My Doctor Says I Have High Cholesterol!
By CatsandDogs
@CatsandDogs (13963)
United States
March 20, 2008 1:29am CST
He put me on Crestor and it seems to be helping but I'm in need of some help from my friends. I don't know what I should and should not be eating. I'm not good at nutrition and such and need some help. I just never learned this when I was young because I was always so skinny and didn't need to worry about my weight.... well.... that was soooo long ago!! LOL I'm no skinny gal no more!! I'm not over weight in an obese way but I am a bit over weight nontheless but I don't know how to diet either. Not good at all but I really am a dummy when it comes to nutrition.
What does this picture mean, rich choices in cholesterol and poor choices in cholesterol? It could be taken two different ways, such as rich in cholesterol that I shouldn't eat it or rich in a way that I should eat it? I'm so confused!!
Can anyone help me here? Thank you in advance!!
5 people like this
7 responses
@posham (1236)
• Philippines
20 Mar 08
How about taking the oatmeal challenge? just eat a bowl of oatmeal with your favorite fruit once or twice a day and it will absorb some of the bad cholesterol.. But if you're really into it and you want to be healthy, eat a bowl of oatmeal with breakfast.. and then, eat only that with dinner.. and then just try to moderate food intake in between.. when i say moderation, it does not mean that you'll eat only small portion, rather, choose what you eat.. and try to incorporate veggies, fruits, and whole grains in your diet. I'm no expert but i'm pretty sure, that'll work.. lol.. then get tested again..
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Mar 08
In my case it must be mostly heretitary because I don't eat meat or very little of it because I don't like it but I do eat margarine which I've found that's bad and cooking oil needs to change to olive oil so I'm definetely going to change those two things as well as eat more oatmeal. Maybe by doing those three things along with the crestor, I'll get it down pretty good and fast. Thanks so much for your help!
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Mar 08
At least you're trying so give yourself credit where credit is due. And sometimes we need to treat ourselves to the things we love every now and then but not all the time. I feel this way, we may die tomorrow and I prefer to die happy. :)
1 person likes this
@posham (1236)
• Philippines
20 Mar 08
maybe you need to take a little more of good cholesterol like omega-3 found in fish like tuna and salmon.. i think we need a little more of good cholesteol so that they can push bad cholesterol out of the heart.. or maybe burn or use more fat by moving a bit.. that's what i'm trying to do now because we have a history of heart disease as well... they say stress can also be the culprit.. for me, medicine will be the last resort.. since i'm packing up a few pounds myself, i'm trying to change my lifestyle and live as healthily as i can muster.. (i'm not very successful in that deparment yet, but i'm trying because i do love greasy foods like pizza and burgers..)
1 person likes this
@Loen210 (1540)
• United States
25 Mar 08
Hi there,
Hope your cholesteral has been going down. I am no pro on that subject. But I do have a friend who has been telling me about it for the last few months. He's almsot 60, and was just updating me last weekend. Said 3 months ago, Dr. said high cholesteral and planned to prescribe a medication. He refused to take any meds, and so made a bet that in 3 months, he'd be able to get in better shape and lower it.
AND...he's done it! He said that besides the exercise (basketball, cardio machines, weights, etc.), diet is the most important thing.
Said that he went back to his younger day's diet of health! Regular sandwhiches for lunch, instead of 3 serving rich feasts, oatmeal or healthy cereal for breakfast, and cut out all that unhealthy stuff.
Good luck, my friend!
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
25 Mar 08
Hi!! I'm taking Crestor which is helping a great deal and my doctor said it's not due to my eating habits but heritary. I hope he's right. I go back next Monday to be tested again so hopefully it's come down to the safer levels.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Bad Cholesterol is found in animal products, meats and cheeses, eggs. Plant product don't have bad Cholesterol. The picture is showing that meat is high in Cholesterol and that vegetable don't have the bad Cholesterol. So cutting way back on the animal products and increasing the plants (veggie and fruits) should reduce your bad Cholesterol. This web site will give you a lot of good information about nutrition This page talks about Cholesterol. Check out the rest of the web site for good recipes and other nutritional facts.
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=fightdz&dbid=29
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Wow! Thank you so very much for the information! I wonder where I was when everybody esle was learning all this stuff! LOL Well not only that, I'm legally deaf so I'm sure I missed out on a lot of things in life but I'm learning them now as I go along. You know, the funny thing is, I don't like meat all that much and don't eat much if at all. I love fish sticks though but not red meat or chicken but I love turkey so I change to that with no problem, lol. I'm going to check your web page out now. Bless you!
1 person likes this
@Rhoadan (42)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Cholesterol is found in animal products, period, both good and bad. You won't find cholesterol in plant products at all.
Now, even if you cut all cholesterol out of your diet, your body will make it because you need it for fat transport, but the overall level can be strongly affected by diet, and genetics. It's the genetic factor you have to watch out for. Diet can always be controlled, although it's harder for some folks than others. It's hard for me, for example.
1 person likes this
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
21 Mar 08
I also take Crestor, it is fabulous medicine for treating cholesterol. I am not good at deciding what is right and what is not right to eat, and have always eat what I wanted, but like you I am at that point in life where I need help. Eating food that are not fried, like boiled or broiled chicken, a lot of fish, vegetables, we want to unclog the arteries. I try but I am not good at keep on schedule or following a certain meal planner. But I do know that even though I screw up my cholesterol is great is what the doctor told me using the crestor, so you on good medicine.
1 person likes this
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
22 Mar 08
Been on it about a year, my daughter said she didn't understand how my chol. could be perfect when checked at the doctor, I eat any thing most what I want which is not good but the medicine take care of it. Will have to take it till I decide that I will eat right and that could be a long time, guess we get used to eating what and when we want and it hard to change. I also have heart disease and high blood pressure and diabetes and all the pills some times I just say screw it not taking any today, it gets to be too much sometimes. i understand if you eat right and excersize you wouldn't need the medicine, sometimes I think it too late for change. I am 60 years old and i do know i need to do better but like i said it is hard. So thankful for the medicine it keeps me straight when i don't have the strength to deal with one more problem
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
21 Mar 08
Thank you so much for the reassurance. I need that!! How long have you been on crestor? Do you have to take it for the rest of your life? Or is it a temporary thing? I'm not good at a schedule either so I'm doing the best that I can. Even pill taking on time is hard for me but I do my best. Thanks again!!
@tessah (6617)
• United States
20 Mar 08
you can still be thin and have high cholesterol,or heavy and have decent lvls. doc told me i had high cholesterol.. 235 to be exact. ya know alla those commercials about cheerios and oatmeal? very true! i got mine down to 188 in 3 months time just by simply eating cheerios for breakfast and changing my bread to oatmeal. there may be other factors which are causing your lvls to be high other than your eating habits, but it couldnt hurt to try it. far as "good" eating? nutritionally speaking, everyone knows whats healthy and what isnt for the most part. fruits and veggies, lean meats, low fat dairy, and whole grains. skip the sugary sodium laden high fat high cholestrerol packaged processed convenient junk foods.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I'm not much of a meat eater if at all because I don't like it but I have been eating margarine so I'm switching it to butter and cooking oil is going to change to olive oil and I'm going to change my breakfast to oatmeal and you say cheerios works too? I'll add that to my diet then! Thanks so much for the information! Bless you!
@tessah (6617)
• United States
20 Mar 08
butter has more cholesterol in it than margarine, but i personally think its more healthy. just use less of it, and get the unsalted if you have a problem with yer blood pressure as well. try to limit yer intake of eggs to a couple a week, and yes, as much oatmeal as is reasonable. if all you eat is oatmeal youll end up with other problems lol. lots of fresh veggies, salads etc. and youll get yer numbers down in no time! (honeynut cheerios were my choice, they arent as bland as the plain ones and honey has got all sorts of good for you stuff in it too )
1 person likes this
@4you4me4us (53)
• United States
21 Mar 08
Yeah ppl say eat lots of oatmeal... That's what I heard helps.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
21 Mar 08
That's what a lot of responders are saying. I'm going to start that tomorrow morning. Thanks!!
@filmbuff (2909)
• United States
20 Mar 08
I've always had a low cholesteroal level. You can really affect it some simple lifestyle changes.
Diet: Try to avoid high fat foots. Eat things like oatmeal that will help lower your cholesteral levels.
I would also suggest buying and taking Omega-3 fatty acids supplement pills. Take 1000mg pill twice a day, with a meal that contains fat. It has been proven to lower cholesterol because it binds with the fat you just ate to create the good cholesterol, instead of the bad. Make sure it is in distilled form, and/or you could eat more fish to get it that way.
Excerice: Exercise especially aerobic will lower your cholesterol levels.
Hope that helps.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
20 Mar 08
Thanks! You bet it helps!! I'm writting all this down to make sure I have it and hopefully I can learn to memorize it all. Thanks so much!!
