Well, I got the news of my first cholesterol screening back yesterday and the results weren't good. The bads are 40-50 points higher than where the docs like to see them.
Not really a surprise, since my Dad battled it as well. :-\
I've been taking fish oil for a few years now, and have watched what I eat to a fair degree for years as well. Or so I thought. Other than the meds that are out there and eating oatmeal for every meal, what are some other natural means of getting the numbers down?
They claim exercise.
We all have to have 'something' wrong with us.
It's the only way doctors can stay in business.
Oh, there's plenty wrong with me. ;D
It's just that this particular thing can kill a person...
Pecans
http://www.ilovepecans.org/pr5.html (http://www.ilovepecans.org/pr5.html)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10719404 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10719404)
http://cholesterol.about.com/od/cholesterolloweringfoods/a/pecans.htm (http://cholesterol.about.com/od/cholesterolloweringfoods/a/pecans.htm)
Also 1 to 2 avacados a week.
Both (nuts and avacados) increase HDL levels which helps get rid of LDL.
What has been said above. Plus, the Cheerios commercials aren't far off...pretty much any whole grain cereal will do. I have gone to doing 2 bowls of Honey Nut Cheerios a day and in 3 months, I mostly repaired my high cholesterol. Still have a little ways to go but...
And excercise really helps too. I prefer mountain biking or brisk hikes. Tried running again and found I get too bored too quick and that fatigues me more than anything.
If you have to eat oatmeal, this is the only way to do it.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe/index.html (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe/index.html)
I hate oatmeal. It's like eating chainsaw dust! and 30 minutes later you're hungry. But the steel cut oats are good to eat and tasty.
Quote from: The Architect on January 07, 2010, 04:17:05 AM
If you have to eat oatmeal, this is the only way to do it.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe/index.html (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe/index.html)
I hate oatmeal. It's like eating chainsaw dust! and 30 minutes later you're hungry. But the steel cut oats are good to eat and tasty.
You just hate bad oatmeal. This steel cut stuff is great! Of course, bacon makes it better [evil]
http://www.mccanns.ie/ (http://www.mccanns.ie/)
me too.
My doctor recommend these diet changes
increase- lean protein, complex carbs, fiber
decrease- fats, simple carbs, and if its white dont eat it
there isnt one change you going to make that is going to have a substantial, long-term affect.
Its going to be lots of things (diet, exercise, supplements/meds)
there is also a genetic factor as well
i also now take a multi-vitamin, omega3, niacin, oh and simvastatin :P
go the med route.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on January 07, 2010, 08:10:14 AM
go the med route.
Why does that seem like it's always your first suggestion?
Exercise is so much better for you, as is a proper diet.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on January 07, 2010, 08:10:14 AM
go the med route.
Yeah, that's so much better than a healthy diet.
my dad is a cardiologist, prob know a bit more than most
excercise, diet and meds is the right way to go
My cholesterol is ridiculously high.
And it used to be even higher.
I took meds for it for a while in Korea (doc's there give out prescriptions like candy) and they helped, but damn I hate pills... :P
My total count was just over 300, my HDL was a bit higher than it should be too so they said
due to that I wasn't at much risk, at freaking 32 years old though.
The Doc said we could probably manage it with just diet and exercise and if that didn't work
we would try the meds. I changed my diet and dropped 60lbs and dropped my total count
to where it should be. I've kept it off too, now at 38, I'm 168lbs and no more constant hearburn
and huffing and puffing up stairs. It's all for the best. I out hike my 25 year old friends when
we backpack. Oh I quite smoking too. But I ain't giving up the booze ;D
I'm 40, and my total was like 238. Trigs were 247. Or maybe I have those numbers reversed....
No way in hell I'm giving up my beer. ;)
Quote from: cyrus buelton on January 07, 2010, 08:29:39 AM
my dad is a cardiologist, prob know a bit more than most
excercise, diet and meds is the right way to go
I'm certain he does. [thumbsup]
Quote from: ducpainter on January 07, 2010, 04:16:18 PM
I'm certain he does. [thumbsup]
I do too as I have had extensive conversations with him and even shadowed him a summer.
It really all depends on family history and your numbers, then your doc will determine the proper correction.
Mmmmm, oatmeal. ;D [thumbsup]
Unless you have a specific (and rare) genetic disorder, it is very possible to reverse high cholesterol and other symptoms of cardiovascular disease by diet and exercise. It just depends on how dedicated you are. As Jeff said, there won't be one simple single change that you can make.
For some reason most doctors seem to prefer to prescribe pills with varying side effects...somehow this is considered less extreme treatment than a lifestyle change. [roll]
Quote from: somegirl on January 07, 2010, 05:31:45 PM
Mmmmm, oatmeal. ;D [thumbsup]
Unless you have a specific (and rare) genetic disorder, it is very possible to reverse high cholesterol and other symptoms of cardiovascular disease by diet and exercise. It just depends on how dedicated you are. As Jeff said, there won't be one simple single change that you can make.
For some reason most doctors seem to prefer to prescribe pills with varying side effects...somehow this is considered less extreme treatment than a lifestyle change. [roll]
Not very accurate at all, but I wont argue.
i.e. my wife has a heart condition which isnt rare and can't be corrected by diet or excersise.
I am done here.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on January 07, 2010, 05:43:28 PM
Not very accurate at all, but I wont argue.
Note I said
very possible, not
always possible.
Here are a couple of publications of interest from peer-reviewed journals. I'm happy to post more published references if anyone is interested.
Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease. (http://www.pmri.org/publications/1761.pdf) Ornish D, Scherwitz LW, Billings JH, Brown SE, Gould KL, Merritt TA, Sparler S, Armstrong WT, Ports TA, Kirkeeide RL, Hogeboom C, Brand RJ. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998 Dec 16;280(23):2001-7. Erratum in: JAMA 1999 Apr 21;281(15):1380.
Improvement in medical risk factors and quality of life in women and men with coronary artery disease in the Multicenter Lifestyle Demonstration Project. (http://www.pmri.org/publications/1953.pdf) Koertge J, Weidner G, Elliott-Eller M, Scherwitz L, Merritt-Worden TA, Marlin R, Lipsenthal L, Guarneri M, Finkel R, Saunders Jr DE, McCormac P, Scheer JM, Collins RE, Ornish D. American Journal of Cardiology 2003 Jun 1;91(11):1316-22.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on January 07, 2010, 05:43:28 PM
Not very accurate at all, but I wont argue.
i.e. my wife has a heart condition which isnt rare and can't be corrected by diet or excersise.
I am done here.
Most cancers aren't treated by diet and exercise either, but that's not what is being discussed. We are talking about other well recognized and effective methods of controlling or lowering cholesterol levels by means other than prescription meds.
and then again plenty of people live with 220+ and high 300's trigs just fine. I'm no doctor but stress precipitates things so I'd add something like more MOTO TIME.
Maybe this lifestyle change is more appealing? ;)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/07/sex.health.benefits/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/07/sex.health.benefits/index.html)
Quote from: Dan on January 07, 2010, 06:25:19 PM
Most cancers aren't treated by diet and exercise either, but that's not what is being discussed. We are talking about other well recognized and effective methods of controlling or lowering cholesterol levels by means other than prescription meds.
I am aware, but a lot of times that just isn't enough
For the longest time my blood pressure was borderline...
not quite high enough for meds.
The docs fixed that.
They changed the freaking numbers. [roll]
I'm not playing the cholesterol game.
I have to die from something.
Nobody's mentioned niacin supplements- maybe that's more a local thing, but a lot of friends take it. Increases HDL apparently, which improves your ratio.
Quote from: iDuc on January 08, 2010, 06:13:05 AM
Nobody's mentioned niacin supplements- maybe that's more a local thing, but a lot of friends take it. Increases HDL apparently, which improves your ratio.
I'll have to ask my Dad about that one.
I think Folic Acid helps too, but maybe that is for blood pressure.
Who knows
Fish Oil is the obvious first choice as I believe it is medically proven to work.
I give it to my Doberman as a treat. She gets about 4-6 a day. She has the shiniest coat because of it. Helps keep her skin moist.
i mentioned niacin.
first time i took it (along with a bunch of other pills for the first time), my entire body broke out in a rash, my face turned BRIGHT red, and i was burning and itchy and felt sick.
i thought, oh shit this is a really bad allergic reaction to one of those
rushed to the urgent care where the doc on duty took one look at me and gave me a benadril shot
then my doc heard i was there and said it was a normal reaction to niacin in some people.
[roll] thanks for making me sleepy all day :P
(im fine with a half niacin pill)
i've pmed a couple people about my situation but i might as well post it.
i found out last month my cholesterol is 330, with bp (no, not that one, the hypertension kind) of 170/100 thrown in for good measure.
a couple vitamins and some oatmeal aint gonna cut it.
i had no symptoms, very rarely even get a cold, and hadnt been to the dr in years.
i am also making lifestyle changes as mentioned above...but those numbers are nowhere close to borderline and this needs meds to get it handled immediately
we're all going to die from something...but i was going to die from THAT, and sooner rather than later.
(im a ripe old 41 btw)
worse part (besides being freaked the hell out im gonna keel over and have a heart attack now)
i have been advised to eliminate my favorite cocktail from my diet
bacon infused bourbon
brown sugar simple syrup
dash bitters
twisted bacon swizzle
omfg that thing is good 8)
Quote from: cyrus buelton on January 08, 2010, 07:22:52 AM
Fish Oil is the obvious first choice as I believe it is medically proven to work.
I give it to my Doberman as a treat. She gets about 4-6 a day. She has the shiniest coat because of it. Helps keep her skin moist.
Yeah, my coat is pretty shiny too. Where it isn't thin, that is. :)
I'm stocking up on oatmeal and more fish pills tomorrow. Then it's time for more exercise in the frozen tundra.
Of course, the fact that I had the screen the day before New Year probably didn't help. The plethora of sporadic holiday goodness from Thanksgiving thru the weekend before the test had to have some effect.....
My cholesterol numbers were way off the charts in October. BP was high as well. I eat oatmeal every day for b-fast before (and still), eat a healthy lunch but don't eat so healthy for dinner (also drink and smoke). 30 days of 45 minutes of cardio, meds and slight diet adjustments I had lost 10 pounds and my BP was normal and cholesterol numbers were on the high side of normal.
I'm going to keep at the exercise and meds (trilipix) for 3 more months. If things are good, I'm off the meds. Still need to loose 20-30 pounds.
Trilipix is pretty good. No real side effects except for tremendous quantities of gas......