Cholesterol

[LisaColumbus]

Do any of you have trouble with high cholesterol? This is a first for me. I had stupidly been under the impression that since I was underweight, my cholesterol wouldn't be an issue. Obviously I was wrong. I will admit, I am clueless when it comes to healthy diets. Does anyone have a recommendations for foods that are good for keeping my cholesterol lower while fitting in with the high protein, high salt diet?

[morgan617]

I don't think my cholesterol has been checked in at least 6 years. So I don't know. It was borderline then..morgan

[briarrose]

I have very high cholesterol but the doctor's have determined that it's hereditary, not diet.

[Mrs. Glass]

Oatmeal. It is supposed to lower your cholesterol. Mine is high also, and I eat pretty healthy. I was surprised when we had it tested, because my husband eats horribly. A junk food junky and is skinny as a rail. I eat healthy and have weight problems and my chol. is high and his is high. I have not been retested lately so I dont know if it is working or not. Vanessa

[LisaColumbus]

Thanks! I will give oatmeal a shot, it is quick and easy to make.

[OCsunshine]

Well anyone can have high 'bad' cholesterol and low 'good' cholesterol (there are two kinds- LDL and HDL), regardless of weight.

I eat a lot of "whole grains" that are good for keeping your cholesterol healthy. The trick in the grocery store is to find foods that have the certified label of "council of whole grains" or something like that. The first or second ingredient should be whole grains. If the label says "made with whole grains" that really doesn't mean much. So be careful what you buy.

I'm not sure what else works with cholesterol... I know I eat a handful of nuts a day (no more, no less) and that's supposed to be good for you, too. I also hear flaxseed is good.

I get all my info from Oprah and Prevention Magazine, so... you could find articles online that could help you out with a healthy diet. I just got a subscription to Prevention Magazine for Christmas and am very excited about it!

[ariella]

hi

opposite "problem" here. My cholesterol is consistantly a lot lower than it should be, I remember reading somewhere that low cholesterol and neuro conditions sometimes go together. who knows?

Ariella

[Gena]

My cholesterol is on the low side, but my HDL/LDL ratios are good.

Taking flax seed oil or fish oil (omega 3s) for about 90 days along with a high fiber diet and exercise are 3 great ways to lower cholesterol. Eating more vegetable protein and less animal protein can help too, depending on your current intake of animal protein.

Cholesterol comes from animal and dairy, but is also made by the body, so you could have some hereditary cholesterol factoring in. Many people have good success by incorporating the first three things I mentioned above into their diet and lifestyle. You can normally see results in 3 - 6 months.

Best wishes,

Gena

[MightyMouse]

I have very high HDL, and low LDL, with a total cholesterol around 400. My ratio is excellent, so the lipid specialist said to just leave things as is, as the HDL works like draino for the vessels

[Guest Julia59]

MY LDL is 126---my tryclicerides are 205---and my HDL is 27---

I need exercise to raise HDL---but even before my POTS when I could walk 5 miles a day I couldn't get the HDL past 35. My total is 195. The Doc wants to raise the HDL-----but I can not tolerate statins at all---I already have myelopathy from my congenital cerivcal spine stenosis. At one time the HDL was as low as 25----and I only weighed 116 pounds---!!!! Hereditary for sure. But my dad has good HDL---but very high LDL. He is on statins---but no heart disease. My Mother had a couple stints put in through a cath procedure. she is diabetic---and does not watch her dieat well---and has been overweight since a young age.

I'm about 10 pounds overweight now----but have never been overweight ---always thin until meds were started for POTS. I have eaten well since my 20s as far as fats go---but not sugar---keep in mind surgar converts to fats. Now I watch everything. Red meat is very low or non-existant in my diet---and I think I may have watched my fats too good---I NEED GOOD FATS----so now i'm going to Try the omega 3 fats.

I truly eat so few fats---so now i'm including any good fats I can. The down side----my gallbladder may act up---it only works 60%, but from what I heard---that's not bad compared to a lot of you.

I'm really worried about the HDL being sooooo low. I think i'm going to have some heart testing done to be sure. I had a stress echo done 2 years ago---but i'm not sure that will show if the arteries are clear. I think it just shows how the heart muscle works with exercise. I talked to the nurse at the cardiologist's office and she said that the stress echo could show if I had heart disease---I don't know if she was just trying to placate me or not. The blood test before this last one showed my HDL was 35----but my LDL was 135. My triglycerides were 260 also. I was able to lower the numbers---but the HDL went right down with the other numbers.

I NEED to DRANO! Here's to olive oil, omeaga 3---and other healthy fats. I heard penutbutter is great---but be careful---there's calories with peanutbutter.

I have lost about 10 pounds---and still trying----cutting refined carbs helps a lot---but boy is it hard to do. I love my chocolate, but I don't eat that much anyway---and I like dark. Having these hyperadrengic spells really lowers my craving for sugar. That's the only good thing about those hyper adrengic attacks---(AKA GEORGE).

Julie :0)

[calypso]

Another thing you can try is going for whole foods, as opposed to processed (anything in a box is generally processed). Sticking to veggies, fruits, lowfat meats (chicken/turkey/pork/lean beef) and whole grains like oatmeal, sprouted-grain breads and such can really make a huge difference. Just because something is labeled "whole grain" or "lowfat" doesn't mean it's good for you. In fact, there's a huge link between insulin resistance, high cholesterol and processed foods.

Amy

[DancingLight]

I have high cholesterol also (around 300), but my HDLs have also been good (as Nina described--I like that Draino analogy!).

I was surprised when the levels were so high at age 22 when I was in super good shape, watched what I ate and was very thin.

I eat a really good, healthy diet...

I am so inactive now due to the POTS and have put on weight since college and my levels have NOT changed. My ratios are good and we think it is mostly genetic...gotta love that!

Definitely, the suggestions by Gena, Amy and others for lifestyle changes are super duper! Sometimes, even with that rigidity our cholesterol won't budge, but it certainly benefits MORE than just cholesterol to live by those rules.

My mom was just at her doc and she recommended Royal Jelly which is a product made by bees. But, if you are allergic to bees, not such a good choice. Her doc said that she is having good luck with that--rather than Omega 3s. Interesting.

Emily

[LisaColumbus]

Thanks for all the info. You have all definitely pointed me in the right direction. I appreciate it.

[DancingLight]

P.S. It also depends which levels are high. For instance, triglycerides are influenced a lot by sugar. (Bummer!)

Just remember the rule "Strive for Five" fruits and veggies a day! Actually, should be 5-9.

Try to add in more fruits and veggies and whole grains like mentioned. And, less sugar. And lean proteins. You can still get a lot of protein from lower fat sources or from 'good fats'.

I think you might find good info on diet on a site like the American Heart Association or search online for 'Heart Healthy Diets'...

Em