Is there a Doctor in the House???

[amethyst]

I had a general blood test MOT.  Apparently all was fine ..... except for my Cholestrol - which was 7.8

I have a routine appointment with the GP to discuss this.

In the meantime - help!!!  I do not fully understand "Cholestrol" - but have looked up Causes, and think that I may need more fruit and veg in my diet (only enjoy a select few).  Hence my enquiry about a Nutribullet Blender, as I feel confident I would drink a nice combination drink.

How quickly can I lower this Level?  (Providing I can lower it of course).

Will I require medication?

Thank you anyone in anticipation,

Amethyst

[bitsnknots]

My cholesterol was as high as yours and my GP put me on statins.  I was originally on one 40mg per day and it has brought my cholesterol right down.  Four months ago, my GP halved the strength of the statins.  I have to go for another blood test in a couple of months time to see how its doing.  I have fresh fruit every day and have done well before I found out how high my cholesterol was.  I also have vegetables at least four times a week.  I've had no side effects from the medication.  

Hope that this helps.

[cookiecookuk]

dark green veg is good to help lower it .cut out as much saturated fat as you can and eat fiber soluble food as well.IE porridge turnips mushrooms and more.its easy to find a list and as books said i am also on statins. but it is also about your good cholesterol as well as your bad cholesterol.

[amethyst]

Gulp!    (Thank you both for experience and advice).

Now off to read up about Statins too!!  ......

Thank you for time periods, general well-being and those vegetables to consider ....

amethyst

[ed_blackadder_1]

My husband had raised cholesterol but chose not to take pils and manage it by diet. I havent put salt in my cooking for years using herbs and spices instead I use rapeseed oil for cooking and we have plenty of fruit and veg. I very very rarely buy ready meals. They are far too salty. We are having a chinese tonight but the last one we had was about a month ago.
He is no saint but managed to get his levels down within about 3 months and fingers crossed hasn't gone back up.
It is not always necessary to take tablets.

[amethyst]

Oh please not tablets! 

Although I do not use or add salt (or sugar) - I am a culprit to ready type foods - (out of package into oven, add potatoes, peas and broccoli)

Redeeming feature:  I have also begun and prefer Rapeseed Oil.  Also use it when making bread.

Thank you,

amethyst

[lhasa.two]

For what it's worth my choleserol was at 6.2 in early May when I was given a diagnoses of Diabetes type 2.

The next day  I started a diet.

Upped the veg intake to at least 4/5 per day - it doesn't all have to be one meal.... Cut out fats - all butter even olive oil - use Rapeseed oil and 'invested' in Benecol. 

Cut out all sweet stuff, avoiding fat meats like bacon, pork. I tend to eat mostly white meat (Chicken turkey) and fish (salmon sardines tuna). I have lost 3.5 stone since May and feel SO much better. I also increased my pulses intake, dropped potaoes but eat sweet potaoes instead as they have more vits.

Had several blood tests last week for various things but the Cholesterol is now

down to 4.7. The HDL is 1, the LDL is 3.2 all within the normal range.

Part of diabetes is an increase in blood pressure so my Dr recommended statins. I said no, I would continue to diet and lose more weight. I already take a low blood pressure medication along with a betablocker and warfarin for AF, I don't want more meds as I want to try with diet. I would suggest you try a diet frst then have your bloods checked again in say 4 months. I don't know what your other health probs are so maybe my advice isn't the best re the statins but imv if there's a way to avoid any meds by changing the food intake to help then it's worth a shot.

[citygirltraders2011]

Hi

I suffered and still do with high cholesterol if i eat ready meals and animal fats its down to balence and healthy living.

Don't worry about it, just think its giving you options to change your life for the better, all them yummie new tastes.

Every one has different views on the subject and there is loads of advice on line try the NHS website for starters.

Your doctor can refer to a nutritionist or just give you a crib sheet, i am a size 10 (cholesterol does not depend on size) and I lowered my intake of mostly fatty red meat and chips and eat fish and chicken dishes made from scratch and feel a lot better for it

so my advice is...

Fish

Chicken - Mainly boiled and added to the sauces noodles rice when cooked

olive oils instead of sunflower

olive oil based margarine

try to balance at least 80% veg / rice / pasta to 20% meat in a meal ( we normally have more meat than is required in our diets)

Cereals in a morning but avoid high sugar content.

Fruit is good. I mainly put it in my morning cereals.

Wholemeal bread in place of white.

Chocolate - moderation (a bit is a treat every now and again. better quality and small amount)

I make most from scratch and its mostly Italian, Chinese and Malaysian /Thai with some English dishes.

Red meats are OK for me but try lean cuts and if you like sausages and the like there's  trays that helps them drain, i put it down to moderation, lower animal fats and variation.

Your doctor will be well versed as its vary common.

[ed_blackadder_1]

I have heard of a few people who take the statins and carry on eating cr. Sorry rubbish. It is a life style change and I believe there are side effects like with most tablets.
Obviously if he hadn't sorted it he would have had to take them.

[saasher2012]

The aim is to get the cholesterol level below 5, which means as someone has just said knowing your good fats from bad!.
If you eat red meat often make sure it's Lean & cut off excess fat, grill instead of frying, up your intake of poultry making sure no skin as that also holds fat, eat more fish preferably oily fish, use low fat spreads & butter , also eat more fruit& veg, basically anything that is fat laden is bad in quantity, ie, pies ,cakes. , biscuits, sausage rolls , dairy products like cream whole fat milk cheese etc ,Statins are used quite often, but this doesn't mean you take them in place of a healthier diet, unfortunately !. It's quite easy to lower your cholesterol if you you pay attention to the above, you don't have to go without just eat them as a treat not at every meal!. lol.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Porridge porridge porridge. Brilliant for breakfast slow release and filling obviously no salt or sugar.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Somebody up there said the doctor would be well versed in what to do. Hubbies doctor just gave him a script abd that was it no advise nothing. Hubby then gave him back the script and went off and found out what to do for himself.
His level was 8.3 by the way now it is about 3 something.l

[saasher2012]

Well done your hubby! That's a brilliant score!.
Porridge is also a very good tip.especially made with skimmed milk or water& no salt or sugar, add fruit or nuts

[lhasa.two]

Oh, I forgot to mention salt. You get used to not having it after a while, I've not been using it for about 5 years now. 

[bitsnknots]

It's very rarely that we have red meat and we've been having skimmed milk for more years than I can remember.  The thing is that I can't stand porridge.  For breakfast, I have muesli which is sugar free.  I also use some but not a lot of skimmed milk and I always have a handful of blueberries.   

[saasher2012]

Be careful though although it says sugar free usually it isn't,

[saasher2012]

& if it is sugar free can you let me have details cos apart from making my own I can't see any way round it.

[cookiecookuk]

I have to take statins as my HDL is none excistant  when I was first diagnosed as type 2 my cholesterol was about 13.7 and my blood sugars were 23.

also a lot ofpeeps on here including me suggested porridge but with a lot of people who eat alot of cheese it counteracts the good that the porridge does.so eat cheese very sparingly.

[captainbovine]

They gave me statins but the pain in my limbs was awful so I stopped taking them. My score is 5 and they would like it down to 3 but I'm happy to stay as I am. I'm not taking more meds, I'm on enough as it is.

I must get my diet sorted out though, with this job our eating regime is all over the place!

[bitsnknots]

We normally check the ingredients Cookie and according to the list, there's no sugar.  The muesli we get is from A*di.  They do a sugar free one and one with sugar.  I can stand cereals with sugar on.  It doesn't taste right somehow.