Me: high LDL cholesterol, DH: High blood sugar. What should we both eat?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are the kind of people who have outrun the fork for all our lives but may not be as healthy as we look.

As for me, I have high LDL cholesterol, though it is likely hereditary since my father had it and he was never overweight and his diet was fairly decent. My triglycerides are low, a1c and glucose are normal, everything else normal. DH has borderline high cholesterol, but his a1c blood sugar has been most heading in the wrong direction and is now borderline prediabetic at 5.7 (mine is 5.0 for comparison).

We are both thin and athletic (me, 5'5 120lb, him, 5'9 145 lb), very active, and eat voraciously. I'm definitely more health conscious than he is, though I always thought I had a sweet tooth (love chocolate and desserts and things), and I'm not that into cheese/cream/fatty meats or the things that normally associate with high cholesterol. DH just eats a lot, period, and the culprit with him is he loves nasty sugary sodas.

So if I'm the cook, and I love cooking, what would be the best kind of diet for the both of us? Neither of us are particularly interested in being vegetarian or vegan. He doesn't tolerate most dairy. I'm hesitant to give up meat, he likes some fish but not others, and we already don't drink that much alcohol. What would you suggest given our blood work results but also the fact that we are very active, and don't have any weight to lose. We're in our mid 40s if that matters.

[Anonymous]

Ask a nutritionist?

[Anonymous]

I have both OP, so following.

[Anonymous]

Lots of seafood. No red meat. Leave the sugary sweets alone. When you want something sweet, grab a fruit.

[Anonymous]

Eat more: oatmeal, beans, lentils, whole grains vegetables, fish, fruit

Eat less: red meat, processed meats, processed snack foods, candy, soda, cream (are you putting half and half in coffee and drinking several cups per day?)

I think you can mainly eat the same things as DH if following the guidelines above, but with him having smaller servings of the grains

[Anonymous]

What does “very active” even mean? It’s entirely possible to be skinny fat. The standard way to see if you can resolve this on your own is to stop eating and drinking things from boxes and cans. Lean meats, fruits, vegetable and water. Real Cardio and strength training. Not farting around hiking and lifting weights without intention.

Do that for six months and see how this all turns around.

[Anonymous]

Honestly- I have both - very high cholesterol and I was right on the cusp of being pre diabetic. I’m 135 and 5’5” plus very athletic - I work out 60 minutes a day with 5 days a week heavy lifting. Nothing worked for me- in my case, it’s genetics. Am on Metformin now and red yeast rice to try to bring down cholesterol.

[Anonymous]

I have high LDL and it has not worried any doctor. How high is yours to get this reaction?

Also there was just a thread on prediabetes and there was enough folks who seemed to think high A1c was normal for active people.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1258323.page

[Anonymous]

Eat in abundance: High fiber plant foods. Lentils, beans, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, dark leafy greens, etc. Up the vegetables (yes, even the high carb ones) that provide roughage.

Cut: alcohol, things with white flour, added sugar, etc.

[Anonymous]

Going near vegan is probably the only thing that will help you, if you already eat healthy. That’s what worked for me. Chicken is not much better than red meat for cholesterol.

It also depends what your number is and how it relates to your hdl. You can also check your lp(a) to see if you have a genetic predisposition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of seafood. No red meat. Leave the sugary sweets alone. When you want something sweet, grab a fruit.

Never having actual sweets is a recipe for failure. Completely restricting something never ends well. And anyone who thinks fruit is an actual replacement for sweets has an eating disorder or at the very least an unhealthy relationship with food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are the kind of people who have outrun the fork for all our lives but may not be as healthy as we look.

As for me, I have high LDL cholesterol, though it is likely hereditary since my father had it and he was never overweight and his diet was fairly decent. My triglycerides are low, a1c and glucose are normal, everything else normal. DH has borderline high cholesterol, but his a1c blood sugar has been most heading in the wrong direction and is now borderline prediabetic at 5.7 (mine is 5.0 for comparison).
We're in our mid 40s if that matters.

Cut out the carbs. No more sweets, sugar, sodas, pasta, bread, corn, potatoes, etc.

Eat meat, dairy, eggs, cheese, and drink water. Milk if you want a sweet drink.

[Anonymous]

Carnivore, tbh.

[Anonymous]

Both of you should reduce (eliminate) sugar/grains/refined carbs to start and see how that helps. He has got to drop the sodas.

[Anonymous]

I have high cholesterol (it is genetic). My parent and sibling are on medication but I am trying to avoid that. I try to eat lots of vegetables, nuts, fish and protein (not red meat) and avoid shellfish if I can. I love eggs and cheese though.

I also am close to prediabetic, my parents both have it. I lowered it recently. I try to avoid dessert except as a rare treat and cut down alcohol to about 1-2 times a month which has helped.