WTF?
 

My Cholesterol levels are high? I know I'm 40. I have to eat what? I shouldn't eat what? Exerci... what?:eek: Walk? Stairs? Are you still speaking English because I can't understand the words that are coming out of your mouth!

How the hell did this happen?:confused:

Re: WTF?
 

Really????:lol:......I'm sure you are on a low cholesterol diet aren't you????;)

Re: WTF?
 

Joking aside though, how high is it and did they explain the breakdown of good and bad cholesterol to you? Also are you Triglicerides high as well?

You are young, healthy and active so with a bit of diet and exercise change you can probably get the numbers down fairly quick. Good luck:wub:

Re: WTF?
 

I was recently told that too and I'm only 37. I eat pretty healthily (actually probably very healthily, especially when compared to a lot of people I know), and exercise 4 times a week (cycling and running). I think I must be predisposed and asked my parents (in the UK) whether they had high cholesterol and they had no idea as they had never had that test (doctor thought about it but said leave well enough alone).

I really can't see any way to change my diet, so we'll see what the next test shows up.

A friend of mine was in a similar situation, there was no way he could get it down (he's a crazy cyclist in that he rides about 250 miles a week), and eventually the doctor got him to take medication.

Re: WTF?
 

Take the cholesterol very seriously, my brother in law was extremely active did 20 plus mile walks in the Lake District on a very regular basis and nearly died of a massive heart attack due to high cholesterol at the age of 49 . He survived but is nowhere near the man he was.

Re: WTF?
 

I blame it on fast food and working long hours.

Too many of us have a poor diet and should think about the types of food we consume. If you can eat home cooked meals and try to get back to the evening family meal.

I'm 80 and have rarely eaten out ( except for special occaisions). When the kids were at home we always had an evening meal together.

Most people eat and drink (booze) too much.

Re: WTF?
 

Total was 192, I think "bad" was 142 and good was 50. I don't remember him mentioning Triglicerides. He said it wasn't bad enough for medication, but that I should make some "lifestyle" changes and he was betting that that (considering my current diet and excersise habits) would get things back to good levels. He also said lose some weight (I'm 5' 10" and around 205-210) I'm basically sedentary, I do walk a lot at work, but usually not for more than 5-10 min at a time. I do other physical stuff, but it's spotty. The Doc said those short walks weren't doing very much if they were under 20min.

So as of this past Friday when I learned all this, I've been eating things called "fruits" and "salads" for lunch instead of the KFC buffet, a bananna for breakfast, not eating as much of everything, not drinking soda, drinking water on purpose and started walking briskly and aimlessly for 20-40min at a stretch.

Re: WTF?
 

The horror, the horror.

I feel your pain, my doctor is always after me about smoking, diet and exorcise, too. The latest from him is that he wants me to go somewhere and have a camera stuffed up my behind. I told him to forget it, I don't go that way.

Re: WTF?
 

Mine was higher than that - something like 245 and 145 (or thereabouts). I eat home cooked meals, usually take my own lunch to work, both including plenty of fruit and veg. I don't drink soda at all. I also run 3 miles 3 times a week, cycle 50 miles once a week. Life isn't fair apparently.

Re: WTF?
 

My husband eats healthily...doesn't smoke or drink alcohol...isn't overweight but his chol level was high. He's been on Lipitor for several years and his chol is now below 150.

I'm one of those lucky people whose doesn't take chol meds...my chol levels are below 150...my good chol is higher than my bad chol. :thumbsup:

Re: WTF?
 

Re: WTF?
 

Bummer, I know what you're going through. The key to the exercise programme should incorporate a good cardiovascular routine that gets your heart up to about 60 - 80% of it's max rate. The walking will need to be fairly brisk c. 15min per mile and you might want to think about some light jogging in the workout e.g. walk for 3 mins run for 30 secs. Cycling is another great exercise when all the walking/running starts to bore.

Foodwise, I find oatmeal makes a great start to the day with the fruit but I steer clear of the eggs. I also eat a lot of fish and chicken and any red meat - which is not that often, needs to be lean.

Re: WTF?
 

You'll have to get your daughter in on the plan after what she made you for fathers day!

Re: WTF?
 

I know! That had been in the works for a while (unbeknownst to me of course) and the Dr's report nearly threw a wrench in it. A conference was called and it was decided that instead of the whole thing being for my consumption only, it would be turned into a family meal and I was allowed one peice.

For those of you not my FB friends, this is what my daughter made for me as a Father's Day surprise dinner:

2lbs ground beef, 1lb bacon, 1/2 lb pepperjack cheese on a whole loaf of round sourdough..

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6274606_n.jpg

Re: WTF?
 

... and no more bacon - proper or other.
... sounds like time for a bit of meditation?? Purge that stress; think of your Happy Place, Hummmmmmm! Stress is a huge factor.

Re: WTF?
 

My dad was one of 7 children.....and every single one of them died of a heart-disease related cause. My dad died a fortnight after his 61st birthday of a massive heart attack, and one of his brothers had a heart attack in his sleep and died at the age of 51 :ohmy:

Although I'm not overweight (US size 6) I had a bit of a shock about five years ago when I had a full medical exam. My good and bad cholestorol levels were high (they printed out the bad levels in red ink!). The doctor said that it was probably because of the genetic link.

Now I must admit that I'm not overly keen on exercise; I can't bear to run. I've done aqua aerobics but I'm bored silly with yoga and got bored with aerobics, running machine/rowing machine/cycling machine. I can barely cycle up a slope lol! Currently I try to walk approx 5 miles a day, at least five or six times a week.

However....I started to eat and drink things which are considered 'heart-healthy'. Oatmeal is one of the best things to bring cholestorol down - there are loads of breakfast cereals containing oats but porridge is the best. Try to have food containing Omega 3 & 6; many eggs are now fortified with those, including the cage-free ones. Dip crusty fresh bread in extra-virgin olive oil. Instead of using mayo on sandwiches, I use 'Olivio' spread (no trans fats/cholestorol). You could also use 'Smart Balance' spread and mayo.

Use less salt too; I use the "Salt Sense" with 33% less sodium.

Use no-fat or 1% milk and dairy products (although I do love cheese.....)

Eat oily fish at least 3 times a week! Avocados are good too.

Nuts are also very good, especially Walnuts which contain lots of Omega 3, and almonds.

Dark chocolate is also v. good for the heart; at least 70%. I buy Green & Black's or Lindt (they also have 85% and 90% dark choc but it's a little too strong for my taste).

Best of all......I printed off this article last year and have kept it...it's called "Wine CAN be good for you....so are you drinking the right stuff?" and I started to drink red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile or Argentina. I was able to get the Madiran wine from France recently, but the local wine shop has stopped ordering it in:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...ght-stuff.html

So.....most evenings I'll have a glass of Cabernet and will often munch on some walnuts or some dark chocolate at the same time.

And guess what? After a couple of months of eating the above food items...my bad cholestorol dropped down to the normal range! :thumbsup:

Give it a try! Good luck! :fingerscrossed:

Re: WTF?
 

I love dipping bread in olive oil, but olive oil was on the bad list the doc gave me. So was alcohol, but I have heard the same as you about red wine. I don't use mayo, but I am a big fan of mustard. I wonder if mustard is good or bad?

Re: WTF?
 

Better than olive oil - fry up some bacon (maybe a pound or two) and then fry the bread in it. Mnnnggggghhmmmmmmm. Do it for me - I can't eat bread as I'm gluten intolerant.

I hope the new diet takes. At least you'll get to try out new foods - like all those tasty salad dressings at the store.

I honestly don't like the excessive prescribing of things like Lipitor in this country. I genuinely don't know very many people who aren't on it. Which clearly means that culturally something is up and people should address the cause and not just paper over the symptoms at the end.

In all seriousness last year I had a massive epiphany. After finding out I was gluten-intolerant I altered my diet. I was never fat in any manner but I dropped 35 pounds. Then I figured out other ways to eat shit. Put it all back on. Then I was watching one of those ridiculous conference chats they have on CSPAN and, of all people, Bill Maher was talking with a bunch of others about health in the US. Two of the people, including Maher, very passionately and articulately argued that a great deal of problems people have health wise are purely based on the shit we all shovel into our bodies. High fructose corn syrup is evil, but we all also forget that the quality of stuff (and all the weird shit it's soaked in) are really bad for us. Which is why heart disease, liver disease and cancers are vastly more prevalent in the US than in any other country. To combat this everyone then takes umpteen medicines at rates and for lengths that they were never intended, without really altering their diet and behavior, and then as a culture we can't figure out the massive rise in liver problems and other issues caused by the massive increase in drugs we all take.

This stuck with me for awhile. Then one day I just got it and changed. I realized that a lot of my health issues - even mood based ones - are greatly affected by what goes in. So I changed. I pretty much grow most of my veggies. I buy arse loads of apples and bananas and eat those when hungry. Salad - with a little finagling - is much more satisfying than a Snickers. I barely drink shit like soda - maybe a Boynan's one (cane sugar based) every once in awhile. I don't eat anything with wheat flours in it. No pizza, KFC, burgers, sandwiches, donuts - nothing like that. I don't eat fast food - don't even crave it. Rice, potatoes and beans are tasty and very versatile. I don;t eat loads of meat, but if I wanted to I suppose I could. I drink water and coffee (my only vice - and I'm trying to change that). I'm not a food snob. And I'm never hungry.

And I feel much much better physically. I look like a frikking marine dude - and I didn't even have to do much working out to look good. I feel awake now. I even feel happier.

But that might be the new pills....

Re: WTF?
 

High Fructose Corn Syrup has been shown to suppress the bodies ability to tell the brain you are "Full", so people keep on eating.

Ever notice when you first moved here how EVERYTHING is laden with the stuff ??

Re: WTF?
 

:lol::lol:


Oh ABY, I'm sorry you've had a reality smack. Time to rethink some of those lunches.. you can do it, buddy, I know you can!

PS: cooked oatmeal for breakfast, that's a good start. It's not bad once you get used to it!

Re: WTF?
 

My numbers were similar to yours ABY. I've got more serious with the exercise, now doing cardio for at least 1 hour a week sometimes 2 and strength training for at least one hour also, cut out the butter, bacon and cheese, increased the Olive Oil, fruits, veg and water (red wine too was advised but I don't drink) No more soda, Oatmeal for breakfast with raw brown sugar or pure maple syrup on, no crappy HFCS, which works wonders cause I'm not hungry after eating that until past lunch time.
I do still eat all the forbidden foods, but in small quantities and only once in a great while.
No weight lost on the scale, but my clothes are loose now.
Good luck it's quite the life change.
Oh the doc tried me on a drug, Lipitor or something, totally messed up my liver and it's taken 2.5 years to get my Liver enzymes back to normal finally. No more drugs for me.

Re: WTF?
 

I can vouch for that. I couldn't eat the dreadful stuff a few months ago...after sticking with it I now have high fibre oatmeal every day...with 2 heaped desert spoons of flax seed and 1 of cinnamon.

Re: WTF?
 

I was looking at the label of Rice Crispies once, I think they always tasted unsweetened, basically bland but I was shocked that they had HFC in them too.

Re: WTF?
 

What do you mean by "cooked" oatmeal?:confused: The only oatmeal I know is the flavored "just add hot water" stuff with a good chunk of butter in it and I'm guessing that's not what you mean.:p

Re: WTF?
 

The old fashioned oats that you cook yourself always taste best IMO add a little maple syrup and they actually taste pretty good.

Re: WTF?
 

Mo doesn't go with the instant stuff like most of us...she actually cooks hers.

Re: WTF?
 

Old fashioned Quacker Oats... that was the name I was trying to remember.

Re: WTF?
 

My wife has been very interested in this sort of thing recently. It turns out that conventional thinking on saturated fat = high cholesterol is all based on a flawed study. The guy apparently fudged his results to make it fit with his ideas.

Newer thinking is focusing on lowering carbs such as bread and grain based carbs. The body's reaction to all these carbs is what causes higher levels of cholesterol. It's why people on the Atkins diet surprisingly didn't have higher levels of cholesterol despite all that saturated fat.

There is now a trend in so called Paleo or Primal diets that still include good carbs such as fruit and stuff but dramatically lower grain based carbs such as bread and pasta. The wife recommends a book called "Good calories bad calories" by Gary Taubes, "Paleo solution" by Robb Wolf and "Primal blueprint" by Mark Sisson. These are all science based books not trendy lifestyle diets.

Keep eating the bacon, just not on bacon butties!

Re: WTF?
 

OK, so pretty much the opposite of everything I've just learned.

Re: WTF?
 

I'm a carb junkie...especially anything sweet...doesn't seem to harm my chol levels.

Re: WTF?
 

Eggs are not a problem, yes the yolk does contain a lot of cholesterol, BUT, the body breaks it down to absorb it so it has very little effect on cholesterol levels, oatmeal is good as it does tend to lower the body cholesterol. Saturated fats are the worse for you, so butter is out, meals fried using lard etc.

Re: WTF?
 

I had just found this article which says that: http://www.temimi.org/2011/05/myth-b...olesterol.html but I wasn't sure about the source.

Re: WTF?
 

Genetics has a lot to do with your personal levels of cholesterol.

Yup, that seems to be talking about the same thing.

Re: WTF?
 

Yep I know...that's why my levels are good and hubby has to take meds to reduce is chol levels.

Re: WTF?
 

Have exactly the same thing ....much to the annoyance of those around me:)

WTF? ... remember it does not matter how low your cholesteral is....18 wheelers at 70 mph ..are not picky!

Re: WTF?
 

ew, not myself... don't go gettin' crazy or anything!

Yeah, not that one. Quaker Quick Oats, done in the micro, only takes 2.5 minutes. I prefer brown sugar over the maple syrup. Lately I've been slicing some banana over it & liking it.
Flax seed, bee pollen, pumpkin seeds, coconut.. I love staying over at my GF's because HER BF makes our breakfast and always has a smorgasbord of goodies to put on the oatmeal.

Anyway, it's nature's little roto rooter.. cleans the pipes right out.

Re: WTF?
 

My wife has the instant kind for breakfast every morning. The stuff that comes in little packets. I dunno what flavor though.

How about honey? Is that good for cholestrol? I had some on toast and liked it. There's a beekeeper down the road that sells it.

Re: WTF?
 

MummyInTheFoothills - no worries if you don't drink alcohol. As an alternative you will benefit from drinking purple/red grape juice as it also contains those healthy grape skins. I don't know if you can get it in your area, but I buy a brand called "Nature's Own" which says on the label that it's *not* made from concentrate, just freshly pressed grapes. I don't like buying fruit juice from concentrate, it doesn't seem right! The grape juice tastes a bit like Ribena to me, but you can dilute it down a bit with water. The main thing is that you will get the anti-oxidants which has an anti-inflammatory effect on the heart muscle.

Another great thing to eat is fresh blueberries. I mix those with my breakfast cereal (often oatmeal but at this time of year when it's hot I'm using cold cereal) or mix blueberries with a pot of yoghurt.

Re: WTF?
 

The packaged kind has a lot of added sugar. I also don't care for the texture, but that's personal.

Sure, fresh honey is good stuff. If he's got any bee pollen, try a little bit. It's good! I use it in case it helps with my allergies.

Re: WTF?
 

I have no idea why your doc says that olive oil is on the bad list?! The key is to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or EVOO as Rachael Ray calls it).

Even the Mayo Clinic recommends it as part of adopting the Mediterranean diet for heart health - see page 2 of the link below!:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/med...n-diet/CL00011 (2 pages)

http://machineslikeus.com/news/medit...lthy-plan-life

http://www.alzinfo.org/05/articles/h...ats-good-brain (Good for the brain too!)

Recipes for heart health:http://www.rd.com/health/heart-healt...anean-recipes/

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-rec...ring-olive-oil

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-m...age/index.html

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_me...ranean_recipes

:cool: