Last week I got the results of my most recent blood tests. Happy birthday to me, my cholesterol is high. Way over 200, where it should be. So, now there are some decisions to make.
Why does this matter?
Maybe because I have nasal polyps and can’t smell and can’t taste anything, I’ve been leaning towards salty, sweet and even sweeter foods. You know, all the stuff that really isn’t too good for me. But, when I did my big food shopping last week, I came away with
- NO cookies
- One crumb cake
- plain Greek yogurts
- salads
- seafood
As I REALLY love all these things, the transition shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Right away, my doctor prescribed a generic Lipitor.
WELL!
Have you ever looked at the side effects of Lipitor? Want to scare yourself worse than the scariest Halloween movie?! Take that stuff!
I don’t think I’m taking any prescription drugs for this!
I don’t want to feel like I have the flu every day, and I wouldn’t be looking forward to bad arm and leg muscle aches, no way! Another wonder side effect is memory loss and confusion. Just what I don’t need. No thanks.
So, I’ll fix it myself
High cholesterol is something you can lower naturally. That’s what I’m doing. I won’t take a drug unless I ABSOLUTELY need it. Because cholesterol in case you don’t know is a “waxy fat-like substance found in all cells of the body”, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Your body needs cholesterol to aid in digestion, but too much is too much. High cholesterol can lead to heart attacks and heart disease. Unfortunately, even young people are gaining too much weight and not only packing on the pounds, but increasing cholesterol levels as well. Anyway you look at it, obesity is bad news.
In the past, when I’ve gotten overweight, I’ve just cut out sweet stuff. I limit myself to one full meal a day and drink water or green tea in-between. I’m not going to exercise like I used to do, but walking is always a good option and just staying active with the hobbies you love!
I’ve NEVER been the type of person who gets all crazy over gluten-free, organic, raw, gmo-free, vegan, 100% natural, eco, or bio, because if you just eat healthy, you’ll be okay! 😉
Foods That Cause High Cholesterol
Muffins: Don’t we all love these? But, depending on how they are made, muffins can be bad for you. Especially the store-bought ones. If you make them at home with organic wheat flour and no additives, they can be healthy eating. Otherwise, watch your muffin intake.
Margarine: when I was young, a new product called margarine came along and everyone swore it was 10 times healthier for you than good ol’ butter. NOT SO. Margarine is usually worse for you than butter. Especially the stick-margarine. Because these contain large amounts of trans fat from partially hydrogenated oils. NOT good.
Microwave Popcorn: Uh-oh! Not that I eat lots of this, but it’s awfully good! If you are going to eat popcorn, make it the unsalted, butter-free version only. You can always drizzle or spray olive oil or parmesan cheese over your popcorn. Yum!
Commercial packaged Goodies: this is my downfall. All those cookies, cakes, and bakery-style breakfast items are KILLERS, literally! In fact, when you food shop, you should shop the perimeters ONLY in the store and stay out of the aisles. Of course, you can get your pet food and personal items, but for the “food” that is there, no-no-no!
Why is this? Cupcakes, muffins, cookies, etc. are all delicious. But, think about it; they sit on the shelves for a long time. In order for them to do that, they have to be loaded with preservatives. All of these products are full of hydrogenated vegetable oils, which fill up your body’s cells with trans fats. There is a crumb cake from a popular manufacturer that is LOADED with cholesterol and saturated fats. Until I looked at the label, I wasn’t aware of how damaging to your body this can be.
Shellfish: Clams, lobster, oysters, shrimp. All VERY high in cholesterol. Once in a blue moon, you can have a few. But, don’t make these a part of your weekly food intake.
Macaroni and Cheese: (!) There, I’ve said it! This is one of America’s favorite comfort foods. Who doesn’t love mac ‘n cheese? It’s the ingredients that when added all together make this dish a high cholesterol nightmare. Use sparingly.
Hamburgers: Love those fast-food hamburgers? They love to add on not only the pounds but the cholesterol. A Big Mac has 85mg of cholesterol and a Classic Double from Wendy’s has 175mg of cholesterol. When you buy hamburgers at the store, READ THE LABELS. Always educate yourself to what it is you are putting in your body. And your kid’s bodies, too!
Fried Chicken: This is bad for you, because of the oils used to fry the chicken. And it’s deep-fried. There are many other ways to prepare chicken in healthier ways. Did you know that fried chicken can be packed with more cholesterol than a hamburger? Now you know!
French Fries: ANOTHER favorite of everyone! And again, it’s the OIL used to process these potatoes which is unhealthy for us. French fries are one of many foods processed with PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS. This type of oil makes foods more stable and able to last a long time on the shelf. (Did I tell you about shelf-life!) BUT, any food made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is high in TRANS FATS. That is what contributes to high cholesterol.
Cream Cheese: Are all my favorites on this list or what?! One ounce of cream cheese can contain 27mg of cholesterol. Not good.
Ice Cream: just a little of America’s favorite snack, can be worse for you than in the cholesterol department than 10 glazed donuts. OMG!
Egg Yolks: Goodbye to those over-easy’s! The good news is that you don’t have to totally avoid egg yolks. Just have them in moderation. You will be okay.
Butter: Doesn’t it seem as if everything goes better with butter? Popcorn, toast, mashed potatoes, pancakes, and on and on. Use butter sparingly or substitute a vegetable oil in its place.
Red Meat: Love your queen cut prime rib? And it’s not just beef. Pork and lamb are also high cholesterol contributors. Substitute chicken, (not fried) and salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and is GOOD FOR YOU.
What Foods Are Good For Reducing High Cholesterol?
High-fiber Foods: oatmeal, apples, pears, kidney beans, prunes.
Omega-3 fatty fish: salmon, herring, albacore tuna, halibut and lake trout.
Go a Little Nutty: Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peas, lentils, peanuts, pine nuts, pecans, and pistachio nuts are all good for you. Plain, and not salted.
Avocados: you can add these to many things you eat, especially salads or sandwiches.
Olive Oil: always a safe bet. Cooking in olive oil is what you should use for chicken or chops. It’s delicious on greens. Olive, canola oils are both monosaturated so they lower LDLs (lower-density lipo-proteins) and raise HDLs. (higher-density lipo-proteins)
Green tea: Always a safe bet for helping to lower your cholesterol.
Plant-Sterol-or-Stanol-Fortified Foods: Certain fruits and vegetables have these plant compounds in them already. Look for yogurt, orange juice, and margarine which is sterol-fortified
Soy: Is completely cholesterol free. Low in saturated fat, you can drink soy milk or eat edamame as a snack. Tofu is another alternative.
Red Wine and Grape Juice: Alcohol raises levels of good HDL by 5 to 15 percent, and red wine is beneficial because of its polyphenol antioxidants which help to lower LDL levels. When buying juice, always pick 100% juice with no additives.
Cocoa: Chocolate IS good for you. But, the bad news is that most chocolate products are filled to the brim with sugar. You can snack on a little piece of dark chocolate, (which is at least 60% cocoa) or use cocoa powder when you make hot chocolate.
Tomatoes: Always a good choice. Enjoy your tomato sauces and drink tomato juice regularly.
Fruits and Vegetables: You can eat all you want. Like I said, use the perimeters of your supermarket to find the BEST foods for lowering cholesterol.
Flour: BUT, it must be unbleached, not bromated, and 100% organic. It may cost a few dollars more, but if you will be doing a lot of your baking, DO IT RIGHT! There is a process to bleaching flour, and I ran across an article not too long ago about it; it was enough to pull my hair out! Trust me, you don’t want bleached flour.
How little we know until we start finding it out for ourselves.
Let’s face it; sometimes you will just eat something fattening. That’s life and unless you are diabetic and can’t eat those things, you and I will occasionally succumb. And that’s okay. What you don’t want to do is to make it a daily habit. Over time, you may discover that you don’t have a yearning for these sweet sweet snacks anymore; it’s just gone away.
Eating healthy is so simple
But, what do you see when you go into your local supermarket? Racks of donuts, cream pies, warm bread just waiting for you, fried chicken you can take home, already prepared shrimp and lobster ready to eat, high-fat, high-cholesterol foods that are not good to eat.
They look so tempting and smell wonderful, but they are not good to eat! So, if you don’t eat healthy now or love picking up all that fast food or processed desserts
Start today. Begin buying vegetables in the produce aisle. Pick up that organic flour and BAKE YOUR OWN cookies, from scratch. Have a variety of foods every week that you feed your family. Yes all that sweet, sugary, gooey, salty, oh-so-good tasting stuff that you always eat, will always be there.
Google some low-cholesterol recipes today and be on your way to a simpler life by streamlining the foods you eat. After all, nothing but the best is good for you!
Remember, just another way to
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