Cholesterol

Tamby2013
Tamby2013 Posts: 1 Member
edited June 2016 in Food and Nutrition
My cholesterol is always way over, what regular food can I be eating to do that?

Replies

  • louisepaul16
    louisepaul16 Posts: 261 Member
    What that increase your cholesterol?

    Red meat, cheese, deli meats, anything fried or greasy. Butter, margarine?
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,743 Member
    Tamby2013 wrote: »
    My cholesterol is always way over, what regular food can I be eating to do that?

    Do you actually have a medical reason to worry about it?

    Dietary cholesterol is pretty negligible when it comes to blood serum cholesterol.
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    Saturated fat. That's what. Try reducing consumption of fatty meats, cheese, added oils and fatty foods in general etc and check it again in 2-3 months. If you're overweight, then losing weight and increasing exercise will help as well but lowering dietary fat will be a good first step.
  • Cchioles
    Cchioles Posts: 276 Member
    If You Don't Have Any Health Concerns Directly Linked To High Cholesterol, I Wouldn't Worry About It Entirely Too Much. But Eggs, Red Meats, Cheeses, Oils Etc...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,238 Member
    Tamby2013 wrote: »
    My cholesterol is always way over, what regular food can I be eating to do that?

    Do you mean that your cholesterol consumption is way over your goal? Or that your blood cholesterol is way over normal?

    You seem to have gotten answers to both questions above, though I'm inferring that from what they said.

    Seems to be increasing evidence that high dietary cholesterol doesn't necessarily lead to high blood cholesterol, so that might be the "don't worry" side of things, if you don't have a medical condition.

    If your blood cholesterol is high, then losing weight is probably the biggest help, plus lotsa good fruits/veggies and less sat fat, as others have suggested.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited June 2016
    Too much saturated fat.
    I was making many mistakes.
    Even eating two avocados the day before a cholesterol test raised my numbers.
    I stopped using so much olive oil an butter.
    I fell for the snake oil that eating a lot of fat was good for your health.

    - Having trouble cutting down my chocolate habit - lots of sat fat.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Can the saturated fat / cholesterol myth please die now???? There is no link (exception for a very tiny percentage of humans).

    If you feel like you have to lower your blood cholesterol, exercise and weight loss is the key.
  • richieZavaleta
    richieZavaleta Posts: 2 Member
    I went vegetarian and I am 43. I've been eating fruit, oatmeal, nuts, but not perfect. I have tons of cooked food too. My serum cholesteral is low at 143. I am sceptical of people who tell you that dietary cholesteral is fine. There are studies which have participants eat eggs then lay off of them. They were able to show serum cholesteral going up as dietary cholesteral went up. But cholesteral and saturated fat hang out together anyways. Saturated friends and dietary cholesteral are notorious for a reason.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Obesity, inactivity and genetics have the biggest impact on cholesterol numbers. Increasing fiber and unsaturated fats can also help reduce your numbers (fish, nuts/legumes).
  • williammuney
    williammuney Posts: 2,895 Member
    My total is 116
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Tamby2013 wrote: »
    My cholesterol is always way over, what regular food can I be eating to do that?

    You mean compared to the MFP goal? Quite likely eggs, but it doesn't matter. Dietary cholesterol is no longer believed to be a concern.

    If you mean you have issues with your bodily cholesterol, that's a separate question, but that doesn't seem to me what you are asking about (and I'd defer first to your doctor, who will often want to try dietary means of controlling it).
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Can the saturated fat / cholesterol myth please die now???? There is no link (exception for a very tiny percentage of humans).

    If you feel like you have to lower your blood cholesterol, exercise and weight loss is the key.

    I am not sure there is enough evidence to suggest that saturated fats don't have an impact. In many cases, the studies (such as many in the below thread) still have limitations on saturated fats around 10-15% of total calories. One study would even suggest that the source (dairy vs red meat vs other) could come into play. If anything, I wouldn't make it something I would stress as much as other factors (obesity and activity).

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10396286/afraid-of-animal-fats-and-cholesterol/p1
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    My doctor told me to go fat free everything. I did that, and my bad cholesterol increased (despite losing 70 pounds). Then I said whatever and started eating more fat (around 60-70g a day, so I suppose it's not that much), and my cholesterol improved.

    So let's say that I take the 'no saturated fat' thing with a grain of salt.
  • closetlibrarian
    closetlibrarian Posts: 2,207 Member
    Too much saturated fat.
    I was making many mistakes.
    Even eating two avocados the day before a cholesterol test raised my numbers.
    I stopped using so much olive oil an butter.
    I fell for the snake oil that eating a lot of fat was good for your health.

    - Having trouble cutting down my chocolate habit - lots of sat fat.

    Both avocado and olive oil are primarily monounsaturated, are they not?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Too much saturated fat.
    I was making many mistakes.
    Even eating two avocados the day before a cholesterol test raised my numbers.
    I stopped using so much olive oil an butter.
    I fell for the snake oil that eating a lot of fat was good for your health.

    - Having trouble cutting down my chocolate habit - lots of sat fat.

    Both avocado and olive oil are primarily monounsaturated, are they not?

    Yeah, olive oil is about 70% monounsaturated, 15% poly, 15% sat. Avocado is roughly the same.
  • lilfairy9
    lilfairy9 Posts: 2 Member
    I was recently told by my doctor after blood work that my cholesterol is too high and I need to go on a low fat/low cholesterol diet.

    Does anyone have any good ideas beyond the general weight loss, no red meat, and chill on the eggs and dairy thing?

    Maybe any place I can even get some good recipes?

    I have a good multivitamin I can take, but I have to go back for blood work in a month to have them check again apparently.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    lilfairy9 wrote: »
    I was recently told by my doctor after blood work that my cholesterol is too high and I need to go on a low fat/low cholesterol diet.

    Does anyone have any good ideas beyond the general weight loss, no red meat, and chill on the eggs and dairy thing?

    Maybe any place I can even get some good recipes?

    I have a good multivitamin I can take, but I have to go back for blood work in a month to have them check again apparently.

    See that's the kind of doctor advice that I don't trust one bit...

    But eat nuts and oatmeal too.
  • lilfairy9
    lilfairy9 Posts: 2 Member
    I mean I have a fatty liver too so that has something to do with it, but it's so frustrating getting so many different forms of advice on what to do.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,743 Member
    lilfairy9 wrote: »
    I was recently told by my doctor after blood work that my cholesterol is too high and I need to go on a low fat/low cholesterol diet.

    Does anyone have any good ideas beyond the general weight loss, no red meat, and chill on the eggs and dairy thing?

    Maybe any place I can even get some good recipes?

    I have a good multivitamin I can take, but I have to go back for blood work in a month to have them check again apparently.

    Personal story time and you probably shouldn't do this if your cholesterol is high because of genetics.

    I had a cholesterol test and the LDL and triglycerides were a bit too high so I tested a theory. I started eating eggs....either one or two a day...without changing anything else in my diet other than the the calories in the eggs replacing the 100ish calories I was using on something carby or chocolately. My exercise didn't change either.

    When I had another cholesterol test (maybe 7 months later), my LDL and triglycerides went down by 9 points.

    I remember reading somewhere that the body produces cholesterol on its own when it doesn't get enough elsewhere (or something close to that) but, of course, don't have a link. :)
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    lilfairy9 wrote: »
    I was recently told by my doctor after blood work that my cholesterol is too high and I need to go on a low fat/low cholesterol diet.

    Does anyone have any good ideas beyond the general weight loss, no red meat, and chill on the eggs and dairy thing?

    Maybe any place I can even get some good recipes?

    I have a good multivitamin I can take, but I have to go back for blood work in a month to have them check again apparently.

    Personal story time and you probably shouldn't do this if your cholesterol is high because of genetics.

    I had a cholesterol test and the LDL and triglycerides were a bit too high so I tested a theory. I started eating eggs....either one or two a day...without changing anything else in my diet other than the the calories in the eggs replacing the 100ish calories I was using on something carby or chocolately. My exercise didn't change either.

    When I had another cholesterol test (maybe 7 months later), my LDL and triglycerides went down by 9 points.

    I remember reading somewhere that the body produces cholesterol on its own when it doesn't get enough elsewhere (or something close to that) but, of course, don't have a link. :)

    Yep, it does. Cholesterol is essential for us to live, like glucose, so if you don't consume enough you'll produce as much as you need (barring hypocholesterolemia).
  • kimkimcoleman
    kimkimcoleman Posts: 105 Member
    Cholesterol is only found in animal products. The body produces its own cholesterol. It is not necessary to consume any dietary cholesterol. There is some debate on whether dietary cholesterol increases total cholesterol levels or not. There was a time I ate no animal products (vegan) for 8 months. During that time my cholesterol went from 164 to 132. Just my experience.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    edited June 2016
    lilfairy9 wrote: »
    I was recently told by my doctor after blood work that my cholesterol is too high and I need to go on a low fat/low cholesterol diet.

    Does anyone have any good ideas beyond the general weight loss, no red meat, and chill on the eggs and dairy thing?

    Maybe any place I can even get some good recipes?

    I have a good multivitamin I can take, but I have to go back for blood work in a month to have them check again apparently.

    Personally, i would increase things like fruits and veggies, get unsaturated fats like fish and nuts, and whole grains/oats, and continue to lose weight and execising. IIRC, fatty liver is a bit more tied to obesity and some lesser extent sugar.
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Tamby2013 wrote: »
    My cholesterol is always way over, what regular food can I be eating to do that?

    Shrimp, eggs, liver, cheese, bacon, butter, pastries, etc. These foods are high in dietary cholesterol and will cause your numbers in your nutrition section to be way over.

    If you already have high total cholesterol you need to avoid partially or fully hydrogenated vegetable oils and reduce your saturated fats from things like cheese, butter, and pastries. As an example, an English muffin is far better for reducing total cholesterol than a biscuit.

    If your triglycerides are high, limiting sugar and alcohol helps.

    Other things that helped me lower my levels were regular walking and cardio exercise, along with increasing my dietary fiber. The dietary fiber helps keep dietary cholesterol from absorbing into our bodies and the exercise keeps the blood pumping and apparently clears a lot of the fat from our bloodstreams.

    I am genetically predisposed to high cholesterol but I stay consciously aware of what I'm eating and drinking so it will not skyrocket out of control.