The Cholesterol Couple
January 7, 2024 9:30 AM Subscribe
(A title I’d like to drop). Please tell me what changes you made to lower your cholesterol.
My partner and I recently went in for blood tests (as part of unrelated health workups) and it turns out we both have high cholesterol. The cardiologist I’m seeing recommended “eating a more plant based diet, exercise, and then retest in 3-6 months”. I’m 39F, partner is 44M.
Some changes I’m making: replacing the cream top yogurt for breakfast with steel cut oats + nuts + fruit (which I love so this part is easy!). Switching to oat milk instead of half-and-half for coffee (also no biggie). We don’t eat a lot of red meat, but do indulge when it comes to baked goods, salty snacks, butter, and we eat out more than I would like. I do love cooking and we have a lot of soups at home, big salads, steamed broccoli, etc. I’m also trying to add in daily movement (I remember I had high cholesterol as a teen, and daily rollerblading seemed to help…). My maternal grandmother had a heart attack in her 50s, then had another in her early 70s that was misdiagnosed as a virus, and she passed away. So genetics may be at play here too.
Did you have high cholesterol (LDL and triglycerides) and find ways to bring it down?
We’re also trying to get pregnant (1.5 years trying, under the care of an OB-GYN) in case that makes a difference. We have an appointment in Feb and I will bring this up.
Thank you!
My partner and I recently went in for blood tests (as part of unrelated health workups) and it turns out we both have high cholesterol. The cardiologist I’m seeing recommended “eating a more plant based diet, exercise, and then retest in 3-6 months”. I’m 39F, partner is 44M.
Some changes I’m making: replacing the cream top yogurt for breakfast with steel cut oats + nuts + fruit (which I love so this part is easy!). Switching to oat milk instead of half-and-half for coffee (also no biggie). We don’t eat a lot of red meat, but do indulge when it comes to baked goods, salty snacks, butter, and we eat out more than I would like. I do love cooking and we have a lot of soups at home, big salads, steamed broccoli, etc. I’m also trying to add in daily movement (I remember I had high cholesterol as a teen, and daily rollerblading seemed to help…). My maternal grandmother had a heart attack in her 50s, then had another in her early 70s that was misdiagnosed as a virus, and she passed away. So genetics may be at play here too.
Did you have high cholesterol (LDL and triglycerides) and find ways to bring it down?
We’re also trying to get pregnant (1.5 years trying, under the care of an OB-GYN) in case that makes a difference. We have an appointment in Feb and I will bring this up.
Thank you!
I brought mine way down, like forty points, by going totally vegan for a few months, but I couldn't sustain eating that way after a while. I was already getting plenty of exercise and already slim, so couldn't change those.
posted by mareli at 9:36 AM on January 7
posted by mareli at 9:36 AM on January 7
Just FYI I made all of the dietary changes + was already vigorously exercising, and did this for 3 years. My cholesterol didn't budge, and my doc just shrugged and said, "yep, genetics."
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:39 AM on January 7 [12 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:39 AM on January 7 [12 favorites]
When I changed my diet to low carb, my cholesterol numbers went way down.
posted by wryly at 9:41 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by wryly at 9:41 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
My husband started eating a can of mackerel almost every day and I think his came down a lot- he was already eating super healthy so we think that was what made the difference.
posted by catspajammies at 9:41 AM on January 7
posted by catspajammies at 9:41 AM on January 7
Best answer: Cholesterol is partly genetic and partly diet. If you had high cholesterol as a teen this likely means there's at least some genetic propensity. Do the lifestyle changes - wholest grains, less eating out - but don't be afraid of statins. Statins have pretty good antiinflammatory properties and working in vascular neurology convinced me to accept them (that and my own family history.)
posted by cobaltnine at 9:56 AM on January 7 [9 favorites]
posted by cobaltnine at 9:56 AM on January 7 [9 favorites]
I walk about 3-5 miles a day and went pescatarian. Tofu is magical! The Vegan Chinese Kitchen cookbook really taught me a lot about preparing tofu and I highly recommended getting it and a wok.
posted by twelve cent archie at 9:59 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
posted by twelve cent archie at 9:59 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Be afraid of statins. You need to be on them for life after starting on them. Reduce your dairy consumption and increase high fiber carbohydrates and high fiber protein, it makes the biggest difference to lowering cholesterol.
posted by parmanparman at 10:12 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by parmanparman at 10:12 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Generally, your diet seems very healthy, so it might be down to genetics and hard to handle without medicine.
That said, eating out is a common culprit. Restaurants almost always add more fat (and more salt and sugar) than home cooks. Can you bring it down to once a month?
I brought down my cholesterol dramatically by switching to a diet where meat is a weekly treat, not an everyday occurrence. I also make sure to have a fiber rich diet. It may be easier here, because our regular bread option is whole grain rye. One sandwich on whole grain rye with avocado and bean sprouts has almost all the fiber you need in one day. A serving of hummus later on, and you are there. These foods seem rich and fatty, but compared to a meat diet, they are very lean, and they contain a lot of healthy fiber. So a Mediterranean diet is the way to go, for me at least. Apart from the numbers, which I could look up but won't, before I had those unsightly lumps around the eyes, and now I haven't had them for years.
When meat is on the menu, I make sure to match it with plenty vegetables: tonight I'm making a shepherds pie, and I am mixing green lentils into the stew, 1:2 meat to lentils. For a steak, I might serve it thinly sliced on a mixed salad, and have lentils as a side, all French style. Two people share one steak, or if I'm alone, I keep the rest of the steak for a sandwich (on whole grain rye) the next day. Make the sandwich with kimchi or saurkraut, and you will be getting probiotics as well.
Legumes are your friends. Frozen peas and frozen haricots verts are great for improving the nutritional value of most meals. Pasta with tomato sauce: add in the peas. A delicious side salad for most things: haricots verts with a mustardy vinaigrette. And all of the tinned beans. Ful Medames is the best breakfast, at least in the weekend.
Indian vegetarian food is delicious and great for this problem. I still rely on my ancient Madhur Jaffrey: An Invitation to Indian Cooking, but there are great young cooks too.
I've noticed that several of my Indian friends have problems with high cholesterol when they eat Western food, but that is only anecdotal.
I have never been a huge fan of dairy products, but there are some things I do like. I treat them like meat: as treats. I've shifted to tea in place of caffe latte. I eat stronger cheeses (again for the probiotics), but more rarely.
A glass of red wine once a week with that stinky cheese can be good too. But don't force yourselves.
posted by mumimor at 10:23 AM on January 7 [4 favorites]
That said, eating out is a common culprit. Restaurants almost always add more fat (and more salt and sugar) than home cooks. Can you bring it down to once a month?
I brought down my cholesterol dramatically by switching to a diet where meat is a weekly treat, not an everyday occurrence. I also make sure to have a fiber rich diet. It may be easier here, because our regular bread option is whole grain rye. One sandwich on whole grain rye with avocado and bean sprouts has almost all the fiber you need in one day. A serving of hummus later on, and you are there. These foods seem rich and fatty, but compared to a meat diet, they are very lean, and they contain a lot of healthy fiber. So a Mediterranean diet is the way to go, for me at least. Apart from the numbers, which I could look up but won't, before I had those unsightly lumps around the eyes, and now I haven't had them for years.
When meat is on the menu, I make sure to match it with plenty vegetables: tonight I'm making a shepherds pie, and I am mixing green lentils into the stew, 1:2 meat to lentils. For a steak, I might serve it thinly sliced on a mixed salad, and have lentils as a side, all French style. Two people share one steak, or if I'm alone, I keep the rest of the steak for a sandwich (on whole grain rye) the next day. Make the sandwich with kimchi or saurkraut, and you will be getting probiotics as well.
Legumes are your friends. Frozen peas and frozen haricots verts are great for improving the nutritional value of most meals. Pasta with tomato sauce: add in the peas. A delicious side salad for most things: haricots verts with a mustardy vinaigrette. And all of the tinned beans. Ful Medames is the best breakfast, at least in the weekend.
Indian vegetarian food is delicious and great for this problem. I still rely on my ancient Madhur Jaffrey: An Invitation to Indian Cooking, but there are great young cooks too.
I've noticed that several of my Indian friends have problems with high cholesterol when they eat Western food, but that is only anecdotal.
I have never been a huge fan of dairy products, but there are some things I do like. I treat them like meat: as treats. I've shifted to tea in place of caffe latte. I eat stronger cheeses (again for the probiotics), but more rarely.
A glass of red wine once a week with that stinky cheese can be good too. But don't force yourselves.
posted by mumimor at 10:23 AM on January 7 [4 favorites]
Fewer simple carbs (sugar especially) and more complex carbs and fibre.
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:37 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:37 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
I did this. My diet is oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, brown rice and tofu for lunch, and whatever (mostly) for dinner. The mostly whatever for dinner is complex carbs (no white rice, pasta etc.) and a protein OR just salad, lots and lots of salad. I mean, all the salad you can eat. Exercise is good, but I don't get as much as I should. Snacks are fruit or vegetables.
We stopped eating out and that helped A LOT and helped our budget - the food at restaurants tastes so good because they use ingredients that are not good for you!
If you drastically change your diet, consider getting really high end versions of whatever you are switching to. It may be more pricey, but if you have the really, really nice fruits and veggies you won't miss the brownies, and you'll be able to sustain the switch.
posted by Toddles at 10:38 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
We stopped eating out and that helped A LOT and helped our budget - the food at restaurants tastes so good because they use ingredients that are not good for you!
If you drastically change your diet, consider getting really high end versions of whatever you are switching to. It may be more pricey, but if you have the really, really nice fruits and veggies you won't miss the brownies, and you'll be able to sustain the switch.
posted by Toddles at 10:38 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I have genetically high cholesterol. My doctor advised me to try dietary and lifestyle changes -- not with the goal to reduce cholesterol but just because it's a good idea to have a healthy and diverse diet. He told me that it's virtually impossible to maintain low cholesterol with diet alone if there's a genetic component. The only way to do it is through medication, which is something you'll have to discuss with your doctor.
Be afraid of statins.
Statins are one of the safest medications out there. But yes, you would have to take them for life. But they have very few side effects and are very effective, so it's a tiny amount of effort for a big benefit (lowering your risk of stroke and heart attack).
posted by fight or flight at 10:45 AM on January 7 [15 favorites]
Be afraid of statins.
Statins are one of the safest medications out there. But yes, you would have to take them for life. But they have very few side effects and are very effective, so it's a tiny amount of effort for a big benefit (lowering your risk of stroke and heart attack).
posted by fight or flight at 10:45 AM on January 7 [15 favorites]
Just to add to people's thoughts above:
- I would target the baked goods, especially if you're not making them at home, and the eating out. Switching to vegan baked goods made at home can help although any saturated fat can impact on raising cholesterol.
At my house we are starting to do fruit compotes over porridge. Also we've been doing berry tartines on whole-grain bread with labneh and fruit with a drizzle of honey and that's good.
- If by salty snacks you mean chips or other snacks high in saturated fat, same thing. I think US labels break the kind of fats out? They do here. Substituting popcorn (air popped so if you do put oil on it, you know exactly what's in it) adds in a whole grain.
- Eating out is kind of a gamble; we don't eat out much so don't have a lot of tips.
- Add in high fiber things and whole grains like barley - we use barley and steel cut oats like rice and cook them in the rice cooker. Because of the composition of my family, we eat a lot of bowls - ours are much more random than those recipes, basically a whole grain or roasted sweet potatoes or greens + chopped veggies, protein, creamy element like hummus or tahini, crunchy element like pepitas or sunflower seeds, and maybe a dressing or other flavour add. I stick a bunch of things on the table and people make theirs.
Change takes time and effort. If you have specific things you want to find healthier alternatives for, I find this community is great for those questions.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:47 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
- I would target the baked goods, especially if you're not making them at home, and the eating out. Switching to vegan baked goods made at home can help although any saturated fat can impact on raising cholesterol.
At my house we are starting to do fruit compotes over porridge. Also we've been doing berry tartines on whole-grain bread with labneh and fruit with a drizzle of honey and that's good.
- If by salty snacks you mean chips or other snacks high in saturated fat, same thing. I think US labels break the kind of fats out? They do here. Substituting popcorn (air popped so if you do put oil on it, you know exactly what's in it) adds in a whole grain.
- Eating out is kind of a gamble; we don't eat out much so don't have a lot of tips.
- Add in high fiber things and whole grains like barley - we use barley and steel cut oats like rice and cook them in the rice cooker. Because of the composition of my family, we eat a lot of bowls - ours are much more random than those recipes, basically a whole grain or roasted sweet potatoes or greens + chopped veggies, protein, creamy element like hummus or tahini, crunchy element like pepitas or sunflower seeds, and maybe a dressing or other flavour add. I stick a bunch of things on the table and people make theirs.
Change takes time and effort. If you have specific things you want to find healthier alternatives for, I find this community is great for those questions.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:47 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
I've found over time that my cholesterol levels are very directly correlated with my weight. It doesn't really matter what specifically I eat. When my weight is high my cholesterol is high, and when my weight is down my cholesterol drops, as simple as that. So long as my weight is under control, I can even eat rich foods within reason without any issue.
I did try statins when my cholesterol was high these past few years, and while they did lower cholesterol levels, I had very severe issues with myalgia (severe muscle pain, especially in my forearms) across multiple statins that ceased immediately after terminating them. Using one of the new GLP-1 medications to control my weight (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound) was far more successful at keeping my weight, blood sugar and cholesterol levels down successfully, all in one, without significant side effects.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 10:51 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I did try statins when my cholesterol was high these past few years, and while they did lower cholesterol levels, I had very severe issues with myalgia (severe muscle pain, especially in my forearms) across multiple statins that ceased immediately after terminating them. Using one of the new GLP-1 medications to control my weight (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound) was far more successful at keeping my weight, blood sugar and cholesterol levels down successfully, all in one, without significant side effects.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 10:51 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I EAT TAPAS, though I don't doubt your experience at all, lots of skinny people have high cholesterol levels, due to genetics. My dad had it, though he was a skinny and ultra fit soldier. My BIL had it, though he was also a fit and skinny soldier, but he has reversed it entirely through a change in diet. I am so proud of him.
posted by mumimor at 10:56 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by mumimor at 10:56 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
One thing to mention is Niacin. I use this low-flush, time release one to avoid the benign but unpleasant flush effect. It's an effective and well studied supplement.
But also, yes on more fiber and less dairy and red meat.
posted by pyro979 at 11:01 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
But also, yes on more fiber and less dairy and red meat.
posted by pyro979 at 11:01 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I EAT TAPAS, though I don't doubt your experience at all, lots of skinny people have high cholesterol levels, due to genetics.
I don't deny that in the slightest, I just wanted to add my experience to the discussion. (I've struggled with my weight my entire life, so I want to be clear mine wasn't a "just lose weight" kind of message. But there has certainly been a strong correlation.)
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:05 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
I don't deny that in the slightest, I just wanted to add my experience to the discussion. (I've struggled with my weight my entire life, so I want to be clear mine wasn't a "just lose weight" kind of message. But there has certainly been a strong correlation.)
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:05 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]
Also got diagnosed with high cholesterol in my late '30s, and actually at a point where I was probably the most physically fit I've ever been. My cholesterol remains higher than "normal" but because I was able to reduce it to the threshold the cardiologist specified, my doctor hasn't pushed me to get onto statins, which was originally the thing they said I had to do (their first and only recommendation - I had to do all my own research for alternatives). I suppose that eventually they will push statins again because I don't think I can lower it any more on my own, and as I age the risk gets higher. But at least for now I don't have to take statins. I know they are supposed to be very safe, but there are many reasons a person in their 30s, especially in the US, might not want to start taking a medicine that they will have to be on for the rest of their life.
Number one thing I did: Increase fiber. I used to eat semi-paleo - mostly meat/fish and veggies, very low carb, but with some dairy (cream in my coffee every day) and cheese. I now try to get beans into most of my meals, and I added back whole grains like oats and brown rice. Mumimor is right that avocados have a ton of fiber - also pears! I put chia seeds in my oatmeal every morning, as they are also a fiber bomb. Crispy chickpeas or other crispy beans are a nice snack, and hummus is easy to make if you have a food processor.
A naturopath also had me taking niacin daily, which I do think helped with the quick result in my bloodwork. But I didn't keep it up because it gave me painful hot flushes.
Things that were hard for me about the transition: Getting over some food-control/"rules" issues I had (borderline eating disorder maybe), getting the balance of foods right so that I was eating the right amount of food and not feeling full all the time (beans are filling!), learning new ways of cooking to incorporate the new requirements. Things that helped: Meal planning for the week ahead so I always knew how I was getting my fiber in, trying new websites and cookbooks and being more organized about tracking the recipes I liked, listening to the Maintenance Phase podcast to help break down the ideology of "clean eating," and for a while, I counted fiber grams to make sure I was hitting the target. Now I don't bother with that anymore because it's onerous and a bit triggering and I think I've done all right with incorporating the changes enough that they stuck. This transition took me at least 2 years, though my bloodwork changed to meet the cardiologist's threshold in, I think, about 6 months.
posted by TimidFooting at 11:12 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Number one thing I did: Increase fiber. I used to eat semi-paleo - mostly meat/fish and veggies, very low carb, but with some dairy (cream in my coffee every day) and cheese. I now try to get beans into most of my meals, and I added back whole grains like oats and brown rice. Mumimor is right that avocados have a ton of fiber - also pears! I put chia seeds in my oatmeal every morning, as they are also a fiber bomb. Crispy chickpeas or other crispy beans are a nice snack, and hummus is easy to make if you have a food processor.
A naturopath also had me taking niacin daily, which I do think helped with the quick result in my bloodwork. But I didn't keep it up because it gave me painful hot flushes.
Things that were hard for me about the transition: Getting over some food-control/"rules" issues I had (borderline eating disorder maybe), getting the balance of foods right so that I was eating the right amount of food and not feeling full all the time (beans are filling!), learning new ways of cooking to incorporate the new requirements. Things that helped: Meal planning for the week ahead so I always knew how I was getting my fiber in, trying new websites and cookbooks and being more organized about tracking the recipes I liked, listening to the Maintenance Phase podcast to help break down the ideology of "clean eating," and for a while, I counted fiber grams to make sure I was hitting the target. Now I don't bother with that anymore because it's onerous and a bit triggering and I think I've done all right with incorporating the changes enough that they stuck. This transition took me at least 2 years, though my bloodwork changed to meet the cardiologist's threshold in, I think, about 6 months.
posted by TimidFooting at 11:12 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Exercise often works; it helped me. But if you exercise more and it doesn't help your cholesterol much, you'll still have greatly improved your health on many other dimensions.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:33 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:33 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Rosuvastatin, 5 mg/day. My cholesterol *plunged*. I’ll be on it the rest of my life. So what? Better than dying of a heart attack and it keeps me from thinking obsessively about food, which I am prone to do.
posted by Vatnesine at 11:49 AM on January 7 [10 favorites]
posted by Vatnesine at 11:49 AM on January 7 [10 favorites]
GLP-1 meds also dropped my cholesterol numbers like a stone. Mine weren't quite to the point where my doc was concerned, and the HDL:LDL ratio was very good, so I wasn't in line for statins yet. Nonetheless, they all plummeted with the weight under GLP-1 control.
posted by Dashy at 11:55 AM on January 7
posted by Dashy at 11:55 AM on January 7
Also want to recommend Portfolio diet, which is definitely evidence-based, and which importantly doesn't require you to do All The Things - you can follow part of it and get part of the benefit.
My personal experience last year was following a regime of porridge every morning, legumes every day, some nuts, lots of fresh veg and fruit, fish weekly and keeping red meat to once a week or less. Essentially a Mediterranean diet but making sure to tick the boxes of high fibre and nuts and adding vegan protein like tofu and tempeh. In recent years I never have eaten much butter and regard it as a treat not a regular cooking fat so it wasn't a change to mostly cook with olive oil. I heard about the portfolio diet later last year, went to check it out, and discovered it was more or less exactly what I had been doing (except for the plant-sterol fortified margarine).
Coupled with modest weight loss, over the course of a year this was good for taking LDL from 127 mg/dl down to 104, and also giving me the lowest blood pressure reading I've had in the last 25 years. I'm 53. I used Macrofactor app to track my food cause of the weight loss part, so I can tell you that I am eating 40g or more of fiber every day.
For what it's worth, my dad had familial hypercholesterolaemia (I don't, I got Mum's genes) with enormously high LDL and spent decades on statins from his 50s onwards. They worked marvellously well. It's good to see what you can do on your own, and that's the route I've chosen, but it could be you're going to take statins and that's ok.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:15 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
My personal experience last year was following a regime of porridge every morning, legumes every day, some nuts, lots of fresh veg and fruit, fish weekly and keeping red meat to once a week or less. Essentially a Mediterranean diet but making sure to tick the boxes of high fibre and nuts and adding vegan protein like tofu and tempeh. In recent years I never have eaten much butter and regard it as a treat not a regular cooking fat so it wasn't a change to mostly cook with olive oil. I heard about the portfolio diet later last year, went to check it out, and discovered it was more or less exactly what I had been doing (except for the plant-sterol fortified margarine).
Coupled with modest weight loss, over the course of a year this was good for taking LDL from 127 mg/dl down to 104, and also giving me the lowest blood pressure reading I've had in the last 25 years. I'm 53. I used Macrofactor app to track my food cause of the weight loss part, so I can tell you that I am eating 40g or more of fiber every day.
For what it's worth, my dad had familial hypercholesterolaemia (I don't, I got Mum's genes) with enormously high LDL and spent decades on statins from his 50s onwards. They worked marvellously well. It's good to see what you can do on your own, and that's the route I've chosen, but it could be you're going to take statins and that's ok.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:15 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
re: be afraid of statins
I wish I hadn't been afraid. Around forty I found out my cholesterol was very high. I ignored Dr's directives to take a high-dose statin (I had concerns, later found to be valid, around a particular side effect). Five years later I had a heart attack, after which I:
Dropped dairy
Dropped beef and pork
Greatly minimized sugar
Minimized then dropped alcohol
Now I take a low-dose statin daily along with a monthly injection of Repatha. My cardiologist believe the combination of the two is important. My LDL is now laughably low, and I'm about 20 lbs lower than before (actually had dropped 30 pounds initially, thanks to the above).
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 12:45 PM on January 7 [7 favorites]
I wish I hadn't been afraid. Around forty I found out my cholesterol was very high. I ignored Dr's directives to take a high-dose statin (I had concerns, later found to be valid, around a particular side effect). Five years later I had a heart attack, after which I:
Dropped dairy
Dropped beef and pork
Greatly minimized sugar
Minimized then dropped alcohol
Now I take a low-dose statin daily along with a monthly injection of Repatha. My cardiologist believe the combination of the two is important. My LDL is now laughably low, and I'm about 20 lbs lower than before (actually had dropped 30 pounds initially, thanks to the above).
posted by jerome powell buys his sweatbands in bulk only at 12:45 PM on January 7 [7 favorites]
Best answer: I second getting more exercise!!
Also, I want to say this: I wish you continued luck on your pregnancy journey! There are so many factors related to fertility, some known and some unknown; wanting to be healthier is always good but we should not blame ourselves for the struggles either! Hearing people's stories and then thinking, "If only I had cut out this" or "If only I had added that" can be a slippery slope into self-blame surrounding a situation that we actually have very little control over. <3
posted by smorgasbord at 1:20 PM on January 7 [4 favorites]
Also, I want to say this: I wish you continued luck on your pregnancy journey! There are so many factors related to fertility, some known and some unknown; wanting to be healthier is always good but we should not blame ourselves for the struggles either! Hearing people's stories and then thinking, "If only I had cut out this" or "If only I had added that" can be a slippery slope into self-blame surrounding a situation that we actually have very little control over. <3
posted by smorgasbord at 1:20 PM on January 7 [4 favorites]
I stopped eating yogurt for breakfast every day and that alone dropped mine by so much, my doctor was shocked and imagined I must have embarked on some kind of real diet kick.
posted by AnnaRat at 1:31 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
posted by AnnaRat at 1:31 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Soluble fibre is good. My understanding of soluble fibre is that in binds with the bad cholesterol in your stomach and intestines and keeps you from absorbing it into your blood stream. A lot of foods, like carrots and apples are described as being high in soluble fibre, but the soluble fibre is largely in the peel. So peeling an apple and eating it is not going to be a big help, but eating one apple a day, skin and all was as effective as taking a statin drug to lower your cholesterol, in one study I found while researching a cholesterol lowering diet.
I like homemade soups - I throw in a handful of split peas into the water with a chopped up onion and some soup bones to start the soup; Veggies like carrots go in without being peeled. By the time it's turned into a bowl of soup the split peas are so well cooked you can't tell that I put peas in, but the soup is a little thicker and more robust.
I try to eat soluble fibre food with food that has high cholesterol. So pork goes with black beans - the solube fibre in the beans makes the economical cut of cheap pork not nearly so bad for my cholesterol numbers.
Another thing I like are potato skins - bake the potatoes in their jackets until they are somewhat overcooked and the skins are getting crisp, scoop out the outsides... and then eat the crunchy potato jacket. They make a nice last snack of the day. You can salt them and add garlic and such to give them more variety. The scooped out insides can be saved for another meal.
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:28 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I like homemade soups - I throw in a handful of split peas into the water with a chopped up onion and some soup bones to start the soup; Veggies like carrots go in without being peeled. By the time it's turned into a bowl of soup the split peas are so well cooked you can't tell that I put peas in, but the soup is a little thicker and more robust.
I try to eat soluble fibre food with food that has high cholesterol. So pork goes with black beans - the solube fibre in the beans makes the economical cut of cheap pork not nearly so bad for my cholesterol numbers.
Another thing I like are potato skins - bake the potatoes in their jackets until they are somewhat overcooked and the skins are getting crisp, scoop out the outsides... and then eat the crunchy potato jacket. They make a nice last snack of the day. You can salt them and add garlic and such to give them more variety. The scooped out insides can be saved for another meal.
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:28 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Jane the Brown: my understanding is that soluble fibre binds with the bile your body secretes to emulsify fats so they can be absorbed in your small intestine, and stops the bile being reabsorbed in the large intestine, and then you excrete the fibre and the bile. Bile is made from cholesterol, so your body has to make more to replace the bile lost to fibre this way, and that's how it lowers your circulating cholesterol. So it's not that fibre is binding to the fat in the pork, but it's stopping the cholesterol-based bile from being recycled. Here is a paper with lead author David Jenkins, the Portfolio diet guy, talking about this mechanism. I think there are other proposed mechanisms but this is the likely one. (I am not an expert in any way, just been reading a lot about this recently because i wanted to understand how it worked).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:29 PM on January 7
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:29 PM on January 7
After a couple of years of bad lifestyle and high test results my husband brought his down 50+ pts in 2 months. Swapped to a mostly vegan diet (nonvegan for special events) and psyllium supplements. The caveat is his mother did the same years ago so we knew it was possible for him. He was raised vegan so this wasn't a difficult change.
Get a heart scan, too. It was added relief to know at 47 he does not yet have occlusions.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 3:58 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Get a heart scan, too. It was added relief to know at 47 he does not yet have occlusions.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 3:58 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
My cholesterol was elevated and I lowered it over about a year with three small lifestyle changes:
1. diet: oatmeal for breakfast and I added oat bran as well; not much takeaway or processed foods and I increased my vegetable and fruit intake (2-3 vegetables with every meal).
2. exercise: cycling or walking or swimming most days of the week - consistency was the new piece here.
3. stress reduction: stepped away from a few challenging/stressful people and situations in my life, did a bit of mindfulness meditation, and definitely can *feel* that my stress is now lower.
Side note: I didn't lose weight - in fact I gained a few pounds over the year that I started doing these things - so my cholesterol results are independent of weight.
posted by lulu68 at 4:20 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
1. diet: oatmeal for breakfast and I added oat bran as well; not much takeaway or processed foods and I increased my vegetable and fruit intake (2-3 vegetables with every meal).
2. exercise: cycling or walking or swimming most days of the week - consistency was the new piece here.
3. stress reduction: stepped away from a few challenging/stressful people and situations in my life, did a bit of mindfulness meditation, and definitely can *feel* that my stress is now lower.
Side note: I didn't lose weight - in fact I gained a few pounds over the year that I started doing these things - so my cholesterol results are independent of weight.
posted by lulu68 at 4:20 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
do indulge when it comes to baked goods, salty snacks, butter, and we eat out more than I would like.
Cut out the butter. Or at least cut way back. My brother-in-law was otherwise healthy, but had very high cholesterol, and has always eaten a TON of butter and baked goods that had butter and all that delicious/bad stuff in them. He scaled waaaaaaay back on both of those two things and, a year later, his cholesterol is now back in the high range of normal, and still trending down.
It's not easy, it takes discipline, but even making that one change could make a huge difference for you. Add in 30 min of exercise every day, and you'll see changes start to happen fairly soon. Good luck!
posted by pdb at 4:44 PM on January 7
Cut out the butter. Or at least cut way back. My brother-in-law was otherwise healthy, but had very high cholesterol, and has always eaten a TON of butter and baked goods that had butter and all that delicious/bad stuff in them. He scaled waaaaaaay back on both of those two things and, a year later, his cholesterol is now back in the high range of normal, and still trending down.
It's not easy, it takes discipline, but even making that one change could make a huge difference for you. Add in 30 min of exercise every day, and you'll see changes start to happen fairly soon. Good luck!
posted by pdb at 4:44 PM on January 7
I reduced my cholesterol by going vegan with a little flexibility so I could eat out once in a while. I was vegetarian before that. I cut out butter, cheese, and eggs. I switched my yogurt to non-dairy. I ate more fiber-rich foods. I cut out most processed foods. I added quinoa to my bowl of steel-cut oats. I ate more nuts and seeds.
I was also working on lowering my blood pressure so I increased my intake of Omega 3s by eating chia seeds in my whey protein shake. I took fish oil every day. (Carlson's was recommended to me.) I was already going to the gym 4-5 times a week.
My triglycerides went down 50 points and my LDL went down 27 points. My blood pressure also went down into the normal range. I was so happy! I didn't think it could be done but the hard work paid off.
On the other hand, my husband, the omnivore, took a low-dose statin. His numbers are a fair bit better than mine. He also changed his diet. (We share dinners but the rest of our meals are usually separate.) He ate chicken or fish but no other meats. He hasn't yet learned to enjoy all the high-fiber foods that I like. He also cut out dairy and eggs. Instead of butter, he puts olive oil on his toast. He loves that!
posted by goodsearch at 8:45 PM on January 7
I was also working on lowering my blood pressure so I increased my intake of Omega 3s by eating chia seeds in my whey protein shake. I took fish oil every day. (Carlson's was recommended to me.) I was already going to the gym 4-5 times a week.
My triglycerides went down 50 points and my LDL went down 27 points. My blood pressure also went down into the normal range. I was so happy! I didn't think it could be done but the hard work paid off.
On the other hand, my husband, the omnivore, took a low-dose statin. His numbers are a fair bit better than mine. He also changed his diet. (We share dinners but the rest of our meals are usually separate.) He ate chicken or fish but no other meats. He hasn't yet learned to enjoy all the high-fiber foods that I like. He also cut out dairy and eggs. Instead of butter, he puts olive oil on his toast. He loves that!
posted by goodsearch at 8:45 PM on January 7
Inspired by Jane the Brown's mention of split peas, I remembered a thing I am just starting to do: here, one can buy split pea granules for instant soup. I have begun to use them as a thickener in sauces and soups instead of a roux (or cream as a thickener). the have all the fiber of whole split peas and none of the fat of a roux, and in a vegetable soup like "cream" of tomato, the taste is good.
posted by mumimor at 11:26 PM on January 7
posted by mumimor at 11:26 PM on January 7
I got spooked at the doctors a year and a half ago when they said I had cholesterol that was skewing toward High but not quite there yet, and it would be wise to make some lifestyle changes. I was coming from being relatively sedentary with the exception of living in a city where I suppose I walk a decent amount out of necessity, but that's it. I also come from a family history of high cholesterol starting in mid-30s.
It pushed me to start running 2-3x a week - just taking a half hour to run a gentle 2-3 miles here and there, not training for a 10k or anything. I figured this still probably wasn't enough, but then at my most recent physical this year my cholesterol was brought down something like 30%, well into the "normal" range. My doctor was thrilled. Everyone's body and genetics are different but that's my anecdote about how exercise really worked for me. I had made no other notable dietary changes.
posted by windbox at 9:58 AM on January 8
It pushed me to start running 2-3x a week - just taking a half hour to run a gentle 2-3 miles here and there, not training for a 10k or anything. I figured this still probably wasn't enough, but then at my most recent physical this year my cholesterol was brought down something like 30%, well into the "normal" range. My doctor was thrilled. Everyone's body and genetics are different but that's my anecdote about how exercise really worked for me. I had made no other notable dietary changes.
posted by windbox at 9:58 AM on January 8
Lots of lifestyle changes recommended here, but yeah, sometimes it's just genetics! If you haven't yet, have your thyroid hormones checked - even subclinical hypothyroidism can drive up your cholesterol numbers.
posted by sk932 at 11:24 AM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by sk932 at 11:24 AM on January 8 [1 favorite]
This was a shock to me but when my spouse was told his levels were slightly elevated, the doctor asked him if he drinks filtered coffee. We both do, but at the time with a reusable metal filter. The doctor said using paper filters can lower cholesterol. There are some studies that show this. Hoping to do some year over year comparison the next time we get checked up.
posted by lolibrarian at 1:34 PM on January 8
posted by lolibrarian at 1:34 PM on January 8
*puts on dietitian hat* so many great answers upthread! I'm personally working hard to get my LDL nudged back down to normal before an upcoming recheck since mine is slowly creeping up. We'll see at said lab draw. In the meantime, I'm back to keeping an as-honest-as-I-can accounting of what I eat so that I'm aware of what my intake is of both things helping and hurting my cholesterol numbers, bumping up my fruit, veg, and/or whole grain intake by one serving at each meal, and trying to get up and move more. All things that had been chucked out of the window this past year because of Reasons.
This same topic just came up in conversation last night at a local dietitians+ networking hangout. Two other things I haven't seen mentioned yet but which are also contributors are stress and sleep. Sleeping is more important than a lot of us realize for helping regulate many metabolic and hormonal pathways, which ultimately have an impact on our "key" lab values (ex: glucose, GFR, lipids). Same with stress/illness.
I don't have a quick fix answer for stress or sleep (still working on those myself), but I suspect folks have asked about that here before and there will be pages of answers, and you might find some strategies that really resonate.
To echo some sentiments above, I'm Team "Do What Works Best for You": if a lifestyle or diet change approach either isn't sustainable or just plain doesn't do what your biochemistry needs it to do, there are some great, established medical/pharmacological interventions out there that in all seriousness save lives.
posted by OhHaieThere at 6:27 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
This same topic just came up in conversation last night at a local dietitians+ networking hangout. Two other things I haven't seen mentioned yet but which are also contributors are stress and sleep. Sleeping is more important than a lot of us realize for helping regulate many metabolic and hormonal pathways, which ultimately have an impact on our "key" lab values (ex: glucose, GFR, lipids). Same with stress/illness.
I don't have a quick fix answer for stress or sleep (still working on those myself), but I suspect folks have asked about that here before and there will be pages of answers, and you might find some strategies that really resonate.
To echo some sentiments above, I'm Team "Do What Works Best for You": if a lifestyle or diet change approach either isn't sustainable or just plain doesn't do what your biochemistry needs it to do, there are some great, established medical/pharmacological interventions out there that in all seriousness save lives.
posted by OhHaieThere at 6:27 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all so much for sharing your personal experiences and making me feel less anxious about this! Special thanks to smorgasbord for the fertility comment. I feel that particular anxiety deeply.
Thyroid is normal (just checked as I’ve had thyroiditis in the past). And had an echo last week (this blood test was part of my heart checkup due to occasional but sometimes awful palpitations) which was fine as well.
Thank you all again!
posted by sucre at 4:35 PM on January 9
Thyroid is normal (just checked as I’ve had thyroiditis in the past). And had an echo last week (this blood test was part of my heart checkup due to occasional but sometimes awful palpitations) which was fine as well.
Thank you all again!
posted by sucre at 4:35 PM on January 9
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posted by tofu_crouton at 9:36 AM on January 7 [3 favorites]