Cholesterol

[carolyorkie2010]

I had a blood test yesterday to check my Cholesterol levels, will get the results in a couple of days. I also found out that when I last had it checked, 5 years ago, it was 5.9 The nurse said they prefer it to be under 5 So how do I lower it? Is the fact that I have a sweet tooth anything to do with it? The nurse said as long as I burn off the sweet things that I eat, it's ok, otherwise they just turn to fatty deposits in the body. I cannot tolerate alot of  high-fibre foods due to my Crohns, so have to eat as healthily as I can under the circumstances. Any feedback gratefully received.

[**towery**]

what brand/type  of  butters/margerine  etc?

my parents switched theirs i think when they were cutting down

cant remember what else

try googling , see if there are some Crohns sites that recommend low cholesterol products

[saasher2012]

Low fat consumption is the key! Lean red meat, Chicken without the skin, semi & skimmed milk,low fat dairy products, ie cheese, cheese spreads, low fat butter , Marge, etc. always grill& or poach instead of frying. Many products now cater for a low fat diet you can also get some really tasty recipes for low fat cooking.

[carolyorkie2010]

I usually use Bertolli on my bread; occasionally when I have toast I put Lurpak on it (ooh yummy!) always grill chicken, with the skin off, don't eat much red meat, a pork chop now and then or a fillet steak, grilled. Can't eat wholemeal bread, always have semi-skimmed milk. As I say my downfall is chocolate and biscuits and ice cream sometimes but I am cutting down. My BMI is fine. Usually have salad a few times a week. Fish I cook in the oven.

[ilove2patch]

They advertise Benacol for reducing cholesterol. Have you tried that?

[saasher2012]

Ok! Then have you tried the slimming or diabetic alternatives?

[chickengrandma-2008]

OK, being contraversial here.  I believe that cholesterol has very little (if anything) to do with diet!

It's in the genes!!

Hubby and I both have 'normal' cholesterol levels.  I don't know what they are exactly, we weren't told the numbers, but we are the only two of our group of friends who are not on statins!  Hubby, as you may have noticed from the tea threads, lives on cheese and eggs. When we had goats he drank only their full fat milk.  He has pudding and custard every day, and cakes, and icecream.     I love red meat, and crisps, and  pies and fried fish and chips etc................................  I really do believe it's in the genes.

I'm not saying there's nothing you can do to help lower it if you have it, but I suppose some people will have a harder job than others in controlling it.

[saasher2012]

No you are not being controversial & you are correct it is in your genes, but although it is hard for some it can be lowered!.

[bankhaunter]

Diet does and doesn't play a part, it's not a simple matter, if it was we wouldn't need such so much medication to control it.

Avoid saturated fat especially transfats (hydrogenated vegetable oils) eat a healthy diet, watch your weight and take plenty of exercise.

Keep an eye on the levels but don't become obsessive about it.

[rose2008-2008]

I think Cholestorol can be in the Genes a lot you know too.

[cookiecookuk]

 i would ask when you go what you hdl good cholesterol is as not many people know we have good and bad ,,the higher your good is it helps lower the bad and you can only make the good higher by eating fibre soluable foods such as mushrooms green leafy veg kale broccoli etc and porridge is a good one .also cut down on cheese.

[bankhaunter]

---

@rose2008-2008 wrote:

I think Cholestorol can be in the Genes a lot you know too.

---

That's what I meant about it not being a simple matter, however a suitable diet and other activities will help reduce cholesterol whether or not your genes lead to it being high in the first place.

[millielilac]

My husband has high cholesterol but he has low levels of the good cholesterol and it is now thought that the the low levels of the good cholesterol can balance the high cholesterol.

You do need to have both levels checked out .....

[cookiecookuk]

---

@millielilac wrote:
My husband has high cholesterol but he has low levels of the good cholesterol and it is now thought that the the low levels of the good cholesterol can balance the high cholesterol.

You do need to have both levels checked out .....

---

yes my good cholestral is very low so i have to eat porridge every day as well as other fibre  soluable foods but i hear so many people say my cholestral is high but have no idea that they have good cholestral as well

[myraandjim]

my cholesterol was found to be sky high, which was amazing as I have a very good diet yet my OH eats junk and his test was fine. I went on a very very strict diet for about 6 months - cholesterol leverls remained sky high. Eventually my gp said that it is a genetic liver problem and that I could live on lettuce only and still it would be high. I'm now on 40mg statins daily and still can't get my levels below 7. To begin with I was having blood tests every month, now I don't bother because it is just pointless worrying over something that  I can do nothing about. Wish these tests had been available years ago though as most of my relatives died from heart attacks so they probably had the same problem.

[cookiecookuk]

---

@myraandjim wrote:

my cholesterol was found to be sky high, which was amazing as I have a very good diet yet my OH eats junk and his test was fine. I went on a very very strict diet for about 6 months - cholesterol leverls remained sky high. Eventually my gp said that it is a genetic liver problem and that I could live on lettuce only and still it would be high. I'm now on 40mg statins daily and still can't get my levels below 7. To begin with I was having blood tests every month, now I don't bother because it is just pointless worrying over something that  I can do nothing about. Wish these tests had been available years ago though as most of my relatives died from heart attacks so they probably had the same problem.

---

try increasing your good cholestral it may help you.

we had a friend who lived a very healthy lifestyle healthy food no alchahol no smoking exercice bi=ut he had a massive heart attack but survived his cholestral was 14 and in his genes or herditry.

[wizilizi]

Some foods are beginning to be known to actively affect cholesterol levels downwards

The one I remember reading a paper on is.. .. Earl Grey Tea

There are others but they escape me right now

[wizilizi]

http://heartuk.org.uk/cholesterol-and-diet/six-super-foods-for-lower-cholesterol

[wizilizi]

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-which-lower-cholesterol.php

Good summary here too

XXXX

[myraandjim]

thanks for that info - interesting, but I already eat most of what's on the list, nothing in this world will make me eat olives but as I use a lot of olive oil I don't suppost that matters too much. I have just got to the point that I can't spend the rest of my life worrying about something that I can't do much about. I am careful about what I eat because I happen to like "good" food better than rubbish, I don't drink, excercise moderately and am never sat down for long, and weigh 7 stone on a good day! OH is diabetic so I don't buy anything that is bad for him because he would just eat anything and everything if I let him, I grow my own veg, keep hens for eggs, make my own bread etc. and live on the coast so eat loads of fish - but I did eat 2 squares of milk chocolate today, naughty me!!!