Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I don't
eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are always
Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time to binge
from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills the good I do
at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend to cook with it
whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese substitutes and not a
fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.

What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.

I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
probably be drugs to control it.

In article >,
"Cheryl" > wrote:

> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I don't
> eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are always
> Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time to binge
> from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills the good I do
> at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend to cook with it
> whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese substitutes and not a
> fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
> breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
> high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
> contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

Oatmeal and bran muffins sometimes help.

Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?

If the doctor prescribes drugs, I would say just take them. You'll have
to have regular lab tests to make sure the drugs aren't hurting you, but
the doctor won't prescribe drugs unless they are deemed more helpful
than potentially harmful. I've been taking them a long time, and there
are no apparent side effects.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...

> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?
>
Total 271
LDL 190

> If the doctor prescribes drugs, I would say just take them. You'll have
> to have regular lab tests to make sure the drugs aren't hurting you, but
> the doctor won't prescribe drugs unless they are deemed more helpful
> than potentially harmful. I've been taking them a long time, and there
> are no apparent side effects.
>

In three months the Dr will decide if I need to go the drug route. More
ammo for me to stay with the treadmill program I'm on, and now I want to
find out about how to eat right and still have it taste good. Food is one
of my vices.

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I
> don't eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are
> always Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time
> to binge from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills
> the good I do at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend
> to cook with it whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese
> substitutes and not a fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
> breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
> high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
> contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

Cheryl,

One approach is to eat foods that raise your HDL or "good" cholesterol.
Beans of any kind will do this. (And having lentil soup or 15-bean soup with
a sprinkle of cheddar did not affect my cholesterol in a bad way--it was
like the beans canceled out the cheese!) Snacking on raw red and green
peppers and cucumbers with Ranch dip made with low fat sour cream, instead
of other snacks, lowered my cholesterol because the water and fiber filled
me up and there was no room for things like CHEESE, which I also love.
Oatmeal in any form lowers cholesterol, it really does. A couple of
tablespoons of apple cider vinegar taken in a full glass of water daily
lowers LDL, and fresh garlic raises HDL. I eat the hell out of eggs and
always have. (There's stuff in the yolk that actually lowers cholesterol.
Lecithin, Vitamin E, other stuff. It's been a while since I looked at the
nutrition info.)

A very nice way to get cheesy flavor without eating hunks of cheese:
shredded cheddar on a salad. I like to eat salads as snacks when I get
cravings, with ranch and shredded cheddar, some diced tomatoes, maybe some
kidney beans. Cheese is my big weakness, to the point that I don't generally
buy it in any form but shredded.

I think it helps to add foods you LOVE from the good categories--I LOVE
watermelon, red peppers, beany stuff--and to think of it that way, rather
than approach this change as depriving yourself. What happens is, if you are
full of good stuff there is less room for the bad stuff. Wheat chex are a
nice, high-fiber snack. I like them dipped in that same low fat ranch dip.

Good luck. As I mentioned, there are some things you can do, but a lot of it
is hereditary.

"Cheryl" > wrote
>
> In three months the Dr will decide if I need to go the drug route. More
> ammo for me to stay with the treadmill program I'm on, and now I want to
> find out about how to eat right and still have it taste good. Food is one
> of my vices.

Mine too. You can have fun finding things in the good food groups that you
like. Try a 16-0z container Daisy Light sour cream (it's much better than
Breakstones, less crap in it) with half a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
mix. (You are supposed to use a whole packet but I like it at half strength,
less salt and such.) I think you could dip cat turds in this stuff and they
would be delish.

On Fri 03 Oct 2008 09:46:44p, Cheryl told us...

> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?
>>
> Total 271
> LDL 190
>
>> If the doctor prescribes drugs, I would say just take them. You'll
>> have to have regular lab tests to make sure the drugs aren't hurting
>> you, but the doctor won't prescribe drugs unless they are deemed more
>> helpful than potentially harmful. I've been taking them a long time,
>> and there are no apparent side effects.
>>
>
> In three months the Dr will decide if I need to go the drug route. More
> ammo for me to stay with the treadmill program I'm on, and now I want to
> find out about how to eat right and still have it taste good. Food is
> one of my vices.

A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet is certainly one avenue to lowering your
cholesterol. As some have suggested, higher fiber in your diet will also
help. Probably obvious is reducing or eliminating the cheese in your diet,
like it or not. It is a huge source of fat and cholersterol.

Most of the cholesterol in your body is actually manufactured by your body,
and while lowering your intake will no doubt help, you may still need
medication to get it down to healthy levels. My total cholesterol and LDL
was nearly as high as yours at one time. I was put on 1 medication and my
current numbers are 145 total cholersterol and 72 LDL. The only remaining
problem I have is high triglycerides which is currently 245. I was taking
a specific medication for that which was totally ineffective. More
recently I was put on Niacin, and that seems to be bringing it down. A
month before starting the Niacin my number was 269.

It's nice if you can do it without meds, but most people can't get really
good numbers without it.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

*******************************************
Date: Friday, 10(X)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
5wks 3dys 1hrs 56mins
*******************************************
This Charlie Brown must have been a
very wise man.

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?
>>
> Total 271
> LDL 190
>
Cheryl, if your LDL is that high, you're going to be on a "statin" at some
point. I would consider starting a statin drug now, and continue with
changes in your diet. Statins have been around for awhile now. They bear
close monitoring, though other than the rather rare skeletal muscle
breakdown, or rhabdomylolysis, they are well tolerated.

Eve

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Fri 03 Oct 2008 09:46:44p, Cheryl told us...
>
> > "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?
> >>
> > Total 271
> > LDL 190

> > In three months the Dr will decide if I need to go the drug route. More
> > ammo for me to stay with the treadmill program I'm on, and now I want to
> > find out about how to eat right and still have it taste good. Food is
> > one of my vices.
>
> A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet is certainly one avenue to lowering your
> cholesterol. As some have suggested, higher fiber in your diet will also
> help. Probably obvious is reducing or eliminating the cheese in your diet,
> like it or not. It is a huge source of fat and cholersterol.

> It's nice if you can do it without meds, but most people can't get really
> good numbers without it.

I don't know that it is *most* people, but still, some people just can't
get it down to really healthy levels without drugs.

My father has no problem. I watched him fry up a pound of bacon once.
I ate a couple of pieces. He ate the rest. He took *all* of the fat
left from the bacon and made gravy with it. I declined to have any,
because of my cholesterol. He ate *all* of the gravy, on toast. His
cholesterol is always fine. He is now 92. He has health issues (only
one kidney due to cancer) but cholesterol isn't one of them. He is only
on one prescription medicine (a little water pill). He has quarterly
blood tests, and visits his doctor a week later. The doctor just shakes
his head. My father has been in kidney failure for 15 years. The
doctor says it isn't important. He eats well, sleeps well and gets
around really well for someone his age with two old artificial knees.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Evette > wrote:

>"Cheryl" > wrote in message

>> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message


>>> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?

>> Total 271
>> LDL 190

>Cheryl, if your LDL is that high, you're going to be on a "statin" at some
>point. I would consider starting a statin drug now, and continue with
>changes in your diet. Statins have been around for awhile now. They bear
>close monitoring, though other than the rather rare skeletal muscle
>breakdown, or rhabdomylolysis, they are well tolerated.

Seems right to me but it's hard to second-guess the doctor.

A person can often trim 30 points off both numbers by diet alone,
but that might still be above goal. Good diet measures are
low total calories, low fat, high soluble fiber. I personally
think low dietary cholesterol, and almost no hydrogenated
fats or processed foods (including refined wheat) also help.

If one is not eating in restauraunts it is not absurd to
keep fat to 10 grams per day, and your blood lipids can markedly
improve as a result. There are some negative effects like
your skin becoming dry. I once got my triglycerides to drop
from 180 all the way to 80, from dietary measures. However
it is pretty difficult to sustain, unless one stays at home
and counts everything.

Steve

On Fri 03 Oct 2008 11:10:14p, Dan Abel told us...

> I don't know that it is *most* people, but still, some people just can't
> get it down to really healthy levels without drugs.
>
> My father has no problem. I watched him fry up a pound of bacon once.
> I ate a couple of pieces. He ate the rest. He took *all* of the fat
> left from the bacon and made gravy with it. I declined to have any,
> because of my cholesterol. He ate *all* of the gravy, on toast. His
> cholesterol is always fine. He is now 92. He has health issues (only
> one kidney due to cancer) but cholesterol isn't one of them. He is only
> on one prescription medicine (a little water pill). He has quarterly
> blood tests, and visits his doctor a week later. The doctor just shakes
> his head. My father has been in kidney failure for 15 years. The
> doctor says it isn't important. He eats well, sleeps well and gets
> around really well for someone his age with two old artificial knees.

How is/was your mother's cholesterol and your cholersterol? Most people
are genetically predisposed to their cholestserol characteristics from one
parent or the other or both.

My mother's cholersterol was low-normal; my father's cholersterol was high,
as was his father's. Mine is apprently influenced by my father's.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

*******************************************
Date: Friday, 10(X)/03(III)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
5wks 3dys 29mins
*******************************************
If you can't laugh at yourself, make
fun of other people. --Bobby Slayton

In article 0>,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Fri 03 Oct 2008 11:10:14p, Dan Abel told us...
>
> > I don't know that it is *most* people, but still, some people just can't
> > get it down to really healthy levels without drugs.
> >
> > My father has no problem. I watched him fry up a pound of bacon once.
> > I ate a couple of pieces. He ate the rest. He took *all* of the fat
> > left from the bacon and made gravy with it. I declined to have any,
> > because of my cholesterol. He ate *all* of the gravy, on toast. His
> > cholesterol is always fine. He is now 92. He has health issues (only
> > one kidney due to cancer) but cholesterol isn't one of them. He is only
> > on one prescription medicine (a little water pill). He has quarterly
> > blood tests, and visits his doctor a week later. The doctor just shakes
> > his head. My father has been in kidney failure for 15 years. The
> > doctor says it isn't important. He eats well, sleeps well and gets
> > around really well for someone his age with two old artificial knees.
>
> How is/was your mother's cholesterol

I don't know. Either they didn't measure it back then or else she never
got old enough for it to get high. She died in her forties of kidney
failure.


> and your cholersterol?

Mine was too high until I changed my diet and went on statins, both of
which happened a long time ago. I'm a diabetic, and my doctor says my
goal is less than 200 total and less than 70 LDL. I usually but not
always am at goal.

> Most people
> are genetically predisposed to their cholestserol characteristics from one
> parent or the other or both.

I never met my grandparents on either side and know very little about
them. I do know that there was major diabetes on both sides (type II
with insulin), so I know where I got that. I've been on insulin for
several months now, and expect to be on it for the rest of my life.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Sat 04 Oct 2008 12:23:40a, Dan Abel told us...

>> How is/was your mother's cholesterol
>
> I don't know. Either they didn't measure it back then or else she never
> got old enough for it to get high. She died in her forties of kidney
> failure.

Chances are good that she may have been predisposed to high cholesterol
since you are.

>> and your cholersterol?
>
> Mine was too high until I changed my diet and went on statins, both of
> which happened a long time ago. I'm a diabetic, and my doctor says my
> goal is less than 200 total and less than 70 LDL. I usually but not
> always am at goal.

As was mine, and I'm also type 2 diabetic, but only on oral meds for that.
My weight is out of control again, but I'm working on it. When I was near
goal weight, I was able to control the diabetes by diet alone.

>> Most people
>> are genetically predisposed to their cholestserol characteristics from
>> one parent or the other or both.
>
> I never met my grandparents on either side and know very little about
> them. I do know that there was major diabetes on both sides (type II
> with insulin), so I know where I got that. I've been on insulin for
> several months now, and expect to be on it for the rest of my life.

It wasn't common to know the cholesterol levels of people our grandparents
ages, but I do know that my paternal grandfather died from a heart attack
caused by blocked arteries, so I conclude that it was high.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

*******************************************
Date: Saturday, 10(X)/04(IV)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
5wks 2dys 23hrs 24mins
*******************************************
Cats are so marvelously true to themselves.
*******************************************

cybercat wrote:
> "Cheryl" > wrote
>>
>> In three months the Dr will decide if I need to go the drug route. More
>> ammo for me to stay with the treadmill program I'm on, and now
>> I want to find out about how to eat right and still have it taste
>> good. Food is one of my vices.
>
> Mine too. You can have fun finding things in the good food groups
> that you like. Try a 16-0z container Daisy Light sour cream (it's
> much better than Breakstones, less crap in it) with half a packet of
> Hidden Valley Ranch Dip mix. (You are supposed to use a whole packet
> but I like it at half strength, less salt and such.) I think you
> could dip cat turds in this stuff and they would be delish.

ROFL, I had a dog that used to think cat turds were delish on their own. I
used to call the litter box the tootsie roll factory. :~)

kili

cybercat wrote:
> "Cheryl" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I
>> don't eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my
>> lunches are always Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I
>> never have time to binge from the vending machines, and I only
>> drink water. What kills the good I do at lunchtime is what I eat at
>> home. I love cheese. I tend to cook with it whenever possible. I
>> don't like the low fat cheese substitutes and not a fan of the
>> naturally occurring low fat cheeses. What are some suggestions to get the
>> cholesterol down? Dr said
>> multigrain breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said
>> Hellman's is good) high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who
>> knew drinking alcohol contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts
>> everyday. I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then
>> it will
>> probably be drugs to control it.
>
> Cheryl,
>
> One approach is to eat foods that raise your HDL or "good"
> cholesterol. Beans of any kind will do this. (And having lentil soup
> or 15-bean soup with a sprinkle of cheddar did not affect my
> cholesterol in a bad way--it was like the beans canceled out the
> cheese!) Snacking on raw red and green peppers and cucumbers with
> Ranch dip made with low fat sour cream, instead of other snacks,
> lowered my cholesterol because the water and fiber filled me up and
> there was no room for things like CHEESE, which I also love. Oatmeal
> in any form lowers cholesterol, it really does. A couple of
> tablespoons of apple cider vinegar taken in a full glass of water
> daily lowers LDL, and fresh garlic raises HDL. I eat the hell out of
> eggs and always have. (There's stuff in the yolk that actually lowers
> cholesterol. Lecithin, Vitamin E, other stuff. It's been a while
> since I looked at the nutrition info.)
> A very nice way to get cheesy flavor without eating hunks of cheese:
> shredded cheddar on a salad. I like to eat salads as snacks when I get
> cravings, with ranch and shredded cheddar, some diced tomatoes, maybe
> some kidney beans. Cheese is my big weakness, to the point that I
> don't generally buy it in any form but shredded.
>
> I think it helps to add foods you LOVE from the good categories--I
> LOVE watermelon, red peppers, beany stuff--and to think of it that
> way, rather than approach this change as depriving yourself. What
> happens is, if you are full of good stuff there is less room for the
> bad stuff. Wheat chex are a nice, high-fiber snack. I like them
> dipped in that same low fat ranch dip.
> Good luck. As I mentioned, there are some things you can do, but a
> lot of it is hereditary.

Great advice, Cyber! You summed it all up really well.

My idea of snack foods would include bean tacos with whole wheat, lard-free
tortillas. A make-shift black bean layered spread with tomatoes, lettuce,
onion, low-fat sour cream, a smattering of shredded cheddar, black olives,
and avocado. Yes, avocado. Avocado has been known to raise the HDLs. All
you need to dig into this layered spread (which could be considered a meal
or a version of nachos) is a good whole grain baked chip.

We'll get you through this, Cheryl! :~)

kili

On Sat, 4 Oct 2008 00:19:45 -0400, "Cheryl"
> wrote:

>Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I don't
>eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are always
>Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time to binge
>from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills the good I do
>at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend to cook with it
>whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese substitutes and not a
>fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.
>
>What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
>breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
>high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
>contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
>I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
>probably be drugs to control it.


Exercise.

Cheryl wrote:
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said
> multigrain breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said
> Hellman's is good) high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who
> knew drinking alcohol contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts
> everyday.
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

When my mother was told to go on a low cholesterol diet her doctor gave her
some informational sheets about what foods to limit or cut out altogether.
There are also cookbooks out there specifically geared towards this so if
there's a library handy you might peruse a few to get some ideas.

I hear ya on the low-fat cheese! If you drink milk, switch from whole to
2%, 1% or skim. (Skim - or non-fat as they're calling it these days - works
perfectly well in cooking unless you're trying to make a heavy cream sauce!)
She started using Benecol spread on toast and vegetables. These days they
make many more such spreads. She didn't mind using it because she'd been
used to Parkay margarine (ugh). We only had butter in the house when I was
a kid if it was a holiday. LOL

I agree with the multi-grain suggestion. Good luck!

Jill

"kilikini" > wrote
> ROFL, I had a dog that used to think cat turds were delish on their own.
> I used to call the litter box the tootsie roll factory. :~)
>
Haha! Dogs!

"kilikini" > wrote
> Great advice, Cyber! You summed it all up really well.

Thank you, kili!
>
> My idea of snack foods would include bean tacos with whole wheat,
> lard-free tortillas. A make-shift black bean layered spread with
> tomatoes, lettuce, onion, low-fat sour cream, a smattering of shredded
> cheddar, black olives, and avocado. Yes, avocado. Avocado has been known
> to raise the HDLs. All you need to dig into this layered spread (which
> could be considered a meal or a version of nachos) is a good whole grain
> baked chip.

You're so right, I woke up thinking, "bean dip!" Even canned, fat free
refried give me that mooshy gooshy good element, all the while adding no fat
and no cholesterol. I think one of the reasons my HDL is always so high is
because I eat a lot of black beans. I love to make a thick, garlicky, tangy
side dish out of these, either from dried or canned if I am in a hurry, and
put it in a whole wheat tortilla or just eat it like a thick soup. I do add
a sprinkle of cheese, but a little goes a long way.

It's the same with vegetables, salads and even things like steamed broc. If
a smidge of shredded cheddar makes it more attractive (and it always does!)
I add it. For me, anyway, the addition of the fiber and other good things in
the whole, fresh vegetables or legumes seems to outweigh the bad of the
little bit of cheese. My last numbers were 93 LDL and 79 HDL, triglycerides
87. But, again, a lot of it is hereditary and not diet-related.


>
> We'll get you through this, Cheryl! :~)
>

Yes we will! Hopefully without medication, but the medications they are
making now are so much better than they have been in the past.

"The Cook" > wrote
>>I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
>>probably be drugs to control it.
>
>
> Exercise.

Helps, but is often not enough in and of itself.

Cheryl wrote:
> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I
> don't eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches
> are always Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never
> have time to binge from the vending machines, and I only drink water.
> What kills the good I do at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love
> cheese. I tend to cook with it whenever possible. I don't like the low
> fat cheese substitutes and not a fan of the naturally occurring low fat
> cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said
> multigrain breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said
> Hellman's is good) high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who
> knew drinking alcohol contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts
> everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

Most people are not aware that a diet high in carbohydrates will also
raise cholesterol levels. If you look at the nutrition labels on those
Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc. meals, they are very high in
carbohydrates. If you choose to make carbohydrates a major percentage of
your diet, choose whole grains. At least there is some nutrition and
fiber in them.

There have been several studies that a glass of red wine every day can
lower cholesterol, so if you need your happy hour, consider switching to
red wine. Cheap wine works just as well as expensive wine. <g>

The very best thing you can do to boost your HDLs and lower your LDLs is
to exercise.


--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

"Cheryl" > wrote in
:

> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high
> LDLs. I don't eat a really high fat diet, and very little
> meat and my lunches are always Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or
> Weight Watchers. I never have time to binge from the vending
> machines, and I only drink water. What kills the good I do
> at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend to
> cook with it whenever possible. I don't like the low fat
> cheese substitutes and not a fan of the naturally occurring
> low fat cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr
> said multigrain breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but
> she said Hellman's is good) high levels of omega's, cut out
> the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol contributes to high
> cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then
> it will probably be drugs to control it.

Hi

I mentioned this free software the other day to Kajikit.
I like it a lot.
"Kelpiesoft Food File"

http://www.kelpiesoft.com/

Hope it helps.

:-)

In article >,
"Cheryl" > wrote:

> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I don't
> eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are always
> Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time to binge
> from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills the good I do
> at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend to cook with it
> whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese substitutes and not a
> fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
> breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
> high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
> contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

Sounds familiar. It's not easy to change your habits. Look he
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/cgi-bin/chd/step2intro.cgi

You will learn to read labels carefully.

Look at it when you have some time to read it; note the links at the
bottom of the page (after the calculations section). Follow those links.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller, and here's the link to my appearance
on "A Prairie Home Companion," <http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/
programs/2008/08/30/>

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I
> don't eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are
> always Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time
> to binge from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills
> the good I do at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend
> to cook with it whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese
> substitutes and not a fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
> breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
> high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
> contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

Hi Cheryl,

You might want to look into alt.support.diabetes. I had extremely high
cholesterol and triglycerides, and I was constantly looking for "low fat"
without considering the carbs. My idea of "cooking" was to put a Lean
Cuisine in the microwave. I live alone, and it was much easier -- and even
cheaper -- to simply pick up some drive-through or frozen food entree. I
thought I was doing some "healthy" things by placing emphasis on Lean
Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers frozen food (just as you
described). I ate lots of baked potatoes and would use low-fat sour cream.
I also drank lots of orange juice.

Then I developed diabetes. That was a wake-up call for me, and I completely
changed my diet. I discovered that the diet recommended by the American
Diabetes Association did not help my BG (blood glucose) level at all, and I
was taking Metformin for the diabetes. The answer came from friends with
diabetes and from reading the NG I mentioned. The answer for me was carbs!
I started out on South Beach *plus* I modified it so that I no longer eat
*any* flour, pasta, rice, potatoes or refined sugar. It's not a true low
carb diet because I eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit, but it is much
lower-carb than previously. More important, it's what SB calls "good
carbs."

Now, how does this relate to your question? This diet has controlled my SG
*without medication* (no medication since March 2005, and my glucose levels
are usually less than 100), and *my cholesterol and triglyceride levels*
fell dramatically. Traditional low-fat diets had never done that, although
(unlike many on the diabetes group) I still place emphasis on looking for
low-fat alternatives; the difference is that I now combine it with
eliminating those carbs I mentioned. LDL fell and HDL rose very quickly,
and those were benefits that I had not even expected since I was only
looking at blood glucose levels originally.

I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but you might want to look into carbs (the
"bad carbs" variety) as a possibility. Incidentally, I am never hungry. If
I am hungry, I eat -- but I eat different food than in the past. I
emphasize fresh food and *never* buy frozen meals. I eat fresh or frozen
veggies but not canned. I eat eggs, lots of nuts, some cheese. Unlike many
diabetics (but this is not your problem anyway), I have oatmeal for
breakfast almost every morning -- but it's important to always use
old-fashioned or steel cut oatmeal and never "quick" or "instant" oatmeal.
I usually throw a handful of fresh berries (especially blueberries) and a
few broken-up walnuts on the oatmeal, and I use skim milk (something the
true low-carbers would frown on because there are more carbs in skim milk
than regular milk -- but, as I said, I do also watch fat and not just
carbs). I look for low-fat meat on most occasions and put more emphasis on
chicken (skin removed) than on red meat. I also frequently have days where
I don't eat any meat or poultry at all. Fish would probably be good for
you, but I am allergic to it -- or, more likely, "intolerant" because I
become violently ill every time I try to eat any type of fish. Oddly, I can
eat shellfish.

MaryL

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Cheryl" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I
>> don't eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are
>> always Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have
>> time to binge from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What
>> kills the good I do at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese.
>> I tend to cook with it whenever possible. I don't like the low fat
>> cheese substitutes and not a fan of the naturally occurring low fat
>> cheeses.
>>
>> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said
>> multigrain breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said
>> Hellman's is good) high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew
>> drinking alcohol contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>>
>> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
>> probably be drugs to control it.
>
> Cheryl,
>
> One approach is to eat foods that raise your HDL or "good" cholesterol.
> Beans of any kind will do this. (And having lentil soup or 15-bean soup
> with a sprinkle of cheddar did not affect my cholesterol in a bad way--it
> was like the beans canceled out the cheese!) Snacking on raw red and green
> peppers and cucumbers with Ranch dip made with low fat sour cream, instead
> of other snacks, lowered my cholesterol because the water and fiber filled
> me up and there was no room for things like CHEESE, which I also love.
> Oatmeal in any form lowers cholesterol, it really does. A couple of
> tablespoons of apple cider vinegar taken in a full glass of water daily
> lowers LDL, and fresh garlic raises HDL. I eat the hell out of eggs and
> always have. (There's stuff in the yolk that actually lowers cholesterol.
> Lecithin, Vitamin E, other stuff. It's been a while since I looked at the
> nutrition info.)
>
> A very nice way to get cheesy flavor without eating hunks of cheese:
> shredded cheddar on a salad. I like to eat salads as snacks when I get
> cravings, with ranch and shredded cheddar, some diced tomatoes, maybe some
> kidney beans. Cheese is my big weakness, to the point that I don't
> generally buy it in any form but shredded.
>
> I think it helps to add foods you LOVE from the good categories--I LOVE
> watermelon, red peppers, beany stuff--and to think of it that way, rather
> than approach this change as depriving yourself. What happens is, if you
> are full of good stuff there is less room for the bad stuff. Wheat chex
> are a nice, high-fiber snack. I like them dipped in that same low fat
> ranch dip.
>
> Good luck. As I mentioned, there are some things you can do, but a lot of
> it is hereditary.
>

I just posted a report on how my diet for diabetes also had the effect of
dramatically reducing LDL and tryglercides while increasing HDL. Everything
cybercat has written here also applies to the type of food I eat. I eat
lots of black bean soup or lentil soup. Despite the carbs, beans are an
excellent selection! They are not quickly converted into sugar, as are
refined products.

MaryL

Janet Wilder wrote:
> Cheryl wrote:
>> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said
>> multigrain breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said
>> Hellman's is good) high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who
>> knew drinking alcohol contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts
>> everyday.
>>
>
> There have been several studies that a glass of red wine every day can
> lower cholesterol, so if you need your happy hour, consider switching
> to red wine. Cheap wine works just as well as expensive wine. <g>
>
Doesn't always work as well in terms of tasting good, though

Jill

Dan Abel wrote:
> In article >,
> "Cheryl" > wrote:

>>
>> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
>> probably be drugs to control it.
>
> Oatmeal and bran muffins sometimes help.
>
> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?
>
> If the doctor prescribes drugs, I would say just take them. You'll have
> to have regular lab tests to make sure the drugs aren't hurting you, but
> the doctor won't prescribe drugs unless they are deemed more helpful
> than potentially harmful. I've been taking them a long time, and there
> are no apparent side effects.
>


Ditto what Dan said. Statins can really help if you get the right one
for you.

gloria p

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Don't keep us in suspense. What is your total cholesterol and LDL?
>>
> Total 271
> LDL 190
>
>> If the doctor prescribes drugs, I would say just take them. You'll have
>> to have regular lab tests to make sure the drugs aren't hurting you, but
>> the doctor won't prescribe drugs unless they are deemed more helpful
>> than potentially harmful. I've been taking them a long time, and there
>> are no apparent side effects.
>>
>
> In three months the Dr will decide if I need to go the drug route. More
> ammo for me to stay with the treadmill program I'm on, and now I want to
> find out about how to eat right and still have it taste good. Food is one
> of my vices.

Bummer!

IMHO there are several steps you can take. Remember I ain't no medical
person

1. Stop the frozen food lunches. If at all possible start taking your
lunch. be sure to include a piece of fruit - you know an apple a day. A
salad with fat free dressing or lemon juice & salt There plenty of
sandwiches you can make. Any or all processed foods are really not too good
for you no matter what they say.

2. Do not cut out all fats - your body will make cholesterol and you
need a certain amount in your diet.

3. Use only olive oil in your cooking it does not have to be EVOO. just
OO is ok for sautéing. Make your own salad dressing with EVOO.

4. Most/some will not agree with this but I believe real butter in
moderation is better than ANY margarine you can buy.

5. Yes Oatmeal works and is very good for you as are any whole grains
and whole grain products. Remember Cheerio's are oats too. :-)

6. Keep an eye on the dairy product you are using as far as quantity is
concerned.

7. Being medicated is not the worst thing that can happen.

Here are a few points I follow:

A. I eat only butter, EVOO & real Mayo.
B. I am medicated with a statin
C. I eat a ton of red meat and generally have what would be considered a
high fat diet.

Here are my most recent numbers

Triglycerides 131
Cholesterol 142
HDL 38
LDL 77
VLDL 26
Cholesterol /HDL 3.7

I am not saying that what I do will work for everyone but when I went on a
modified Atkins my overall came down by 20 points. I truly believe there is
a lot of genetics involved.


Dimitri

In article >,
"Cheryl" > wrote:

> Hi all. Just found out my cholesterol is high with high high LDLs. I don't
> eat a really high fat diet, and very little meat and my lunches are always
> Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Weight Watchers. I never have time to binge
> from the vending machines, and I only drink water. What kills the good I do
> at lunchtime is what I eat at home. I love cheese. I tend to cook with it
> whenever possible. I don't like the low fat cheese substitutes and not a
> fan of the naturally occurring low fat cheeses.
>
> What are some suggestions to get the cholesterol down? Dr said multigrain
> breads, pasta, low fat mayonnaise (ewwww - but she said Hellman's is good)
> high levels of omega's, cut out the drinking (who knew drinking alcohol
> contributes to high cholesterol?), a few nuts everyday.
>
> I have 3 months to get this down before my follow up and then it will
> probably be drugs to control it.

What made a major difference for me before I started low carbing was Oat
Bran. Oat Bran made as a hot cereal like Cream of Wheat is wonderful.
I used to mix it with some plain fat free yogurt that we made at home
with skim milk.

I'm considering going back to using it for breakfast. My total
cholesterol fluctuates a lot, but triglycerides stay well below 100
mg/dl and LDL stays in normal range.

Don't underestimate the value of regular aerobic exercise.

Fish and/or flax seed oil supplementation is supposed to be good too.
--
Peace! Om

"He who has the gold makes the rules"
--Om

"He who has the guns can get the gold."
-- Steve Rothstein

MaryL wrote:

>
> I just posted a report on how my diet for diabetes also had the effect
> of dramatically reducing LDL and tryglercides while increasing HDL.
> Everything cybercat has written here also applies to the type of food I
> eat. I eat lots of black bean soup or lentil soup. Despite the carbs,
> beans are an excellent selection! They are not quickly converted into
> sugar, as are refined products.
>
> MaryL

I rec'd my recent lab results for a physical and am happy to report
Cholesterol-196 (low risk, but wouldn't mind it a bit lower even)
Triglicerides- 130 (normal)
HDL-63 (low risk)
LDL-107 (Near or above Optimal)

I can thank my parents for the genes and the "Mediterranean"
diet/lifestyle.

I am still pretty shocked about the general health of the people I cared
for down after the Hurricanes. Far too much diabetes and hypertension,
far too many on antidepressants and morbidly obese. (Did I mention that
having teeth seem to be a too short period of life?) I observed far too
many young people smoking (especially discouraging when around their
babies and young children who also suffer from it) yet I truly don't
know if they realize the vicious circle all these factors play into
their general "un-health" ??

"Goomba" > wrote in message
...
> MaryL wrote:
>
>>
>> I just posted a report on how my diet for diabetes also had the effect of
>> dramatically reducing LDL and tryglercides while increasing HDL.
>> Everything cybercat has written here also applies to the type of food I
>> eat. I eat lots of black bean soup or lentil soup. Despite the carbs,
>> beans are an excellent selection! They are not quickly converted into
>> sugar, as are refined products.
>>
>> MaryL
>
> I rec'd my recent lab results for a physical and am happy to report
> Cholesterol-196 (low risk, but wouldn't mind it a bit lower even)
> Triglicerides- 130 (normal)
> HDL-63 (low risk)
> LDL-107 (Near or above Optimal)
>
> I can thank my parents for the genes and the "Mediterranean"
> diet/lifestyle.
>
> I am still pretty shocked about the general health of the people I cared
> for down after the Hurricanes. Far too much diabetes and hypertension, far
> too many on antidepressants and morbidly obese. (Did I mention that having
> teeth seem to be a too short period of life?) I observed far too many
> young people smoking (especially discouraging when around their babies and
> young children who also suffer from it) yet I truly don't know if they
> realize the vicious circle all these factors play into their general
> "un-health" ??

Good Job.

Those are good numbers -

Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:
>
> "Goomba" > wrote in message

>> I rec'd my recent lab results for a physical and am happy to report
>> Cholesterol-196 (low risk, but wouldn't mind it a bit lower even)
>> Triglicerides- 130 (normal)
>> HDL-63 (low risk)
>> LDL-107 (Near or above Optimal)
>>
>> I can thank my parents for the genes and the "Mediterranean"
>> diet/lifestyle.
>>
>> I am still pretty shocked about the general health of the people I
>> cared for down after the Hurricanes. Far too much diabetes and
>> hypertension, far too many on antidepressants and morbidly obese. (Did
>> I mention that having teeth seem to be a too short period of life?) I
>> observed far too many young people smoking (especially discouraging
>> when around their babies and young children who also suffer from it)
>> yet I truly don't know if they realize the vicious circle all these
>> factors play into their general "un-health" ??
>
> Good Job.
>
> Those are good numbers -
>
> Dimitri

I can't really take credit for it. Good genes mostly. I eat tons of
cheese, use real butter, lots of olive oil (weaned on the stuff, I
swear!) and eat everything and anything but in moderation. I always
strive for good food over fast or cheap foods. I do like my red wine
now and then. And I've never smoked a day in my life. I like looking
healthy, although of course I could stand to lose some poundage.

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Sat 04 Oct 2008 12:23:40a, Dan Abel told us...
>
> >> How is/was your mother's cholesterol
> >
> > I don't know. Either they didn't measure it back then or else she never
> > got old enough for it to get high. She died in her forties of kidney
> > failure.
>
> Chances are good that she may have been predisposed to high cholesterol
> since you are.
>
> >> and your cholersterol?
> >
> > Mine was too high until I changed my diet and went on statins, both of
> > which happened a long time ago. I'm a diabetic, and my doctor says my
> > goal is less than 200 total and less than 70 LDL. I usually but not
> > always am at goal.
>
> As was mine, and I'm also type 2 diabetic, but only on oral meds for that.
> My weight is out of control again, but I'm working on it. When I was near
> goal weight, I was able to control the diabetes by diet alone.

Good news! I just got my lab results back. The diabetes looks good,
although my BG is too low and I need to get my insulin adjusted (I've
lost weight). My cholesterol is:

Total 136
Triglyc 67
HDL 53
LDL 70

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Dan Abel wrote:

> Good news! I just got my lab results back. The diabetes looks good,
> although my BG is too low and I need to get my insulin adjusted (I've
> lost weight). My cholesterol is:
>
> Total 136
> Triglyc 67
> HDL 53
> LDL 70

Hey! That's great. Nice to hear good news like that.

nancy

"Dimitri" > wrote
>
> 1. Stop the frozen food lunches. If at all possible start taking your
> lunch. be sure to include a piece of fruit - you know an apple a day. A
> salad with fat free dressing or lemon juice & salt There plenty of
> sandwiches you can make. Any or all processed foods are really not too
> good for you no matter what they say.

I forgot to mention this. Current research shows that people who eat lots of
fresh, whole foods have less cancer etc., so I rarely eat processed foods
anymore. (I do splurge on total crap like hot dogs every now and then, but
for the most part ...) I don't think they know WHY the whole foods are worth
more than the sum of their parts--say, supplements carrying the same
nutrients--they just know they are. Since I have dumped most processed
foods, all my numbers are better.


> 3. Use only olive oil in your cooking it does not have to be EVOO. just
> OO is ok for sautéing. Make your own salad dressing with EVOO.

I also forgot the above. I use only olive oil for cooking, except I love
Country Crock for scrambled eggs and toast.

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Cheryl" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> Cheryl,
>
> One approach is to eat foods that raise your HDL or "good" cholesterol.

That's what my Dr said, too. She did give me a list of foods that could
help.

> Beans of any kind will do this. (And having lentil soup or 15-bean soup
> with a sprinkle of cheddar did not affect my cholesterol in a bad way--it
> was like the beans canceled out the cheese!) Snacking on raw red and green
> peppers and cucumbers with Ranch dip made with low fat sour cream, instead
> of other snacks, lowered my cholesterol because the water and fiber filled
> me up and there was no room for things like CHEESE, which I also love.

Problem is that I'm a pretty picky eater and don't like beans or peppers,
mushrooms and many other things.

> Oatmeal in any form lowers cholesterol, it really does. A couple of
> tablespoons of apple cider vinegar taken in a full glass of water daily
> lowers LDL, and fresh garlic raises HDL. I eat the hell out of eggs and
> always have. (There's stuff in the yolk that actually lowers cholesterol.
> Lecithin, Vitamin E, other stuff. It's been a while since I looked at the
> nutrition info.)

I got a big box of Cheerios and will start eating some daily. Just plain.
I like those.

>
> A very nice way to get cheesy flavor without eating hunks of cheese:
> shredded cheddar on a salad. I like to eat salads as snacks when I get
> cravings, with ranch and shredded cheddar, some diced tomatoes, maybe some
> kidney beans. Cheese is my big weakness, to the point that I don't
> generally buy it in any form but shredded.

Great tip about the moderation and using cheese on salad. That I can do.
>
> I think it helps to add foods you LOVE from the good categories--I LOVE
> watermelon, red peppers, beany stuff--and to think of it that way, rather
> than approach this change as depriving yourself. What happens is, if you
> are full of good stuff there is less room for the bad stuff. Wheat chex
> are a nice, high-fiber snack. I like them dipped in that same low fat
> ranch dip.
>
> Good luck. As I mentioned, there are some things you can do, but a lot of
> it is hereditary.
>
Yep, plenty of high cholesterol in my family history.

Thanks for the ideas.

Cheryl

kilikini" > wrote in message
...
>
> We'll get you through this, Cheryl! :~)
>

LOL! Thanks for the support Kili!

"The Cook" > wrote in message
...
>
> Exercise.

That is a common consensus. My Dr said the same. I have a treadmill and
I'm good about using it. I'm going to up the usage, though. Thanks!

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
>
> I agree with the multi-grain suggestion. Good luck!
>
>
Thanks for the ideas, Jill. Multigrain, fiber, low fat, oatmeal, exercise
and many of the other ideas are all doable. I hope your mom got her
cholesterol under control. With you there, I'm sure she's eating very
healthy.

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
. ..
>
>
> Now, how does this relate to your question? This diet has controlled my
> SG *without medication* (no medication since March 2005, and my glucose
> levels are usually less than 100), and *my cholesterol and triglyceride
> levels* fell dramatically. Traditional low-fat diets had never done that,
> although (unlike many on the diabetes group) I still place emphasis on
> looking for low-fat alternatives; the difference is that I now combine it
> with eliminating those carbs I mentioned. LDL fell and HDL rose very
> quickly, and those were benefits that I had not even expected since I was
> only looking at blood glucose levels originally.
>
> I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but you might want to look into carbs
> (the "bad carbs" variety) as a possibility.

Thanks for the info, Mary. I will have to watch the carbs, too. Diabetes
is also in my family but so far my BG is good.

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> What made a major difference for me before I started low carbing was Oat
> Bran. Oat Bran made as a hot cereal like Cream of Wheat is wonderful.
> I used to mix it with some plain fat free yogurt that we made at home
> with skim milk.
>
> I'm considering going back to using it for breakfast. My total
> cholesterol fluctuates a lot, but triglycerides stay well below 100
> mg/dl and LDL stays in normal range.
>
> Don't underestimate the value of regular aerobic exercise.
>
> Fish and/or flax seed oil supplementation is supposed to be good too.

Fish oil and flax seed oil are both in the cabinet. I will add those daily,
too. Also suggested by my Dr. Got the exercise thing covered. I have more
incentive to keep up with the treadmill now.