Need help for recipe ideas for new diet - doctor called, said cholesterol and triglycerides lvl is high?
So, doc called and said my cholesterol was on the high side of normal, but my triglyceride level was too high at 248, normal for me he said should be around the 150 range.
He said to stop eating carbs, specifically starchy carbs and sweets (and I rarely eat sweets).
So, my questions is... what the heck can I eat? I can't just start eating all meat, eggs and cheese, cuz then my cholesterol levels might spike and get too high.
What carbs can I eat? I've read that beans are considered carbs, but are these considered "starchy" carbs?
What else can I eat? I mean, I have a good idea, like fruits, veggies, fish, chicken breast, etc... but what are some recipes that you guys have that are good for you, but are also filling as well?
Would the Mediterranean diet be ok for me?
Oh, and what about alcohol, beer and wine? Or even Soda's and juice?
I'm also looking for good snack ideas and just general recipe ideas that will keep me full.
Tigger2012-03-31T08:29:48Z
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Try to go all natural like if something comes from the earth. You can eat chicken and fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very good for helping reduce cholesterol but exercise will help even more. Walking 30 minutes every day will work wonders for your triglycerides. Walk for 15 minutes, then turn around and come back, it's doable. One of my favorite recipes is to cut up a mixture of vegetables like carrots, broccoli, onions, and others you like, put them in a casserole dish, a few crumbled crackers and shredded cheese on top with some spices, cover and bake till the vegetables are tender. You can also add some cooked, cut up chicken before baking...
Learning to eat healthier, and that's basically all your doctor is asking you to do, doesn't mean you automatically look for some fad diet to follow. It's all about commons sense, eating the right foods, and just getting used to it. I LOVE to cook, but keep it healthy, which means low fat, limited carbs, whole grains, knowing your foods.
"High side of normal" means you should get that number down, so don't ignore that. But don't think of it as some sort of punishment. More people should eat healthy, which doesn't mean food can't be great!
Triglycerides are fats carried in the blood from the food we eat. Most of the fats we eat, including butter, margarines and oils, are in triglyceride form. Excess calories, alcohol or sugar in the body are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout the body.
Most fruits are high carb (not starchy) foods. They should be in your daily diet but limited. Instead of juices, the body processes the fruit better, so different types of oranges, tangerines, etc. are better.
There are almost no limits when it comes to fish, chicken and turkey. There's also loin pork chops. They are not high fat. There are so many ways to cook these things. There's turkey kielbasa, turkey Italian sausage, etc.
The key to using pasta (whole grain) is keeping the portion small. Consider it a side dish, NOT the main course. So that means being sure to add a nice salad or other vegetable. If you enjoy the salad or veggies, you won't need a huge pasta portion. I recently made an amazing mac & cheese casserole that was low fat. I made it with ww elbow macaroni, skim milk, 2 kinds of reduced fat cheeses, and it was thickened with a roux made with ww flour and olive oil. No butter. Key seasonings for that are nutmeg and dry mustard (yes, common for mac & cheese), and salt & pepper. I made them in 2 little individual casseroles, and at half that as a portion. It was plenty filling.
Tonight I'm having shrimp sauteed in a little olive oil, fresh, crushed garlic, a spice mixture, fresh, finishing it off with a little white wine, fresh dill and parsley. I'll toss some steamed broccoli in with that and put it aside. With that, I'll have ww spaghetti (I'm making my own pasta, but clearly you wouldn't have to do that). Once the pasta is cooked, I'll toss it all into the shrimp and broccoli, and heat for a few minutes. The pasta portion can be small when there's shrimp and broccoli.
If you want it without that pasta, it's still a great dish. Add a nice salad, and you'd be full when done.
Here's a great page you should read for a better understanding of what you need to do, and some diet suggestions.
Mediterranean diet may be ok, but not for me! I hate drenching all foods with olive oil!
Contrary to popular urban myth, eggs, beef, cheese etc are not cholesterol building foods. They are good foods to eat.
Salads are very low grams of carbohydrate foods!! Think in terms of the green stuff as veggies and the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers etc as fruits!!
I follow the South Beach phase 2 food plan for diabetes. As long as I keep my glucose in control, my lipids numbers are also in control!! These books have fantastic menus and recipes! All normal foods! Nothing very special about any of them. The Atkins diet phase 2 is also great!
Dieticians say that dried beans are perfect! I disagree! Yes, they are full of fiber, but they spike my glucose way too much. I much prefer to get the fiber from broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
All meats, especially red meats, chicken, fish, etc are NO carbohydrate foods unless you bread and fry or bake them!!
Don't stint on the fats even tho the doctor probably warned you to eliminate most of them!! Low carb food plan and low to no fats guarantees failure!! You get the Starvin Marvins and cravings for trying to go low carb and low fat at the same time.
so also read this and decide about the fats in your plan: http://www.drcranton.com/nutrition/oiling.htm http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cholesterol/is-skim-milk-making-you-fat http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/statinalert/
You cannot avoid all carbs, get a glycemic index chart, for diabetics. Fruits & vegetables are the best carbs; avoid processed foods. They consist of flour, sugar, salt, & lard, the white death foods. Avoid red meats with saturated fats, like beef, lamb, pork, etc. If you can get them locally, try grass-fed meats: elk, venison, buffalo. Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. Eat more poultry & fish, even canned tuna, salmon, or sardines.