High Cholesterol

[ladybug19482]

I would love to get some menu planning ideas to lower my cholestorol and to lose weight.

 

[Claire]

Main thing is to keep your red meat servings down. My husband and I both have genetic high cholesterol (when I actually found a doctor who listened to me, he agreed that our basic diets are not at fault). He was astonished to find that we don't eat meat every day, much less every meal. I keep butter in the freezer and use it for some meals, but it isn't an every day thing either. Start using stronger-flavored cheeses over milder -- you'll automatically want less. DO NOT eat cheese where you can't taste it. Many, if not most, burgers have a flavorless cheese food slice on them that if you think about it you won't miss the absence of it. And we're cheese lovers. Just make sure if you're eating it, you're tasting it.

It's an easy way to start -- ditch the cholesterol sources you really aren't tasting, just eating automatically.

Eat a lot of bean dishes. This made my husband so happy when I started adding more beans, lentils, etc, to our diet. Believe it or not, grilled veggies (squash, eggplant, onions) can really mimic ham in many bean dishes. They give them that smoked flavor.

If you don't already, add lots of green salads. Hubby enjoys a salad when he's watching TV before we sit down to dinner.

The fact is that if the cholesterol problem is genetic rather than dietary, diet alone will only do so much. But you owe it to yourself to make the changes anyway. They can only help.

 

[shpj4]

I also have High Cholesterol and your message was great and to the point. I have very bad eating habits and I will try to take your advice. The one thing that I cannot live without is Ice Cream Pies. I know how bad they are for me but I cannot stop eating them. I am over weight and need to lose about 20 pounds. Thanks again for your message.

 

[jkath]

Wonderful advice, Claire! I never thought of grilled veggies acting as a sub for ham. Great one!

 

[KeyLimePaige]

Good advice all around. It's expensive but buying Smart Balance and using egg whites instead of eggs for whatever you can will help alot. Also--make sure you read those Lean Cuisine/Healthywhatever frozen lunches..some of them proport themselves to be healthy and they're really not.

Other advice would be to make sure you eat lots of fiber, like whole grains, as that helps lower your cholesterol. Use fat-free cheeses if you want something more like a burrito, and fat free milk.

You know what I love for breakfast?
Fat free plain youghurt with a crumbled up oatmeal raisen granola bar inside. Yummy and cholesterol free!

 

[amber]

I would love to get some menu planning ideas to lower my cholestorol and to lose weight.

Welcome to DC! Great thread, something most everyone can benefit from. I dont know my cholestoral level, but plan on getting it checked soon. It would help me more if you told us what you like to eat and then we can help you adapt your menu to something you like but healthier.

It goes without saying that exercise helps alot in controlling cholestoral and just overall health.

 

[Claire]

I didn't even mention eggs. The fact is, I'm not a huge lover of eggs, and with only two of us, Egg Beaters and Scramblers are not only healthy, but a real pal to have in the freezer. I do a "bunch for brunch" every few months, and if I make an egg casserole with them, no one notices the absence of yolks. Blush! I buy a dozen eggs a few times a year so that I have them for my breakfast-loving house guests. There are usually enough leftover for us to have a real egg breakfast once a year (more for hubby than for me). But these are not egg substitutes, they are simply frozen egg whites, and work perfectly well for savory recipes where you want to bind ingredients (I'm not a baker, so won't go there). Oh, yeah, Hubby makes his egg nog with them! It isn't low cholesterol; after all, it is cream! But he started to make it with Egg Beaters one year when we lived in an area that had a problem with salmonella, and has just continued to do it since then.

 

[Hades]

Though a bit controversial, omega 3 claims to reduce dangerous cholesterols. Here (and I assume in the US too) they're available in all kinds of functional foods (which usually don't taste too good).
Another way of ingesting them is eating fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel etc. Not the best way to lose weight, but a great (and tasty) way of getting omega 3. And if they themselves don't lower your cholesterol then atleast they're a good way of avoiding the red meat you'd eat otherwise.

 

[FryBoy]

How high is your cholesterol, total, HDL and LDL?

Are you on cholesterol medication?

 

[Robo410]

I have to watch weight so I limit fats. I choose to eat better quality, less quantity. I really like beans of all types, and you can add smokey flavors etc with smoked turkey legs etc or Canadian bacon (low in fat). Grilled veggies is another good way if you have a grill...always make some extra for use in stews and the bean pot or for a mess of greens.

Olive oil helps cut cholesterol. Avoid butter or use sparingly. ex: make roasted garlic to spread on bread rather than making garlic bread full of butter or margarine. better flavor and more healthy.
Change your baked potato habbits: I like balsamic vinegar salt and pepper on a baked potato...great flavor, no fat. Nopw that potato is healthy. Also good on baked sweets.
Use chicken broth to moisten mashies rather than butter and milk. Make mashies with turnips and potatoes.
Use cabbage in recipes...adds bulk and fiber and texture, is inexpensive, is great in soups and stews and salads.
start using whole wheat pasta and brown rice.

There are all kinds of ways to eat well and have great tasty meals without all the fat and cholesterol.

 

[Half Baked]

I dropped my cholesterol by exercise, dropping red meat by 90%, using the White Wheat bread and other Whole wheat starches (brown rice, whole wheat muffins etc), oatmeal, fruits and only using evoo. Fortunately for me I like Boca Burgers.

 

[scott123]

If you want to lose weight, increase your HDL "good" cholesterol while decreasing your LDL "bad" cholesterol but don't want to give up/reduce your intake of incredibly delicious foods like red meat, butter and eggs, I have a very simple suggestion. Go low carb.

I like rice, potatoes and bread, but I LOVE steak, butter and egg yolks. For me it's an easy tradeoff. With the ease at which I can lose weight and improve my lipid profile, low carb works for me in a very big way. Low fat diets depress me. A life without fat is not worth living

 

[Lynan]

Exercise, cut out most animal fats, limit alcohol and as our Health people here tell us ' Eat a Rainbow' every day, will help immensely.
The rainbow colours signify all the fruit and vegetable colours/groups we should consume every day.