Questions, questions: To carb or not to carb?

[JanetRosslyn]

Me again. Full of questions today. I'm learning how to rest my body, but my mind just doesn't want to play that game! Okay, here goes....

My GP says my cholesterol is raised at 7.1. The cholesterol-reducing diet sheet he gave me sats that I should base all meals on a good size serving of carbs (and details examples).

However, I've also read that Pred can affect the way you metabolise carbs and the advice is to follow a low carb diet.

I'm confused. To carb or not to carb? Small portions of complex carbs plus Benecol yoghurt drink at breakfast?

Any suggestions?

[Runrig01]

My cholesterol went up to 6.7 on Pred. I started taking benevolent drinks and in 8 weeks with no other changes it was 5.1. I love my carbs too much, so just took smaller portions of the whole meal variety, the main benefit from reducing carbs is it helps to control the weight gain.

Nowadays I just use benecol spread, much more economical, and does the same job.

[JanetRosslyn in reply to Runrig01]

Thanks for that runrig01. Good to hear you had such good results! Sounds like the Benecol and smaller portions of wholemeal carbs is the way to go. Had one of the yoghurt drinks this morning for the first time and it was very nice, and I guess the calcium in it will also be of benefit.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Some experts will tell you that lowering carbs will also lower cholesterol. Changing my diet to the so-called cholesterol lowering type did nothing except upset me and I didn't lose the weight they were even more desperate I should get rid of!

i was put on statins - within a week I was almost in a wheelchair. The cardiologist was fine about stopping it and didn't tell me to try another but it took months to get back to where I had been the week before starting the statin. There is no evidence that reducing cholesterol changes the outlook for any woman who has not yet had what they term a "cardiovascular event"- different matter for men and for women who have had one. So that is my reason for refusing to take one ever again!

[JanetRosslyn in reply to PMRpro]

Luckily, I have never had a weight problem (yet) and my GP says my cholesterol level does not warrant statins at the moment, so I'm keen to do all I can to keep it that way. Adding the yogurt drink seems to be the way to go, andI guess it can't do any harm.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to JanetRosslyn]

At least you have a sensible GP! Watch out for invisible sugar in the yoghurt drinks though.