Reducing cholesterol levels with diet

[Anonymous]

Cholesterol and LDL are elevated. for those who managed to reduce their cholesterol with diet, how did you do it. What did you eat, what did you cut out, etc.

[Anonymous]

Reduce carbs, increase olive oil, wine and fish. Although if you are past menopause it won't work.

[Anonymous]

Reduce carbs, increase olive oil, wine and fish. Although if you are past menopause it won't work.

[Anonymous]

I just had a check up and was able to drop my levels with diet and exercise. The biggest change was cutting out flour, rice and potatoes.

[Anonymous]

I just had a check up too and my cholesterol went from 200 to 160 over the course of a year. No diet change just walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.

[Anonymous]

I was an incredibly fit 19 year old when I had high cholesterol. This was in the late 90s when low-fat diets were in. I thought I was eating right. I then started eating whatever my body told me (read: fat) and my cholesterol dropped.

[Anonymous]

Nuts, too.

[Anonymous]

My parents cut out butter, cheese, and ice cream and avoided medication. They were late 60s at the time they were diagnosed. My mom lost a bunch of weight.

[Anonymous]

Cut out dairy.

[Anonymous]

Read Engine 2 Diet! Incredible #s from a plant based diet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read Engine 2 Diet! Incredible #s from a plant based diet.

Have you done this? We're transitioning to it because DH has a horrible family history, 248 total cholestorol, and his 44 year old brother just had a triple bypass! I think the hardest part is going to be eating out both in restaurants and at friends', especially with the holidays coming up.

[Anonymous]

unfiltered olive oil
beans and lentils
eat fatty fish (not shrimp which are high in cholesterol)
eat whole grains
oatmeal
lots of water

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read Engine 2 Diet! Incredible #s from a plant based diet.

Have you done this? We're transitioning to it because DH has a horrible family history, 248 total cholestorol, and his 44 year old brother just had a triple bypass! I think the hardest part is going to be eating out both in restaurants and at friends', especially with the holidays coming up.

We did it for a month to jumpstart a life change. My brother had a heart attack at age 42. We needed to do something to change. When you readh the book, it makes a lot of sense. One great thing about Engine 2 Diet is you are aware and do what works for you. So if M-F works, great. When you have a special occasion - go eat what you want.
(Note- take note of how you feel after.)

I did not love the recipes in Engine 2 diet - but it really helped us think through what some food options were.

[Anonymous]

Interesting thread. I never had high cholesterol but 2 years ago had mildly high levels of bad cholesterol. My doctor had me completely cut out eggs, red meat, whole milk cheese and such. I never ate that much of those things, but once I cut them out I ended up relying a lot more on carbohydrates -- breakfast cereal and oatmeal for breakfast, turkey sandwiches on wheat bread, spaghetti with marinara. I did get it down a bit, to right under where they consider high -- I feel like high is 200?? Mine got to like 198, it had been 230 or so.

My weight was a little high though still in the normal range -- 5'7 and the weight got up to 158. That was 1.5 years after my last kid was born. In January of this year I started really trying to lose weight and lost about 10 pounds on WW but plateaued. In August I started the South Beach diet and reintroduced eggs, lean red meat (approx once a week), cheese (though I try to keep it to low-fat cheese) and completely cut out the carbs. I'm down to 136 now.

Haven't had the cholesterol re-checked. But when I used to eat this way, pre-kids, I never had high cholesterol. So I'll be very interested to see my numbers at my next appointment. I think a lot of doctors automatically say to cut out eggs and other foods with high cholesterol but I keep hearing anecdotal evidence -- like on this thread -- that simple carbs are actually a bigger problem than an egg at breakfast.

[Anonymous]

I also have a family member in their 40s who had a heart attack. High cholesterol runs in our family. I have it so trying to reduce meats/cheese & high sodium stuff. Not easy but working on it.