High Cholesterol

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » March 16th, 2011, 8:54 pm

I have high cholesterol.

Now I need to start a low fat diet. Anyone have tips or recipes to share?
This is going to be hard for me since I LOVE food. I especially love bad food.
So, I guess I need to really just start by consuming more vegetables, especially raw, and adding more whole grains. Sounds like oatmeal will be a good start for breakfast.
Are bananas bad? Normally right now I eat light yogurt or greek yogurt and a banana for breakfast.
I'm thinking my lunches will need to be more salad... I don't like balsamic vinegar. Any dressing ideas? I have a lite Asian sesame dressing I like. I suspect that's not too bad in limited quantity.
Snack ideas?
I'm all about easy grab-n-go...

by **BigDogBuford** » March 16th, 2011, 9:26 pm

Have you considered making yourself a green drink? It's hard for me to eat enough salad so I get most of my veggies that way.

by **mnp13** » March 16th, 2011, 9:35 pm

Watch the movie Fat Head. It's eye opening.

I'm not saying it's "right" but take some time and watch it.

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » March 16th, 2011, 9:48 pm

BigDogBuford wrote:Have you considered making yourself a green drink? It's hard for me to eat enough salad so I get most of my veggies that way.

I don't know what a "green drink" is... :oops:

by **BigDogBuford** » March 17th, 2011, 12:05 am

Here's my green drink recipe:

1/4 c water
1/3 cucumber
1/3 apple
1 celery stalk
1 banana
1 handful of parsley
1 handful of kale
lemon juice
little fresh ginger

I take all the stuff and blend it together with some ice and drink away. My dogs actually like it too. I make one for myself every morning.

by **BullyLady** » March 17th, 2011, 12:39 am

ParisStreetPitCrew wrote:
BigDogBuford wrote:Have you considered making yourself a green drink? It's hard for me to eat enough salad so I get most of my veggies that way.

I don't know what a "green drink" is...

Politely butting in, I believe it's one of those kale smoothie things with veggies and stuff.

by **Malli** » March 17th, 2011, 2:47 am

do you have a heart and storke foundation? That would be a place to start.

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » March 17th, 2011, 6:17 am

Thanks for the ideas!

by **TheRedQueen** » March 17th, 2011, 8:33 am

A good way to get your veggies if you like salty junk-food type stuff: Crispy Kale...we're addicted here...

http://www.food.com/recipe/crispy-kale-399515

by **TinaMartin** » March 17th, 2011, 1:45 pm

TheRedQueen wrote:A good way to get your veggies if you like salty junk-food type stuff: Crispy Kale...we're addicted here...

http://www.food.com/recipe/crispy-kale-399515

My co-worker just told me about these. She says they taste so good!

by **TheRedQueen** » March 17th, 2011, 1:54 pm

TinaMartin wrote:
TheRedQueen wrote:A good way to get your veggies if you like salty junk-food type stuff: Crispy Kale...we're addicted here...

http://www.food.com/recipe/crispy-kale-399515

My co-worker just told me about these. She says they taste so good!

Yup, I have a whole new appreciation for Kale now. I roast a lot of veggies this way, with a bit of salt/pepper and evoo...much tastier than steaming, etc. I do broccoli, root veggies, etc.

I also made sweet potato fries last night...sliced them into sticks...sprinkled with sea salt, let them sit about 5 min. then sprayed them with cooking spray, popped them into the oven and baked 'em until they were soft, sprinkled some seasoned salt on top...and kept 'em in until they were a bit crispy around the edges. yum!

by **Malli** » March 17th, 2011, 1:59 pm

oooh, I've tried sweet pot fries and they were always floppy, what DID you DO?!

by **TheRedQueen** » March 17th, 2011, 2:06 pm

Malli wrote:oooh, I've tried sweet pot fries and they were always floppy, what DID you DO?!

I baked 'em on my pizza tray...it has little holes all over to make pizza crispy...so I use it for other things that I want crispier. They weren't totally crispy, but just how I wanted them.

I pulled them out before they got too done...

by **madremissy** » March 17th, 2011, 5:48 pm

I tried sweet pot fries and they were a disaster. I might have to look for one of those pans. Mine turned out mushy and disgusting. :sad2:

by **FAB dogs** » March 17th, 2011, 7:03 pm

Agreed on the sweet potato fries, I'm also addicted. Couple of tips to make them crispy: grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil, pre-heat the sheet before putting the fries on it (oven temp 450-475 degrees), dip the fries in oil (I prefer a mixture of peanut and olive oil) making sure they're totally coated, then spread them onto the sheet - making sure they don't touch, sprinkle with sea salt or favorite seasonings (I also sprinkle with some meat tenderizer), bake for 15 minutes, then flip them all and bake for another 5-10 minutes. They always come out crispy that way. Only problem is if you leave the skin on the potatoes, they'll usually burn before the body gets crispy.

Another healthy addition to your diet would be apple cider vinegar (use Bragg's or similar, not the generic supermarket brand). I put a teaspoon or so into a 32 ounce mug of ice water and sip it all day. Very tasty and good for you. The Bragg's apple cider vinegar site (http://www.bragg.com) also has a great recipe for an ACV shot. I think it's ACV, honey, and water.

One of my favorite healthy websites with lots of tips is Earth Clinic: http://earthclinic.com not only is ACV and coconut oil one of the top suggestions for health issues, there's also tips for lots of ailments and an entire pet section.

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » March 17th, 2011, 7:08 pm

I'll have to try the kale chips. Some of my friends were talking about them on FB recently.
I like sweet potatoes a lot, so I think I'll add those to my grocery list too.
I wonder if I can bake them in my toaster oven (I can do a whole chicken and a ham in there...

) My oven is out of commission.

Regardless, this is a good reason for me to start eating better and thinking about what I eat.

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » March 17th, 2011, 7:10 pm

Thanks FAB. I will look into those sites.
I have Braggs ACV-- I used it for many things around the house, but I just cannot drink it.

I have tried a few times. What about taking ACV pills instead?

by **FAB dogs** » March 17th, 2011, 7:15 pm

Probably not the greatest suggestion, but I've also found that the best way to get fruits & vegetables is the V8 blends. But the only way to make it truly palatable is to add some rum to it.

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » March 17th, 2011, 7:28 pm

FAB dogs wrote:Probably not the greatest suggestion, but I've also found that the best way to get fruits & vegetables is the V8 blends. But the only way to make it truly palatable is to add some rum to it.

LOL. I like regular V8 on occasion-- but I have to drink canned V8 at room temperature. Weird, I know.

by **SisMorphine** » March 17th, 2011, 11:12 pm

I LOVE Kale Chips! I make mine with olive oil, salt, and hot pepper flakes. I have tried them in the oven, and though good straight out of the oven they didn't last much longer than an hour before they got mushy. But if you get a dehydrator they can last much longer. But really, for me I find they're best as a treat, and not as a daily snack. They get old real quick if you make them more than once a month.

My old roommate had really high cholesterol . . . especially for a skinny bitch. She first started with trying to cut fatty things out of her diet and she was merely making herself miserable. A couple of years ago she ended up going to see a nutritionist (one more on the holistic side) who has changed her diet around COMPLETELY! Now her cholesteriol is down AND her anxiety disorder and breathing issues are GONE all due to her new diet. It's worth it to seek out a really good nutritionist who can deal with "food and chemical sensitivities" in addition to regular dietary needs.

High Cholesterol

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