Experience with lowering Cholesterol?

[Sunny]

Hi, I have just got some blood tests back and see my cholesterol is high. Does anyone have experience with high cholesterol and successfully lowering it to within a healthy range? I didn't think I ate lots of unhealthy fats but clearly it is coming from somewhere right? Any knowledgeable advice most welcome- thank you

 

[Lou]

I know I say this way too often but first I think you should do is keep a food diary in CronOmeter.

I can say from experience that it can be surprising how much fat we can get into our diets when we are not paying attention.

So first start off with what you are actually getting - and not what you think you are doing.

But it's always a good idea to cut down on oils. Oil-free cooking is not as hard as you might think.
if your fiber intake isn't already maxed out - then work on that area.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils not only will boost your fiber but should lower the cholesterol.

Look for foods that contain sterols and stanols. Its confusing.


Maybe this will help

11 Foods that Lower Cholesterol - Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Health

Certain foods, such as beans, oats and whole grains, fatty fish, and fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol....

www.health.harvard.edu

Plant-Based Diets and Your Cholesterol

A plant-based diet might help bring your cholesterol numbers down, along with your chances of heart disease.

www.webmd.com

 

[Sunny]

I know I say this way too often but first I think you should do is keep a food diary in CronOmeter.

I can say from experience that it can be surprising how much fat we can get into our diets when we are not paying attention.

So first start off with what you are actually getting - and not what you think you are doing.

But it's always a good idea to cut down on oils. Oil-free cooking is not as hard as you might think.
if your fiber intake isn't already maxed out - then work on that area.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils not only will boost your fiber but should lower the cholesterol.

Look for foods that contain sterols and stanols. Its confusing.


Maybe this will help

11 Foods that Lower Cholesterol - Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Health

Certain foods, such as beans, oats and whole grains, fatty fish, and fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol....

www.health.harvard.edu

Plant-Based Diets and Your Cholesterol

A plant-based diet might help bring your cholesterol numbers down, along with your chances of heart disease.

www.webmd.com

Thank you- I didn't realise that fiber can lower cholesterol. Cholesterol It is not something I ever really knew/thought much about before. I normally do use Cronometer but I have lapsed as of late. I will go back to using it properly for awhile...

 

[Lou]

Keep us posted.

 

[David3]

Could you list your lipid numbers? LDL, HDL, and triglycerides?

 

[silva]

Thank you- I didn't realise that fiber can lower cholesterol. Cholesterol It is not something I ever really knew/thought much about before. I normally do use Cronometer but I have lapsed as of late. I will go back to using it properly for awhile...

How Fiber Lowers Cholesterol | NutritionFacts.org

Fiber bulks, speeds, and dilutes the intestinal waste stream to facilitate the removal of excess cholesterol from the body.

nutritionfacts.org

Check out How Not to Die, and How Not to Diet for far more than you thought you wanted to know!

 

[Sunny]

Could you list your lipid numbers? LDL, HDL, and triglycerides?

 

[David3]

For those who live in the U.S., here a calculator to convert mmol/L to mg/dL: Cholesterol Conversion Calculator

 

[Lou]

For those who live in the U.S., here a calculator to convert mmol/L to mg/dL: Cholesterol Conversion Calculator

OH. Thank you. I could not figure that stuff out.

 

[David3]

OH. Thank you. I could not figure that stuff out.

.
I'm neurotically-compelled to provide math conversions. It's a problem.

 

[Lou]

.
I'm neurotically-compelled to provide math conversions. It's a problem.

Now, I'm too lazy to use your conversion calculator. Did you try it? How bad is she?

 

[silva]

Now, I'm too lazy to use your conversion calculator. Did you try it? How bad is she?

The calculator does it for you:
Total cholesterol: 5.9 mmol/L = 228.15 mg/dL
Their values seem close to my last test

Years back, when I ate mostly whole foods, I had lowered mine to 160, with low ldl too. I've got to get myself back on track before I HAVE to!

 

[Lou]

View attachment 28817

How is your blood pressure?

 

[Sunny]

How is your blood pressure?

Borderline BP says the GP so not truly high but "pre" elevated. She did something called the Q risk and found me to be low so I am guessing I am not in serious trouble just yet but will need to work it. I'm back to Cronometer and keeping a close eye on things.

 

[Lou]

I don't have issues with high blood pressure or cholesterol. But like everyone I know does. So I get "lessons" when we go out and stuff.

On one hand, these things are what they call indicators of risk. not bad all by themselves but something to keep an eye on. Also I've gleaned that the absolute number needs to be evaluated in context. Genetics play a big part. So the thing to be concerned with is trends. Trending upwards is a warning. However even that may not be a big concern. I think people tend to trend upwards with age. Although maybe just getting older is maybe not a good reason to ignore it.

Except for medication, anything you do to keep your numbers low, is a good idea anyway - health wise. So even if its not really a concern, it's not like those things are not worth doing anyway.

What is that old joke? Headline from 2050: Breaking news! Diet and exercise good for health. Oh but lets not forget sleep and stress.

How you doing with CronOmeter? I've just started using it again.

 

[beforewisdom]

Hi, I have just got some blood tests back and see my cholesterol is high. Does anyone have experience with high cholesterol and successfully lowering it to within a healthy range? I didn't think I ate lots of unhealthy fats but clearly it is coming from somewhere right? Any knowledgeable advice most welcome- thank you

I never had a cholesterol problem. I went vegetarian at 14, then vegan in my late 20s.

My understanding is that some people due to their genetics will have high cholesterol no matter what they do.

There are saturated and bad fats in vegan diets that will drive cholesterol up, so will eating a lot of refined carbohydrates/sugars.

If you are not, try to make your diet healthy, not just vegan.

Whole food, plant based. Whole grains and GBOMBS: Greens, Beans, Onions ( garlic, shallots etc too ), Mushrooms, Berries, Seeds ( and nuts ). Avoid using oils where you can.

If all of that doesn't work by your next checkup get Caldwell Esselstyn's book "Preventing And Reversing Heart Disease". It is a no oil, very low fat diet that has been proven to work.

Good Luck

 

[Sunny]

Thank you all for your advice. I do eat a reasonably healthy diet (hardly any processed foods) but could def. do better with the wholegrains and greens. Thinking about it the past couple days, I realise that I have been choosing more quick/easy options this past year or so.

 

[bEt]

HDL vs. LDL cholesterol

The body needs cholesterol, but too much bad cholesterol can be harmful and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. In this article, learn about the difference between HDL and LDL — “good” and “bad” — cholesterol, as well as how they are measured. What steps can you take to lower...

www.medicalnewstoday.com

This site says that the 'optimal' total:hdl is 3.5, and that anything 5 or under is 'desirable'. So my guess would be that @Sunny's 4 is probably actually pretty good . . .