Hi there, i just was told by my doctor that i have high cholesterol and it's scary .?

Question

I have no idea what to eat when i go out to a restautant, I'm 36 and my cholesterol is at 320, does anybody knows of a good book wich can tell what thing to eat when dining out.

Answer 1

Hi, to have high cholesterol at a young age seems to be getting more prevalent in this day and age when our society is getting increasingly affluent.

Im not sure of a good book which can point you in any direction of what to eat whilst dining out, but i can share with you some tips that i learnt in the past.

First off, i suppose your primary aim would be to bring down as much cholesterol as possible to a healthy level. This can be achieved by the age old adage of cutting down on fried, oily foods and taking more greens and fruits. My advice is that you should have a balanced diet of carbo, minimal fats and proteins. In addition, you do not want to overeat, as it tends to put on more pounds than you can work out sometimes.

In terms of oily foods, my advice would be to steer clear of them. Also if you cook at home, you can choose unsaturated oils instead of those transfatty oils. A good example of a healthy oil is canola oil. I find that most supermarket oils which say "cholesterol-free vegetable oils" are essentially scams, coz vegetable oils have no cholesterol to start off with. The danger in using such oils, especially the cheaper palm oils, is that these oils contain lots of transfats and they tend to be very unhealthy towards the diet.

Also, you can choose to steam your food and drink more clear broths instead of having fried/grilled/barbequed foods and cream soups. Go easy on the oils and fats. Also, desserts should be kept to simple chilled fruit like apples or oranges. They contain lots of antioxidants which help your body fight off oxidising effects of everyday chemicals. Whipped creams, cakes and ice cream should be kept at arm's length as well.

Outside when you dine, you could tell the waiter to put in less salt and less oil. Here where i live, the people dont mind. you could order more greens as well. Personally i find broccolli to be a very good vegetable; you can try carrots too. All in all, i guess im trying to say that you should steer clear away from too fatty/oily foods and eat more greens and fruits. Excessive salt and condiments should be avoided as well. The diet would appear to be rather bland at first, but it sure does work a long way towards promoting a healthy quality of life!

Hope this helps, good luck! :D

Answer 2

Well, what you want to avoid is anything with fat (bacon for instance).. and anything cooked in heavy oils, or animal fats... go for things that are broiled, baked, etc.. those are safer choices.

If you like to eat meat, go for smaller portions, and whenever possible choose lean cuts.

With a cholesterol level of 320, I am sure the doc is putting you on a cholesterol lowering drug... like Lipitor.... It takes a little time for this medication to work... it helps prevent your body from absorbing the cholesterol in the foods you eat, and helps to reduce the existing cholesterol... but it's not an "overnight" drug... it will take months to get that much cholesterol out of your system.

By limiting the amount of foods that cause cholesterol, you can help your medicine work more effectively. I would suggest that you visit the WebMd site, and look it up there.

The danger of high cholesterol, is that you could get a blockage in a vein or artery, either to your heart, or brain... which could result in either stroke, or heart attack. If you are on any meds to reduce high blood pressure, stay on those too...with a few months under your belt, you can get your cholesterol level down to safer levels... I know from experience, hehehe.

Do not be extra worried or scared, but do take the precaution of telling your doc if you have any kind of chest pains. There are lots of reasons for chest pain... many not related to heart problems at all, but it is safer to mention it to your doc, if you have had any... so he can keep an eye out for potential problems there.

Be Well!

Answer 3

Natural Cholesterol Guide?

Answer 4

The drugs given to reduce cholesterol can damage the liver. Alcohol and drugs like Tylenol and ibuprofen can also damage the liver. Any time you combine things that cause liver damage, its more likely that damage will occur. It usually takes several years before serious damage occurs, but signs of liver damage show up in blood tests right away. Here's what you can do. The doc will need to monitor your liver. You will probably need to return to the doc in 4-6 weeks for the liver test. If you do not have an appointment to monitor your liver, set one up about 6 weeks from now. In the mean time, drink you beer like you would normally so the liver test 6 weeks from now will show what happens while you are drinking beer and taking cholesterol medicine at the same time. Its a good idea to not drink beer after two days before the test. If the results don't show any problems, you can check again in 6 months. If there are signs of liver damage you will have to make a choice between your health and drinking.

Answer 5

Ask the doctor if your thyroid is OK. That always raises cholesterol levels. A high cholesterol level does not cause heart disease but it may mean something else is going on to cause your liver to produce a lot of cholesterol.

Stay away from processed foods, white flour products, refined sugar, refined anything. Eat whole foods like organic vegetables, fruits, raw dairy, meats from pasture raised animals and healthy fats found in meat, whole dairy, eggs, butter, lard, olive oil. Not the confinement animals given antibiotics and hormones. Stay away from vegetable oils they are easily rancid. Stay away from low fat products. For more info on dietary guidelines read here.

Answer 6

olive oil, spinach and other green vegetables, lower fat meats..
eggs etc...

I was at 210 and 260# at my worst while eating the "prescribed" AMA socially accepted govt funded food pyramid.

I read up on Atkins, and the blood type diet w/ the help of a doctor came up w/a modified Atkins plan that involved lower fat meats, lots of greenery (and still maintained the < 30 carb grams per day), changed to organic vegetables, and substituted olive oil for other salad dressings.

In 6 months my weight dropped to 190 and my cholesterol dropped to 135. Results vary for the individual b/c well we are individuals different lifestyles and such. I also increased my exercise. BUT...my mood swings were gone, and I saw real results..

and for those of you that say "atkins is unhealthy" need to research, and then understand the only different b/w the govt food pyramid and the straight atkins diet is remove the starch from your diet. (sugar,flour,bread etc)

Answer 7

stay away from greasy and salty foods.....If that doesn't work you may need to try a medication to lower it.....Did the doctor discuss any of these options with you? He(she) should have made a suggestion on what to do since they have you medical history......don't be afraid to ask for a retest or find out what you good cholesterol score is

Answer 8

You should eat a low fat diet and try to exercise more (not extremely strenuous). Did he give you anything to take to help lower your cholesterol? You can go on-line and type in cholesterol diets in your browser and see what comes up. You might be suprised at what's out there.

Answer 9

Okay, settle down. Your going to be OK. You can lower your cholesterol. With simmple diet and exercise. If thats not enough, try a choletorol lowering medicene like Lipotor. Take a baby asprin everyday.

Answer 10

Cut Your Cholesterol by Readers Digest, ISBN 0762104996.