high cholesterol!!! what should i snack on?

[10-98]

so, i have a clean bill of health except my chol. level is a few points high. doc tells me to cut out the fatty foods and to lose a few pounds. i can deal with the extra exercise and not going to fast food joints anymore, but im a habitual snacker. no chips, no soda, no sweets... im gonna go mad. i can only eat so many carrot/celery sticks before i flip out and hurt someone.

[txinvestigator1]

Actually too many carbs can also cause your body to produce too manys cholestoral too.

[Delta_V]

What is high? Total, HDL, LDL, or triglycerides?

Cut out saturated and trans fats (new research is saying that they're worse than saturated fats) as much as you can, and eat foods that are cooked in olive oil. Fish is also a good idea, since it contains Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s and monounsaturated fats will raise your HDL (good) and lowere your LDL (bad) levels. Just look to eat a well balanced diet with as little junk as possible. Exercise should help lower your numbers as well.

IIRC, you are pretty young. Does high cholesterol run in your family? There are some people out there who are very fit and eat well and STILL have cholesterol levels that are unhealthy. They have to control it with medication such as Lipitor. I just wondered because it is somewhat unusual for young people without any genetic predisposition for high colesterol to have high cholesterol unless they are just in terrible shape and have a horrible diet.

Anyway, you asked what to snack on. Eating foods that are high in carbs won't fill you up and will only leave you hungrier in an hour or two. It's best to eat protein rich foods when you snack, but you also should consume fruits and vegetables. Eating celery and carrots isn't bad if you dip them in a little peanut butter (just don't use too much). Peanut butter does have fat in it, but it is rich in the monounsaturated kind that raises HDL and lowers LDL. Nuts such as almonds also do the same thing. Trail mix is a good snack. Just AVOID anything that is fried or contains hydrogenated/partially hydroginated oils. Drink diet sodas or water. You can flavor water with lemon or other fruits to give it some taste.

As for mealtime, throw away any crisco or vegetable oil spreads (such as country crock) that you have. You should replace them with olive oil, and do all your cooking with it or canola oil. I hope that you like fish, because it is excellent for you if you have high cholesterol. Replace beef with turkey or game if at all possible. Turkey and game meats such as venison have less cholesterol than beef, pork, or even chicken. There's also no reason to give up fast food completely. Go to the websites of the fast food establishments that you like and look at the nutritional information. Write down a few things (some places will have only ONE thing) from their menu that are low in fat, cholesterol, and total calories. Eat those things when you go to the restaurants.

Also, I would suggest getting a subscription to a magazine such as Men's Health or Men's Fitness. They are normally full of healthy meal and snack ideas, plus contain good information about exercise and new health studies. There are also many 'heart healthy' cookbooks out there that contain very tasty recipes.

[ 11-21-2002, 01:05 AM: Message edited by: PatrickM98 ]

[10-98]

my total cholesterol is high, i am in my mid 20s, dont really have much of a history of high chol in my family.

venison isnt readily availble in my area, but i think i can find a few butchers that have goat. i hear goat meat really stinks when it cooks. bleh!

ive been loading up on tuna salad (with boiled egg whites and miracle whip) but i think ill get tired of that soon. i guess i throw in a few PB&J sandwiches now and then.

[10-98]

btw, is margarine (in the tub) worth considering as a replacement for butter, or should i give up my toast altogether?

[Delta_V]

I've never had goat before, I don't know the nutritional content of it. If you're in NYC I'm sure you can find a butcher that carries some sort of venison, elk, bison, etc.

Just use jelly on your toast (hopefully that's a whole-wheat piece of bread ) . Margarine is made from hydroginated vegetable oil, which recent studies are saying is actually WORSE for you than butter. Margarine is almost 100% trans fat. If you MUST chose between one or the other, go with light butter or real butter. It's better for you than the margarine. Olive oil is probably the best choice though. If you're looking for something to spread on bread, you can put a little of it in a saucer, put some pepper and herbs in it, and dip the bread in the olive oil.

As for the canned tuna, there are many ways to serve it. I like to mix a can with a tablespoon or so of light mayo and some salsa and then put it in soft tortillas. Easy tuna tacos.

My biggest suggestion would be to READ THE LABELS at the grocery store. Look for low and reduced fat items, but make sure that they haven't just taken out some fat and added a ton of sugar. Also, avoid anything with much hydroginated or partially hydroginated oil in it. Food manufacturers aren't required to list trans fats yet, so you have to watch for it in the ingredients.

[ 11-21-2002, 01:31 AM: Message edited by: PatrickM98 ]

[10-98]

this is NYC, "toast" means toasted bagel. whole wheat bagels usually taste like cardboard last time i checked, dunkin sonuts had a pretty good low fat blueberry muffin.

[jellybean40]

Another good thing to spread on toast or muffins is lite cream cheese. i'm not sure how much cholestrol it has, but you only need a small amount to give it good taste. most health experts will tell you to avoid most "fat free" products (such as those that normally contain fat, but have a fat free version also). they are usually so artificial and loaded with sugars and chemicals. try the "lite" versions and read the labels.

i had to see a nutritionist when i had gall bladder problems and was very limited with what i could eat. i learned alot, especially about the myths people believe when it comes to eating. good luck with your healthy changes.

[RachelR]

Don't eat margerine.. They contain the trans-hydrogenated fats that Patrick referred to. Pure butter is actually better for you. It costs a bit more but is far healthier than margerine.

As for snacks.. do you like pork rinds? I have always HATED them and I still hate the original and BBQ pork rinds but I have found that I simply adore the salt & vinegar pork rinds after I switched to a low-carb lifestyle. You can also eat pork rinds with salsa and they taste almost like nachos.

edit: duh, Patrick already said that! I should read the entire thread before I reply....

[ 11-21-2002, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: RachelR ]

[nickg]

hey according to those tv commercials (and they are NEVER wrong) just eating a bowl of quaker oats every day will lower your cholesterol in month.

yeah....and if i crack open a can of coors light i will be surrounded by babes in bikinis!!!!!


[ 11-21-2002, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: nickg ]

[10-98]

98 is now on the subway diet

[werebear]

quote:

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Originally posted by nickg:
[QB]hey according to those tv commercials (and they are NEVER wrong) just eating a bowl of quaker oats every day will lower your cholesterol in month.QB]

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What they don't tell you is that you must eat 300 cals a day of oatmeal (1cup of uncooked oats) to have an effect on your cholestoral levels.

I read an article that said a teaspoon of psyllium a day will have the same effect of lowering cholestoral. The only side effect is that you poop more. FWIW.

Edit - here's a link and I guess make that two teaspoons a day:
http://www.anderson.org/recently/cholandpsyllium_abstract.html

[ 11-21-2002, 04:53 PM: Message edited by: werebear ]

[RachelR]

Throw away the bread and the Subway diet might work...

[jellybean40]

quote:

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Originally posted by RachelR:

As for snacks.. do you like pork rinds?

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are they low-cholesterol? deep-fried pigskin??

[RachelR]

Actually, contrary to popular belief, pork rinds are considered a low cholesterol food according to FDA standards. They are packed with protein, as much as 70% and contain absolutely zero carbohydrates.