Ok, so for about three years my cholesterol has slowly increased. I am a college student so I have alot of trouble eating healthy up here. I have tried eating alot of pasta but it never really fills me up. I love pizza, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, steaks...so basically that's why my cholesterol is high. I have been able to eat whatever I have wanted my entire life. I'm 5'10 160 so weight hasn't been and isn't a problem for me. However, my cholesterol level has reached really harmful levels. My LDL level is a 185 over 100, which is horrible. My total cholesterol is a 265 over 200. Does anyone have any good advice on how to lower my cholesterol? I know all about eating healthier. I have been working on eating more salads for meals and staying away from cheese and mayo on sandwiches. Other than that, I try to exercise a good amount. I will most likely be going on medicine soon if I can't knock off some points within the next few years. Anyhow, any advice would be appreciated.
Try trading your cholesterol to the Grizzlies. (wrong forum) I was in your situation last year, and I was worried because I was regularly exercising and eating generally right. But then I added NUTS to my diet- almonds, pistachios, gabanzo beans, lima beans, anything I could find. Almost every day I would eat this stuff, and I seriously believe that made a huge difference for me. Lots of studies back it up too. My cholesterol is now normal.
Try to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Also try to eat foods that have Omega-3 fatty acids, like grilled salmon. Oatmeal is real good too. Keep exercising as much as possible too.
Eat oatmeal only for breakfast. Top it with fruit like banana, strawberries, blueberries. Don't add sugar to it. Add milk to make easier to swallow.
I have the same issue, although not as young as you. Being so young (you said you were in college), it's probably mostly family history that's doing it. That's what it is for me. So you may not be able to lower it without medication. If mine doesn't go down after recent measures I've taken, I will look long and hard at going on medication. Basically I was already exercising a lot, and eating decent, although I would still eat fast food a couple of times a week and usually something bad at least once on the weekend. Now I've cut out all fast foods basically, and really only have 1 bad meal a week. I also cut out all sodas, and I eat Fiber One every day for breakfast. I also added walnuts to my diet, which are supposed to be really good for cholesterol. Tuna/salmon are supposed to be good too. I had already been taking fish oil supplements.
Be careful before you freak out - even if you fasted for 24 hours before having your lipids tested, the last meal you ate can still influence the outcome of your test. I spent a year thinking I had high cholesterol, then the next test I took showed that it was lower than average for my age - I had eaten a pizza 24 hours prior to the test that mistakenly showed I had high cholesterol. But, if I did actually bring down my cholesterol than I can only credit that to one thing - beer. Lots of beer.
You'd better straighten out your diet now, because in a couple of years, that kind of diet is going to start packing on some weight.
Stop eating out. I know it's hard since you're still in college, but sometimes a radical change is much easier to effect than a slight one. Something I used to do in college was go to my gym and get their meal replacement shakes. I'm now two years out of college, cook all my own meals, and am preparing to run a marathon in May (aiming for 3:30-3:45). I was never an athlete at any level of school but if you just dedicate yourself to change you'd be surprised what you can do.
I had high cholesterol as well. Not nearly as high as yours but high enough to be concerned. The doc said mine would be close to normal for a regular human being but since my family has heart disease running around like a drunken frat boy in it she said I needed to take Lipitor (I am 28 now and have been on it for 2 years). I tried the fish oil, flax seed oil, exercise, and eating right but it was impossible to get it down. 3 months of the lowest dose of Lipitor sent mine from 220 to 140. Since then it has always been in the 160's. I got off it for 6 months wanting to see how my body would react and it shot back up to 200. I asked my doc when I could get off of it permanently and she said we could start to discuss this after I loss 25 lbs. I weigh 180. She said there are a lot of benefits for your heart from the drug that you don't get from the other ones. I don't have the side effects that very few people get so she said I could be on it for life. My father had quadruple bypass and valve replacement and he ate well most of his life, his brother died of a heart attack and he ate well also, his sister has high cholesterol as well. I figure it is better for me to take care of this now rather than deal with it when I have no option but surgery. It is worth looking into.
Positive results from:- Protein Chicken brest, no skin Salmon, canned or fresh poached Vegs at least three a day Fruits at least three a day 1 mega Vitamin a day 1 Fish oil a day 1 piece of dark chocolate a day 2 Activia Yogurt a day NO Beef or Pork Most nutritious foods are peas and sweet potatoes.
