High Cholesterol!

Darla253 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-11-2005, 09:44 PM

My doctor gave me two months to get my cholesterol down to a normal level. Any suggestions on how to do it? I can't find much information and what to eat, what not to eat, etc. Plus, she said cholesterol wil find thin places within the skin to "park" and now I've got like white scar looking things around my eyes. Looks nasty. So if anyone knows how to cover them up yell at me!!

**ajrsmom** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-11-2005, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darla253

My doctor gave me two months to get my cholesterol down to a normal level. Any suggestions on how to do it? I can't find much information and what to eat, what not to eat, etc. Plus, she said cholesterol wil find thin places within the skin to "park" and now I've got like white scar looking things around my eyes. Looks nasty. So if anyone knows how to cover them up yell at me!!

I lowered my cholesteral the fastest when I went on the Atkins diet. I started out on the South Beach diet and it also works. The key is eating good fats.

My levels went from 190 to 164 in no time ( I think that it was around 3 months) and then even lower to 140 under a year.

Not promoting the diet plans, it just worked for me.

RobertaD · #3 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 10:28 AM

Check out your local library for books on lower cholesterol I read one several yeats ago called "8-weeks to lower cholesterol". It had a list of "good" food that was supposed to help the cholesterol flush out of your body.

Roberta

**DeBora4BobbyL** · #4 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 10:46 AM

My DH's choloesterol by eating beans and oats. Also, eat plenty of FRESH fruits and vegetables and plenty of whole grains. Eleminate your fats just for awhile. My DH eats real butter as the trans fatty acids are worse for you that are in the fake stuff.

Abear · #5 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 11:34 AM

Exercise, exercise, exercise!

Exercising and watching what you eat (low fat diet that includes lots of fresh veggies and only small amounts of red meat) is the best way to do it.

An added benefit to this new way of living will be that you will also lose some weight and will be in better over-all health!

***Try to avoid ALL shellfish! Even though boiled shrimp may be low fat, it's VERY high in cholesterol....as is all shell fish!!

jnlowe · #6 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeBora18

My DH's choloesterol by eating beans and oats. Also, eat plenty of FRESH fruits and vegetables and plenty of whole grains. Eleminate your fats just for awhile. My DH eats real butter as the trans fatty acids are worse for you that are in the fake stuff.

DeBora,
I am a healthy foods watcher and have been adjusting mine and my family's diets for a few years now.

Has your DH tried "Smart Balance" yet? It has no trans fatty acids and is the first, I believe, to come out with a spread that didn't. It is the product of a University's research team. It has an awesome taste, too! I like it much better than butter!

**seleach** · #7 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 12:03 PM

I have high cholesterol also.
My doctor told me NEVER go on the Atkins diet. So I wouldn't recommend that.
Your doctor should have given you a diet to follow.
Basically eat fish and chicken, but not fried. No chicken skin. Salmon and trout are very good for you. Lots of veggies and fruits. A lot of fiber as this flushes out cholesterol. Skim milk, egg beaters in place of eggs or just use the whites. No sweets from the store. Make your own. Low fat or no fat cheese and yogurt.
Do not buy foods such as cookies that say low fat as these are high in calories because of added sugar. This is also true of low carb products.
Use olive oil or canola oil. Butter is better than oleo.
Bread should be high fiber and made with whole wheat. If it says wheat flour, let it sit on the shelf.
A no flour, no sugar diet will help you to lose weight which can also lower your cholesterol. Exercise will also help.
Take care.
seleach (Sharon)

Jamieb4 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 12:05 PM

LOL WELL! As you can see, there are lots of theories on how to lower one's cholesterol. As a veteran of high cholesterol believe me, I've been through most of them. I've tried the medications, and gone through near liver failure (yes, some of us just can't tolerate those lovely statins) and done nearly every diet invented by man... only to find out that my biochemistry really isnt' conducive to dieting at all! So, plump though I am, I DID finally reduce my cholesterol. Wonderful, isn't it? And, here I am, keeping you in suspense. But, what good story doesn't have a good introduction???

So the first thing you get to do is go to www.mypyramid.gov where you can figure out how much of what stuff you can eat on a daily basis. No, it isn't pretty. In fact, unless you like to be a creative cook (I do, thankfully) your family might be asking regularly... where's dessert? right after you've served it (lots of fruit, lol).

Then, you get to take a 15 minute, brisk walk every day. Not a big deal, if it's too hot you can do it in a mall, and otherwise it's really quite pleasant. More can be better, but that's really all you absolutely need....

Finally, you get to take an amazing food supplement called polycosanol (make SURE you get the stuff derived from sugar cane, it's really the only active form) every day. It's refined from sugar cane wax, and for some reason just sucks the cholesterol out of your body. If your cholesterol is very high, keep taking the two pills and don't drop to one until you reach your cholesterol goal. It's available from a number of places, I can even get it at my grocery store. Just make sure it's the sugar cane derivative.

Do all that and, I promise, your cholesterol will drop. You can even get an over-the-counter, at home cholesterol kit to keep track!

Now, aren't you glad you keep me around? LOL

**seleach** · #9 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 12:24 PM

I have never heard of polycosanol. But you can bet I'm going to look for it. Thanks for sharing that info. How did you find out about this?? I can't take statins either. Causes muscle problems and liver enzymes were up.
Diet hasn't helped me much. Doesn't lower it but does keep it from zooming up and up.
seleach (Sharon)

Lifestar · #10 (**permalink**) 08-13-2005, 12:24 PM

www.deliciousdecisions.org is a website that gives you information on controlling your cholesterol in your diet.. Tey will also e-mail your low-fat recipies. ( eating fats especially animal fats increase your cholesterol levels. )

Your own bodyalso makes cholseterol ( all animals need it to build nerve fibers) But some people's bodies make tooo much! This kind of cholesterol can not be lowered by dieting. That's where the drugs come in.

another website is www.s2mw.com/cholesterollowdown/ .It's sponsored by the American Heart association and lets your track your progress and also had menus and encouraging e-mails.

I got my cholesterol from 280 to 210 doing that program. I'd go lower if I could get my triglycerides down. ( But I can't give up the carbs!!)

Oh well..

anyway try those two links, or do a google search on low-cholesterol eating

Val

PS One thing you need to know about policosinal is that it thins the blood and reduces your ability to clot. Don't take with aspirin, coumadin, heparin etc... Research this too...