Cholestrol

Question
I have an appointment for my annual check up in August, and will discuss this with my doctor at that time. In the meantime, I am very confused about cholesterol, and am trying to get the facts straight so I can ask intelligent questions.

My question: I am trying to figure out if the 揻at free?foods I am eating have just as bad an effect of my cholesterol as the fat I used to eat, since they replace fat with sugar.

I am a 58-year-old woman, overweight but otherwise healthy, and I get an hour of exercise a day. My cholesterol has hovered just below 200 all my adult life. At my last check up, it shot up to 250. I assumed it was the result of not watching my fat intake as closely since my retirement. I started limiting my fat intake to less than 60 grams a day, but my cholesterol stayed about 200. (I check it every 2 months when I give blood.) the last reading was 230.

Am I helping or hurting my cholesterol with low fat, sugar enriched foods? What can I do to get my cholesterol down below 200? I get plenty of exercise (about an hour a day of combined walking or  stairstepping, aerobics and free weights).  Although I am overweight, I don't see how that could affect my cholesterol, since my cholesterol keep going up, while my weight it stable.

What can I do about my cholesterol, since I prefer not to take drugs for it?  

Answer
Hi Jo,

You are correct that low fat foods are often high in sugar, and therefore might not be the healthiest choice. While sugar doesn't directly affect your cholesterol levels, it *can* increase your triglycerides, another fat in your blood that increase risk of heart disease when elevated.

I would encourage you to eat lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (e.g. chickpeas, lentils, black beans, baked beans, etc). These foods are low in fat, and high in fibre. Increasing your fibre intake can help lower your cholesterol levels, and also helps you feel full without eating as much.

Some other things you can do:

-choose olive and canola oils for cooking and baking
-use omega-3 eggs instead of regular eggs (omega-3's are a healthy type of fat that we don't get enough of in a typical diet), and look for other foods that contain omega-3's (you should try and get 2 servings per day of omega-3 enriched foods)
-reduce your intake of animal products, as these contain the most saturated fat and cholesterol (this includes dairy products and meats), and choose low fat dairy and lean meats when you do eat these foods

It is great that you are also exercising daily, make sure to keep it up as it will make a difference.

Hope that helps!

Karen  

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