Isn't It Ironic?

When I joined PT in July '07 one of my goals was to get off of cholesterol meds. I'm happy to say I reached that goal in November. However, new blood work shows that my "good cholesterol" is now too low and they want to put me on medication for that!!
I do 1 hour of cardio 3-6 times per week, I eat plenty whole grains and lentils. What else can I do to get the HDL up where it needs to be? (I'm below 20; they want me over 60).

Tue. Feb 5, 10:59am

Read up on Dr. Dean Ornish's research and Dr. Neal Barnard's. Both of these guys will address the "issue" of lowering total cholesterol and how that will also lower HDL's as well which is not necessarily a bad thing. They should shed some light on your predicament and help you assess whether you really need to go back on meds.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 11:04 AM

what do they want to put u on for low HDL? i have this problem, too.

I brought mine from 9 to 50 w/ heavy exercise, b-vitamins, olive oil, and weight loss

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 11:30 AM

Good fats

raw nuts, avocado, salmon, etc.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 12:04 PM

Way to go! My 'good' HDL is low too. I've been using olive oil exclusively, eating more fish like halibut and salmon and eating whole grains as well. We'll see how it looks this year. Fortunately it wasn't so low that my doc wanted me to take meds.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 1:19 PM

OP here. Thanks for the advice. I just returned home from the grocery store and was shocked at the fat grams in almonds. I've lost 30+ lbs and have 25 to go. Eating almonds isn't going to get me to my goal! I did pick up some sushi that has avacado in it and I need to learn how to prepare salmon. I will also check out the book from Dr Dean Ornish. I've heard a lot about him.

One more question: Would anyone recomment taking an Omega 3 supplement?

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 2:40 PM

Don't be afraid of the fat in almonds; just stick to one serving at a time (about 15 almonds), or half a serving.

It doesn't feel like much while you're eating it, but they really do keep you full for awhile. You just have to give your body time to digest them before you evaluate your hunger level.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 4:01 PM

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