Problems with High Cholesterol Does Anyone Have Any Ideas?
#115195 - 10/23/04 09:33 AM
|
|
|
|
|
tribarkin
Reged: 03/30/04
Posts: 8
Loc: Holden, MA
|
|
|
Hi Everyone:
I've been on the IBS Diet since this past March, and for the most part am doing well. I've dropped 28 pounds and I am pretty good about following the guidelines for eating. What has me perplexed is that my recent bloodwork shows high Cholesterol levels and I'm not eating any red meat, any dairy products. My typical day would be 1 cup of Cheerios, 1/2 cup of lite or regular Vanilla Soy Milk & 1/2 banana for breakfast with 1 cup of herb tea. Lunch is 2 slices of lite Pepperage Farm white bread, a skim of lite Helmann's Mayo, 2-3 oz chicken breast, 10 baked Lay's chips or Schnieder's pretzels, a banana and herb tea. Dinner, either turkey burger or chicken breast, steamed grean beans, baby carrots or asparagus, potato or rice and apple crisp for desert. I usually have a glass of soy milk before bed, but for the most part this is what I've been eating. For a while my blood sugar was high, so I stopped baking the delicious breads from Heather's cookbook, and have reduced the sugar in my diet as well. For the moment my blood sugar is back to normal, but the cholesterol is still high and I'm at a loss for what else to do. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jody Champlin
Holden, MA
--------------------
Jody Champlin
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I don't know what to tell you- I had borderline high cholesterol before starting the diet, but really had already cut out most dairy adn all red meat.. so there isn't much more I can do.. they said if it got worse we'd look into meds, etc to treat it..
--------------------
Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Jody. Your diet sounds perfect, but maybe it just takes a bit longer to get cholesterol down. It doesn't sound like you're getting much fat, though. Good fats (olive oil, peanuts, avocado, hard cheeses like cheddar), in modest amounts, bring down bad cholesterol and up the good kind. Garlic is also good for cholesterol; you can get it in pill form. Make sure you get enough calcium, too. Good luck to you!
Steph 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
working out also helps with cholesterol -- and so can getting some kinds of fiber -- like oats. It may be one of those factors - or just take some more time -- or you may have the kind of cholesterol that is inherited rather than dietary. If diet and working out don't do enough -- you may need to go on medication to regulate it. 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
It's Genetic
#115244 - 10/23/04 03:29 PM
|
|
|
|
Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
|
|
|
Hi Jody,
I have been struggling with high cholesterol as well, although my problem is actually my triglycerides. I researched this 'till I was blue in the face. Bottom line is: it's all in your genes. You can exercise 'till the cows come home, diet like mad, and still have high cholesterol (BUT your numbers will be better).
Your diet is great -- congratulations! But you don't mention exercise. My doc keeps drilling in my head the importance of exercise. It has helped me bring my numbers down to the point where I don't need medication -- YET -- although he's monitoring me every 3 months since I'm "border-line."
Don't forget the exercise! And, BTW, congratulations on the weight loss. That's FABULOUS! No doubt it was instrumental in your doing well "for the most part."
Bevvy
--------------------
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
so true bev.. I get a lot fo exercise, but I don't think about it in terms of that but other body issues- I have arthritis and its what helps me live without meds.. if I skip a few workouts I'm in serious pain!
--------------------
Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Have you spoken to your Doctor about it because I also have high cholesteraul and I've had it since I was eighteen. I was a scrawney nothing teenager and the Dr. laughed in my Mom's face when she demanded I be tested becuase it's in the family.
There is sometimes no way to make it better with diet. My five year old has high cholesteraul and there's nothing I can do about it. My husband's doctor gave him medication. It's in his family too. (guess my kids really lucked ou there) Sometimes medication is unfotunatley the only answer.
Best of luck.
Chany
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Dear Bevvy:
You make an excellant point about exercise, and I am the first to admit that I do not get enough. I work 5 days a week as a Commercial Insurance Account Exec in a very busy and stressful office. Sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day does not give one much exercise, and in January when they take away our paper files, we'll have even less excuse to jump up and down to get some exercise. I do try to get out and walk, whether it be at the mall for a few hours of shopping or taking my dogs for a walk around the neighborhood on the weekends, but, I do need to get out daily for those walks and I am trying to mentally get that into my daily routine. Thanks so much for the reminder, as what my doctor did say was lose more weight and increase my exercise. I do not want to have to add another pill to my daily regime, I'm already taking a heart pill and another for arthritis.
Thanks Again,
Jody Champlin
--------------------
Jody Champlin
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Dear Steph:
You also have made a good point. I have been actively treating my oldest Sheltie, Millie, who has hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia, through medication, specific dietary enzymes, diet, and routine blood work. What I've learned from her problems from my canine natural diet guru, Wendy Volhard is, that sometimes in order to get the fat down in the blood, you have to give fat in the diet. This has worked with Millie, and I'm trying to figure out how I can translate this to myself. I say this because, 2 or 3 years ago, when I was eating red meat and all of the things that the IBS Diet says are not recommended, my cholesterol levels were fine. Sure I needed to get my "good cholesterol" numbers up with exercise, but, my bad cholesterol levels were perfectly acceptable. It has only been since I've radically changed my diet that cholesterol has become such an issue. I have also been suffering terribly with constipation and horrible pain this past few weeks, which is another sign that I may not have enough fat in my diet. I've purchased the old standby that my mother always used when I was a child, the dreaded Prune Juice. I'm not sure if it is helping or hindering things to be honest, as initially it helped get things moving, but the next day, the gas set in and nothing has moved since... I'd love to be able to eat salad again, but, I'm really too afraid to try it yet. At least I could use some good oil as salad dressing to get some fat into my diet. Just eating white chicken/turkey/fish for lunch and dinner doesn't seem to have enough fat to keep my system lubricated enough. I'm seriously considering having my prmary care doctor either give me a referral to a nutritionist, or, ask for a referral to a homeopath. I'd really like for someone to look at me as a whole person and treat the whole person, rather than going from specialist to specialist who doesn't take the whole picture into consideration.
Sincerely,
Jody Champlin
--------------------
Jody Champlin
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Posts
