High Cholesterol, how to handle it with diet
By DonnaLawson
@DonnaLawson (4032)
United States
June 29, 2008 10:35am CST
My husband has very high cholesterol and takes medications for it, but it isn't helping to lower it.. He also has had to have 5 stents put into his stomach to help the circulation to his legs and that isn't working.. He is up for bypass surgery for his legs and he doesn't want to go that route.. So, if any of these problems can be helped with diet, what does he need to eat.. We are having a rough time with figuring out what he can eat and what he needs to stay away from to help lower the cholesterol and not keep loading it into his arteries.. Hope I have explained it right.. Anyway what is a good diet for lowering cholesterol and how do you manage yours, if you have high cholesterol.. Anyone, any ideas??
5 people like this
11 responses
@padmameera (952)
• India
30 Jun 08
Hi
Is he overweight? If so he has to lose some weight, losing weight rises your good cholesterol (HDL). Avoid all fat foods. Use vegetable oils which are unsaturated fats. Eat foods high in fibre. Some types of fibre help to remove cholesterol from body. Oats, beans, peas, fresh fruits, brown rice etc contains high fibre.
Avoid high cholesterol food like meats, liver, egg yolk etc.
2 people like this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
30 Jun 08
Yes, he needs to lose about 20 to 30 lbs.. All of the foods that he likes are the ones that he will need to give up.. I will be adding the ones that you suggested to a list of the foods that can be eaten.. Maybe by the time I get a good list of foods going, then I will know how to change our diets.. Thanks for the advice..
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
3 Jul 08
I do so appreciate all of the tips that you were so kind to give to me.. I will be incorporating more of them into his diet and it may help him to get off some of the mdications.. Thsnks so much..
@padmameera (952)
• India
30 Jun 08
In addition to the above said food herbs like Cayenne(Capsicum)and hawthorn berries help to lower cholesterol. Include apples, bananas, carrots, cold water fish, garlic, grapefruit, olive oil, etc.
Drinking fresh juices especially carrot, celery, beet juices is good for lowering cholesterol. Garlic is powerful to lower cholesterol as well as blood pressure.
Hope this would help you to prepare a diet plan to your husband.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
29 Jun 08
I have heard that fish oil or cod liver oil helps. Also if he is a smoker, quitting will help.
I was recently told I had high cholesterol, and that's what I was told. Hope it helps.
2 people like this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
30 Jun 08
He doesn't smoke anymore, he quit about 10 years ago, and has been taking the fish oil capsules.. He is also trying to watch his diet but most of the things that we are used to eating are the things that are bad for us.. We do need a complete overhaul.. Thanks for the advice..
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
6 Jul 08
Thanks Kats, I do appreciate every little or big tip that I can get so that maybe we can hold off on the surgery.. Thanks again..
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
30 Jun 08
Sorry I was no help. I imagine the idea of changing everything is overwhelming. Just take baby steps. Take away the one thing that he eats that is the worst for him. Replace it with something good. If there is a particular treat he must have, find a low fat version of it or replace it with a low fat substitute.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
30 Jun 08
Have him eat oatmeal and apples. Both have been shown to help reduce cholesterol.
Cholesterol is naturally produced by our livers and some people produce more than others. When we add cholesterol in our diets, that compounds the problem.
Sunshine will help reduce it, too, because our bodies use cholesterol to create Vitamin D from the sun. Even though he has physical problems, being as active as is possible will help.
2 people like this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
30 Jun 08
He is walking as much as possible as the doctors have told him that if he walks a lot, the arteries, or veins around the ones stopped up can possibly do what they called an automatic bypass and open up enough to help his legs and help him not to have to have the surgery.. So he does walk as much as possible but even a little makes his legs hurt too bad.. He also has arterial disease in his legs.. He is also out in the sun a lot.. So, if he tries the oatmeal and apples, then that may help him a bit more.. Thanks so much as we will be trying all of the hint and tips that we get from this post.. Have a great evening and thanks again, Donna
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
29 Jun 08
All Cholesterol comes from all animal products. tomato juice is only one food that can help reduce High Cholesterol. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=btnews&dbid=11#article This site will also tell you what foods to eat to reduce Cholesterol. You can chose a food and it will take you to the food and you can find the nutrients and what that food is good for helping with various health problems. Say you type in Oatmeal It will give you the benefits, how to buy it, how to fix it and how to store it along with the history of it. this is my favorite site for healthy foods.
http://whfoods.org/
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
29 Jun 08
Thanks so much, this sounds like an awesome site.. I have bookmarked it and will read up on more of it as soon as I get the time, which will be soon.. We do both love tomato juice, especially the V-8 juice but there is so much sodium in it that it runs his high blood pressure up even higher.. We will just have to learn how to like the low sodium tomato juice.. Thanks so much for the help, we sure can use it,.. Have a wonderful day, Donna
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
15 Jul 08
thank you so much for best response, it always comes as a surprise to me when I get one.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
20 Jul 08
thank you so much my friend. I am a professional writer with two books published and many articles as well.
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
15 Jul 08
It shouldn't, as you are one of the more experienced writers on Mylot.. Good going anyway and expect more, everyone needs rewarded for the work they put into Mylot..
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 Jul 08
you best bet is to ask his doctor to recommend a dietitian that can plan a diet for him,
he has to stay away from saturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in most oils, and margarine, eggs, red meat,
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 Jul 08
that is the key change a little at a time,
if he likes red meat 7 times a week,
go down to 3
limit eggs to 4 a week,
use pam for frying
or make omeletes with the eggbeaters which has taken out the cholesterol in eggs.
no salt!
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
6 Jul 08
That is his main problem, he is an old time egg, sausage biscuit and gravy eater.. He does love the red meat, and everything else that he is supposed to stay away from.. He is trying to change a bit at a time, but it is hard after eating a certain way for almost 60 years.. Thanks much for the thoughts..
1 person likes this
@caramello (4377)
• Australia
6 Jul 08
I have had high Cholesterol for many years now and tried using the products that say will lower it but with no luck. Finally my Dr. put me on meds. (Crestor) and within 6 weeks having recently had another blood test, it went from 7.0 to 4.9 which is very good. If your husband is being seen by professionals maybe would be better asking them what to do as sounds like he has a few more problems than just myself with the high Cholesterol and the advice would be different. There are also cookbooks out that are mainly for this condition and are not bad in taste so this may help. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
6 Jul 08
He is on medications now to help it but they don't seem to be doing that great, he is taking 6 Welchol 625 mg daily and is starting on Zetia again.. He is going for blood work next week so I hope it will be good news for him.. Thanks and have a great day..
@lovespecialangel (3632)
• United States
6 Jul 08
I don't have high cholesterol but a member of my family does. I've always heard to cut back on the salt intake. I hope you find the answers you are looking for and best of luck!
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
6 Jul 08
Thanks so much and he has cut back a bit on his salt which is supposed to be helping his High blood pressure, it does help a bit.. Thanks again, Donna
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Jul 08
donna get you and your husband to a nutritionist and have her help; you plan a cholesterol lowering diet as she will have all the knowledge of what he should and should not eat. most all
insurances will pay for this and its the best and easiest way to get the help you want as she will plan this for him according to his personal tastes in food.I am a diabetic and I used a nutritionist when I was first diagnosed, and she also does a lot of work with people with high cholesterol problems..I luckily do not have any cholesterol problems myself.
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
6 Jul 08
He goes for blood work next week, I may have them make an appointment with a nutritionalist as he does have very bad eating habits.. He was raised on biscuits, gravy, sausage, fried foods, red meats and all of the other cholesterol causing foods.. He is having a hard time changing his diet.. Thanks so much, I do appreciate your help..
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
30 Jun 08
I have no problem with high cholesterol because I am always careful with the food I eat. But my advice would be eat vegetables and fruits that are free of cholesterol. And taking 1 tablespoonsful of Virgin Coconut Oil 3 times a day will do wonders based on first hand experience of my friend. Wanna try?
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
30 Jun 08
That is good sound advice and will be taken into consideration.. He is changing and trying to eat more vegetables, so I believe this will help.. Thanks so much for the comments and have a wonderful day... Donna
@manjalvaanam (272)
• India
19 Sep 08
Through you explanation i understand that your husband is hestitaing to go for bypass.but that is very bad if his arteries are clogged.many of my relatives and friends have undergone bypass and all of them are healthy till now.bypass is absolutely safe.
regarding diet ,he should avoid all forms of fat completely.no oil,ghee,butter...this is enough to maintain good health..
Daily walking is a must.....
