My friend has been diagnosed with high cholesterol after suffering a small strok!
Question:
My friend has been diagnosed with high cholesterol after suffering a small stroke.What foods will combat this?
Answers:
Basically, low fat, low cholesterol and low sodium (salt) foods are best. Primarily that means vegetables and fruits and fruits and vegetables. Most doctors recommend 8-12 servings of these every day (a serving is generally regarded as 1/2 cup). Fresh is best.
Avoid/limit meats, dairy products, eggs and packaged foods. These are normally very high in fats, cholesterol and/or sodium. Limit soft drinks because they are packed with empty calories and sodium. Be careful of fruit drinks and juices for the same reason (read the labels) Tomato juice and V8, for instance are very, very high in sodium. Men should limit alcohol consumption to 2 drinks per day (1 for women).
Supplements you can add, with your doctors approval, is Fish Oil and Niacin. Niacin helps bring down overall cholesterol, while Fish Oil can help increase your HDL (good cholesterol).
Exercise! A brisk walk for 30 minutes a day is good. If you can't do that today, that's OK. Start with 5 minutes, or 10 minutes, before long you will find that 30 minutes is no problem at all. But again, check with your doctor before you start any exercise program to ensure it is safe for you and your conditioning. If you are over weight (like me), please try to get to your ideal weight. A bulk of fat on your body adds to the strain on your heart and increases cholesterol production by your liver.
If your doctor has recommended a Rx drug to help combat high cholesterol, take it.
I speak from experience and my research. I have had high cholesterol for a few years. I had 5 bypasses put in in Oct. 2006 due to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). My cholesterol levels are now near the desired levels. But my HDL/LDL ratio remains off a bit.
To learn more, and to check on what I have told you, see the links below. You can also ask your doctor about anything I said that you may not understand.
These two links are to PDF files provided by
Department of Patient Education
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 West Markham Street #526
Little Rock, AR 72205
Telephone (501) 686-8084 Pager (501) 688-6874
Foods to Avoid - Low Cholesterol
http://www.uams.edu/patienteducation/han...
Foods to Use - Low Cholesterol
http://www.uams.edu/patienteducation/han...
Good luck and best whishes to you and your friend.
Terry