Diet for my dad to lower cholesterol

[Skate67]

My dad has been diagnosed with high bad cholesterol levels and the doc wanted him to go on medicine for the rest of his life to lower them. Of course he doesn't want to do this so he told his doc he wants to try a different diet first and see if that works since they aren't at dangerous levels.

He said basically he's going to try to eliminate all dietary cholesterol (i already know it affects blood levels very little if any at all, so dont raz me ) trans and saturated fats.

Does this kind of diet work? If it does, how long will it take to lower the cholesterol levels?

 

[studen77]

Hard-core diet change should bear results very quickly (maybe within a couple of days) as the body rids itself of all of that garbage in his bloodstream.

Your dad needs to stricly keep away from fried foods, period. Next the processed snack foods (potato/corn chips, cookies) any paistries, etc. These foods carry the bulk of BAD FATS that so many people gulp down on a daily basis. 1-2% lowfat or skim milk also if that applies.

Though you should always consult your doctor, I say the hell with the 'lifetime' medication bullsh*t. That translates to *fat* profits for him and those drug companies. Most people REFUSE to change their diet out of stupidity or stuborness and hence they'd rather swallow lots of expensive pills.

Those pills only address the symptoms he now suffers- not the cause of them- a poor diet.

 

[Yanick]

your father should aim to be getting less than 200mg dietary cholesterol a day if his levels are already high.

fiber is also of utmost importance (both soluble and insoluble) for controlling cholesterol levels.

fruits and vegetables are important sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals which will help your father achieve optimal health.

as well don't forget physical activity, it can be as simple as going out for a 30 min walk once a day or a nice resistance, aerobic and flexibility/stability routine.

 

[911=InsideJob]

-No homognized dairy

-No tap water (has chroline and stuff)

-No hydroganted oil (deep fried stuff)

Eat lots of fruits and greens. Use olive oil a lot to cook and Omega 3 tablets. And keep the stress down.

Hope he gets well...

 

[911=InsideJob]

Oh yeah....NO MEDICINE!!!!

That stuff has to many sideffects. Stick with whats natural.

 

[Focus]

As said before, diet is the major importance here.

With that emphasized, there is a few things to help along the way... a few OTC supplements can help push him along.

Red yeast rice has been used for years, with great success. Double digit drops in cholesteral I've seen to be common.. However it is a bit harsh on the liver, enough to use with caution.
Celery seed extract is also another safe option. Used a few times a day, it can help control cholesteral and lower blood pressure. It doubles (or triples, depending on how you look at it) into a liver antioxidant as well. Not as great as milk thisle of course, or ALA, but enough to counteract the liver enzyme effects of Red Yeast rice. Cleans up toxins quite well..

These two OTC natural supplements could be a 1-2 punch for him. I'm 99% sure it is completely safe for him to use them, with the 1% meaning that he should consult his doctor before using any supplement for his situation, regardless of it being natural or not.

 

[Focus]

Oh yeah....NO MEDICINE!!!!

That stuff has to many sideffects. Stick with whats natural.

+1

The amount of commericals for drugs is almost alarming these days. There seems to be a drug for ANYTHING. Then there are drugs to cleanup the side effects of those drugs. Although they help, some to a great extent, it is always best to stay with the natural supplements as far as you can go.

 

[911=InsideJob]

+1

The amount of commericals for drugs is almost alarming these days. There seems to be a drug for ANYTHING. Then there are drugs to cleanup the side effects of those drugs. Although they help, some to a great extent, it is always best to stay with the natural supplements as far as you can go.

I believe there were at least 200,000 deaths last year related to commerical drugs.

 

[Skate67]

My dad eats quite well as it is already ie no fast food, no junk food, eats lots of fiber/complex carbs etc. But he is cutting out beef and all fatty dairy and stuff like that. Just have to wait and see...

 

[CowPimp]

Here are the guidelines to the anti-atherogenic/TLC diet commonly prescribed:

Keep his intake of saturated fats low, like no more than 5-7% of his total caloric intake. Of his fat sources, monounsaturated fats should be top of the list, a maximum of 20% of his caloric intake. Polyunsaturated fats are also necessary too, a maximum of 10% of his total caloric intake; have him take some fish oil caps, everyone should. Fat intake should be about 25-35% of total caloric intake.

As Yanick said, 200mg of dietary cholesterol should be the max he takes in.

Take in lots of fiber. A bare minimum of 20g a day would be good, but preferably more is better.

Make sure protein intake is adequate, but use lean protein sources to minimize saturated fat intake.

Losing body fat may make for better results overall. Increasing physical activity will also improve results. I would recommend doing something every day, even if it is just a brisk walk as Yanick mentioned. I would try to have him do some moderate to vigorous exercise at least a few days a week, doctor permitting.

 

[Skate67]

Here are the guidelines to the anti-atherogenic/TLC diet commonly prescribed:

Keep his intake of saturated fats low, like no more than 5-7% of his total caloric intake. Of his fat sources, monounsaturated fats should be top of the list, a maximum of 20% of his caloric intake. Polyunsaturated fats are also necessary too, a maximum of 10% of his total caloric intake; have him take some fish oil caps, everyone should. Fat intake should be about 25-35% of total caloric intake.

As Yanick said, 200mg of dietary cholesterol should be the max he takes in.

Take in lots of fiber. A bare minimum of 20g a day would be good, but preferably more is better.

Make sure protein intake is adequate, but use lean protein sources to minimize saturated fat intake.

Losing body fat may make for better results overall. Increasing physical activity will also improve results. I would recommend doing something every day, even if it is just a brisk walk as Yanick mentioned. I would try to have him do some moderate to vigorous exercise at least a few days a week, doctor permitting.

Excellent post. Thanks a lot. My dad said to thank you for the detailed info on the fat percentages. He also said the info you gave me is what he has been reading from other sources too so it's nice to have it confirmed .

Thanks for your contribution everyone! Ill let you know how his tests are in approximately three months

 

[CowPimp]

Excellent post. Thanks a lot. My dad said to thank you for the detailed info on the fat percentages. He also said the info you gave me is what he has been reading from other sources too so it's nice to have it confirmed .

Thanks for your contribution everyone! Ill let you know how his tests are in approximately three months

Good luck. Come back a few months from now and let us know how everything worked out for him.