Hi, I am Miriade. I am having problems with high cholesterol, even with HDL very good. Need to stabilize.

[Miriade]

Hello community, I have Multiple Sclerosis and take Aubagio, felling better. But I am not making regular meal for myself, most the time blender, and a lot of peanuts, butter and chocolate. All bad fat. I would like some incentive in preparation of fast,not expensive, nutritional food for myself. I made blender with spinach,beets, garlic, protein powder could be whey isolated ptn, or pea ptn or soy ptn, veggie with cauliflower, brócoli and blueberry in Almond milk adding also Hemp seeds. Drinking Alkaline water, not variety or energy to make better variety,etc. I would like help with fast meal, and more blender nutritional for the day. I also love cheese, another fat eating now mozzarella instead swiss cheese. Many fat in my snacks.

[andyswarbs]

Hi Miriade , the good news is you have identified a major problem. The more you move towards a whole-food plant based diet the more not only will your cholesterol not just stabilise but also improve.

I would recommend you drop the protein powders immediately. Even body builders don't need them. They just lead to a shorter life, imo. If you want proof of this look at Dr Nick Gelgado on youtube. He eats nothing but plant food is one of the most physically active & strongest men on the planet. Try this video as a starter, youtube.com/watch?v=2eNVN4U...(Not working as expected?) perhaps.

From the foods you describe you seem to have a serious addiction to fats. So reduction is not going to be easy. I think you will need help to address that addiction. For that i would recommend Chef AJ. chefajwebsite.com/ultimate-.... She has a wealth of videos on youtube that can help you find easy to prepare meals, some of which are juicing. The great news if you follow her ideas is you will have no limitations on the amount of food you can eat.

Finally I cannot recommend highly enough a very entertaining talk TedX talk by Dr Doug Lisle. youtube.com/watch?v=jX2btaD...(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden in reply to andyswarbs]

Totally agree on the protein powder! I am a borderline athlete who trains 3-4 times a week and I only have protein powder if my muscles are very achey (once a month). Even under a normal workout, the human body can get enough protein through a plant based diet. Meat eaters and vegetarians get more so they have less excuse than a vegan to supplement, unless they are a competition body builder or something. Supplementation is unnecessary in most cases.

[Miriade in reply to Hidden]

Im going to cut drastically my protein powder.I use whey isolated protein powder 26 g , or pea protein20g or soy protein instead eating real food. Times to switch to real food and veggies

Thank you

Happy New Year.

[Miriade in reply to andyswarbs]

Thank you, I finished watching the video now, very good to refresh and recycle my mind. You are all right! Going to see next web later

Great information you gave to me

Happy New Year!

[Hidden]

I’m with Andy, you need to give up cheese and whey and milk and butter and anything from an animal. They are bad for you. There is this thing called Veganuary. Have you heard of it? It’s when people commit to going on a ‘vegan diet’ for a month. Here’s a link with more info. veganuary.com

Give it a go for the month of January and see how it goes. i was like you before, eating lots of cheese and other bad stuff. Since I gave up my cholesterol has gone down. I’m slimmer and fitter than I’ve ever been!

[Miriade in reply to Hidden]

Thank tou for also agree with them with my bad habit and substitute food for protein powder, seems toxic for me. I do not drink milk,only almond of coconut

The one I know it will be difficult to stop is my delicious cheese(just saying delicious is a vicious sign). My PCP is worry about my high cholesterol

And its related to bad nutritional.

Thank you very much, Im going to watch your web in few minutes.

[Hidden in reply to Miriade]

Cheese has something called casein. It is said to be more addictive than heroin. It certainly took me several months of detoxing to fully wean myself off from it and milk. Don’t give up and find a new vice to help you in the meanwhile. Eg stevia chocolate or something else you like that doesn’t have any bad things in it. Good luck.

[Miriade in reply to Hidden]

You are right, I cravy for cheese. Seems like it will need more efforts to cut the addiction to cheese. Thank you.

[Hidden in reply to Miriade]

Good luck. It is difficult to get off it and stay off it but once you’re off it’s amazing! Also, consider trying vegan cheeses like cheezely etc. They are dairy free, and you can get them in most health food shops. It may help with the transition. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask 🙏

[Penel in reply to Miriade]

Your problem may be lack of calories or lack of sodium. Check what you are eating to make sure you are getting enough.

Stevia may interact with prescribed medication, so be careful if you are thinking of using it.

[Miriade in reply to Penel]

Hi, lack of calories for sure, because I do not eat frequently until I remember when my body is going down, time to get food asap. Im doing this for over 2years. Too bad, and restrict carbs, this is why I am "attack fat instead

Thank you for the great information

My last glucose test was too low.

[Ktlh in reply to Miriade]

Hello,

Happy New Year! I hope you are well. I just have a few things to say about this addictive cheese claim.

Cheese isn’t said to be more addictive than heroin. Please see the following link:

sciencenews.org/blog/scicur...

This claim came about from a misinterpretation of a scientific study. News articles often deliberately misinterpret scientific studies in order to gain shock value and boost the size of their audience.

Please have a read around a subject before immediately believing what somebody says. This is something we all need to practice more often. I know it means more effort but, believe me, it is worth it. It’s called critical thinking and scientists even have to do this when interpreting each other’s experimental findings. If we have to be careful with interpreting scientific findings, then we DEFINITELY need to be careful interpreting what a news article says or someone on the internet says.

I also don’t think cutting out cheese and animal products from your diet is very helpful advice. If you do wish to do this, you will have to make sure you know what you’re doing as you will need to be more careful about where you get your iron, protein, calcium etc. from.

First it would be best to focus on cutting down little bits at a time if that’s what you wish. Rather than immediately cutting a food group from your diet. The following website gives some good ideas about replacing high fat cheeses with lower fat versions:

rd.com/health/healthy-eatin...

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium which is important for the strength of your bones. You can also get this through small bony fish such as anchovies. There is a wealth on information online but, like I said, be careful where the information comes from and it’s always good to look at multiple sources. It can also be useful to think why someone is writing something. In the care of news articles - they’re writing it to catch your attention and to get views.

I hope this is a little helpful. Best wishes.

[Miriade in reply to Ktlh]

Thank tou for your good advice and links

I am going to look all of them

I believe in what tou said. Happy New Year. You are sincere.

[Hidden]

Hi Miriade,

As you want fast wholesome food made with a blender then soup hits the mark you like some very healthy veg like broccoli, cauliflower and garlic, the advantage of a blender is it does the hard work for you so you don't have to use garlic powder so can use the real thing.

I think that butter in moderation is a healthy natural fat that contains the all important vitamin K2. Especially from grass fed cows. Margarines contain chemicals that our body does not know how to get rid of so these chemicals gradually build up in our bodies. Cheese is also a good source of calcium and again in moderation. I also love cheese and you could make a simple soup and top with grated cheese and a little finely grated garlic. I really like coconut milk in soups and use that a lot for a cream soup.

You also like blueberries and I make my own coconut cream by placing a tin of coconut milk in the fridge then the next day whip it up and what a treat with blueberries I eat it with raspberries a lot.

As you've a blender you can make batches at a time and freeze some for later.

I put a recipe up for banana pancakes made with just 1 banana and 1 egg and these would be lovely with blueberries:

healthunlocked.com/healthye....

Here's a couple of links to healthy recipes and healthy meal ideas:

healthunlocked.com/healthye...

healthunlocked.com/healthye...

And good luck and if you have a specific recipe request then you're in the right place.

Jerry 😊

[BadHare]

Hi Miriade ,

I follow a functional medicine practitioner with regard to healthier eating, though I dip into what he says re choosing foods as he's pro-paleo & I'm vegetarian. He writes a lot re treating autoimmune disorders, & thought this article may be of interest to you: chriskresser.com/treating-m...

I try to stick to a clean food diet of unprocessed wholefoods foods at home, then feel I can be a bit more relaxed if I go out. I aim for having mostly healthy treats as I love fruit, & eat 10-15g of >70% cocoa solids chocolate every day. I avoid unfermented soy as this reduces the production & absorption of thyroid hormones, though I appreciate it can be beneficial to people with good thyroid function. I also avoid foods containing artificial sweeteners that are toxic, including stevia which is chemically processed.

Fats aren't necessarily bad if you choose them carefully. I prefer a high fat, low starch diet which seems to suit my health conditions best. I eat a lot of nuts (mostly walnuts, almonds, brazils ~ never peanuts) & seeds (mostly chia & linseeds). These are all high in good oils & also provide me with a lot of protein & micronutrients such as boron for good bone health. Maybe swap your peanuts for a mix of these, & see how you feel in a few weeks. I also eat organic butter & cheese in moderation, & shop from sources where the cows are grass fed for most of the year. These have some health benefits, unlike processed fats such as sunflower oil & margarine which are detrimental to our gut & general health.

Every day, & drink at least 2 glasses of organic wholemilk kefir for better gut health, B12 & K2, & eat a lot of prebiotic vegetables. In summer I eat a lot of salads with beans or hummous, & swap to vegetable, lentil & bean soups in winter. These are cheap & easy to prepare as I use a hand blender to avoid lengthy chopping, & make enough for several meals. I add nutritional yeast for extra B vitamins & flavour, as well as other seasonings, & sometimes add a sprinkle of cheese.

Most people are magnesium deficient if they do not supplement. This is essential for good nerve function, so may benefit your MS. I use a spray I make myself & use in warmer months, or take chelated magnesium (the most bioavalable form) during the winter. This is also necessary along with vitamins D3, K2, & boron, for ensuring calcium reaches our bones rather than our arteries. Dark chocolate & medjool dates are natural sources that I eat.

Hope that gives you some ideas. Please ask if you want any further information.

Mel

[Miriade]

Thank you very much. I am going to cut my Redskin Peanuts and eat nuts instead, one of the high fat

I take Magnesium Malate, K2, D3, dark chocolate that is good even for headaches (stress).I am not eating vegetables, neither beans, very good source ofprotein The butter is organic( I love butter I buy the one from Ireland). I was substitute carb with fat when feeling hungry. Its time to pay attention in better balance with vegetables and stop soy protein in my rotation. I take kefir but not too much as you, I take together with probiotic pills. Related to cheese, I buy one whole milk from Italy at Costco that I love. Im going to reduce anyway. Im going to prepare my blender soon. Thank again for your time and good advice. I will be in contact soon for more help . Happy New Year!

[BadHare in reply to Miriade]

You're welcome, & good luck with your health!

[Miriade]

I read the site also, very good. Thank you

[Penel]

Perhaps try putting some avocado or porridge oats in your smoothies?

Increasing your fibre intake is recommended to help lower cholesterol levels. You can leave porridge oats to soak in milk overnight, then add berries, seeds or nuts in the morning, no need to cook. You can also use buckwheat groats or chia seeds in a similar manner.

Good luck with improving your health.

[Miriade in reply to Penel]

You are right, I forgot eating avocado and oats

I have to review all my bad habits from past years and half

Thank you.

[Zest]

Hi Miriade ,

Welcome to the Healthy Eating forum.

Zest