Cooking to bring cholesterol down

chevalier

My dear OH has been told his cholesterol is too high. Thing is I thought we ate pretty healthily already.

We don't have fry ups very often, and I always trim the meat we have to take off the excess fat. I use olive oil to cook with as well.

So does anyone have any tips or recipes to help at all? He is quite resistent to the idea that he has a problem at all in some ways, but would eat pretty much anything in spite of that.

Any help welcome
chev

~Chameleon~

Contrary to popular belief, it's not the dietary fat that actually raises bad (LDL) cholesterol levels. Making lifestyle changes is also very important so....

- giving up smoking,
- increasing daily exercise (walking 30mins a day minimum),
- losing weight,
- reducing sugar intake (so cutting out processed foods),
- eating "good fats" such as oily fish, nuts, avocados, whole dairy, butter (yes, butter is better ) olive oil is ok for dressings and groundnut oil for cooking otherwise avoid all other oils/fats such as margarine, "healthy spreads", vegetable oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil etc.

...are all very important, although obviously may not all be applicable in your husband's case. Alcohol is ok in moderation and can actually help to boost good (HDL) cholesterol too which will bring down the bad levels. And ensuring adequate omega 3 and B vitamins either in diet or as a supplement.

hoglet121

My DH was the same...

We ate well but fairly healthily so we thought one or 2 changes would make an impact.... 3 years later it took a major lifestyle change to start to have an impact on the cholesterol - sorry but a few small changes really wont do it.

He thought it wasn't really a problem too, and ignored it for a long time. A different doctor laid the situation out in black and white and it was the motivation he needed to really make a difference to his lifestyle.

He has lost a lot of weight, given up smoking, reduced alcohol, exercising everyday, eating mostly fruit and veg with a little bit of lean protein, reducing bad carbs, no takeaways at all... and now his cholesterol is much better and the doctor is considering reducing his medication. It has been absolutely worthwhile, and better for both of us as I have changed my lifestyle with him. We are the fittest we've been in years and feeling tons better too, but it's a lot of hard work, not just changing a couple of things in the diet.

As for recipe ideas.

grilled chicken breast, small bit of boiled potato, and salad or plain green veg
low fat and homemade chicken or veg curry, chicken or veg tagine, chicken chasseur... lots of chicken or veg in tomato based sauces. Grilled fish and veg or salad is a weekend treat, and a treat about once a month is a really nice steak. Sounds incredibly boring but we've really enjoyed the feeling we get from eating good wholesome food.

Lunches are vegetable based homemade soups. Salsa soup with kidney beans is yum.

Breakfasts - porridge is fantastic for reducing cholesterol, just watch what additions you put with it - fruit good, syrups bad.

Knowing that we would crave something sweet once in a while we buy a bag of individually wrapped chocolates and a couple of times a week we have one each. Some degree of self control is required here tho!

dandy-candy

Did the doctor tell him he had high cholesterol or was it a pharmacy/home testing kit? I ask because there are two types of high cholesterol - one bought on by bad habits and one that is inherited (FH).
My DH has the FH type and although being as healthy as possible is still important, diet changes won't make much of a change for him.

MandM90

Most high cholesterol foods are in animal products. To bring it down I'd have a few vegan/veggie meals a week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cholesterol_in_foods

~Chameleon~

MandM90 wrote: »

Most high cholesterol foods are in animal products. To bring it down I'd have a few vegan/veggie meals a week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cholesterol_in_foods

But foods high in cholesterol are not entirely responsible for high LDL cholesterol blood levels. The major risk factors are:

• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher or on blood pressure medication)
• Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL)*
• Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65)
• Age (men 45 years or older; women 55 years or older)

Hence why a complete lifestyle change is needed rather than just changing what you eat. Lack of exercise is probably one of the main causes, coupled with obesity.

Memory_Girl

Chev - my mate Sugah (the Diva Drag Queen Sports nutritionist) suggests you google a Doctor called Dr McDougall.

He is the author of the Starch Solution - and there are loads of vids on youtubey.

Sugah says that "Blokes like bulk" and Dr McD believes in piling your plate high and eating till you are full.

Think I might take a shufty myself.

MG

~Chameleon~

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Chev - my mate Sugah (the Diva Drag Queen Sports nutritionist) suggests you google a Doctor called Dr McDougall.

He is the author of the Starch Solution - and there are loads of vids on youtubey.

Sugah says that "Blokes like bulk" and Dr McD believes in piling your plate high and eating till you are full.

Think I might take a shufty myself.

MG

Really??? :rotfl:

poohbear59

My father had high cholesterol and brought it down by eating oat bran. I use it in pasta sauces and shepherds pie and other things to keep my men healthy. My men are DH and 3 adult sons.

dad also ate oat bran muffins etc. I had a great book which I loaned to a friend and never saw again so can't tell you the name of it.

MandM90

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

But foods high in cholesterol are not entirely responsible for high LDL cholesterol blood levels. The major risk factors are:

• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher or on blood pressure medication)
• Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL)*
• Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65)
• Age (men 45 years or older; women 55 years or older)

Hence why a complete lifestyle change is needed rather than just changing what you eat. Lack of exercise is probably one of the main causes, coupled with obesity.

I'd still suggest more vegan meals! My mum does five nights a week and went from size 22 to 12 and has been taken off her diabetic medication. Filling up on fresh veggies is underrated. I'm not vegan (anymore) but do believe eating more plant based foods is a very straightforward way of improving ones diet (and helps me stay slim on the cheap, even with all the flaxseed and avocados)

Memory_Girl

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Really??? :rotfl:

Yup!!! Sugah used to star in a West End Show I was a Stage Manager of ............. she has since hung up her high heels and retrained as a Sports Nutritionist .............. seriously!! You COULDN'T make that up!!
:D

MG