My Cholesterol Level is Too High! - Comments Page 1

Good luck with your plan Bob, it looks pretty good.

My only concern is with you mentioning you are going to use niacin, really that should only be used under medical supervision as it can effect your live enzymes and also increase liver toxicity. In addition, if you want to look further into natural supplements this website may help http://www.clobbercholesterol.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks, Brad. I did mention the potential side effects of niacin, and I'm not going to try that one without a doc's advice.

When you say your cholesterol is too high, how high is it? There's a lot of hype about that stuff manufactured by your liver. High cholesterol foods have very little to do with the cholesterol in your body. The drug companies would like to have you as a customer for life. Note that these side-effect laden drugs do wonders for their bottom line, but not really much for you. Do more research before you jump in any direction. Check out Mercola.com for several great articles about the cholesterol myth. I really enjoy your site, but should I be sending you a Snickers or wheat germ?

EDITOR'S NOTE: My total is 240. Thankfully, I kicked the Snickers habit a few years ago. But I miss 'em! :-)

Bob: Done all that. Still needed Zocor. Suggest you use "Smart Balance" to replace butter. You can also cook with it. Exercise is your best defense. Skip it at your peril.

Bob: Do as your doctor says and take whatever he tells you. You will not be able to defeat your DNA. Some people just put out more cholesterol than others. Looks like you are one of those people. You plan is useless. Don't play with fire and get a heart attack. Use the prescription drug your doctor tells you to use. Each day without treatment could be your last one.

You did a good deed by posting your plan..a few caveats if I may
1. avoid SOY
2. All prescription drugs are poison to some extent.Stay away from them if at all possible.
3.Re your oil choices avoid Canola oil..Use coconut and Macadamia oil if you can find it and especially use Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Good luck and I love your dog!

Bob,I am 56 and have a somewhat similar physical condition to yours (not overweight, non smoker, non drinker, family history of cardiovascular diseases)as well as the chronic high cholesterol numbers. I have been successfully keeping it under control for years using most of your planned tactics. I am typically near the 200 mark for total but my HDL percentage is several points higher than the "target" so my ratio is very good. Did you look at Tri-Glycerides? I still fight those. I have taken CoQ-10 (200mg and not cheap)for about 4 years and began with Red Rice Yeast (600mg) and Fish Oil (1200mg)in the past year. I watch the major pharmacies and discount stores for sales and can frequently get as much as 60% off the list price. I also run 3-6 miles 2-3 times per week in fair weather. I use a bicycle or total gym in foul weather. A stair stepper is my favorite but not geographically readily available to me. When I run my blood pressure and cholestrol stay happy. If I stop for a month, the numbers change significantly. Thanks for sharing your research. Bryan - Tourbus rider since before 1995 when Patrick was teaching Archie and Veronica searches...

Good luck with this!! I'm so looking forward to hearing how it works for you!!! You may become a guru for health, too!!!

I am no longer a rep for Unicity, however their BIOS LIFE 2 product is the only clinically studied natural product to effectively reduce cholesterol. Their whole company has been built around this flagship product and has been in business over 15 years. No negative side effects.

Regarding exercise, I have found that the first week of regular walking at a brisk pace was the most difficult. However, I have gotten to the point now where it is habit. I actually crave it now; Kind of like an addiction I suppose. If you can get through the first week or two, you may find the same. Good luck.

I use niacin (non-prescription, under my doctor's supervision), and have been able to get off cholesterol meds.
I've also read good things about cinnamon's benefits, and - since I use it only by adding it to foods - don't have to worry about side affects (and yes, my doctor approves of that, as well).
Good luck!

Sounds like a good plan, Bob. I successfully lowered my cholesterol by a combination of diet modification and exercise; this was particularly important as I have a family history of heart disease. Caveat: you need to change your diet to one with which you can live "for the rest of your life". That means, don't get rid of all the treats (maybe, though, you should have your devotees buy you something a little bit healthier than a Snickers bar - a Luna bar or a piece of dark chocolate with peanuts, perhaps?). The most important elimination will be partially hydrogenated oils. Next, limit saturated fats, which you mentioned. Add fish, if you like it. Take a fish oil supplement if you don't. Read ingredients diligently. Like sweets? Buy some sugared cereals; you'll get crunch and sweetness without the fat. My favorite cereals are also high fiber. Eat meat, if you like it... just choose leaner cuts. It's all about keeping food tasty and healthy. Dramatic changes to diet usually fail. They're great in the short run, but few people can stick to them. I really can't emphasize that enough. By the way...most people add way too much fat or oil when they cook. One really needs only a small amount. And, be careful about those nuts. They may be good for you, but they a very high in calories. Put them in single serving containers so you're not tempted to eat too many. Mostly, though, good luck.

Bob:

Thanks for going "off subject" to alert us to this problem and your approach in dealing with it. The new year is a good time to change my habits and follow your suggestions. I'm printing it and putting it on my fridge!

I have had good results with a honey and cinnamon mixture. Mix one tablespoon honey into a cup of boiling water, add 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, and stir. Pour into a cup and drink.

I did this and not much else to lower cholesterol and my blood work showed improvement in my good numbers, reductions in the bad, although the overall number did not drop much (it's just over 200)

Contrary to conventional wisdom (myths that the drug companies want you to believe) cholestrol is an indicator of a problem only if your C-Reactive protein level is above 1.0. Inflamation is the problem that you need to pay attention to. If you have a high C-Reactive protein number you will ALWAYS have high cholestrol, but not visa versa. The drug companies want everyone to take Statins.

I wish you the best of luck on this. One thing though ,when you take flax seed make sure it is ground or it passes right through the body. A coffee grinder is good for this.By the way, it is good for prostate health as well.

Take a look at the "Paleo Diet." This one seems to address many health problems. Also, before you start on statins, be sure to look at the "Space Doctor's site."

I find flaxseed meal very easy to use: two tablespoons in my breakfast cereal every day. That's 2400 mg of omega-3 and 4 grams of fiber. I already had a diet and exercise regime when I began taking this, but I think this was the "kicker." I'd been making slow progress before, but my HDL/LDL levels improved markedly after I added this.

Be careful about overdoing the fish. Too much can cause problems due to mercury levels in certain kinds of fish.

My family has a history of early death by heart disease. Thirty years ago, I had my first heart symptoms - angina, not attack - in my mid-forties. My cholesterol was over 300. I cannot tolerate satins.

Over the next ten years, I had two angioplasties and a triple by-pass. Today, I'm the oldest male in the last three generations of either side of my family - with no symptoms and total cholesterol of 121.

So, what changed? N0 dairy products except fat-free; only two eggs a week; beef only once a week; fish twice a week; lots of walnuts, beans and legumes; walk a mile every day; red yeast rice and green tea. It seems to work.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Great story! Just be aware that Red Yeast Rice *is* a statin. See http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-yeast-rice/NS_patient-redyeast

Oatmeal for breakfast or bran flakes (good sources of fiber) and skim milk. Consider drinking soy milk also. Fast paced walking is also good for increasing the HDL or "good cholesterol"