Lowering Cholesterol Without Medication?

[Lee]

Have any of you folks ever had to try lowering your cholesterol levels?

Gary and i had our medicals last week and since my cholesterol was kinda high (im understating that ever so slightly LOL) i was told that i needed to lower it, she wanted me to take some pills for it but im not really a medicine person and told her i was going to try and do it naturally.

Any of you folks have any tips on how i can lower my cholesterol levels, im already starting to have a cup of Cheerios for breakfast and i dont usually eat breakfast.

We also typically only cook with olive oil so thats already something we've been doing to help get some of the bad oils out of our diet, we also eat a lot of fresh fish although not much salmon (which is what the doctor suggested) so we're going to start having salmon once or twice a week instead of snapper.

Regards,

Lee

[basschick]

my friend rick got his way down in weeks - and it was quite high - by stopping red meat and whole milk and milk products and eating oatmeal and a small amount of walnuts every day. apples are also good as they contain pectin.

[Lee]

Yeah the doctor told me to eat more nuts (which i laughed at) but im actually not fond of them only hazel and brazil nuts which are actually fattier than other types, i actually cant stand the taste of walnuts either haha

Oatmeal i actually do eat every now and again but im not really a big fan, thats why i went the Cheerios route for breakfast

Regards,

Lee

[gaybucks_chip]

All good suggestions so far. The nonprofit I used to work for specialized in treatment of heart disease, high cholesterol, cancer, and other degenerative illness through dietary means.

If you can stomach it, the best way to lower cholesterol quickly is to eliminate any sort of animal fats. As Patti said, milk and milk products (other than skim milk and nonfat yogurt) are frequent culprits. People don't realize that one 8 oz glass of whole milk has as much fat as two slices of bacon! Cream, sour cream, ice cream, cheeses, etc are all very high in saturated fat... Beef and pork are also big contributors. Vegetable fats are culprits too... olive oil is one of the better oils, but it should be used in extreme moderation, and if you can avoid frying or heating the oil in any way, it's MUCH healthier for you.

On the flip side, things you can *add* that will help lower cholesterol: Up to 2-3 tbsp of raw flax oil (you can find it in the health store and some supermarkets now) daily will actually directly decrease cholesterol if used over several months. It also helps to dissolve arterial plaque that puts one at risk for heart disease and stroke. And it's a tasty substitute for butter on baked potatoes or can be used with vinegar as salad dressing. Green leaf juices, either freshly made, or the ones you get in the refrigerator case (Green Power or whatever it's called) helps the body emulsify and dispose of fats.

There's lots more, but that, plus the earlier suggestions, is a good start.

[PUMPaul]

Those are all great ideas for improving your diet. Cutting out saturated fat and eating more fiber are not only good for lowering cholesterol but also for decreasing your risks for colon and other types of cancer.

In addition, studies have shown that regular aerobic activity 30 minutes 3 times a week can increase you HDL. When looking at cholesterol blood levels you should not only look at the total cholesterol but your HDL to LDL ratios.

Statins and other medications should be your last resort as they can cause liver problems, clotting issues, and other not good side effects.

[Jamdin]

Eating spinach, tuna, Cheerios and oatmeal helped me with my cholesterol. I also cut out all sweets, switched from white bread to wheat &/or multi-grain bread, cut out fried foods and used olive oil and/or vinegar for salad dressing. I also eat more fruits than meat now and the meat that I do have is mostly chicken or fish. I still have a steak now and then but not a very big one and I keep any sauces off it.

[Rich]

flax oil is good my dad uses it to reduce his cholesterol but be carefull you dont have any 'excess' side effects from using to much!!

[Mansized]

There are some good suggestions in here. I am hoping that your doctor told you that your cholesterol level is determined by two basic factors:

1) Your diet (and weight)
2) Your genetics (what you inherit)

Unfortunately 75% of your cholestorol "traits" comes from your genetics. So, modifying your eating habits WILL help, but in the end, not much more you are going to be able to do about it. I was OVER 200 for my total cholesterol, and got put on a statin, which has knocked the crap out of cholesterol (and changed my diet) to where my TOTAL is now at 105!

Now you have TWO types of cholesterol.

Your ldl levels (I called this "lousy" based on the l's, and it is the BAD Cholesterol..you want this as low as possible!)

and then there is your hdl (I call this one your "healthy" cholsterol based on the "h".) You want THIS ONE to be OVER 100. Mine are not..and that is what I am working on, and my doctor has told me the ONLY way I'm going to get that one better is to lose 20 pounds.

So technically, I guess there are THREE elements to your cholesterol levels.

[maxx68]

There are some good suggestions in here. I am hoping that your doctor told you that your cholesterol level is determined by two basic factors:

1) Your diet (and weight)
2) Your genetics (what you inherit)

Unfortunately 75% of your cholestorol "traits" comes from your genetics. So, modifying your eating habits WILL help, but in the end, not much more you are going to be able to do about it. I was OVER 200 for my total cholesterol, and got put on a statin, which has knocked the crap out of cholesterol (and changed my diet) to where my TOTAL is now at 105!

Now you have TWO types of cholesterol.

Your ldl levels (I called this "lousy" based on the l's, and it is the BAD Cholesterol..you want this as low as possible!)

and then there is your hdl (I call this one your "healthy" cholsterol based on the "h".) You want THIS ONE to be OVER 100. Mine are not..and that is what I am working on, and my doctor has told me the ONLY way I'm going to get that one better is to lose 20 pounds.

So technically, I guess there are THREE elements to your cholesterol levels.

Don't forget Triglycerides...Not too many folks know this is one of your types of cholesterol. This is also genetically affected, my was through the roof!

I tried the diet approach and it wouldn't improve (my LDL was high & my HDL was low) so my Doc said it was probably genetic.

I was on some really strong meds for years (I'm a nutbucket) and wasn't very keen and getting back on anything, but she said I wouldn't be able to lower it without meds.

She put me on Gemfibrizol and I take NON-FLUSHABLE Niacin, walk 30 minutes a day, use Smart Balance and olive oil.

After 9 months my numbers are FABULOUS! Triglycerides - down, LDL - Down and HDL - UP.

The important thing is to determine if it's your genes or diet and then take it from there.