Tackling cholesterol issues

bazfitness

Got my cholesterol results back. Not pretty reading, but didn't expect otherwise, as some of my siblings have truly awful cholesterol, and heart problems are on both sides of my family. That's why I really need to tackle cholesterol.

Figures came in 2 different scales, 2nd set I'll put in brackets

Total cholesterol was 210, HDL was low at 35.5 (.91), LDL at 143.3 (3.71), Triglycerides 157 (1.77)

I'm pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to dramatically improve these. I'm reading a whole bunch of stuff and as usual one site says one thing and another says something else.

Here's my rough plan.

Monitor the amount of saturated foods I eat - making sure it's kept within a certain level. I've added it to my daily goal to be no more than 15 gr. Would be prepared to eat even less if it would help.

Keep up the exercise I have been doing and maybe look into any exercise that's specifically good for reducing cholesterol. Any recommendations?

Any advice would be welcome.

bathsheba_c

I'm in the same boat. Monitoring the saturated fat is a good start. Also, if you aren't already, try getting more fiber into your diet. As for exercise, my attitude is that the best exercise is the one you stick with. At least, I've never had a doctor tell me to do a specific kind of exercise.

CnocNaCu

I had the same problem: my total cholesterol was 285 ( 7.4) and since heart problems are running in my family I did the following with fantastic success:
I started losing weight in September 2011, quit smoking (very important) in November 2011 and started daily exercise.
In January my cholesterol was already down to 170 (4.40)
Regular exercise is absolutely necessary. It doesn't matter what you do but you have to do it regularly and you should be sweating:laugh: running, power walking, strength training, biking etc...all is good.
Diet is very important too: eat cholesterol lowering foods (google it) like raisins, walnuts, oats.
I decided for myself to have only 1 egg a week and for a few months only chicken. Now I eat pork every now and then but in general I don't eat a lot of meat. Whole grains and vegetables are more important.
After all these changes I made I'm fit and healthy, my doctor is happy and I could save the "*kitten*-money" for a treadmill :bigsmile:
Good luck, if you make healthy choices you can tackle this problem:drinker: :flowerforyou:

CnocNaCu

Got my cholesterol results back. Not pretty reading, but didn't expect otherwise, as some of my siblings have truly awful cholesterol, and heart problems are on both sides of my family. That's why I really need to tackle cholesterol.

Figures came in 2 different scales, 2nd set I'll put in brackets

Total cholesterol was 210, HDL was low at 35.5 (.91), LDL at 143.3 (3.71), Triglycerides 157 (1.77)

I'm pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to dramatically improve these. I'm reading a whole bunch of stuff and as usual one site says one thing and another says something else.

Here's my rough plan.

Monitor the amount of saturated foods I eat - making sure it's kept within a certain level. I've added it to my daily goal to be no more than 15 gr. Would be prepared to eat even less if it would help.

Keep up the exercise I have been doing and maybe look into any exercise that's specifically good for reducing cholesterol. Any recommendations?

Any advice would be welcome.

Just saw your breakfast for today in the diary. Looks absolutely great!!!!
Hi from the sunny and dry Donegal :bigsmile:

VMarkV

Your major priority should be in boosting HDL, for your dietary fat intake, focus on getting the majority from MONOUNSATURATED fats and limit polyunsaturated fats as much as possible. Keep saturated fats reasonable for now (they can help raise HDL, but also increase LDL...first tinker with monounsaturated fat intake, then if HDL is still too low, more saturated fats can help). Exercise also has a positive effect on HDL, but MUFA intake is a more significant factor for raising HDL (still exercise though).

Dietary cholesterol has no influence on fasted cholesterol states...when you eat more dietary cholesterol your body compensates by producing less cholesterol on its own. Vice-versa, if you avoid dietary cholesterol, your body will make MORE cholesterol on its own. Do not avoid dietary cholesterol intake.

Having a good HDL:total cholesterol ratio is what matters most, so boosting HDL is the way to go. Trying to lower total cholesterol with polyunsaturated fats will lower BOTH HDL and Total cholesterol (not in favor for creating a better ratio), which is why you want to avoid PUFAs.

READ YOUR FOOD Labels! - most people would be surprised that animal products have more MUFA while plant fats are high in PUFAs
I hope this helps
<---Coming from a pharmacy student who's HDL happens to be above 100mg/dL

*I can't see carbs in your diary, you need to track them for triglycerides

reddi2roll

bump

bazfitness

@bathsheba_c Thanks for reminding me about fiber. Very important I believe.
@cnocnacu... Greetings from Irish guy in Portugal to German lady in Ireland... small world these days . Thanks regarding my diary. My diet has improved a lot, I believe in last few months, perhaps my cholesterol was far worse a few months ago.

Your major priority should be in boosting HDL, for your dietary fat intake, focus on getting the majority from MONOUNSATURATED fats and limit polyunsaturated fats as much as possible. Keep saturated fats reasonable for now (they can help raise HDL, but also increase LDL...first tinker with monounsaturated fat intake, then if HDL is still too low, more saturated fats can help). Exercise also has a positive effect on HDL, but MUFA intake is a more significant factor for raising HDL (still exercise though).

Dietary cholesterol has no influence on fasted cholesterol states...when you eat more dietary cholesterol your body compensates by producing less cholesterol on its own. Vice-versa, if you avoid dietary cholesterol, your body will make MORE cholesterol on its own. Do not avoid dietary cholesterol intake.

Having a good HDL:total cholesterol ratio is what matters most, so boosting HDL is the way to go. Trying to lower total cholesterol with polyunsaturated fats will lower BOTH HDL and Total cholesterol (not in favor for creating a better ratio), which is why you want to avoid PUFAs.

READ YOUR FOOD Labels! - most people would be surprised that animal products have more MUFA while plant fats are high in PUFAs
I hope this helps
<---Coming from a pharmacy student who's HDL happens to be above 100mg/dL

*I can't see carbs in your diary, you need to track them for triglycerides

Thanks mahjik1231 for your detailed reply. Never realised that about Polyunsaturated fats before. Just read some stuff now that confirms what you say. I don't think I have many polyunsaturated fats in my diet tbh but i'll monitor them.

When you say to keep a reasonable amount of saturated fats in my diet, what would you consider to be reasonable?

On the carbs now showing in my diary - I just adjusted my diary today to show the 3 types of fat along with fiber and protein.
I wanted to keep carbs but only allowed to have 5 columns. My carb intake is fairly low. I rarely hit my daily target - currently set to 55% of daily cals, I'm probably getting more like 40% of my cals in reality from carbs, not by choice exactly, just I cut out bread and processed foods from my diet and though to an extent I've filled that void with potatoes (sick of them tbh) I''ve probably more scope to add some carbs to my diet. I do eat plenty of veg and fruit but don't usually get a whole lot of cals or carbs from them.

VMarkV

Your triglycerides aren't bad (greater than 200 is concerning) but they just still need to be monitored
Saturated fat around 20g is reasonable, don't try to avoid it is all, keep it consistent so you can see the effects in raising monounsaturated fat intake

bazfitness

Saw my doctor at the local health centre. tbh, nice guy but crap doctor. To cut a long story short... he basically prescribed me statins - now I didn't ask for them, afaik statins are a last resort and once you're on them you can't come off them. I didn't think my results were so bad that they merited me being put on statins.

I don't plan on taking them, at least until I try other measures.
Am I right?

railroadgirl

Hi - was just reading your entries. I am certainly no expert but my Dr wanted to put me on those and I told her no way. My cholesterol has always been (These are my previous dr's words not mine) "perfect". But I got on a bad schedule there for a while with eating, sleeping - everything and it went a bit high, but my good cholesterol was great. Ultimately its up to you. I do not have heart disease in my family, so I have decided to just stay on the right track, adjust my diet accordingly and then go and have cholesterol re checked. Good luck!

Kalynx

Baz - start using your view printable report button on lower left of your food diary screen - that way you can check your carb intake easily without having to waste a column on it.

mmapags

All exercise has a good impact on HDL but on particular strength training does. It also helps with keep the triglycerides in a healthy range. I don't know what your regimen is but including some weight lifting would help.

Kalynx

any smokers out there - cutting way back will help the trygl. levels big time!

tlinval

I had very high cholesterol about a year ago. So high it scared me. My health coach at work (not a dr or anything, but she's very knowledgable) suggested I up my fiber, exercise and water intake and keep my saturated fats to 8 a day. EIGHT. Ug...that was hard at first!! But it has helped me a great deal! Yes, it's true, some days are more difficult than others but I really believe the combo of lower sat. fats, exercise, water and fiber has changed my life for the better! Good luck!!

VMarkV

Saw my doctor at the local health centre. tbh, nice guy but crap doctor. To cut a long story short... he basically prescribed me statins - now I didn't ask for them, afaik statins are a last resort and once you're on them you can't come off them. I didn't think my results were so bad that they merited me being put on statins.

I don't plan on taking them, at least until I try other measures.
Am I right?

The interesting thing about statins is that currently, there are none that increase HDL significantly. They all aim at only reducing LDL and total cholesterol. We have what is know as the "Rule of 5" in which you get started off on a low dose statin, you double that strength and total cholesterol only goes down 5% for that drug. You double the strength again, total cholesterol only goes down another 5%. It is much easier to get a good HDL:Total Cholesterol ratio by raising HDL.

The one drug that does promote HDL (increases about 35%) is Niacin but again really high doses are needed (there's no way to get enough niacin from your diet to have a therapeutic effect)

It's much easier and safer to alter diet first

brismom070897

bump

codiem

Bump for info! Going through the same thing. High cholesterol is genetic on my mom's side and I was lucky enough to get the genes... add that with my weight, and it's trouble! Dr. has me on Zocor plus diet and exercise... says it still may never be ideal levels (my mom was put on strict diet and exercise plus meds and hers was still high). So I guess I'm just working to keep it as low as I possibly can... Best of luck to you!

bazfitness

The interesting thing about statins is that currently, there are none that increase HDL significantly. They all aim at only reducing LDL and total cholesterol. We have what is know as the "Rule of 5" in which you get started off on a low dose statin, you double that strength and total cholesterol only goes down 5% for that drug. You double the strength again, total cholesterol only goes down another 5%. It is much easier to get a good HDL:Total Cholesterol ratio by raising HDL.

The one drug that does promote HDL (increases about 35%) is Niacin but again really high doses are needed (there's no way to get enough niacin from your diet to have a therapeutic effect)

It's much easier and safer to alter diet first

I'm just going to work on the diet for now also. Statins I think are a ridiculous suggestion for me right now. I didn't have tests done before I started on a radically improved diet and exercising almost every day for the last 3 months so I imagine if anything my cholesterol situation may have improved since 3 months ago. I'll make further adjustments along the lines of what has been said on this thread and some other adjustments that I think I need to make and see what my results are like in 2 or 3 months time.

ak_in_ak

mine were very high a year ago, they went down when I cut my carbs down

DominiqueSmall

Got my cholesterol results back. Not pretty reading, but didn't expect otherwise, as some of my siblings have truly awful cholesterol, and heart problems are on both sides of my family. That's why I really need to tackle cholesterol.

Figures came in 2 different scales, 2nd set I'll put in brackets

Total cholesterol was 210, HDL was low at 35.5 (.91), LDL at 143.3 (3.71), Triglycerides 157 (1.77)

I'm pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to dramatically improve these. I'm reading a whole bunch of stuff and as usual one site says one thing and another says something else.

Here's my rough plan.

Monitor the amount of saturated foods I eat - making sure it's kept within a certain level. I've added it to my daily goal to be no more than 15 gr. Would be prepared to eat even less if it would help.

Keep up the exercise I have been doing and maybe look into any exercise that's specifically good for reducing cholesterol. Any recommendations?

Any advice would be welcome.

You might want to read "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis. You will be quiet surprised as to what he has to say and what you really can and should eat. He is a cardiologist by the way.

rjt1000

Got my cholesterol results back. Not pretty reading, but didn't expect otherwise, as some of my siblings have truly awful cholesterol, and heart problems are on both sides of my family. That's why I really need to tackle cholesterol.

Figures came in 2 different scales, 2nd set I'll put in brackets

Total cholesterol was 210, HDL was low at 35.5 (.91), LDL at 143.3 (3.71), Triglycerides 157 (1.77)

I'm pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to dramatically improve these. I'm reading a whole bunch of stuff and as usual one site says one thing and another says something else.

Here's my rough plan.

Monitor the amount of saturated foods I eat - making sure it's kept within a certain level. I've added it to my daily goal to be no more than 15 gr. Would be prepared to eat even less if it would help.

Keep up the exercise I have been doing and maybe look into any exercise that's specifically good for reducing cholesterol. Any recommendations?

Any advice would be welcome.

interesting as I got my counts back today as well. I've had high cholesterol for a long time. Was down to a reasonable level and I was down to half tabs of Crestor. So when I started losing weight and exercising regularly, doc and I thought I could stop taking it. 9 months later, 260 was the count. WTF??? Of course, with me, it seems that it's not diet that's the key factor but genetics. Looks like no matter what I eat, my counts will be up there. So back on the crestor for me........