High Cholesterol/Trigylceride Diet
kaylahardison
Posts: 141 Member
Hi guys,
I've been on MFP for a while, but I haven't really tried that hard. Yesterday, I received news that I have elevated cholesterol levels (209). The range of normal cholesterol ends at 206, so it's not "scary" high, but it's something that stuck out for my Dr. My mother had a quadruple bypass at 44 years old. I am 27. Dr. told me that I should start now by being on a heart healthy (low cholesterol) diet. A nurse friend told me to also watch my triglycerides also- they are currently normal.
SO... I got online and was looking up foods to (and not to) eat for low cholesterol. Then I looked up foods not to eat for keeping your triglycerides normal. Well, basically, heart healthy patients should eat a Vegan diet. Plenty of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts. Patients lowering triglycerides should watch their fruit and other natural sugar intake.
Basically, I'm confused. LOST. Overwhelmed. Scared.
Can someone give me some insight on good foods to help my nutrition all the way around?
I've been on MFP for a while, but I haven't really tried that hard. Yesterday, I received news that I have elevated cholesterol levels (209). The range of normal cholesterol ends at 206, so it's not "scary" high, but it's something that stuck out for my Dr. My mother had a quadruple bypass at 44 years old. I am 27. Dr. told me that I should start now by being on a heart healthy (low cholesterol) diet. A nurse friend told me to also watch my triglycerides also- they are currently normal.
SO... I got online and was looking up foods to (and not to) eat for low cholesterol. Then I looked up foods not to eat for keeping your triglycerides normal. Well, basically, heart healthy patients should eat a Vegan diet. Plenty of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts. Patients lowering triglycerides should watch their fruit and other natural sugar intake.
Basically, I'm confused. LOST. Overwhelmed. Scared.
Can someone give me some insight on good foods to help my nutrition all the way around?
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Replies
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#1...maintain a healthy weight and exercise.
then worry about the foods. Stay within your calorie goals and shoot for at least 20g of fiber (I pulled that outta my *** but basically hit your recommended 25g of fiber with most from fruits and veggies) from fruits and veggies every day and don't overcomplicate the choices.
2 quick tips for adding nutrition without changing much: Add 3+ servings of greens daily (if you don't eat any already). Doesn't add much calories and super nutritious.
Replace a serving of apples, bananas and oranges with blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. Berries have more nutrition and fiber than those fruit choices.
Above all: don't major in the minors.0 -
I guess that's my problem: overcomplication.0
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losing weight will help. I eat a diet consisting largely of whole food nutrition and exercise regularly to help control my cholesterol and triglycerides. I eat about three servings of fruit per day and 6 servings of veg...the fruit has not made my triglycerides go up...triglycerides are generally elevated when you aren't burning off enough fat.
In my experience, my blood work is rock solid when my diet is overwhelmingly comprised of plenty of veg, fruit, lean sourced protein, whole grains and legumes/lentils, and fat from things like avocados, nuts, olive oil, etc.
I tend to have issues with my blood work when I get a little loosey goosey and start letting more "junk" type of foods into my diet...commercially prepared baked goods, fatty cuts of meat on a regular basis, regular soda consumption, etc. I'd worry way more about that stuff than cutting back on your apple consumption.0 -
My doctor wants me to drop 30 pounds by June 2016. Totally do-able.0
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Food cholesterol has little to no impact on blood cholesterol.
High Triglycerides and LDL are more of an issue, and much of this is hereditary. To lessen the negative effects:
•Eat more whole foods; limit processed foods and refined sugars.
•Exercise more; make exercise a lifestyle change, not something you do on occasion.
•Limit alcohol consumption; alcohol abuse can substantially raise triglyercides.
•Take 2-3 grams of combined EPA & DHA from Fish Oil per day. Carlson Elite is a good brand to cross-reference with other EPA & DHA amounts per capsule. The science on fish oil is incredibly strong, it almost doesn't matter what your goals are... Everyone should be taking it. ~ http://www.leangains.com/2011/05/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-muscle-growth.html
Also, 200-240 mg/dl total cholesterol is not an issue (in fact, people live longest in this range):
Here is the link: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/O-Primitivo-Cholesterol.jpg0 -
My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150, triglycerides 49. Got these numbers by losing the extra weight and doing a few minutes of low impact exercise a week.
Keep things simple and focus on eating at an appropriate calorie deficit. Throw in some walking for good measure. Chances are your numbers will improve as you start to lose the extra weight.
eta: my husband used to have higher cholesteral and he also improved his numbers by just eating at a calorie dedicit.0 -
Thank y'all! Very helpful!0
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Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).0 -
I guess I should feel very lucky. As overweight and unhealthy I am. My blood work seems to stay somewhat positive. I wish you the best of luck adjusting to a new diet!0
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Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
I'm on my phone so I can't see chart (will lok0 -
Thank you
It will certainly be a learning process. 0 -
Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
The data from your chart can be misleading because it is average total cholesterol for different countries. Populations from less developed countries will have lower cholesterol because the populations cannot afford to eat a high fat diet. They may not be dying as a consequence of low cholesterol, they may be dying because of the generally low quality of healthcare in their countries.0 -
Sarasmaintaining wrote: »Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
I'm on my phone so I can't see chart (will lok
oops, dumb phone! Anyways I'll look at chart later when I can, but my doctor was very happy with my results? I'm considered very low risk for heart disease, have great blood pressure etc. Now I'm curious why you think I have too low cholestetal, didn't know that was a thing-off to google 0 -
PatrickH59 wrote: »Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
The data from your chart can be misleading because it is average total cholesterol for different countries. Populations from less developed countries will have lower cholesterol because the populations cannot afford to eat a high fat diet. They may not be dying as a consequence of low cholesterol, they may be dying because of the generally low quality of healthcare in their countries.
That doesn't make it misleading. That makes it more comprehensive. One is able to use that data to make more correlations. Look to the solid blue line for the evidence that moderate cholesterol levels are good (extremes are bad).
The chart also breaks down other causes of mortality unrelated to cholesterol.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »losing weight will help. I eat a diet consisting largely of whole food nutrition and exercise regularly to help control my cholesterol and triglycerides. I eat about three servings of fruit per day and 6 servings of veg...the fruit has not made my triglycerides go up...triglycerides are generally elevated when you aren't burning off enough fat.
In my experience, my blood work is rock solid when my diet is overwhelmingly comprised of plenty of veg, fruit, lean sourced protein, whole grains and legumes/lentils, and fat from things like avocados, nuts, olive oil, etc.
I tend to have issues with my blood work when I get a little loosey goosey and start letting more "junk" type of foods into my diet...commercially prepared baked goods, fatty cuts of meat on a regular basis, regular soda consumption, etc. I'd worry way more about that stuff than cutting back on your apple consumption.
This is my understanding of how things work as well.0 -
Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
well *kitten*. my total cholesterol is 89.
i'm so doomed.
Editing to add, i'm pretty sure total cholesterol is supposed to be between 125 and 200 so i think that 150 is pretty good?
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veganbettie wrote: »Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
well *kitten*. my total cholesterol is 89.
i'm so doomed.
Editing to add, i'm pretty sure total cholesterol is supposed to be between 125 and 200 so i think that 150 is pretty good?
Ive had bloodwork that lists "normal" as 125 or 140 for low and 180 or 200 for high.
Low cholesterol is associated with increased cancer risk, anxiety and depression. But it's weak with no direct link to a cause of the cancer.
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Everything causes cancer these days.0
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veganbettie wrote: »Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
well *kitten*. my total cholesterol is 89.
i'm so doomed.
Editing to add, i'm pretty sure total cholesterol is supposed to be between 125 and 200 so i think that 150 is pretty good?
Ive had bloodwork that lists "normal" as 125 or 140 for low and 180 or 200 for high.
Low cholesterol is associated with increased cancer risk, anxiety and depression. But it's weak with no direct link to a cause of the cancer.
I haven't seen too much of the cancer information to be honest, but i have read about the anxiety and depression, anxiety holds true to me. Granted some people are playing this off as it hasn't been researched enough and it's probably not that big of a deal...I don't know, i'm pretty freaked out about my low numbers.
unfortunately there isn't much information out there for me in regards to low cholesterol as everyone is trying to lower theirs, not raise it. blah.
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veganbettie wrote: »Sarasmaintaining wrote: »My last blood work done last month- total cholesteral 150
See chart above. Very low total cholesterol is associated with the highest worldwide death rate.
It is best to stay in the middle (not at either side of the extremes).
well *kitten*. my total cholesterol is 89.
i'm so doomed.
Editing to add, i'm pretty sure total cholesterol is supposed to be between 125 and 200 so i think that 150 is pretty good?
I'm not saying that 200-240 mg/dl cholesterol is what a doctor would recommend. Most doctors would probably agree with less than 200 mg/dl total cholesterol (60+ HDL and lower than 100 LDL within reason).
What I'm saying is that according to a major meta-analysis study done on the relationship between cholesterol & morbidity (referenced above), those within the 200-240 mg/dl total cholesterol range tend to live the longest on average. It is however a correlation and not a direct connection. I just found that interesting is all. Doctors may not have the whole truth yet when it comes to cholesterol.0 -
I don't have a medical background but I do have a strong family history of heart disease and diabetes. So far, I have avoided cholesterol medication. Here's what has worked for me-
*have old-fashioned, cook on the stove oatmeal most days for breakfast. Add in cinnamon, 1 T walnuts or almonds and 1 T ground flax seed. I also add in a teaspoon of brown sugar but we won't talk about that!
*skip the processed foods and eat as many whole foods as you can. Center your meals around lots of vegetables (the more variety in color, the better), whole grains, and fruits. Fish is a great protein to add in too.
*I know this is a bit debatable but I try to stick to organic fruits, veggies, and meats when I can. Grassfed beef is better for your cholesterol.
*Fish oil has been in the news a lot recently and there has been some question as to whether it is beneficial. I still take it every day. It contains omega 3's which are so good for your body!
*Sugar-it's not good for you but boy, it's hard to completely eliminate. In a perfect world, I wouldn't eat it all. But I admit, I do at times. I do try to indulge in the dark chocolate because it does have less sugar.
*Honestly, I don't remember where I read it but I've heard that artichoke extract (capsules) are good for helping to lower cholesterol. I can't say it works for everyone but it has helped me.
*Resveratrol is another great supplement to take. You've heard about the great benefits of red wine, right? A capsule of Resveratrol (250 mg) gives you so much more of the heart healthy benefit- and no extra calories.
*Be sure to include some high intensity interval training as well as some lower intensity training for your cardio. Both are very beneficial. And be sure to do weight training and some yoga too. Yoga is a great way to reduce stress and thus, improve your heart health!
Hopefully, that wasn't too much to take in at once. These are just things that have helped me along the way. Best of luck to you!!!
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Well you should lose weight to help with your cholesterol. You can do this by avoiding bad fats and moderation of good fats with a lots of fiber in the diet. Also keeping the calorie count lower than your regular intake. Consistency in food intake is the key to losing weight Good luck0
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fittocycle wrote: »I don't have a medical background but I do have a strong family history of heart disease and diabetes. So far, I have avoided cholesterol medication. Here's what has worked for me-
*have old-fashioned, cook on the stove oatmeal most days for breakfast. Add in cinnamon, 1 T walnuts or almonds and 1 T ground flax seed. I also add in a teaspoon of brown sugar but we won't talk about that!
*skip the processed foods and eat as many whole foods as you can. Center your meals around lots of vegetables (the more variety in color, the better), whole grains, and fruits. Fish is a great protein to add in too.
*I know this is a bit debatable but I try to stick to organic fruits, veggies, and meats when I can. Grassfed beef is better for your cholesterol.
*Fish oil has been in the news a lot recently and there has been some question as to whether it is beneficial. I still take it every day. It contains omega 3's which are so good for your body!
*Sugar-it's not good for you but boy, it's hard to completely eliminate. In a perfect world, I wouldn't eat it all. But I admit, I do at times. I do try to indulge in the dark chocolate because it does have less sugar.
*Honestly, I don't remember where I read it but I've heard that artichoke extract (capsules) are good for helping to lower cholesterol. I can't say it works for everyone but it has helped me.
*Resveratrol is another great supplement to take. You've heard about the great benefits of red wine, right? A capsule of Resveratrol (250 mg) gives you so much more of the heart healthy benefit- and no extra calories.
*Be sure to include some high intensity interval training as well as some lower intensity training for your cardio. Both are very beneficial. And be sure to do weight training and some yoga too. Yoga is a great way to reduce stress and thus, improve your heart health!
Hopefully, that wasn't too much to take in at once. These are just things that have helped me along the way. Best of luck to you!!!
This was super helpful!!! I did read where red wine was helpful in lowering my cholesterol, but I was hoping you would say to drink a glass every night, rather than taking a supplement! haha thank you so much for your suggestions!! 0 -
To improve your triglycerides, cut out "fatty carbs." Fries are a good example. Potatoes and fat at the same time. A burger with a bun-same problem. Cookies, cake, gravy, etc. if you reduce carbs from flour, sugar, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta... That will help.
Listen to your doc! I had high cholesterol and a heavy family history at age 30 and did not listen... Heart attack at age 48!
For a heart healthy diet also reduce fat. Red meat, processed foods, sauces, dairy, peanut butter, etc.
Instead, eat up to 12 ounces of veggies 2 meals a day and 4 ounces of fish or lean meat 2 meals a day. No carbs after 6 pm. Eggs, fat free yogurt and fruit for breakfast and Steel cut oats too! Ancient grains as side dishes. It's actually a yummy diet.0 -
@kaylahardison : Don't make it complicated, and get going right away.
First and foremost adopt a regular exercise program of some sort and include cardio in that program. Doing just that one step will probably bring all your blood work right into line. The cardio will build your heart and lung health and leave you fitter and with more energy. The calorie burn from exercise will make it easier to create a calorie deficit each day and thus help you with your weight loss objective.
Me last September: BP starting to become elevated and blood work had some concerns. Today after adding significant cardio back into my life: Down 68 pounds. BP 109/62. Resting heart rate: 45. Blood work: excellent across the board. I'm not yet at my goal weight (but right on track for this September) but am already quite fit indeed and have been for months.
For most of that time all I did was add back exercise into my life with very few dietary changes except for cutting out the ridiculous (like 3 or 4 370 calorie sausages for dinner
). 0
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