Cholesterol-lowering diet - what foods/supplements are a must, and which to avoid like the plague?

[Fuzzer]

So, I've embarked on my 'lifestyle change' to lose weight, improve the chance of having a healthy heart and reasonable lifespan, and lower cholesterol!

There's plenty of advice on the brilliant Heart UK website, but I just wondered what everyone else here includes/excludes in/from their diet religiously!

Removing from my diet; Alcohol, normal bread, diary products (with the exception of one plant sterol yoghurt per day - looking for a non-dairy alternative, though), prawns, anything fried, chocolate and cakes, fast food.

Adding to my diet; Oats, soya (including soya milk); nuts (walnuts?), fruit and veg, oily fish (mackerel, once every other day), minimum of 2 litres of water per day.

Is there any benefit to me taking soya lecithin tablets?

Also, are there any vitamins or other supplements I should be taking?

Thanks in advance.

[Seahorse]

Hi Fuzzer - Benecol do a soya plant sterol yoghurt drink.

[Hidden]

I have cut out any meat with fat on it, I never eat fast food, no take aways, and if I eat out, I make sure the food is not cooked with cream or butter. In addition, I take a daily drink of kefir which i get from my local Polish shop. I eat lots of veg, pickles, but I must have my occasional fig roll! (which is actually quite low in fat!)

[missrat]

There are some good Alpro soya yoghurts in the supermarket.

[YvonneD]

I am not sure why you want to lower your cholesterol level but one supplement that has worked for me, for twenty years now, is Kyolic. (Available from Health Food Stores)

[wadebridger in reply to YvonneD]

is that Kyolic garlic ?

[Fuzzer]

Thanks, all.

Seahorse, I've looked around for the dairy-free Benecol and can't find it. Do you know which supermarkets stock it?

YvonneD, Just 'Googled' Kyolic and it sounds good, going to order some of the 'Formula 104' and give it a try.

Anything, and I mean ANYTHING apart from statins has got to be worth a try!

[Rueben]

Hi Fuzzer and everyone.

"Anything, and i mean ANYTHING apart from statins has got to be worth a try!" Gawd damn it you can say that again!

I will follow this thread with great interest, as i do all statin threads....damn things.

Thanks again for all the info folks.

[gillyflower88]

Hi everyone, I,m with Rueben. Following threads on statins. Have a chol test coming up, I expect the same conversation with nurse/doctor. I,m 6.9 and a bit overweight, not sporty but not sitting around either. I,m taking omega 3 and altering my eating habits gradually.Any info gratefully read and digested so to speak!!

[patch14 in reply to gillyflower88]

Hi chino, When you get your results after your test get the full picture by asking for your figures. LDL, HDL and Lipids.

[patch14]

Hi Fuzzer, Well done with the start. Remember what I said earlier, don't starve yourself. And why stop alcohol altogether. A small glass of something you enjoy once a week as a treat, is better than banning everything and feeling a martyr!!

[Rueben]

Hi Concerned

"The solution is to eat food and not junk"

I totally agree with you but have a problem integrating this into daily life. My problem is knowing and finding out and hence avoiding junkfood. We all have things that spring to mind when junkfood is mentioned i.e. burgers, chips, bacon, ready meals etc, but when i buy proper food like fruit, vegetables, some meat, fish etc i find the labelling totally ambiguous. There are some foods that we know are bad for us but there is also some good foods that because of there production treatments/methods are bad for us also. Whether you buy food loose or packaged the problem is the same.... traceability of that product back through it's production chain.

Is the only way to find your way through the mass of food out there that is bad for you by living "the good life" and producing all your own food? Personally, i buy all fresh meat, fish, fruit,vegetables etc from sources i think i can trust. I only eat food that is in season in the UK at that time i.e. not strawberries at Xmas as i feel treatments to prolong food etc are not good. Is there a big long list anywhere that actually tells you what is good for you to eat and what is bad? I feel i am going on a bit so i will stop there but would really like to say so much more.

Is corporate profit really the biggest cause of heart disease?

I used to be a livestock farmer so i know some of the things that go on..

Thank you.

[gillyflower88]

Thank you Patch 14 I will do as you suggested

[Fuzzer]

I've been on my 'healthy heart' diet for 2 weeks today, and in addition to actually feeling positive about (finally) doing something about what I eat, I've also lost 11lbs.

I'm genuinely not missing kebabs/beer... yet!

[mags3003]

Following a heart attack I was told to alter my diet and take up excercise, which i have done, but have lost so much weight i am now having to re-think this. Prior to my heart attck I weighed about 9st 2lb, now 12 months later am 7st 6lb, so be aware that this so called healthy living can be as bad. i am now going back to all things in moderation.,

As for the so called healthy foods of pre-revelution!! people then were lucky to live to 50 ! what is healthy about that??

[mags3003]

I don't agree with you here, people died so much earlier then, average live span being 40 ish, so even with all the chemicals ect the average life span nowadays is 80 ish.

We are perhaps misled in thinking that all of us eating healthily ( whatever that is as it changes almost daily depending on what you hear) will be guarranteed good health, some will, some wont.

[getyourjerfon in reply to mags3003]

Remember the saying, " There are lies, damned lies and statistics".

Whilst the AVERAGE lifespan may well have been much shorter in pre-commercial food days, once you discount infant mortality, death in childbirth and war, the AVERAGE lifespan was around 75 years.

[mags3003]

Good for you !

[whitelocke]

But life-spans have increased enormously since the AR. Is that due to medical advances keeping unhealthy folk going much longer or is it diet related? I'd guess it's both.

whitelocke

[kestrel37]

vitiminC

[kestrel37]

vitimin c

[getyourjerfon]

Agree wholeheartedly. The only route to health is to eat healthy foods as nature intended. In season fruits and veg, grass fed meats, pastured eggs, minimally processed fats and above all, avoid all sugar.