Heart Healthy Eating Plan

[labguides]

What advice do you have for a Heart Healthy Eating Plan . I hesitate to use the word, diet, as I want this style of eating to become life-long. My cardio suggested checking the American Heart Assocation's website.

I have 3 months to lower my cholesterol. Total cholesterol is 216, HDL is 43 (should be 46-60), LDL 141 (should be 130).

I am increasing my exercise --swimming, walking and weights. Staying with exercise will not be easy for me -- I tend to get busy and forget to exercise. I also need to change my style of eating.

Friends recommended Cholest Off. It has helped her lower her cholesterol. I have NO idea what is in it.

Any advice?

 

[Karlynn]

Low Carb eating lowered my cholesterol. I like to call it Adaquate Carb eating, because most people consume way too many carbohydrates. There are many different low carb plans, or you can develope your own. Without getting too technical, it all has to do with insulin receptors. The big thing with eating carbohydrates is that they are a quick fuel. If they are burned up shortly after eating they are fine. Your activity level should match the amount of carbohydrates you eat. If carbs don't get burned up, they get stored as fat.

Dana Carpender's book "How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds" is a very good book to learn just how our bodies process carbohydrates and simply explains the science of how this effects our insulin and cholesterol. It also explains several of the low carb eating plans and gives the pros and cons.

Be wary of Low Fat eating, particularly the prepackaged low fat products. Naturaly low fat food is fine. The problem with Low Fat eating is that often times people have to add high carbohydrate ingredients to make up for the flavor that the fat usually provides and they eliminate too much protein because food with fat also usually contains a lot of protein. Or they add a lot of pasta and rice because they know it's low fat and then can't figure out why their cholesterol or weight isn't changing.

I had a friend that did a No White diet. He elimated any thing that was processed flour, pasta, sugars and starches. It worked for him very well.

Even though I low carb, I still eat vegetables, many fruits (I stay away from bananas - very high in sugar) and salads. My blood work has been coming back terrific since I've been doing this. (4 years)

 

[Mary]

I went for low fat 10 years ago. I lost weight on it, and my cholesterol numbers are terrific. My HDL-good cholesterol- is 61 while the LDL is 50.
Besides the total cholesterol number, it's important to look at the ratio of the good cholesterol compared to the bad. Usually the LDL is much higher than the HDL, and a ratio of 2 to 1 is good. My results were reversed with the low fat diet. My ratio is less than 1 to 1.

Exercise is an important part of keeping the HDL high. If you can get regular aerobic exercise 4-5 times a week, you can make your HDL climb while you're lowering the LDL with your "dietary lifestyle" change; whatever it happens to be.
Mary

 

[Bunny_Rabbit]

I've heard that oat bran is excellent for lowering cholesterol. I just sprinkle some on my morning cereal to get my fix.

 

[Abbanabba]

My strategy is to eat as much UNPROCESSED food as I can. The fresher and more natural your food is, the less likely it is to contain extra sugars, fats, flavours, preservatives, etc, etc.

I try to make my own sauces, soups, bread, etc from scratch so I control exactly what I'm eating and try to avoid anything to fatty (I use low-fat natural yoghurt instead of sour cream, for instance) and too many carbs (..only because these tend to bloat me, so I choose corn and rice-based carbs without the gluten and yeast).

It might sound like a lot of work, but with a little planning it's not that hard - and if you make extra stocks and soups you can freeze them for a later date.

Mind you - I also love my treats, so I allow myself one day a week to indulge, or a dinner out with all the trimmings. It's enough to keep the cravings at bay without ruining the "eating plan".

Hope that helps some,
Anna : )