So I just found out that I have high cholesterol and low vitamin d levels. I'm waiting to get the actual lab report on them and my tsh level. I'm just wondering what I need to change to get my cholesterol on track. I've been moving toward a paleo style diet for a while now. I'm eating spinach, chia seed, berries, spirulina and greek yogurt smoothies for breakfast or oatmeal, avocado and egg, etc, usually salad for lunch, and dinner is skinless chicken, salmon, ground turkey with cauliflower, sweet potatoes, something like that. I snack on 1 oz of almonds, greek yogurt, almond butter (homemade) etc. I cook with coconut oil or ghee. Should I eliminate coconut oil and ghee from my diet? A lot of what I've read says to switch to fat free options like margarine and far free yogurt. I just don't trust margarine anymore! I like eating good portions of real food, not overly processed fake versions of it.
Anyone else have problems with your cholesterol? What foods will help with that, and are good fats off the table?
From my understanding it really depends on the type of cholesterol, and there's a lot more to it than just LDL and HDL. My dad got a very specific panel done, and it gave recommendations based on each of those levels (some dietary, what to eat more of, less of, some said exercise). I don't think the tests are readily available to everyone yet, but I wish they would be. Either way, I think your doctor should be able to give you specific suggestions based on your personal cholesterol results.
Last edited by nonameslob; 08-28-2014 at 03:16 PM.
IanG- That's great work! I'm super impressed with your commitment to working out. Did you hate working out before? I'm just curious because I just don't like it all that much. How did you make it a habit or more enjoyable for you? I'm increasing my workouts again, I was working out everyday before but I was so incredibly fatigued the last few weeks I stopped. I hope working out will help the cholesterol.
nonameslob- the nurse didn't tell me anything specific just "your cholesterol is high" I requested copies of all the lab results and she is mailing those to me. I just want a record for myself with more detail! She told me how to take the vit D and then switch to a different one after 8 weeks, and to eat a high fiber low fat diet. We just switched to eating more clean foods (heading toward paleo, so far we've removed gluten and processed foods) I just don't want to switch to fake low fat foods, they honestly don't make me feel good either. I feel better using coconut oil and ghee, greek yogurt, etc. Also, it's not like I gorge on these foods, I have maybe a tablespoon of ghee and coco oil combined a day if even that (about 120 calories worth of those fats) There's just so much debate about what's better. It seems like the medical community is still anti those fats because they have saturated fats, which are evil apparently. I just don't know what to trust.
I've also done more research, and it seems like low vit D, high cholesterol, and being overweight are all interconnected. So, I'm hoping that if I continue to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle, and lose weight, my cholesterol will come down on it's own. I'm getting everything rechecked in three months so that's my new goal.
Google Metamucil and high cholesterol. I found out on tues that mine is high and that's my plan. the Metamucil plus exercise. I refuse to give up fats.. I truly believe they are healthy for us. your diet seems really healthy!
I think that just by losing weight and exercising you will have great results. I wouldn't make any food changes right now. You seem to like your plan...? Stick with it then and see where it takes you. Also, there is more and more controversy as to if high cholesterol is really a problem. Not so sure it is.
I think by losing weight and exercising will help with your cholesterol. Keep eating real food and not frankenfood. I've read that high triglycerides are more harmful than high cholesterol. I've also read that some Dr.'s are even changing their minds about saturated fat. Good luck with bringing your numbers down.
Thanks everyone! I'm just eating even more fibrous fruits and veggies and added flax to my diet, other than that, diet is staying the same, and I'm upping exercise. Hopefully it will come down on it's own