Hi, cholesterol. Bye, meals I knew.

[Balladeer08]

I've just been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Looking at the numbers, I think it is only slightly high, but I don't know how to interpret them. This is the first set of them I've ever seen.

Total 216, they want <200. HDL 39, they want >40. LDL 165, they want less than 100. Triglycerides 60, they want <150 (I'm kicking ass on that one!)

My problem, and the reason I posted, is that I need help figuring out WHAT TO EAT. I'm willing to try to do right, but the information is lacking. So I am hoping for help from some of the medical professionals here (Sweep the Floor?) Here is the sum total of information the Dr. gave me:

"Reduce red meats-desserts-fried-fast-restaurant-rich foods/snacks to less than once/week and never at night.

Fast foods: OK = Subway, Togo's, Souplantation, Panera Bread, Sizzler Salad Bar.

75 grams/day unsalted Almonds.

>4 tablespoons/day each of Natural Oat Bran and Ground Flaxseed (both at Trader Joe's) mixed with breakfast or any meal throughout the 6-7 days/wk."

To this the Dr. added that I should eat things with Statins (sp?).


WTF? To me, this reads more like a store ad than dietary advice. And I haven't the slightest idea what a statin is, or what foods contain them.

I suspect there is acceptable food at any restaurant, and terrible choices as well. I'd like to find out what they are.

Given that there are so many people with high cholesterol, I cannot figure out why this information is so difficult to obtain. There have to be good, consumer friendly choices. I'm a bachelor, I mostly eat at fast food restaurants and out of cans. I need choices that fit into that.

Is the turkey chili okay? Better than the beef, I would think. But try getting a definitive answer from my Dr. It's like talking to a damned Economist, they've got too many "other hand"s.

I gather that they do not like Hostess cupcakes or Ding Dongs. I do, but can let it go down to once a week, I guess. I found some fruit cups from Del Monte, I'm hoping those are a good substitute.

Are the Turkey burgers at Carl's Jr. okay? I particularly like the Teryaki Turkey burger.

KFC, I assume the roasted chicken is to be prefer to the original recipe? Is the bbq snacker okay?

Arby's? I usually have the value menu roast beef, because it is smaller, with lettuce and tomato.

I really need to know specific items at specific restaurants, not vague generalities.

Are turkey or chicken hot dogs okay?

I already eat oatmeal for breakfast, the stuff in the packets that you just add hot water. Is that enough for the >4 tablespoons of oats? And what the hell is flaxseed? I'm not a gourmet, I eat because if I didn't, I'd die. But I really don't eat big meals, usually 3-400 calories per.

I do like bananas, oranges, apples, raisuns, grapes, various melons. Pretty good on fruit.

Not so good on vegetables. I like corn and potatoes.

Are red vines licorice okay? Snacks seem to be hard to come by with this. Are my beloved root beer barrels a no-no? Potato chips are made from potatoes, so do they count as a vegetable?

I freely admit that searching on line has not proved helpful so far. It is like I keep coming in on the middle of the movie, I have no idea what they are talking about or what is going on.

The only Staten I know is an Island, and I've never been there. But at least I've heard of it. What are they talking about, and are those in New York too?

On the bright side, this gives me an excuse to eat more Kipper snacks, which I actually like. And other fish, turkey and chicken items. I've always preferred them to red meat.

Oh, and I take fish oil pills.

But I really feel stressed every meal now, because I have no idea what I should be eating. Once I get it figured out, it will be easy enough. Well, hard on the pocketbook, as everything they seem to like costs more than what I have been eating.

So I am asking for recommendations for specific food. I guess Dinty Moore Beef Stew is down to once a week now? That sucks. Best thing you can eat out of a can.

OMG! Is my Swiss Miss hot chocolate endangered? There's gonna be a fight....

 

[Sinny]

Statins are a class of drugs that reduce cholesterol. And he's right. You should be on them.

Reducing cholesterol by diet alone is doable, but very difficult. Good luck.

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statin

I'm super lucky. Normal cholesterol. For now. Old age will fix that. I'm prepared.

 

[albertaboy]

If you want to eat healthy food, the only way to know for sure is too make it yourself from scratch.

 

[The_Profit]

First cholesterol drug I tried lit me up like a Chistmas tree. Second made me feel like I was going to die in my sleep. My numbers were the best when I was eating Adkins, which seems contray. Exercise has a huge effect.

All those drugs go through the liver which is why they make you constantly get liver function labs to see if they're killing you.

 

[Sinny]

If you want to eat healthy food, the only way to know for sure is too make it yourself from scratch.

This.
You can control the fat, the sodium and the nutrients if you make your own food.

 

[Balladeer08]

First cholesterol drug I tried lit me up like a Chistmas tree. Second made me feel like I was going to die in my sleep. My numbers were the best when I was eating Adkins, which seems contray. Exercise has a huge effect.

All those drugs go through the liver which is why they make you constantly get liver function labs to see if they're killing you.

Okay, that is fairly scary to hear.

What do you mean, lit you up like a Xmas tree? What were the side effects? I really don't need anything that will make me more depressed. Or crazier.

And what were the names of the drugs you were given?


Exercise I got covered, which is probably why my triglyceride level is so low. I do a thousand reps of various ab exercises daily. One of the personal trainers actually accused me of showing off when I was just doing my regular set. One day is upper body (I can do 2 dozen chinups and bench 25 lbs more than I weigh) and the next is lower body. I do 20-60 minutes a day on the treadmill, depending on how much time I have. I'm pretty sure I have one of the better bodies on a 59-year-old. Certainly in my gym it is true.

If I can exercise and diet my way around this without drugs, I think I would really prefer it.

Dr. tend to be pushers.

 

[Balladeer08]

This.
You can control the fat, the sodium and the nutrients if you make your own food.

Which just ain't gonna happen.

That's why I asked about specific foods at specific restaurants.

How about pancakes? I would guess whole wheat are better than buttermilk? Denny's has a short stack, 2 pancakes, 2 bucks. And I have trouble finishing all of that. Have to eat them fast, while they are hot. The temperature drops below of certainly level, they turn to ash in my mouth. Yuck.

I need a few breakfast choices that are acceptable to me, a few lunch and a few dinner. And some snacks that will work.

As I said, I am not a gourmet. I can eat the same thing time after time. I'd be a great candidate for a long space flight, the monotony of the food would bother me much less than most people.

Here's proof that I am not a gourmet: I liked the C-rations in the Army. 8)

 

[thør]

I've just been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Looking at the numbers, I think it is only slightly high, but I don't know how to interpret them. This is the first set of them I've ever seen.

Total 216, they want <200. HDL 39, they want >40. LDL 165, they want less than 100. Triglycerides 60, they want <150 (I'm kicking ass on that one!)

My problem, and the reason I posted, is that I need help figuring out WHAT TO EAT. I'm willing to try to do right, but the information is lacking. So I am hoping for help from some of the medical professionals here (Sweep the Floor?) Here is the sum total of information the Dr. gave me:

"Reduce red meats-desserts-fried-fast-restaurant-rich foods/snacks to less than once/week and never at night.

Fast foods: OK = Subway, Togo's, Souplantation, Panera Bread, Sizzler Salad Bar.

75 grams/day unsalted Almonds.

>4 tablespoons/day each of Natural Oat Bran and Ground Flaxseed (both at Trader Joe's) mixed with breakfast or any meal throughout the 6-7 days/wk."

To this the Dr. added that I should eat things with Statins (sp?).


WTF? To me, this reads more like a store ad than dietary advice. And I haven't the slightest idea what a statin is, or what foods contain them.

I suspect there is acceptable food at any restaurant, and terrible choices as well. I'd like to find out what they are.

Given that there are so many people with high cholesterol, I cannot figure out why this information is so difficult to obtain. There have to be good, consumer friendly choices. I'm a bachelor, I mostly eat at fast food restaurants and out of cans. I need choices that fit into that.

Is the turkey chili okay? Better than the beef, I would think. But try getting a definitive answer from my Dr. It's like talking to a damned Economist, they've got too many "other hand"s.

I gather that they do not like Hostess cupcakes or Ding Dongs. I do, but can let it go down to once a week, I guess. I found some fruit cups from Del Monte, I'm hoping those are a good substitute.

Are the Turkey burgers at Carl's Jr. okay? I particularly like the Teryaki Turkey burger.

KFC, I assume the roasted chicken is to be prefer to the original recipe? Is the bbq snacker okay?

Arby's? I usually have the value menu roast beef, because it is smaller, with lettuce and tomato.

I really need to know specific items at specific restaurants, not vague generalities.

Are turkey or chicken hot dogs okay?

I already eat oatmeal for breakfast, the stuff in the packets that you just add hot water. Is that enough for the >4 tablespoons of oats? And what the hell is flaxseed? I'm not a gourmet, I eat because if I didn't, I'd die. But I really don't eat big meals, usually 3-400 calories per.

I do like bananas, oranges, apples, raisuns, grapes, various melons. Pretty good on fruit.

Not so good on vegetables. I like corn and potatoes.

Are red vines licorice okay? Snacks seem to be hard to come by with this. Are my beloved root beer barrels a no-no? Potato chips are made from potatoes, so do they count as a vegetable?

I freely admit that searching on line has not proved helpful so far. It is like I keep coming in on the middle of the movie, I have no idea what they are talking about or what is going on.

The only Staten I know is an Island, and I've never been there. But at least I've heard of it. What are they talking about, and are those in New York too?

On the bright side, this gives me an excuse to eat more Kipper snacks, which I actually like. And other fish, turkey and chicken items. I've always preferred them to red meat.

Oh, and I take fish oil pills.

But I really feel stressed every meal now, because I have no idea what I should be eating. Once I get it figured out, it will be easy enough. Well, hard on the pocketbook, as everything they seem to like costs more than what I have been eating.

So I am asking for recommendations for specific food. I guess Dinty Moore Beef Stew is down to once a week now? That sucks. Best thing you can eat out of a can.

OMG! Is my Swiss Miss hot chocolate endangered? There's gonna be a fight....

Stay away from fast food. Learn to cook. Cooking is more than heating up some dinty moore.

Corn and potatoes are NOT veggies.

Leave the red vines on the shelf at the store, along with all the other candy. Sugar will increase your bad numbers.

You've got a computer, spend your time looking up some heart smart recipes.

And exercise.........that's good for those numbers.

 

[Sinny]

Which just ain't gonna happen.

That's why I asked about specific foods at specific restaurants.

How about pancakes? I would guess whole wheat are better than buttermilk? Denny's has a short stack, 2 pancakes, 2 bucks. And I have trouble finishing all of that. Have to eat them fast, while they are hot. The temperature drops below of certainly level, they turn to ash in my mouth. Yuck.

I need a few breakfast choices that are acceptable to me, a few lunch and a few dinner. And some snacks that will work.

As I said, I am not a gourmet. I can eat the same thing time after time. I'd be a great candidate for a long space flight, the monotony of the food would bother me much less than most people.

Here's proof that I am not a gourmet: I liked the C-rations in the Army. 8)

Oh, brother. You've got problems. Honestly? Your eating habits got you into this trouble to begin with.

I have a family history of horrid cholesterol, so I'm pretty sure my diet contributes to keeping mine low. I eat a lot of whole grains, at least five or six servings of whole veggies every day, and things that are pretty nutritious in between gut-busting cheater meals (that I eat in small portions). But it sounds as if that just won't work for you?

Honestly, learning to cook will be the best thing you ever can do for yourself. It's really not that hard. I can make couscous with chicken breast, nuts and dried fruit flavored with curry and cumin and lightly seasoned with sea salt -- in about 20 minutes. And that's about 5 active minutes of cooking time. If you find the right recipes, it's easy. It's just habit, training and reading recipes and books tailored for your diet.

Short of that, I'd say find a good sandwich shop that serves 100 percent whole wheat bread (not white bread that's just brown) and order your sandwich with mustard only and ALL the veggies (except avocado and olives). If you're going to do meat, do the chicken. Do NOT get ham, turkey or beef at a sandwich shop. It'll be processed and full of sodium.

I don't eat at the fast-food restaurants you mention, so I'm no help there.

Why are you so opposed to the medication?

 

[The_Profit]

Okay, that is fairly scary to hear.

What do you mean, lit you up like a Xmas tree? What were the side effects? I really don't need anything that will make me more depressed. Or crazier.

And what were the names of the drugs you were given?


Exercise I got covered, which is probably why my triglyceride level is so low. I do a thousand reps of various ab exercises daily. One of the personal trainers actually accused me of showing off when I was just doing my regular set. One day is upper body (I can do 2 dozen chinups and bench 25 lbs more than I weigh) and the next is lower body. I do 20-60 minutes a day on the treadmill, depending on how much time I have. I'm pretty sure I have one of the better bodies on a 59-year-old. Certainly in my gym it is true.

If I can exercise and diet my way around this without drugs, I think I would really prefer it.

Dr. tend to be pushers.

I could look it up but everyone reacts differently. One was an alerigic reaction, controllable by benedryl, so mild. The other was more of a psychotropic/metabolism rate attack. I just quit talking them all. If you have a family history of heart disease, you're probably screwed regardless.

Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.

 

[piccicatopolka]

Metamucil not only acts as cleansing fiber but claims to help reduce cholesterol. Its been around for a long time with a lot of detailed information about that on the label.

 

[JohnnySavage]

From the ground, from the sea or from a tree.

 

[Balladeer08]

This.
You can control the fat, the sodium and the nutrients if you make your own food.

Which just ain't gonna happen.

That's why I asked about specific foods at specific restaurants.

How about pancakes? I would guess whole wheat are better than buttermilk? Denny's has a short stack, 2 pancakes, 2 bucks. And I have trouble finishing all of that. Have to eat them fast, while they are hot. The temperature drops below of certainly level, they turn to ash in my mouth. Yuck.

I need a few breakfast choices that are acceptable to me, a few lunch and a few dinner. And some snacks that will work.

As I said, I am not a gourmet. I can eat the same thing time after time. I'd be a great candidate for a long space flight, the monotony of the food would bother me much less than most people.

Here's proof that I am not a gourmet: I liked the C-rations in the Army. 8)

 

[KRCummings]

Cheerios and oatmeal for the next few years. Yum.
It'd be quicker and more merciful to shoot yourself now.

 

[Balladeer08]

Corn and potatoes are NOT veggies.

Leave the red vines on the shelf at the store, along with all the other candy. Sugar will increase your bad numbers.

Corn and potatoes ain't veggies? What are?

What would you recommend in place of the red vines or root beer barrels?

One of the problems I am having with the Dr. and everyone else is that THEY ARE SO DAMNED NEGATIVE.

Really quick to tell me everything I eat is terrible. But not so hot on giving me useful alternatives.

I am not going to stop eating, that is a dead end in a couple of weeks.

So I am trying to find some things that will work for me.

Did I score any positive points with the oatmeal breakfasts? The bananas? EVERYTHING I eat is not terrible, probably just most of it.

Really it comes off more like the Dr. and others are more interested in putting me down than in helping me find a more healthful diet.

BTW, I am pretty quickly approaching the point of putting the Dr. on "ignore" because of this. If he can't name something I can and will eat, he is not doing me any good. Starvation is not an option.

 

[Balladeer08]

Why are you so opposed to the medication?

They seem to come with side effects. I want to get better, not trade problems.

 

[Balladeer08]

From the ground, from the sea or from a tree.

Huh?

You can get dead bodies from the ground, if you dig in the right places. And many other things that I am pretty sure are not good eating. Like gophers.

And a lot of sewage overflow from the sea. Would fish from lakes, streams and rivers be no good?

From a tree you can get squirrels, which I think are red meat.

Damn but I hate slogans. It may rhyme and scan, but it does not convey useful information.

 

[Sinny]

Corn and potatoes ain't veggies? What are?

What would you recommend in place of the red vines or root beer barrels?

One of the problems I am having with the Dr. and everyone else is that THEY ARE SO DAMNED NEGATIVE.

Really quick to tell me everything I eat is terrible. But not so hot on giving me useful alternatives.

I am not going to stop eating, that is a dead end in a couple of weeks.

So I am trying to find some things that will work for me.

Did I score any positive points with the oatmeal breakfasts? The bananas? EVERYTHING I eat is not terrible, probably just most of it.

Really it comes off more like the Dr. and others are more interested in putting me down than in helping me find a more healthful diet.

BTW, I am pretty quickly approaching the point of putting the Dr. on "ignore" because of this. If he can't name something I can and will eat, he is not doing me any good. Starvation is not an option.

Oatmeal is awesome! Flavor it with stevia, which is a sugar substitute derived from plants, not refined sugar. It'll keep your blood sugar level and your numbers down. Slice a banana on top and add a handful of walnuts. Perfect breakfast.

Instead of root beer barrels and red vines,I'd try stevia or agave flavored candies or sodas. They still have natural sugars in them, but they're better for you than the corn syrup derived sugars -- especially if your doctors says you need to keep your blood sugar level, too (those two problems often come together).

Pancakes? That's sugar and starch. I know I'm sounding negative, but you really need a wake-up call. Pancakes are like dessert. You should eat them sparingly and treat them like they're poison. Because they basically are. They're fucking totally unhealthy, even with whole wheat. They have butter and sugar on them. And it's not even real maple syrup at Denny's. They serve the kind made with corn syrup. Gross!

This sucks, but the only way to get your numbers turned around is to educate yourself with a nutritionist or read a lot about nutrition.

Eat sparingly: Potatoes, corn, white bread, anything with carbs. In fact, look at restaurant websites and don't eat any meal that has more than 30g of carbs. Ever. Carbs are necessary, and the complex ones are actually pretty good for you, but simple carbs eaten in large quantities will kill you dead.

 

[Balladeer08]

Let's try these:

McDonald's and Burger King both have fish sandwiches.

I know McD's is highly demonized by the healthy food crowd, but is that sandwich okay?

 

[The_Profit]

Dammit. Now I'm hungry.

 

[Sinny]

Let's try these:

McDonald's and Burger King both have fish sandwiches.

I know McD's is highly demonized by the healthy food crowd, but is that sandwich okay?

Fish sandwiches! They're fried! Avoid. At Burger King, the fish sandwich has fucking 32gs of fat. THIRTY TWO.

I'm looking at the websites at the nutritional data, and these seem somewhat smart choices, although sodium is SKY HIGH at both these restaurants:

For Burger King, try the veggie sandwich: 410 calories, 16gs of fat and 22 gs of protein. Carbs are a little high at 44gs, BUT because the patty is whole grains, some of that are good carbs (complex carbs). And you can decrease the fat and calories by ordering just with ketchup. The mayo adds the fat.

Also at Burger King, the tendergrill salad looks decent: 230 calories, 7g fat and 9g carbs, with 33gs protein. Get the low-fat or fat-free dressing.

For McDonald's, try the premium grilled chicken sandwich, at 420 calories, 10gs of fat, but carbs are high at 51g. The honey mustard grilled snack wrap looks fairly decent at 260 calories, 9gs of fat and 27 carbs. The Premium SW salad looks like a better choice than the others, it's got 320 calories, 9gs of fat and 20gs of carbs (mostly decent carbs from the veggies). Get the low-fat or non-fat dressing.

 

[thør]

Corn and potatoes ain't veggies? What are?

What would you recommend in place of the red vines or root beer barrels?

One of the problems I am having with the Dr. and everyone else is that THEY ARE SO DAMNED NEGATIVE.

Really quick to tell me everything I eat is terrible. But not so hot on giving me useful alternatives.

I am not going to stop eating, that is a dead end in a couple of weeks.

So I am trying to find some things that will work for me.

Did I score any positive points with the oatmeal breakfasts? The bananas? EVERYTHING I eat is not terrible, probably just most of it.

Really it comes off more like the Dr. and others are more interested in putting me down than in helping me find a more healthful diet.

BTW, I am pretty quickly approaching the point of putting the Dr. on "ignore" because of this. If he can't name something I can and will eat, he is not doing me any good. Starvation is not an option.

Corn and potatoes are full of starch that turns to sugar in your system. I love 'em, but you gotta do a lotta aerobic exercise if you eat 'em. Eat green beans, peas, brussel sprouts, zuchinni, radishes, carrots, lettuce, etc.

Find something other than candy to munch on. Fruit, carrots, celery, etc.

Oatmeal is dandy.

Fruits are good.

If you were able to just get rid of the fast foods, your numbers would prolly get better. Eating out, is hard on the body.

The American Heart Association has some good tips to start with. Link

Your Doc should have handed you one of their cookbooks.

 

[Balladeer08]

Oatmeal is awesome! Flavor it with stevia, which is a sugar substitute derived from plants, not refined sugar. It'll keep your blood sugar level and your numbers down. Slice a banana on top and add a handful of walnuts. Perfect breakfast.

Instead of root beer barrels and red vines,I'd try stevia or agave flavored candies or sodas. They still have natural sugars in them, but they're better for you than the corn syrup derived sugars -- especially if your doctors says you need to keep your blood sugar level, too (those two problems often come together).

Pancakes? That's sugar and starch. I know I'm sounding negative, but you really need a wake-up call. Pancakes are like dessert. You should eat them sparingly and treat them like they're poison. Because they basically are. They're fucking totally unhealthy, even with whole wheat. They have butter and sugar on them. And it's not even real maple syrup at Denny's. They serve the kind made with corn syrup. Gross!

This sucks, but the only way to get your numbers turned around is to educate yourself with a nutritionist or read a lot about nutrition.

Eat sparingly: Potatoes, corn, white bread, anything with carbs. In fact, look at restaurant websites and don't eat any meal that has more than 30g of carbs. Ever. Carbs are necessary, and the complex ones are actually pretty good for you, but simple carbs eaten in large quantities will kill you dead.

I just eat the oatmeal from the packet, only thing I add is the hot water.

I never heard of Stevia before this post. Is there a brand name for it that I might have heard of.

30G of carbs per meal. That is useful, I can look that up. Not sure I believe that carbs will kill you dead, but I am willing to believe that fewer are better. How can you tell what is a complex carb and what is a simple carb?

And it just occurred to me to ask: Why is there no healthy fast food chain? Someone could make a fortune setting it up and franchising it, I would think. I'm sure there are lots of people like me who just want to go in, order the food, pay for it and eat it. Not make it our life's work. I'm not that fond of food. I don't want to get to know it well. Food is not a reward for me.

I don't know what candies are agave or stevia flavored. I'm pretty sure M&M's aren't. Hopefully the agave flavored stuff tastes better than it sounds.

And I don't drink sodas, I have water with my meals. Sometimes milk. And no, not fat free, skim or 2%. Real, vitamin D moo cow fuck milk. That other stuff makes me gag. I am not the least bit lactose intolerant. Somehow I suspect that most of the people who claim to be are more into it as a fashion statement than a medical reality. It is amazing how many people suffer from the disease du jour.

Okay, back on topic.

I keep hearing about walnuts. I'm not that crazy about them. What about other nuts? Such as peanuts, which I usually have a quarter cup of per day. Are the honey roasted good? The nutrition info on the packages looks pretty much the same to me as with the dry roasted.

While typing this, I am snacking on some raisins. Does that get me a pat on the back or a slap upside the head with a dead carp?

 

[Balladeer08]

Dammit. Now I'm hungry.

That's my problem too. But I don't know WHAT I should eat.

Other than the oatmeal for breakfast.

I guess I could have it for lunch and dinner as well. I take a multi-vitamin daily to cover up holes in my diet. Which I think only eating oatmeal would leave a bunch of.

 

[The_Profit]

That's my problem too. But I don't know WHAT I should eat.

Other than the oatmeal for breakfast.

I guess I could have it for lunch and dinner as well. I take a multi-vitamin daily to cover up holes in my diet. Which I think only eating oatmeal would leave a bunch of.

vitamins = expensive pee.