High Cholesterol/Trigylceride Diet

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  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
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    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! :D

    *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!!!
  • artsbysimon
    artsbysimon Posts: 14 Member
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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 luck
  • kaylahardison
    kaylahardison Posts: 141 Member
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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! :D

    *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!!
  • ChrisMcGavisk
    ChrisMcGavisk Posts: 1 Member
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    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.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited June 2015
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    @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 :warning: ).

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