(no subject)

[rivka]

curiousangel got blood test results on Thursday, and his cholesterol is sky-high. Our doctor prescribed a statin for him, but we're also researching lifestyle changes. We, because my diet isn't very healthy either, and because I cook for both of us, and because these changes tend to be easier if someone else is going through them with you.

So: exercise. More fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and fish - which comes at an inconvenient time, given that half of the fishes we would normally eat have been banished from my diet because of mercury. (And of the remaining allowable fish, shrimp is high in cholesterol. There goes half our favorite fish dishes. And it's so easy to keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, and thaw a couple of handfuls for dinner. Well. Never mind.) Less red meat, less fast food, less fried food. More grilling and broiling. Strange new products like Benecol.

Fortunately, a lot of my recipes and cooking techniques are already relatively low in fat. And summer is a good time for marinated chicken breasts on the grill, and so forth. And exercise will give both of us more energy, and make us happier. Plus, of course, it would be worth any amount of deprivation and inconvenience to keep curiousangel healthy. We're lucky he has the opportunity to make these changes now, before there's been any serious damage to his health.

Comments

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Good luck with this. I've been trying to change my eating habits a little, too, because I haven't been getting enough of different kinds of foods, and as long as I'm not super-strict with myself ("you MUST have so-and-so many grams of such-and-such EVERY SINGLE DAY or else it's not worth doing at all!"), I've actually found it really easy. Let's hope these changes feel similarly to you guys.

-J

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to change my eating habits a little, too, because I haven't been getting enough of different kinds of foods

Do you really mean to tell me that the gorgonzola diet is not nutritionally complete?!

I know what you mean about the strictness thing. In my own experience, nothing messes up my eating habits more quickly than absolute prohibitions. A deprivation mentality isn't healthy for me.

On the other hand, though, the only thing that really works to get me exercising is to require myself to get some exercise every day, even if it's only fifteen minutes or so. In part, that's a physical thing - my joints stiffen if I don't keep myself moving. But also, my sedentary habits are sooo strong that I'll just make excuse after excuse not to get any physical activity, if I give myself the opportunity.

[iamjw.livejournal.com]

According to my nutritionist, cheese is the worst offender, having something like four times the cholesterol of anything else. Peanuts and peanut butter, otoh, can actually lower cholesterol.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where your nutritionist is getting that - here (http://www.annecollins.com/cholesterol/cholesterol-cheese.htm) are some cholesterol values for cheeses, and here (http://www.annecollins.com/cholesterol/cholesterol-beef.htm), for comparison, is cholesterol values for beef.

Cheese is, however, very high in saturated fat. Fortunately, we don't eat very much of it.

Peanuts are "good fat," along with olive oil, canola oil, oily fish, and avocado. I would think that you'd have to eat the all-natural peanut butter, though, because the shelf-stable stuff has trans fats in it - which are about as bad as you can get.

[barbarakitten-t.livejournal.com]

tc and i both take lipitor...my big problem is fruits and veggies....life changes involving diet are HARD, but i'm sure you guys can do it. exercise (walking is good) is also important.

good luck!!!!!

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the garlic! Mmmmm garlic!

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Stoopid mercury. (pouts)

[fairoriana.livejournal.com]

You might investigate Indian cooking. If you make it yourself, you can control the spiciness. And if you make it with a base of olive oil (instead of, say, vegetable oil) it's really quite good for you. It's high in veggies, tasty, and can be made in bulk and frozen. There's a good easy recipe in my memories.

[selki.livejournal.com]

I like the Take Control cholesterol-lowering butter substitute fairly well, and I've found it in Safeway or Food Lion (I get them mixed up).

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation. I just bought a package of Benecol, which is a similar product, but I haven't tasted it yet. If it's nasty, we'll be looking for alternatives. :-)

[mamatiger.livejournal.com]

I use a margarine called "Smart Balance" which has no trans fats and is calculated to have the "best" balance of omega-3's and omega-6's which is supposed to be beneficial to good cholesterol.

The main thing about cholestrol, I beleive, is that it's bad if it oxidizes -- it plumps up and gets sticky which causes it to build up on artery walls. This is why the fruit/grain/veggie angle is so important, because that's where the antioxidants come from. (I go for green tea and an apple a day.)

And wcg can attest to the fact that hot oat bran cereal is very tasty and dead quick to fix (heat to a boil and cook for 1-1.5 minutes). Add cinnamon and raisins (and/or like me, add 2 tbsp ground flax seeds and 2 tbsp untoasted wheat germ) and you have one or two servings of whole grains to start the day.

(I've tried the steel-cut oats but that ends up too chewy for my tastes.)

[rightprice.livejournal.com]

Random as hell.. but smart balance is awsome. Taste better than true butter sometimes.