posted on August 6, 2000 01:37:34 PM
Went to the doctor for tests last week & was informed that my cholesteral count is 313 (should be less than 200)! And of course, those extra pounds don't help, either
The upshot is that I have been told to consume less than 25g of fat per day, no red meat, no dairy products, and 8 fruits/vegetables each day. Sigh. This involves a major lifestyle change for me (I am now cut off from my favorite Thai restaurant & favorite dish there--Musaman Curry)
For a week I have been virtuous, but any suggestions you guys have for lower calorie/low fat foods/dishes that don't take much preparation (or can be eaten raw) will be gratefully accepted! I am not a happy cooker--in fact I make sacrifices before my microwave to honor it
Someone at work steered me to Trader Joe's & I got a few things there. Right now I am eating my lunch: a nice Butternut Squash soup (120 calories/2g fat).
I have even discovered that I can tolerate cauliflower (one of the top 5 worst vegetables) if I eat it raw & douse it with hot sauce so I can't taste it.
No dairy products is fine, as I have a problem with lactose intolerance & use soy or almond milk with my Grapenuts.
posted on August 6, 2000 01:57:25 PM
Bunnicula, here's a low fat recipe I use alot, and it's great for when you have company too!
4 chicken breasts,skinned
1/4 cup bread crumbs in zip lock bag
olive oil (bout 1 Tbs or enough to coat skillet)
1/2 cup Chardonnay (or other dry white wine)
1/2 tsp crushed savory
1 small jar mushroom slices
1 Tbs.(or so) Lemon juice
1 Tbs.(or so) honey mustard
Add chicken to bread crumbs in bag and shake to coat. Heat oil in skillet and add chicken until browned on both sides (about 4 minutes ea. side). Add wine, savory mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat, and cook for about 15 minutes more until chicken is done. Remove chicken and mushrooms with slotted spoon. Add the lemon juice, honey, and a little more wine and cook sauce a couple more minutes until thickened abit, (about a couple minutes). Serve over chicken on serving platter. Makes 4 servings.
Bon apetit!
posted on August 6, 2000 02:51:33 PM
Hi Bunnicula, I found out mine was high as well.At the same time I was told my thyroid was also bad. I researched and discovered that a bad thyroid can cause the high cholestorol. Have you had your thyroid checked lately? You still need to use a lowfat diet of course but the thyroid medication really helps. Just a thought.
posted on August 6, 2000 03:13:30 PM
bunnicula, do you have a George Foreman grill? It works so well at grilling fish & chicken & veggies without fat--you can marinate anything you want in fat-free dressings or marinades and then grill it. The grill looks like it would be a hassle to clean, but it's not--just wipe with a damp sponge or paper towels while warm. (Of course, it really excels at bacon, but we'll forget that for now
Also, when dh was really working on removing fat from his diet, he got very creative with different types of pasta, and the standard favorite of spaghetti and red sauce suited him just fine. He'd make a pasta salad with blanched veggies and a fat-free dressing that filled him up. And water-packed tuna in a pasta salad was good too.
Hey, hang with it--after eating low-fat for a while you'll probably find that you like it. (Oh, and lemon pepper is really good on cooked veggies, kind of brightens them up.)
posted on August 6, 2000 05:02:16 PM
My husband is diabetic and has high cholesterol. The best cookbook I have found to serve his needs is the American Diabetic Assoc. Cookbook. everything you can think of, prepared in a healthy way. It's well worth the money!
posted on August 6, 2000 05:36:53 PM
Spicy Mandarin Chickpeas:
2 19oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 10.5oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 C. strawberry jam
2 Tb. spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp. cayenne powder
Heat on stove on Med. x 10 min. or nuke for 1-2 min. Serve warm over brown rice.
Very easy! Good Luck.
[ edited by snowyegret on Aug 6, 2000 05:37 PM ]
Life seems so unfair. I'm like Kiheicat--over 40, favorite food is onion rings, and my cholesterol and blood pressure level is very low.
But my husband, who exercises far more than me, and eats less, is another story, so here are some breakfast foods he likes:
Yogurt Shake
1 pint carton lowfat chocolate frozen yogurt
(Wild Oats sells a brand called Cascadian Farms)
2 frozen bananas (peel them before you freeze them)
handful of powdered nonfat milk (I sometimes use malt powder although I suspect that it's not nonfat)
Put this stuff in the food processor and blend until it looks like a milk shake. THis makes 3 servings; you can put the ones you don't use in the freezer for another day
Microwave poached eggs
boil water in custard cup(s); this takes about 30 sec. in my microwave. Then break an egg in each cup, poke the yolk with the tine of a fork so it doesn't explode, cover it with wax paper and cook at full power for about 30 seconds. Let it sit for another 20 or 30 seconds then strain. I like to put the
egg in a baked potato but it's also good and non-fattening on a piece of unbuttered toast.
Good luck!
Edited to add that the shake idea would probably work with the non-dairy frozen stuff and protein powder.
[ edited by unlurking on Aug 6, 2000 06:58 PM ]
posted on August 7, 2000 07:31:28 PM
bunnicula, I was listing a book on Amazon just now and thought of you. It is a book on lowering your blood pressure. I noticed on the back it said what fruit would lower your cholesteral. It says that studies reveal that 2 apples a day is proven to lower your cholesteral by 10-30%. It says prunes do the same..LOL. They may have side effects. I hope that helps you. If you are interested inte book, mail me at aw and I will tell you the title. It looks like it would be helpful without being awful. Good luck. Terri
posted on August 7, 2000 08:43:15 PM
When changing lifestyles the key is to do it SLOWLY.....and do it one day at a time.
If you think about NEVER EVER again eating a huge greasy hamburger with all the fixens...well, you start thinking about just putting your head in the oven. However, if you allow yourself to "splurge" once a week, every two weeks, once a month, ect. you CAN do it!!
Also, be crafty: use spices on everything, have a hamburger...but instead of having it on a bun, make a bed of greens and tomatos, eat a lot of "water based" foods like soup (they make you fuller faster), stuff like that.
It aint easy, but it CAN be done...infact it MUST be done.
posted on August 7, 2000 09:19:14 PMBunnicula Tupperware Company has a nice steamer that you can use for your veggies in the microwave. I steam very lightly and season with lemon-pepper. If you've never tried the lemon-pepper - it's great on everything from vegetables to seafood.
Also, if you don't want to start a cookbook collection - just go to the library and check out low fat recipe books -then copy the ones that appeal to you. The trick is to find the meals that don't feel like a punishment to eat.
My husband was recently put on the new cholestoral lowering drug, Lipator (sp?). It's only been a couple of weeks, so we don't know if it's helping yet. I certainly hope for your sake that you're better at sticking to a diet than he is. His weakness is Tex-Mex... I steam the fish and he makes a nacho to go with it.
edited cause I think I spelled a hand lotion which doesn't help with cholesterol. LOL Thanks Bunni for the correct spelling.
[ edited by mybiddness on Aug 8, 2000 06:21 AM ]
posted on August 7, 2000 10:11:58 PMjt: fortunately for me, then, apples (Granny Smith) are my favorite fruit!
Lotsafuzz: Well, I have pretty much cut out all the "bad" stuff my doctor told I can't have. However, I'm not being absolutely rigid, either--on Saturday I went over my alloted fat intake when a forgotten lunch & harried schedule at work had me eating hot dogs (chicken hot dogs, but still...).
MyBiddness: I'm on Lipator I have an old microwave veggie steamer I've never used--will have to dig it out of wherever it is I've never been big on veggies, though I could eat green beans every single day--they're my favorite! Some veggies I will eat raw, but can't stand cooked, like carrots. It's only been a week and a half, but so far so good... People are being supportive, which helps a lot.
edited because "their" & "they're" just aren't the same!
[ edited by bunnicula on Aug 8, 2000 12:06 AM ]
posted on August 7, 2000 10:14:36 PM
Can anybody tell me what turnips taste like? I am trying to expand my veggie base & I've never eaten a turnip in my life. The store only sells them in bunches & I'd hate to buy a whole bunch & then end up hating them & wasting them.
So--are turnips sweet like carrots? Can they be eaten raw, or do they have to be cooked?
posted on August 7, 2000 10:29:45 PM
YECH! Turnips are awful, Bunnicula. Run, RUN away from them. Do not buy them at the store. My grandmother used to boil them and then mash them like mashed potatoes. Horrid and bitter. You won't like them.
posted on August 7, 2000 10:58:47 PM
Turnip greens are good...slothed in bacon grease. Turnips are good sliced breaded in corn meal and deep fried...maybe not. DO NOT COME to the South TO EAT or you will surely die! Artichokes are good (and healthy I think) and I have never seen one "country seasoned". If you tell us what you do already eat in the way of veggies them maybe we can add something to your list. Do you have to feed a meat and potatoes man too? Here is a thought:
In a CAST IRON skillet, put smoked sausage (not the ground kind but the hotdog kind) then put in squash and bell peppers (red and green) and onions and fresh green beans and steam it all. Not only is it a BEAUTIFUL dish but you can feed the kids and the potato guy (if there is one) sausage dogs with onions and chips and you get ALL the veggies. Put them over rice. Yummy! That's what I do. (Do NOT eat the sausage but the veggies will taste better with it.)
I DO love food threads!
T
BTW, I have gained 20 pounds in 3 years, do NOT listen to me...and do NOT have a baby at 32. Have them at 23. I have done both and 23 is MUCH better.
[ edited by jt on Aug 7, 2000 11:03 PM ]
posted on August 7, 2000 11:27:57 PMkrs: At first I thought so. I still feel deprived, but am learning that I won't actually starve to death on this diet--even if 99.9% of my favorite foods have become once-in-a-blue-moon trats...
Your cholesterol will go down. Don't worry.
I had been trying to control it with diet and am accustomed to the no fat things now but my count was still way up 290 something. I was put on Baycal (sp.) and because a medicine I had taken before (Lescol) had raised my liver count I have been taking alot of blood tests.
After 2 months of the Baycal would you believe that my count went down to 232 and so far my livers are fine. The medicines they make now are much easier on your inners. I'm getting blood work done on Thursday, again and am anxious to see what it is now, though I really don't expect much difference.
Have you heard of "Jogging in a Jug?" If you can't find it anywhere the recipe is:
1 cup apple juice
1 cup grape juice
1 cup vineager
Mix and drink about 2 oz. a day. I use a big shot glass. Some people don't like it but I don't think it is all that bad. Just swill it down.
There are some doctors now who are coming to the conclusion that high cholesterol is more heredity than dietary though we all need to get the fat out of our diets. Though you really need to give yourself a break at times.
Rawbunz,
I can't even look chicken in the face anymore.
Kcat,
My husband is like you. He can eat anything and it still stays low. That's a real bummer but my blood pressure is lower than his. Hehe!
JT,
You are right. Having a baby in your 30's does you in.
Keep plugging along Bunnic. You'll get there and we are rooting for you.
posted on August 7, 2000 11:46:46 PMjt:If you tell us what you do already eat in the way of veggies them maybe we can add something to your list.
Just about anything would add to the list! Veggies, in my world view up to this point have come under the heading of rabbit food...but fortunately, I only have myself to feed. And have been a meat-and-potatoes *woman*. Well, here is my admittedly short list.
green beans
corn
artichokes (but--how can you eat one without butter or mayonaisse?!?)
green beans
carrots (raw)
beets (if not pickled--yech)
potatoes
green beans
tomatoes (if not gushy. And if cooked must be in sauce form--no chunks. yech)
Butternut Squash (& most yellow squashes. No green squashes--yech)
Asparagus (if smothered in enough Hollandaise sauce so I can't taste it--guess that's out now )
Green Beans
Yams
Sweet Potatoes
Onions (Red, raw in salads. Never cooked)
Peas
Green Beans
Kidney Beans (in chili)
newly added:
cauliflower (nasty stuff, but if eaten raw & doused in hot sauce I can just about tolerate it)
Try using "Butter Buds" on your artichokes or take the hearts (whatever) and marinating them in no fat Italian dressing.
Beans are supposed to be good for cholesterol. You might mix some kidney beans in with your green beans. A good way to get the bacon taste into green beans is to use the bacon crumbles that come in the bottle at the grocery. Just dump some in while you are cooking the green beans.
posted on August 8, 2000 12:04:29 AMCalamity: thanks! I'll give both ideas a try! I would never have thought of combining kidney & green beans, , as I've always been a purist. After all, the green bean *is* the King of veggies
it's a sad thing to be UBB-impaired...
[ edited by bunnicula on Aug 8, 2000 12:06 AM ]
posted on August 8, 2000 01:14:15 AM
bunnicula...My husband says turnips are not food, turnips are what food eats (he says that about most vegetables though)
Honestly they are nasty..icky poo poo.
I tried serving them at a medival feast I cooked for 95 people once. I tried several recipes and used the least disgusting one.
I had heaps of leftover turnips at the end of the feast. And belive me I have the reputation of being a really good cook.
Someone took them home to thier pot bellied pig and even she wouldn't eat them.
Now I know why I've heard them refered to as peasant food.....Poor peasants.
posted on August 8, 2000 01:56:00 AM
Well Calamity that is encouraging. *sigh*
Butternut does not go in the sausage! The yellow kind does.
Salads are better with spinach than lettuice. REALLY they are...and best if served with hot bacon grease poured...NO don't do that!
I eat nothing but bacon grease and my cholesteral count is like 2. I know you are going to hate me. You named every veggie know to man except lima beans I think (NO good without bacon grease)...and asparagus. Steam it and chill it and dip it in fat free ranch dressing.
I am getting HUNGRY. For dinner I had only..you guessed it...a bacon sandwich
followed by ice cream in a glass with Frappuccino poured all over it. I REALLY want chilled asparagus.
Can't you buy eggless mayo at the health food store? If you can and that's safe then you can make corn salad and potato salad and green pea salad with chipped onions and tuna salad...
Corn salad is canned whole corn with bell pepper, onion, and tomatos with salt and pepper. It MUST sit in the fridge overnight. (The onions and pepper will likely kill the funky mayo taste.) Serve chilled.
Pea Salad is green peas with onion and mayo and it MUST sit in the fridge overnight. Serve chilled.
I just LOVE food threads.
T
And you can do chilled steamed green beans for dipping too. (Too much hotel banquet food. I will have you live on hors d'oeuvres.) <-I can even spell it. It was once my password for high level security.
[ edited by jt on Aug 8, 2000 02:07 AM ]
posted on August 8, 2000 06:25:12 AM
Say hi to all on this thread.
bunnicula - I'm in the group with the over 300 cholesteral & triglyceride (sp?) count.
Been taking Tricor for a while, and it has helped a lot. One does need to keep an eye on those liver counts though.
My doctor is in complete agreement with what Calamity shared....."There are some doctors now who are coming to the conclusion that high cholesterol is more heredity than dietary...." When I shared what I normally eat with him, and that I don't eat a high fat diet, he said, "Linda, I could eat a pound of bacon everyday and my count would never go over 100. We are now beginning to come to the conclusion that heredity plays a much large role than we thought before."
Now, on the turnip issue....I eat them raw, never have tried to cook them. I clean them, cut them up in a french-fry style cut to eat as a snack. I sometimes dip them in a ranch dressing....to add flavor. Be sure to chill them before eating. I've also chopped them into small sized pieces and add them to a veggie salad I love. Adds extra crunch. To me, they're much like eating a potato raw. I don't find their flavor offensive, but it is hard to describe.....I sometimes eat a whole one, as is (chilled), for a snack....just like I would an apple. They're not sweet, a little to the bitter side, maybe a combination of a potato and yellow onion mixed together? It's an acquired taste for sure.
I also eat a lot of fish....microwaved and broiled. As someone else suggested...the spices you add make up for the loss of butter.
posted on August 8, 2000 06:55:36 AM
Read your labels. Cholesterol is not fat, and reduced fat intake does not necessarily reduce cholesterol.
Don't fall into the trap of belief in an underactive thyroid--it's been a prime excuse for fatties for a couple of generations now.
Watch out for anything that may be destructive to the liver. The smallest statistical possibility is too large. There are online PDRs (Physician's Desk Reference) which contain most if not all of the possible ramifications of the use of any prescribed or OTC drug in this country. Your doctor cannot know everything about every available remedy, but you can know all about the limited number of things that are suggested for you. Many physicians rely on the pitch of the drug salespeople who visit, and on the fact of acceptance for general usage by the FDA without getting into the specifics as they relate to any single case.
posted on August 8, 2000 07:31:46 AM
krs - You are so right about the dangers of *any* medication. Thanks for the information of the online PDRs, personally I forget how much information is available to us online.
As one ages we need to eat less or excerise more, as our bodies don't require the amounts of food we sometimes tend to consume.
Changing life styles or eating habits can be a very hard thing (initally) to do.....much hope for success being sent your way bunnicula.
posted on August 8, 2000 12:01:05 PM
Many physicians rely on the pitch of the drug salespeople who visit,
So true KRS. We have 4 in our family...we are the only two "siblings" on Jim's side who are NOT MD's actually (we are JUNK DEALERS, kind of pathetic)...and they swear they do NOT have a clue about medications at ALL. They can not tell us a thing without spending 3 hours looking it up and calling one another to discuss it.
I once had a problem and went to the doctor for 3 years (several of them even) and was repeatedly ignored and even refused the test for what I KNEW was wrong with me. (I can read believe it or not.) Finally I blew my TOP in the office and DEMANDED that I have the test RIGHT now...well guess what? I was cured in a week.
Do not take "no" for an answer even from a doctor if you have done your own research and know what is wrong with you. I think people have to be 50%, or even much more, responsible for their own diagnosis and treatment. Doctors simply do not have time to read about every illness and medication. If your doctor doesn't like it, find a new doctor.
T
