How do you lower your cholesterol?

Hlick

What should your goals be if you need to lower your cholesterol? Which 5 nutrients should you be focusing on?

_noob_

exercise, maintaining/being a healthy weight/body fat %, fewer refined carbohydrates, FOODS with soluble fiber, eating more omega 3 fatty acids and monounsatured fats.

Hlick

Specifically wondering about the Goals / Nutrients to be focused on within MFP. Im thinking the defaults may need to be adjusted for this specific purpose.

Calories =
Carbs =
Fiber =
Fat =
Chol =
Sodium =
Sugar =

alexveksler

I am not sure I could answer how many numbers for you to maintain. But here is my story.

I started with total cholesterol of 250.
After I lost about 75 pounds, my cholesterol was 189. LDL was 102

For the past 8 weeks, I have been experimenting with plant-based and fresh fruit diet. Please look at my food diary. It is open to public.

3 days ago I re-checked my cholesterol and it was 134. My LDL went down to 78. That's 28% reduction in bad cholesterol. And I consider this a success. I also lost 12 additional pounds since I started plant-based diet.

Good luck in your journey.

_noob_

i'm not sure mine was ever high as I never got tested until last year, but mine has ranged from 109-134 total, hdl from 29-47, LDL high 60's to mid 70's (don't remember specifics) and i eat lots of whole foods, healthy fats, but also a LOT of protein from meat (vs. most people).

My entire immediate family are on cholesterol lowering meds FWIW.

JGainingHealth

I'm not overweight by any means, I generally eat healthy, and my cholesterol was high the last time I got it checked. I've been trying to be conscious about exercising more regularly and eating more balanced, hoping that it will be lower when I get it re-checked. One thing that I've heard works for other people is ground flaxseed, so I've been putting some in my smoothies.

On the other hand, my husband can apparently be overweight and eat whatever he wants and still have extremely low cholesterol. Clearly genetics must have some hand in this...

digitalsteel

Don't, there is absolutely no reason to try and lower it. The entire modern idea around how cholesterol works has been wrong for a very long time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html

Here is a bit

Sally Fallon, the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and Mary Enig, Ph.D, an expert in lipid biochemistry, have gone so far as to call high cholesterol "an invented disease, a 'problem' that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood."

Hlick

Thanks!

I am 27, 5,7' and 115lbs. So I don't think I really need to lose any weight. What I really need to do is exercise more and eat the right foods! My cholesteral level is 5.2, Im not really even sure how high that is or how it compares.

Im just afraid I am going a little over board. Trying to eat no fat and no cholesteral. I was shocked with how much cholesterol MFP suggests for a daily serving. It must be lower for someone who needs to lower it.

digitalsteel

Thanks!

I am 27, 5,7' and 115lbs. So I don't think I really need to lose any weight. What I really need to do is exercise more and eat the right foods! My cholesteral level is 5.2, Im not really even sure how high that is or how it compares.

Im just afraid I am going a little over board. Trying to eat no fat and no cholesteral. I was shocked with how much cholesterol MFP suggests for a daily serving. It must be lower for someone who needs to lower it.

Fat is not your enemy. The average american consumes way to little fat and typicaly the wrong kinds.

JGainingHealth

I'm in a similar boat... I'm 26, 5'6" and 125lbs. Never would have imagined having a cholesterol problem! Like I said, I've just been a lot more conscious about my habits. When I get mine re-tested, I'll let you know if my experimentation worked at all

carrieous

eat more Oatmeal, whole grains, fiber and vegetables

eat less red meat and cheese

cwolfman13

What should your goals be if you need to lower your cholesterol? Which 5 nutrients should you be focusing on?

I've made a serious dent in my cholesterol with diet alone and was able to avoid being put on a statin.

1.) Cardiovascular exercise; 30-45 minutes 3-5 times per week.

2.) Plenty of soluble fiber in your diet...think oatmeal (the real stuff, not instant), and berries (Stawberries and Blackberries are particularly good sources). Also, just fiber in general.

3.) Emphasize veg and fruit in your diet...see #2 in RE to fiber.

4.) Plenty of lean proteins to keep your saturated fats in check; I keep my intake of red meat to about once per week...two times max. I also eat minimal dairy. Red meat and dairy products are very high in saturated fats. I try to keep my sat fats around 15 per day...if I go over, it is usually do to nuts and what not...your body treats those saturated fats differently than saturated fats from animals.

5.) Eat more sea food, particularly fatty fishes like Salmon and Tuna...get your Omega 3 fatty acids. Eat your fish 2-3 times per week. Additionally, supplement with fish oil and get your Omega 3 fatty acids. Try to get around 1,000 mg of dha and epa combined daily.

6.) Limit your processed carbs...try to get most of your carbs from berries, fruit, veg, and some whole grains.

7.) Get your heart healthy fats...eat your nuts (almonds and pistachios are particularly good for the heart)...eat your avocado, etc...get those heart healthy fats.

8.) Lose some weight if you are over weight.

I started my diet due to having really bad cholesterol and triglycerides among other things. My blood work has completely normalized now in about 6 months since I made all of my dietary changes...I've also lost about 30 lbs and fitness is now just a part of my daily life. My diary is also open. I have a 40c/30p/30hf macro ratio.

Also, I do not even track my dietary cholesterol. It has little bearing on blood level serum.

Hlick

Its hard to know what is best to do, researching tells you so many different things. So many differnet ways to be 'healthy'. Seems that if you are doing well in one area another area of focus can start to creep up on you. I guess its just figuring out what works for you! One big experiment I guess. Thanks for all the input!

digitalsteel

eat more Oatmeal, whole grains, fiber and vegetables

eat less red meat and cheese

Please dont take offense, but eat more Oatmeal, whole grains and eat less red meat and cheese is the one of the worst mistakes of the health industry. People are paying for it dearly with their health. There is not a single clinical study that exists, and yet the media keeps propagating this slander.

concordancia

eat more Oatmeal, whole grains, fiber and vegetables

eat less red meat and cheese

Please dont take offense, but eat more Oatmeal, whole grains and eat less red meat and cheese is the one of the worst mistakes of the health industry. People are paying for it dearly with their health. There is not a single clinical study that exists, and yet the media keeps propagating this slander.

Actually, there are plenty of studies to support whole grains and vegetables!

The science is clear:

- starchy and sugary foods have more of an impact on overall cholesterol levels and heart health than the consumption of fats.
-foods such as nuts, avocados and olive oil reduce the risk of heart issues.
-sodium is only an issue for blood pressure, which is a separate issue.
-exercise is good for us.

digitalsteel

In reguards to "Actually, there are plenty of studies to support whole grains"

There are clinical studies that show they are better than processed grains, but that is it. There exists not one single study that compairs whole grains to no grains. However there are a few that link it to various metabolic syndromes. Also it is now known that polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in vegetable oils along with grain products, are the leading cause of inflamation, artery damage and in turn heart disease. There are zero clinical studies that show red meat, saturated fat or colesterol lead to or cause heart disease. On top of that, there are several clinical studies that show saturated and monounsaturated fats are the healthy ones.

Hlick

I really need to do more research. Sounds like you are talking about the paleo diet or something similar or close, and while I had always agreed with the no need for grains, that means I substitude for eggs and meat, which I have been reading everywhere aren't good for cholesterol. I think I just need to come to a healthy balance I am comfortable with.

That is part of the reason I joined MFP, to track what I eat and get opinion's / suggestions based on that so I can come to be comfortable with my choices. I feel like everything is poison right now.

digitalsteel

I know how you feel, the media botches so badly the health information it tries to push. Look for the studies themselves, you will be surprised what you find and how out of left field some people get their headlines. I have been studying studies for a long time ( I come from a chemistry/physics background) and over the last several years have been extensively studying biology and nutrition.

Hlick

Have you heard of the book 'It starts with Food'? I think I am going to give it a read.
I follow them (The Whole30, or Whole9) on facebook. They seem quite helpful, I just need to learn more.

BigGuy47

What I really need to do is exercise more...

There's no downside to exercising more. You can find numerous studies on food consumption that contradict one another. You'll be hard pressed to find a study that shows that exercise is bad for you.

Keep it simple. Eat whole foods. Exercise often.

Hlick

Agreed, thanks!
It can just be so hard to find time to exercise regularily! Im trying to get back into the gym, but it basically takes up all my free time. Feels good when I do though. Hopefully summer will be easier.