Natural Ways to Lower High Cholesterol: My Journey and Concerns

[crissy11]

I found out yesterday that my count is 210. I go to the doctor today to see what he wants to do. I have heard that medicine that they put you on to lower it will destroy your liver.
Any ideas on other methods to lower that I can suggest before I just go on another medication.
I have been fighting a bacterial infection in my small intenstine for 3 weeks and am currently on a PrevPak. I wonder if medicines can increase your cholestoral. I know I am not spelling that right but haven't found a spell check on here.

 

[raebates]

I know that medications can skew test results. Don't know if those meds can affect cholesterol tests, though. Niacin is a recommended natural remedy, as is diet and exercise. (If you want to get really extreme. LOL!)

 

[pampered.chris]

Do you have a history of high cholesterol? Or would diet and exercise correct the problem?

 

[peichef]

I know a high fiber diet is recommended for people with high cholesterol. My boys (for other reasons) eat Fiber One granola bars & cereal & they love it (We actually were encouraged to try the cereal by their optician would told me "it's deadly good" - lol.)

 

[ChefBeckyD]

A couple natural remedies are Apple Cider Vinegar, and Coconut Oil.

One thing you can do immediately is cut back on omega 6 oils, and focus on omega-3's. (skip the vegetable oils of all kinds, and use olive oil, and coconut oil.)

Also - Hypothyroidism can cause high cholesterol - so you might get your thryoid checked too, if you haven't already.

 

[susanr613]

Both of my parents and my younger brother have had high cholesterol. My dad, who has always been thin, got it from heredity. He did not want to go on meds, so he made diet and exercise changes. Now he's in the normal range. My mom has always been obese and a smoker. As a result, she had high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, and arterioslerosis. After her quintuple bypass, she started taking meds and making diet and exercise changes. Now her cholesterol is under control. My brother also takes meds and has made lifestyle changes.

My parents avoid "white food" (potatoes, refined wheat), eat lots of fiber, veggies, fruit, chicken and fish. They use fat-free or low fat dairy products.

You are smart to be wary of medications, and make sure you get all the info from your doctor before you go to the pharmacy or dismiss them entirely.

Good luck!

 

[crissy11]

I had high cholesterol when I took birth control pills. It was over 300. When I got off of the pill it has been around 140 for the last 13 years. I do have a low thyroid. I had most of it removed and am on medication for that.
This is the first time that I have gone to this doctor and like that he is thorough.
I just want to have some alternative ideas in case he suggests just taking a pill to lower it. You know what I mean...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

High cholesterol is also my personal bugaboo. My doc put me on a diet that includes Oatmeal (when you need a break from it, eat Honey Nut Cheerios) and that alone dropped my number about 35 points.Recently, he advised me to take a diet supplement called Red Yeast Rice. Be warned...it has a rather, um, windy side effect.I've also switched to Smart Balance margarine from butter (except for cooking, don't get away from butter for cooking because margarine is mostly water and boils out of everything) and extra virgin olive oil from veggie oil.ETA: add fresh garlic to anything you can. I even know where you can get a really, really good garlic press.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

High cholesterol is also my personal bugaboo. My doc put me on a diet that includes Oatmeal (when you need a break from it, eat Honey Nut Cheerios) and that alone dropped my number about 35 points.

Recently, he advised me to take a diet supplement called Red Yeast Rice. Be warned...it has a rather, um, windy side effect.

I've also switched to Smart Balance margarine from butter (except for cooking, don't get away from butter for cooking because margarine is mostly water and boils out of everything) and extra virgin olive oil from veggie oil.

ETA: add fresh garlic to anything you can. I even know where you can get a really, really good garlic press.

We love this at our house!

And now, there is a Smart Balance stick butter blend that can be used for baking. I've been using it for about a month, and it works great!

I use almost all of the Smart Balance products except for the cheese.

I deal with high cholesterol because of a low thyroid.....and I don't want to take chemicals. I also use a natural thryroid supplement instead of synthroid....it's called Thytropin. I use some non-conventional remedies, but they work, and I am not tied to perscription meds forever.

 

[janetupnorth]

I was "diagnosed" with high cholesterol. Dr. prescribed Lipitor...I had horrible medical side effects with it. Went off of it and all is good.Then I studied and learned. The numbers and charts have been lowered many times, more so to get people on drugs that per MANY reputable pharmacists are only effective between 10 and 20%. So why take a drug that doesn't do much or doesn't work? - Sheer marketing!Also, you have to know your family history. My dad died at 69 of a rare blood disorder. He had high cholesterol all his life. Tests showed he had the heart of about a 30-40 year old! Doctors were amazed, no blockage. Some people are cloggers, some aren't. Some people have high cholesterol naturally some don't. It's the combination of both that is dangerous. I've had high cholesterol since age 17 when first tested. I've had nuclear stress tests done and my heart and everything related is as clean as a whistle. So am I worried??? Nope! I've tried dieting to lower it and it doesn't really budge. I eat decent, I exercise and I'm pretty fit, so why worry because it doesn't match what someone says is "normal". So, study and make your own decision. I personally would avoid the meds...you have to bounce to find the one that works for your body chemistry and they aren't any more effective than diet and exercise.

 

[WLMcCoy]

We use egg whites when we do everything.. Like cakes, I don't think it will help lower it, but it will help to keep it from gettng higher.. Actually, when I show our PC egg seperater, I always mention people watching their cholesterol

 

[thecougchef]

High cholesterol is also my personal bugaboo. My doc put me on a diet that includes Oatmeal (when you need a break from it, eat Honey Nut Cheerios) and that alone dropped my number about 35 points.

Recently, he advised me to take a diet supplement called Red Yeast Rice. Be warned...it has a rather, um, windy side effect.

I've also switched to Smart Balance margarine from butter (except for cooking, don't get away from butter for cooking because margarine is mostly water and boils out of everything) and extra virgin olive oil from veggie oil.

ETA: add fresh garlic to anything you can. I even know where you can get a really, really good garlic press.

im 22 and fairly average sized. but my dad and grandpa have high cholesterol. therefore - ive inherited it as well. my doc suggested meds & i declined. i saw a commercial for the cheerios (the one where the kid is taking a test at school & the dad is taking the cholesterol test). so i opted to try that for 6 weeks. went back - it had lowered alot. i also do what KG does and use only evoo, margarine, even our mayonnaise is "cholesterol free."


& a little off topic - but i never used to put garlic in anything before becoming a consultant because i didnt know how to do it. so even if i recipe called for it - i left it out. that garlic press sure is a nifty invention :blushing:

 

[crissy11]

I wonder if the Garlique pills that you see commericals for work. I love garlic in just about anything. I also had a complete hysterectomy in December and have not been on hormones and read that menopausal women can have higher cholestrol levels.
My appt. is at 1:00 so will know more then.

 

[Kitchen2u]

I wonder if the Garlique pills that you see commericals for work. I love garlic in just about anything. I also had a complete hysterectomy in December and have not been on hormones and read that menopausal women can have higher cholestrol levels.
My appt. is at 1:00 so will know more then.

This is when my tests came back at 209...after the hysterectomy (total, no HRT either). Starting taking garlic capsules (no smell one too!), EXERCISE, and modified diet (pretty much everything posted here minus the oatmeal since I gag with that stuff! LOL). A month later lowered it to 155.

So it can be done without MEDS!