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Cholesterol
#635179 - Thu May 08 2008 12:22 PM
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I got my blood tests back today and everything is normal. But I'm now aware of my cholesterol levels. My HDL is normal, my Triglycerides are normal, my ldl is 'above optimal' at 118, and my total cholesterol? 199.
I looked it up online to figure out what 199 means. And while it's good to know that anything below 200 is optimal, I've been seeing all these commercials lately about how theirs is like... 85 or something... Due to taking some drug.
While I wont take drugs, I need advice on if I should work harder to lower my total level (and ldl, but I think that'll go down if I fix the lot.) And what a good, desirable number is. Should I be worried? Or am I fine?
My doctor would obviously tell me to exercise more under normal circumstances, but since I recently obtained a rib injury that will take months to heal, my doctor banned me from doing all the upper body exercises and lifting heavy things, as well as straining my abdomen. So what exercising can I do that doesn't involve upper body?
I'm also aware that changing my diet would help, but what foods would be good and what should I avoid? Since Michigan has banned Trans fats, it's very easy to stay away from them, so don't worry about that.
Doom!
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Well you could focus on your lower body then. Going for a walk seems to be the best option since running would be too much a strain for the injury. As far as diet goes, if its green it a safe bet it will lower your cholesterol.
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Santo
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Member #8486
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Posts: 222
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Being actively involved helps your health in so many ways. It doesn't have to be physically challenging, but walking is the best thing for your body. It is low impact on your body. Get some REALLY comfortable fitten sneakers and go power walking. I do that since its about the only thing for my knee problems. You can still get a good heartrate up if you do it right.
As far as diet, I agree with Conan, if its green, then its good for you. Water consumption is key also in a healthy lifestyle. Eat fruit and veggies that you love. Try to eat 5-6 meals a day, but in small portions. This will help increase your metabolism, increase your digestion, and get the needed nutrients into your bloodstream faster. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber. You need eat about 25-30 grams of fiber a day. You can get that preferably from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Lower your sodium intake also. I can talk for hours on nutrition and health. Hope that helps.
Santo "The fast and healthy one, maybe"
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If you want to get radical, low-carb dieting reduces cholesterol, even if you don't lose weight. Plenty of places to read up on the subject, but the gist is: if your body is burning fat for fuel instead of carbs, it uses up cholesterol in the process, reducing overall cholesterol levels.
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Santo
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Member #8486
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Posts: 222
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I was on the Atkins Diet for 3 months. I lost 30+ pounds in that time frame, but that was with running to help it. It is a quick diet, but it has its opposite effects also. It shouldn't be used long term.
The best diet is still the 5-6 meals a day of small balanced portions. If you want some more advice on Atkins, I can give you a run-down on what I ate and what exercises you can do.
I can also give you what I try to do daily with the 5-6 meals in smaller portions. It really is easy to do. You just need to get started.
Santo
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Lonski
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Member #8305
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Posts: 141
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My dad has hypertension (high blood pressure to you and me)and so he has to have clinic checks once every 6 months. He recently went there and was told that he had rather high blood cholesterol. When you have high blood pressure you're more susceptible to things like high cholesterol (so I believe) and forms of heart disease so it was a bit of a scare. He's not partially overweight but his lifestyle isn't great in regards to exercise and low stress.
He had to quit salt all together, even the lo-salt which he's been having since he was told about the (hbp) had to go. He also had to be rid of peanuts and other fatty, salty nuts. Cheese and all other dairy products had to go and instead he was advised to have stuff with Omega thee in it because that's good for reducing cholesterol.
Water is fab to keep healthy, it makes your brain more awake so drinking more of it then you normally would will make you feel more up to doing that walk you feel guilty not doing.
Fibre I agree is fantastic also but don't go mad. Don't start eating fistfuls of Brazil nuts in one go, take it slowly or you'll spend your life on the loo...
If you have an 'on the go' life try eating dried fruit. But none of that sugary stuff you find in the corner shop. Organic is the best kind you can have. I know I sound like a snob but organic dried fruit has none of the sugar or colourants you find in cheap corner shops. (I mean by corner shops discount/cheap shops for those who don't know.)
You don't sound to me that you're in as bad a way as my dad but I take the same sort of diet as he. I stopped salt and stopped drinking as much alcohol. I haven't cut out some food groups like some crazy diets that are about these days. and what I mean by food groups are, well there are seven: Fats, Vitamins, Fibre, Minerals, Carbohydrates, Protein and Water. xD (Science still sharp!) Have all of those food groups in moderation, have impulsive (see food) naughty shacks occasionally, drink a lot of water, exercise and be happy! You'll be fine. xD
Finally for exercise, swimming is the best exercise you can do because like walking it involves most - if not all of your largest muscles and although it sounds exhausting they are two of the best but also the two leisurely exercises around. Depending on the severity I'd definitely recommend swimming. I'm sure thee are plenty of strokes that involve the lower part of the body you could use a float board to support your top body who knows. But I'd have a chat with your doc before doing that as I'm not qualified don't know your entire case.
I hope I didn't bore you but that's the best advise I can give in regards to cholesterol and healthy living in general.
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I've been taking walks on a regular basis now. I don't say much for the water idea, though. I live in the fridged north and the best place with water is the tub - it's not even a very big tub. I've also been doing horse riding lessons (before I found out I had a rib injury) once a week and that doesn't strain me too badly while, at the same time, tiring my legs out from under me.
I will add more nutritious things to by diet. Most of my meals per day include 1 large dinner with salty canned vegis I refuse to eat, 1 freezer meal, and 1 bowl of cereal. Sometimes I'll forgo the freezer meal for a sammich. The dinner, itself, varies; since February I have been putting in effort to make that healthier. I banned the disgusting canned vegis, though this week more appeared in the pantry much to my dismay. I've also been lowering the stock of Omega 6 fatty acids by eating less corn and using less soy and trying more Omega 3 in form of seafood mostly. Some of my meals are also entirely vegetarian, though the recipe butchers the point of eating vegetables sometimes. For example, take one eggplant. Suddenly eggplant becomes eggplant parmigiana with spaghetti sauce, many spices, salts, cheese, and who knows what else. But I am getting fruits in there well and good: Apples, oranges, bananas, juices (100%, not that 5% garbage), nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries on rare occasion. I've also been trying very hard to limit my cola consumption in the last three weeks to every weekend, but it's a very hard road to travel.
My main issue with food is that I'd like to enjoy eating it on a level basis. I don't think my stomach could adapt to a radical change like stopping meat completely or suffocating my body of necessary nutrients. However a day by day change to healthier foods sounds more appropriate. It's like trying to switch Master from one type of generic cheap cat food to something expensive that's all rich meat and a completely different formula. He'd need to transfer over slowly from one to the other over a period of a week, as forcing the new stuff on him will make him sick. Then imagine the state of TheDream!
If anyone could suggest some specific foods that I could integrate into my diet and list junk I should avoid, that would be helpful.
I have very low blood pressure. I don't know how that effects my body towards my diet. I am not an obese person, despite what my C. levels may indicate, as I did do vigorous upper body exercises and used my treadmill often before the injury. It's very aggravating that my belly is going to loose shape from now until the end of summer due to the injury. I'm curious on how my cholesterol got borderline when I have been exercising previous to the discomfort. Could it be the cola? Or the meals?
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Santo
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Member #8486
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Posts: 222
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Swimming, yes, I totally agree. I swim as much as I can when its available. It uses soooo many muscles and gives you the best workout. You can just float there because you're still using muscles just to stay afloat.
Quaidis said:
My main issue with food is that I'd like to enjoy eating it on a level basis. I don't think my stomach could adapt to a radical change like stopping meat completely or suffocating my body of necessary nutrients.
Who says meat is out? They do make 95%-100% lean meat. They are a bit more expensive, but still a part of nutritional balance. You don't have to eat the fat and ligaments in them. They're only there for flavor purposes. I grill steak and make burgers all the time, but I make sure they're healthy and in small enough portions to balance out the other foods served in the meal.
I usually have plenty of fresh veggies and small starches to push the meat through your system to gain the nutrition faster. No matter what you eat, just keep the bad stuff to a minimum.
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Lonski
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Member #8305
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Posts: 141
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Never, ever, ever cut out a food group. Most of your protein is from meat and suplerment well... They're nothing compared to the real stuff. >__<
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I don't know who I am or where I'm from but you're sure as hell gonna remember me!
Lonski - By TheBritt.
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Er, so how do you explain the vegetarians and vegans who get their protein from non-meat sources and have failed to die from it?
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They're aliens.
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With a vegetarian diet, you have to mix your protein sources to be sure you're getting the full range of essential amino acids--which you can easily get by simply eating meat. 
It's not hard to eat complementary proteins from vegetarian sources, though. Eat:
grains + nuts
nuts + legumes (including soy)
legumes + grains
Keep eating them in rotation, and you don't need to worry about the amino acids.
I prefer to dump the sugar and starch and keep the meat, myself.
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"I cannot be responsible for how people react. I can only be responsible for what I do."
--Peter Benchley, 1940-2006
A good philosophy for sharks or people....
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Lonski
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Member #8305
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Posts: 141
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That amuses me... xD
Sorry, I did sound really narrow-minded guess I didn't take the time to explain myself.
I have the belief that supplement pills are not as good as eating real food. Something to do with the body digesting/absorbing them, the body copes better with real food as that's what it's adapted for... I'm confused myself but I know what I mean to say, I just hope you understand me... xD
Soy... I've had Soya milk myself because I love to try something new but... I'll never try that again. I like Tofu and Quran though. :P
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I don't know who I am or where I'm from but you're sure as hell gonna remember me!
Lonski - By TheBritt.
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Santo
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Member #8486
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Posts: 222
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NIKU NIKU NIKU!!!!
There is nothing wrong with being a vegan or vegitarian. They live a healthy life, yet they spend a LOT more money on most foods they need. My old neighbor was a couple that were vegans. They invited me over all the time to turn me, haha. Soy and Tofu were their cup of tea. Some of it is good, yet I couldn't eat it all the time.
Niku is the best!
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You are still incorrect, Lonski.
You can get all the required vitamins/minerals/protein/carbs while vegan, without supplements.
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Lonski
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Member #8305
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Posts: 141
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I'm saying the opposite though, I'm saying supplements are not very good. o_O
And I explained my hasty remark from earlier before, was there something that I still missed out?
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
This thread is in danger of drifting off track. If you wish to discuss dietary pros and cons that might be better suited for DEBATE the way things are going.
The original topic was about Cholesterol and how to adjust it via diet, let's stay with that.
Remember, we dragons are omnivorous, we eat everything, don't make me include some wayward posters into my diet. After all, my cholesterol is high, and I don't know how much you lot contain.
ShishiOsa has spoken.
Back on topic, Cheerios, aka various oat brans is what was suggested to me to help regulate mine.
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"My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are like swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath, death." spoken by Smaug, from "The Hobbit"
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My brother told me he got his cholesterol and weight under control by cutting many types of grain from his diet (and fast food/cola) and eating more meat. Is this anything like the Atkins Diet? I have no idea what the Atkins diet is about and since it was brought up earlier in the thread, I wanted to see what it's all about.
With some advice from my best friend, I'm now taking my dog for two walks a day. They're relatively short walks, but I'll be expanding them down the road. This is going to be on top of my regular walk a day - once I find room for all three. Maybe I'll walk on the treadmill while I watch movies to make up the difference.
I'm done with my horse riding lessons for the next two months, so I'm going to have to either concern myself more with dieting or find some extra lower-body exercise to do outside of walking. Swimming is currently not an option.
Is there any way to tell good carb foods from bad carb foods? I keep hearing about good carbs and bad carbs, but I honestly don't know the difference.
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