you eat. Unless you have a specific genetic condition that I forget the name of, familial something-or-other, that requires you to avoid high cholesterol foods.
To lose weight, log your food here accurately and consistently, and hit your calorie goal. Move more, log purposeful exercise here, and eat back at least some of those calories. Walking is a great place to start, exercise-wise. I'm sure others will come along with more info. Good luck!
its called familial hypercholesterolemia. @jenster540 and if you have high cholesterol and arent overweight or obese, and had it when you were at a healthy weight,or have a parent with it or who had it,then its possible that is the cause( a genetic test would help as its often misdiagnosed as just high cholesterol. I have it and for me I have to do a low fat,low cholesterol high fiber diet along with medication.
I had this condition even when I was thin ,I just didnt know it was FH,the drs thought it was just high cholesterol. so its best to get tested if you can to rule it out. as for us we dont process fats and cholesterol like others so it gets stored in our blood streams and arteries and we know what that can do.
I was eating a low fat diet and taking meds and it wasnt working,so I had to do low fat and cholesterol and high fiber(fiber was something I wasnt getting) my cholesterol is now in the normal ranges for the first time in 15 years. so even for me too many healthy fats are a no go as well. its all going to depend on if your high cholesterol is hereditary or not, and what you should not be eating.3 -
jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
I'm no doctor, so please take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but my understanding is that increasing exercise and losing excess weight is far more important for lowering cholesterol than what you eat. Unless you have a specific genetic condition that I forget the name of, familial something-or-other, that requires you to avoid high cholesterol foods.
For most people, yes. Unfortunately some of us are exceptions to the rule. I went from borderline obese (BMI 30) to normal weight (BMI under 23), and my cholesterol went from high normal to really high. I expected it to go in the other direction, but it went up,
many times when we lose weight cholesterol will increase because its released into the blood stream from our fat stores due to fatty acids being released. has it come down any since? it should come down once your weight is stable for awhile. if not then yeah it could be familial hypercholesterolemia.1 -
jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
I'm no doctor, so please take this with the appropriate grain of salt, but my understanding is that increasing exercise and losing excess weight is far more important for lowering cholesterol than what you eat. Unless you have a specific genetic condition that I forget the name of, familial something-or-other, that requires you to avoid high cholesterol foods.
For most people, yes. Unfortunately some of us are exceptions to the rule. I went from borderline obese (BMI 30) to normal weight (BMI under 23), and my cholesterol went from high normal to really high. I expected it to go in the other direction, but it went up,
Same here. It's pretty depressing actually.0 -
So, did your doctor tell you to change your eating habits? I also have high cholesterol and have been eating a diet of lower saturated fat foods, plus, tons of veggies, fruits and steering clear of high fat meats and sauces. I have dropped my total cholesterol 30 points in three months and I'm curious to see how the rest of the year goes for me. My dr is not overly worried b/c I'm post partum and trying to still lose weight that I gained with two babies in two years but we are definitely keeping a check on it. I initiated the low saturated fat diet and it seems to be working. I've also begun to exercise which just makes me feel better in general.
If you aren't sure where to start then google low saturated fat diet. I had to get an account with emeals.com in order to get started and figure out which foods to eat and what to avoid. I didn't have time to research and meal plan myself and emeals.com pretty much does it all for me on a weekly basis. I know I sound like their sales person but it just plain works for me.
Good luck! You can friend me if you want.0 -
Sorry I haven't checked back in with this thread. My doctor told me to change my habits. Mainly try and lose some weight. My mother has diabetes, had a heart attack at 47 along with other health problems. My father has high cholesterol. I am very overweight so an overall lifestyle change was needed. changing the way i look at food and the calorie counting has really helped! I dont go back for 6 months to my doc. I am on medication. But so far in 20 days I have lost 6 ish pounds
. I have lowered my dairy intake, try to stick to whole wheats, low salt, more beans, less red meat. In also taking omega 3 tablets. Also cut out soda. 4 -
Wow you are doing good. Keep it up and I bet your numbers will look better.1
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Thank you 0
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I would suggest researching the types of cholesterol so you're more familiar with them. HDL (Happy cholesterol vs LDL (bad cholesterol) and Triglycerides to start. Eating foods that increase your HDL is recommended: avocados, fatty fish like salmon, extra virgin olive oil and almonds.2
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jenster540 wrote: »Sorry I haven't checked back in with this thread. My doctor told me to change my habits. Mainly try and lose some weight. My mother has diabetes, had a heart attack at 47 along with other health problems. My father has high cholesterol. I am very overweight so an overall lifestyle change was needed. changing the way i look at food and the calorie counting has really helped! I dont go back for 6 months to my doc. I am on medication. But so far in 20 days I have lost 6 ish pounds. I have lowered my dairy intake, try to stick to whole wheats, low salt, more beans, less red meat. In also taking omega 3 tablets. Also cut out soda.
if your mom has a heart attack at an early age and your dad has high cholesterol. you need to be checked for whats called familial hypercholesterolemia. genetic testing is needed to see if you have it. if you have it just losing weight often is not enough. I even had it when I was of a healthy weight,I just didnt know it was FH it often gets misdiagnosed as high cholesterol and left untreated can result in diabetes and heart attacks at an early age.
so its possible your mom has that as well. if your cholesterol is genetic in which it sounds it is. low fat,low cholesterol and high fiber diets are usually the protocol, as well as exercise. for some that also means a medicine to lower the cholesterol. as for the omega 3s gotta be careful because if you do have FH your body wont be able to process fats efficiently and it will get stored in your arteries.you can have some fats just not a lot of them.
I would really get tested especially with your mom and dad having those issues.heart attacks and diabetes in FH patients can be prevented.2 -
I would suggest researching the types of cholesterol so you're more familiar with them. HDL (Happy cholesterol vs LDL (bad cholesterol) and Triglycerides to start. Eating foods that increase your HDL is recommended: avocados, fatty fish like salmon, extra virgin olive oil and almonds.
the fats all depends on if her cholesterol is genetic or not. if so its possible she will have to watch her fat and cholesterol intake .even healthy fats.1 -
Thanks I'll bring it up at my next appt0
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I would suggest researching the types of cholesterol so you're more familiar with them. HDL (Happy cholesterol vs LDL (bad cholesterol) and Triglycerides to start. Eating foods that increase your HDL is recommended: avocados, fatty fish like salmon, extra virgin olive oil and almonds.
the fats all depends on if her cholesterol is genetic or not. if so its possible she will have to watch her fat and cholesterol intake .even healthy fats.
Yes you are so right. Full lipid panel should be done especially with her history on both sides.
A double whammy puts you in full scale, "Man I need to get myself together" mode!0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I would suggest researching the types of cholesterol so you're more familiar with them. HDL (Happy cholesterol vs LDL (bad cholesterol) and Triglycerides to start. Eating foods that increase your HDL is recommended: avocados, fatty fish like salmon, extra virgin olive oil and almonds.
the fats all depends on if her cholesterol is genetic or not. if so its possible she will have to watch her fat and cholesterol intake .even healthy fats.
Yes you are so right. Full lipid panel should be done especially with her history on both sides.
A double whammy puts you in full scale, "Man I need to get myself together" mode!
genetic testing can tell what type she has if she has it. if she inherited the defective gene from both parents then yeah she needs to get it controlled now, if she only inherited from one parent she still has a high risk for heart attack,tia,stroke and diabetes.its more dangerous if both her parents have the gene then that means an even earlier risk of those things.
op your parents also should be tested so they know if they have the defective gene or not your mom having a heart attack before she was 50 sounds like she inherited it from both her parents. and she can take the steps to try and prevent another one.
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/familial-hypercholesterolemia/1 -
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I would suggest researching the types of cholesterol so you're more familiar with them. HDL (Happy cholesterol vs LDL (bad cholesterol) and Triglycerides to start. Eating foods that increase your HDL is recommended: avocados, fatty fish like salmon, extra virgin olive oil and almonds.
the fats all depends on if her cholesterol is genetic or not. if so its possible she will have to watch her fat and cholesterol intake .even healthy fats.
Yes you are so right. Full lipid panel should be done especially with her history on both sides.
A double whammy puts you in full scale, "Man I need to get myself together" mode!
genetic testing can tell what type she has if she has it. if she inherited the defective gene from both parents then yeah she needs to get it controlled now, if she only inherited from one parent she still has a high risk for heart attack,tia,stroke and diabetes.its more dangerous if both her parents have the gene then that means an even earlier risk of those things.
op your parents also should be tested so they know if they have the defective gene or not your mom having a heart attack before she was 50 sounds like she inherited it from both her parents. and she can take the steps to try and prevent another one.
https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/familial-hypercholesterolemia/
Good advice!1 -
What was your cholesterol measured at? Did you have multiple measurements taken at month intervals?jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
Serum cholesterol is produced naturally by the body, but it also can be present from foods high in saturated fat and/or cholesterol.
If it's super high (like 300+) it could come from a genetic condition called familial hypercholestemia. If that's not the case, reducing cholesterol can happen very quickly. Many people have been able to reduce serum cholesterol by 100+ in a month from low-fat, plant based diets.
NOTE: I've reduced mine in personal experiments by 203 in less than 23 days.
If you want to provide the answers to the questions and some more diet info I'd be glad to help.
even with a low fat diet those with FH also have to incorporate exercise and for some meds. I have FH. foods high in fat will not effect a person who doesnt have FH like it does those with FH. I have to have my cholesterol levels tested every 3 months.The thing with FH it signals your body to make more cholesterol even when its high. your liver cannot process fats and cholesterol efficiently compared to those without FH.
so excess fats and cholesterol get stored in your arteries and so on,which can lead to heart attack,TIAs and stroke, left untreated it can also cause diabetes. you can also get cholesterol deposits under your skin called xanthomas and xanthelasmas(which I have) I also have fat pads/cholesterol deposits on my ankles and one on my knee from my cholesterol being high in the past.
I was thin when I first was diagnosed with high cholesterol. they had no idea it was genetic until a few years ago. It kept going up and up even though I was eating a low fat diet and on meds back then too,this time Im on a different medication,exercising and eating low fat ,low cholesterol and high fiber. had this for 15 years so far and for the first time my cholesterol is in the normal ranges.it took a long time for the cholesterol to come down even with meds. so it wont always come down fast in those with FH.1 -
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FH is pretty rare. I understand if it is FH then there will be different approaches needed.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
What was your cholesterol measured at? Did you have multiple measurements taken at month intervals?jenster540 wrote: »Hey all its only been a few weeks that i have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Just looking for some tips on what to avoid or great recipes of any of you have. Also could use some friends for support
Serum cholesterol is produced naturally by the body, but it also can be present from foods high in saturated fat and/or cholesterol.
If it's super high (like 300+) it could come from a genetic condition called familial hypercholestemia. If that's not the case, reducing cholesterol can happen very quickly. Many people have been able to reduce serum cholesterol by 100+ in a month from low-fat, plant based diets.
NOTE: I've reduced mine in personal experiments by 203 in less than 23 days.
If you want to provide the answers to the questions and some more diet info I'd be glad to help.
even with a low fat diet those with FH also have to incorporate exercise and for some meds. I have FH. foods high in fat will not effect a person who doesnt have FH like it does those with FH. I have to have my cholesterol levels tested every 3 months.The thing with FH it signals your body to make more cholesterol even when its high. your liver cannot process fats and cholesterol efficiently compared to those without FH.
so excess fats and cholesterol get stored in your arteries and so on,which can lead to heart attack,TIAs and stroke, left untreated it can also cause diabetes. you can also get cholesterol deposits under your skin called xanthomas and xanthelasmas(which I have) I also have fat pads/cholesterol deposits on my ankles and one on my knee from my cholesterol being high in the past.
I was thin when I first was diagnosed with high cholesterol. they had no idea it was genetic until a few years ago. It kept going up and up even though I was eating a low fat diet and on meds back then too,this time Im on a different medication,exercising and eating low fat ,low cholesterol and high fiber. had this for 15 years so far and for the first time my cholesterol is in the normal ranges.it took a long time for the cholesterol to come down even with meds. so it wont always come down fast in those with FH.
Exercise doesn't directly reduce serum cholesterol levels.
in patients with FH exercise is recommended,especially cardio since it helps with blood flow and helps with the cardiovascular system. exercise has been proven to help with cholesterol levels. since people with FH have problems with the liver processing fats and cholesterol every little bit helps.and since we are at risk for cardiovascular issues its help to keep those things strong.
BUT some with FH especially those who inherited the gene from both parents and have it from birth or a very young age even those things may not be enough and, they have to go through a type of dialysis called apheresis to clear the cholesterol out of the blood stream. exercise can have effects on the lipids by reducing LDL Cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing HDL Cholesterol.so yes exercise can help.
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I'm not sure what the exact number was. My doc showed me but it didn't quite register. I only had 1 panel done.0
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Variance of cholesterol is usually up to 20% week to week. It's completely possibly you just had a high week. You need to get a couple more measurements at month intervals to make a real determination unless it was 260+. Call the doctor, ask for the results, and schedule another lipid panel.jenster540 wrote: »I'm not sure what the exact number was. My doc showed me but it didn't quite register. I only had 1 panel done.
depending on where she lives and her insurance some lipid panels can only be done every 3 months,some every 6 months. losing weight can also raise cholesterol for a short time too. Thyroid issues can also cause high cholesterol too. But I agree get your results and see what they are.I would ask about getting tested for FH since your parents have issues with cholesterol and early heart attack. OP Has your cholesterol ever been high before?1 -
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
Variance of cholesterol is usually up to 20% week to week. It's completely possibly you just had a high week. You need to get a couple more measurements at month intervals to make a real determination unless it was 260+. Call the doctor, ask for the results, and schedule another lipid panel.jenster540 wrote: »I'm not sure what the exact number was. My doc showed me but it didn't quite register. I only had 1 panel done.
depending on where she lives and her insurance some lipid panels can only be done every 3 months,some every 6 months. losing weight can also raise cholesterol for a short time too. Thyroid issues can also cause high cholesterol too. But I agree get your results and see what they are.I would ask about getting tested for FH since your parents have issues with cholesterol and early heart attack. OP Has your cholesterol ever been high before?
Perhaps from an insurance coverage standpoint, but lipid panels can cost as little as $60 if you get the draw done outside of a hospital (private office, lab site, etc.). Nothing stopping her from getting them done, and even if her doctor isn't diligent enough to make the recommendation for more draws many other doctors do.
Yes, cholesterol can go up with weight loss. Glad to hear someone else pointing that out!
well yeah if she wants to pay for them sure she can do that. but for many even $60(again depending on area), can be too much for some to afford.I agree if her doctor isnt serious about checking into things then she needs to be proactive and find another doctor if possible. FH sucks to have and needs to be treated asap. Im just lucky that mine being misdiagnosed all those years didnt have a negative impact on my health if it has it hasnt reared its ugly head yet
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