How I lower my LDL.....

Congratulations on getting your LDL down! That is not the easiest number to budge, so you must have been consistent with a plan involving dietary changes and activity- I'll look forward to more details.
Yes, Health Care professionals (I'm a nurse) are used to dealing with people who, for a variety of reasons, aren't ready to engage in changes in behaviors that contribute to illness. We are also learning better ways to communicate with and engage people around making these changes. Keep up the great effort!

If you recall, after I told my doctor I wanted to lower my bad cholesterol (LDL) without medication. He said we will check in November. Well, I went home bothered ?????? First: he thought my cholesterol was high, Second: he didn??????t offer any help to lower it outside of medication and Third: How can I accomplish this and stay off medication?

As for my First response, I had high cholesterol. I should not hold him responsible. This is my life, my body; I need to take responsibility and care of it for as long as I am here. Second: he could have asked how I plan to do it or something, grant you I could have asked him how to do it, but in my defense it is not everyday that I get a surprise like this. Third: What was I going to do? A doctor friend was home on leave and she said that you could lower your bad cholesterol easily, by exercise and eating more oats and oat products, walnuts, fish, vegetables and Olive oil. Reduce your intake of saturated fats (animals and animal products) like: eggs, cheese, butter, beef and processed foods. Now, I had something to sink my teeth into. What to do and when to start? More to come????????????

Indeed, what to do??????. Exercise??????, diet??????., I mulled this over for a few hours. I decided both because my doctor friend said ??????exercise AND eating??????. When to start??????.. Immediately, it takes about 30 days to change an old or make a new habit. In the exercise arena, I was an active person, when I was younger, now I sit at a desk and do little physical activity. Even though, I took the stairs when ever possible at work, I still needed to up my game. Besides a swift jog up 4 flights of stairs a couple of times a day, I added walking at lunch almost everyday. I started out with a 10 min jaunt around the complex and then worked up to twice around or around the industrial park totaling 20+ min. I also tried to incorporate Pilates-inspired moves at home, the kids; however, were more intent in playing on me then I was in following through with the moves. I am still trying to keep up with the Pilates. Next ?????? diet, more to come????????????

It has been awhile but I will pick up where I left off. Ah the ??????D?????? word, D??????I??????E??????T, an acronym for: I am ??????Done In Eating This!?????? Diets have become a social topic for discussion around the lunch table, at the water bubbler, grocery store anywhere there are people. There is a new fad diet just around the corner. Studies have shown they all work with varying results. The key ingredients for a diet to work are: 1) The reason for the diet; why are you doing it. 2) Learn about the diet; what and how much to eat. 3) Your determination; how willing are you to stick with it. 4) Friends to Encourage and hold you Accountable; never digress to a pity party, if it does call someone else on you FEA list. 4) Take charge; don??????t eat something because everyone else is eating it. Design a plan that is easy and compliments your current circumstances. 5) Make small incremental changes. When I get dressed in the morning I take off my pajama shirt first then put on a new shirt. Then I take off the pajama pants and then put on new pants. The point is I am not doing everything at once; I am taking off something old and replacing it with something new. Then move onto something else; one step at a time.

The reason for my diet is to lower my cholesterol. I searched on line for the easiest way to lower LDL. Answer: Increase oat consumption ?????? Cheerios advertises 4% in 6 weeks. I did not see the need to buy Cheerios when I could by a store brand and receive the same benefits at a reduced cost. I have always liked granola so I increased my oat intake with a toasted ??????O??????ats cereal and granola to about 1 ???? cups almost everyday. I do not want to go on medication that is my motivation. Granola ?????? what is wrong with it? More to come??????..

Congrats! I just found out mine is high and am trying to incorporate more healthy ways to lower it. What are some of the things you have been doing to lower it?

ezman, you're still sticking to this so that is a huge thing! Yes, prescribing medication is the only option I've heard other people mention when they've had the elevated cholesterol discussion with their doctor. As you've learned, there are multiple other factors including genetics, activity level, what we eat, and stress in our lives. I can't control my genetics, but I can try to do something about the other things. Here's an article on the Mayo website that talks about the top 5 foods that help to lower cholesterol. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

I prefer not to use the word "diet" because for too many people that implies depriving yourself with something that is time-limited. I think of the changes I've made as healthier eating with better food choices, and a healthier way of being with planned activity, meditation (even a few minutes a day can lower those stress hormones).

Good luck and keep at it!

They told me it was 245 so whatever it takes to be where it should be.....I have no clue to be honest what is good....

Update: I know this is really late for an update, but I saw my doctor in May 2010 and he said my LDL was up 4 points, I understood why. During the winter months I am not as willing to walk outside. I tend to eat more of rich flavored foods, especially during the holidays.
Should I worry because it was higher? No, I should not. It was still within the recommended range. I am still following and I have a good plan. My doctor felt confident in my plan and results, he said he didn’t need to see me until next May 2011.
Going into the winter months I know what I need to do.

Keep at it- having that knowledge of what you need to do and willingness to keep tweaking things will get you there. There are certainly caloric challenges ahead with Thanksgiving and the next few holidays coming up!

What is wrong with Granola? Well, it is costly, full of calories and fat. It has too many calories and fat for someone who sits at a desk all day. After a couple of weeks of store bought granola, I stopped and looked on line for a homemade crunchy granola receipt. There are a lot of them, with varying ingredients. I found the recipes came down to 2 main ingredients, 1.Oats; 2.Honey or Maple syrup; something as a sweetener and help the oats stick together.
Other ingredients can be wheat germ, sun flower seeds and/or other seeds, walnuts and/or other nuts, dried fruits, cinnamon, vanilla, oil, etc.

I will add the receipt below.

Basic recipe for Granola:
2 cups of Oats – I use quick oats.
1/3 cup of Honey – If your honey container displays the measurements, otherwise 3 to 5 good squeezes.
3 Tbl spoons of Cinnamon
¼ cup of Raisins
Handful of Chocolate chips
Directions
Mix the Oats and Honey together in a bowl.
Spread the mixture onto baking pan. Sprinkle the Cinnamon over the mixture.
Bake at 300° F for 20-30 min or until desired brownness.
Remove; cool; stir to break into pieces then add the Raisins and Chips.
Store in an airtight container.

That is it. I have tried vanilla, peanuts and Grape-nuts cereal. Experiment with different ingredients to satisfy your taste. My kids love it and I know that it is good for them. The cost is a fraction of any manufactured brand.

More on eating to come ..

I enjoy eating as much as anyone. At work I would go out once a week, which doesn’t seem like much. But I was eating as if I were still in college. Hamburgers and fries are quick and tasty anytime of day. As well as processed foods e.g. canned/dehydrated soups, canned ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs and microwave popcorn and chips. Not good eating habits for lunch or snack time.

Remember now, I said take off the old and put on something new? I “took off” going out once a week and “put on” once a month. I “took off” canned soups and pasta and “put on” “grazing”. I eat small amounts of food every couple of hours. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, toasted “O”ats and homemade granola while drinking more water and tea. Now I am not as hungry at meal times and I eat smaller portions more slowly. Did you know that it takes 15 min after you are full for your brain to tell you ‘you are full’? When you eat “slower” your brain can tell you that you are full before you over eat.
More to come .....

Great job on maintaining healthy eating! The transition for some people to get to this point is so hard! Intentions may be good but a lifetime of poor eating habits can make the switch a challenge. For those who need baby steps, I found this article on WebMD that features healthier brand name snacks that can be purchased at the grocery store, http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-best-healthy-snacks-in-your-supermarket.