New to MFP...any ideas on lowering cholesterol?????

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  • MrsORourke
    MrsORourke Posts: 315 Member
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    bump
  • LaurenJn83
    LaurenJn83 Posts: 46
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    A few other cholesterol lowering tips from the neighborhood pharmacist :)

    The total number is important, but it is most important to focus on each component of your Total Cholesterol. That is HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides (fatty cholesterol).

    HDL:
    You can increase your HDL high enough so it will kind of cancel out the bad numbers (though you still want to get them as low as you can). If you can get your HDL up around 80 - 100 that will help you out. Regular Exercise (at least 30 min x 5 days per week), Red Wine (1/2 glass per day is enough) and Not Smoking will help you get and keep a higher HDL.


    LDL:
    Goal LDL: less than 130 depending on health history, could be lower.
    Sometimes genetics play a role in increasing LDL. And, unfortunately, some just have to take a statin to lower LDL. But, cutting out cholesterol in your diet and increasing dietary fiber can help get it down. Read the label. They list the cholesterol on there. You can even set up MFP to track your cholesterol intake, I believe.

    TRIGLYCERIDES:
    You want this number to be less than 150 mg/dL.
    Here is another area where genetics play a role. Some people have high triglycerides. ALCOHOL increases triglycerides. So limit alcohol intake. Also, fatty foods add to this. Take a GOOD QUALITY FISH OIL supplement (place in the freezer to reduce the fishy burp). Look at the label and focus on EPA and DHA. Get the most you can for your money. Try to get in 1000 to 3000 mg per day of these two components.

    Good luck to you. I hope these recommendations help.
  • thrld
    thrld Posts: 610 Member
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    Your body makes cholesterol, from saturated fats.

    So eat less saturated fats.

    Also, your body uses bile salts in digetstion, and it make those from cholesterol.

    So eat more fiber (especially oat bran), which will use up more bile salts, which will reduce your cholesterol.


    And exercise is always good too.
  • change_happens
    change_happens Posts: 491
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    Hey guys! I'm new to MFP. I'm on my 7th week of my "lifestyle change". I am 5'3" and started at 153 lbs 7 weeks ago. (I am very muscular, have always played some type of sport so I carry my weight well, but wanted to be healthier and tone up.) I exercise 3 or more times a week, cardio. I have started eating better and I'm on my 2nd week counting calories on this site. I recently had some blood work (routine) and my cholesterol is very high. I am pretty sure it's mostly genetics because my husband's level was 100 pts higher than mine and I eat way healthier than he does and I exercise, he doesn't. Anyone got any tips on anything I can do to lower this? I go for my yearly physical in September. I just turned 40 in February and I feel sure they will put me on meds at my yearly if I can't get this lower by then....HELP!!! I don't want to take Cholesterol lowering medications!!

    Dr. Dean Ornish has an awesome book on lowering your cholesterol. You can also google his name and find some awesome articles and recipes. Basically, he says to go vegan. Stop the consumption of all foods that contain cholesterol, inclding lean meats.

    Bil Clinton changed his eating style to include lean meats and found that his arteries were becoming clogged again, after heart surgery. Dean Ornish put him on a vegan diet, and the plaque began to dissolve and he didn't need anything else.

    The same holds true for Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser. He actually became a vegetarian and due to the history of his family, high cholesterol and other issues, he inherited high cholesterol, too he switched to a vegan diet and his cholesterol issues weren't an issue anymore.

    For me, after having my 5th child, my cholesterol was high. (Heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetesn runs in my family) the doc basically told me to consume tons of fruits and veggies, drink skim milk, leavbe the sugar alon. I ate oatmela for breakfast and lunch, and had tons of fruits and veggies. My cholesterol had gone down considerably within a 2 week period.

    You can change it through diet. You really can.

    You can do it!

    Food is better than medicine. Also, try to eat organic, it is just a healthier option.

    Hope this helped some. You can also search for Bill Clintons video on you tube. I believe I typed in, "bill Clinton Dean Ornish." And dean's website is http://www.pmri.org
  • JMPerlin
    JMPerlin Posts: 287 Member
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    In addition to what was mentioned above I do 2 things.

    1). Truehealth.com has supplements that have helped me. I know because I used them exclusively in between blood tests and did see improvement.

    2). 2 tbl spoons of Braggs Organic Apple Cider vinegar in 8 oz of water twice a day. The bottle says three but I can only do 2. I know this helped me because over Christmas I gained 5 lbs at my parents place and the only thing I did was to take the apple cider vinegar. Even though I gained weight my cholesterol still went down when I had my blood test the beginning of the year.

    I also try to eat venison when I eat red meat, a lot of natural fiber, and a lot of vegetables.
  • msprouse8
    msprouse8 Posts: 85 Member
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    There's so much more to cholesterol than the total number. What's you HDL to LDL ratio? How are your BP and triglycerides?

    To lower it, high fiber diets are good. Also, make sure you're getting plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, fruits and veggies and plenty of exercise.

    My cholesterol is very high due to genetics, but all my other numbers (and my HDL) are excellent, so I don't worry about it. My grandmother's cholesterol is 300 when she's on medication, but at 96 years old she's never had heart problems or a stroke.

    HDL was good. LDL was bad. Triglycerides and BP are good. Wow!!! Your grandmother is 96 with a cholesterol that high! Amazing! I am pretty sure mine is genetics on my father's side, but my father is deceased, as well as his parents (cancer. How scary is that?) So I can't confirm what their contribution is.
  • beachbumant_man
    beachbumant_man Posts: 48 Member
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    options are diet related.. u don't want to use medication that is last resort if food doesn't

    firstly with margarine's have plant sterols look for a brand that does..

    second dietary fibre, soluble fibre will reduce the bile acid in the body and remove it the body.. beta glucan in cereals, grains
    another product is fruit/vegetables high in soluble

    slim pasta product made up of Konjac flour studies show that it can reduce appetite and reduce cholesterol in the body

    increase fish consumption omega 3,6, flax seed oil,

    um how is your fat levels... well reduce them in low sodium and low fat products, with milk and dairy products.

    beans are good source of fibre and will reduce cholesterol

    drinking tea to flush your system out

    add garlic to food

    enjoy :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    There's so much more to cholesterol than the total number. What's you HDL to LDL ratio? How are your BP and triglycerides?

    To lower it, high fiber diets are good. Also, make sure you're getting plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, fruits and veggies and plenty of exercise.

    My cholesterol is very high due to genetics, but all my other numbers (and my HDL) are excellent, so I don't worry about it. My grandmother's cholesterol is 300 when she's on medication, but at 96 years old she's never had heart problems or a stroke.

    HDL was good. LDL was bad. Triglycerides and BP are good. Wow!!! Your grandmother is 96 with a cholesterol that high! Amazing! I am pretty sure mine is genetics on my father's side, but my father is deceased, as well as his parents (cancer. How scary is that?) So I can't confirm what their contribution is.

    Really, if the HDL, BP and triglycerides are OK, you probably don't need to worry all that much. Do some research and speak with your doctor and a dietician/nutritionist. High cholesterol in and of itself, with no other negative factors, isn't as bad as people think. And eggs (whole eggs) have been found to actually work to LOWER cholesterol.
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
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    I have excellent cholesterol (high cholesterol runs in my family too) and I will tell you what I eat. I do not believe in supplements unless your doctor confirms you need them. I get all my nutrients from food. I eat a ton of veggies every day, I do not eat land animals, only fish. I do eat a decent amount of eggs daily. I eat quinoa every morning for breakfast, I eat rice and potatoes occassionally (I do not eat gluten due to an intolerance). I eat very little butter and don't eat any type of sauce. Clean eating is my thing. I love fresh raw veggies and I also have a juicer and juice my own fruit juice. I would say eat as clean as possible and avoid too much salt. If you need to be on meds so be it, sometimes it cannot be controlled but if you can change it, this is the way to do it. Good luck. You can always come off of the meds once you start them. Good luck with that.
  • simplgrl24
    simplgrl24 Posts: 2
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    Thank you for posting about this topic! My cholesterol was my reason for joining MFP. I am 32 yrs old, and am 140 pounds at 5'7. Not overweight and anyone that I tell about my cholesterol always say "But you aren't big" but from my research, weight has little to do with the numbers. I have not had any red meat for 2 weeks now. I made the switch to Soy Milk, very little dairy and I have been doing at mininum of 30 minutes of excercies everyday!. After signing up with MFP, I have realized that I don't eat enough. My calorie goal for the day is 1230 (before excercise) and I very rarely break 1000 calories a day. So does anyone know if that could be affecting my cholesterol numbers? At the same time I don't want to gain weight either. On the days that I do 60 minutes of Zumba, I am suppose to be taking in almost 1800 calories and I'm not anywhere close to that. I have never been one to count calories but it is really interesting to see what I actually put in my body daily.
  • clover5
    clover5 Posts: 1,643 Member
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    Leslisa...I tried Niacin once when it was really high in my 20's.......BAD REACTION....how does it do for you???

    I take time release niacin, 1 am, and 1 pm, and also fish oil. Have been doing this for two years now. Tried the statins first, but I had a reaction of pain in the soles of my feet. I could barely walk in the mornings or after sitting inactive for a while - like going to a movie for instance.

    Get this book: Cholesterol Down 10 - Steps to Lower you Cholesterol... by Janet Brill. Ms Brill is a nutritionist, and controls her own cholesterol with diet and exercise. She has identified the best foods to eat to control cholesterol, and backed up each step with clinical results. If you really don't want to take perscription medicine, give this plan a try.

    Feel free to friend me.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Exercise is the best way. Also, eat more unsaturated fats - olive oil, fats from nuts or seeds, avacado, fish.
  • alicebud
    alicebud Posts: 72 Member
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    I can't eat oatmeal....I have a sensitive palate...Mushy foods cause me to involuntarily gag! It sucks...I can't even eat banannas or yogurt......

    I know what you mean about the oatmeal! I don't care for the mush either. So, I have started using it as an ingredient in other foods - meatloaf, casserole topping (use it like bread crumbs/crackers), baked into cookies. If I do make a bowl of oatmeal, I crush nuts on top and that helps the texture.

    I mix 1 cup of plain yogurt into a small box of jello with 1 1/2 cups of water. Let it sit overnight - I call it "jiggly yogurt" and it has the texture of jello instead of yogurt.
  • beachbumant_man
    beachbumant_man Posts: 48 Member
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    cholesterol is one of the indicators for CVD, cardio vascular disease of the heart. If you have High Cholesterol you are most likely going to have a high level of fat in the blood, hypertension or a high hip to waist ratio..

    if your HDL level is high thats good:) but if your LDL level is high that is bad!
  • N_Bridgeman
    N_Bridgeman Posts: 45 Member
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    I also have high cholesterol and am only 27....boo geneics..hah. They don't want to put me on drugs long term, so Im also doing it the nice old fashioned way of diet and exercise. I am already a healthy weight, and eat very well. I saw a nutritionist though, and she said a lot of the things already mentioned in this post (which she was pleased to see that I do already from my food diary). She strongly suggested adding 1/3 cup of bran buds to my diet every day, and omega 3 supplement, and 2tbs a day of chia seeds (can find at any health food store, and now many grocery stores.....just sprinkle on yogurt, or anything, salad, they are kind of like sesame seeds). After my first follow up, my cholesterol had decreased a lot. I have found it really easy to keep up with the seeds and supplement...I don't love the bran that much, so I try to do it when I can.

    I am glad I am not on the meds. Just be conscious to stay off too much red meat, too much dairy, etc.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    cholesterol is one of the indicators for CVD, cardio vascular disease of the heart. If you have High Cholesterol you are most likely going to have a high level of fat in the blood, hypertension or a high hip to waist ratio..

    if your HDL level is high thats good:) but if your LDL level is high that is bad!

    Triglycerides are the measure of fat in the blood. If they are low, you are fine. Cholesterol alone is not the evil it's been made out to be.

    I have high cholesterol (but high HDL, too) and have a very small waist compared to my hips and always have, as well as normal levels of triglycerides and my blood pressure has never been higher than 120/60, though it's almost always 110/60.

    When high cholesterol is genetic rather than lifestyle related, you're far less likely to have the negatives associated with it.

    OP, PLEASE do some real research on this. The meds are terrible for your liver and if you don't have to take them, don't. Just having high LDL does NOT mean you will have CVD.
  • Jen16226
    Jen16226 Posts: 20 Member
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    I have been battling my cholesterol for 2 years now and although I just started "dieting" for weight loss, I have been doing all I can to lower my cholesterol numbers(bad triglycerides and HDL) the past year or so. My physical 5 weeks ago was the first time I have had normal cholesterol numbers.

    The things I have done:

    Oatmeal or high fiber ceral every morning.
    I was taking Red Krill instead of fish oil tablets, but was switched to Lovaza by my doctor. This is a mega dose of fish oil by script.
    I stopped drinking milk and started using Almond Milk.
    Only eating red meat once a week.
    exercising 5 days a week.
    quit smoking

    Good luck to you!
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,269 Member
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    OP, sent you a friends request and a message about the information I have been given for high cholesterol. Hope it helps!
  • msprouse8
    msprouse8 Posts: 85 Member
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    Wow!! Ok...I'm excited at the amount of support I've been offered already. I'm definitely not alone out there when it comes to generational high cholesterol!

    I don't know what to try first...but one thing that keeps screaming out in the posts (that I'm not already trying) is FIBER. So I'm going to start by upping that for sure.....Has anyone heard of PGX? A lady I work with who transcribes for an endocrinologist says that he's been recommending a lot of PGX to his patients to help lower cholesterol. I'm wondering if anyone has heard of it, tried it or knows of anyone trying it. It's available at most vitamins & nutrition stores she tells me.
  • clover5
    clover5 Posts: 1,643 Member
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    PGX? Never heard of it.

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