You do really need the breakdown on what your so called "good cholesterol" is compared to the "bad" one. The new take on cholesterol is that its not as harmful as previously suggested and in order to really know for sure there is a special blood tests that one can pay for to do the breakdown of the cholesterol. Cutting back sugar and carbs is essential, healthy fats are essential, butter is now considered a so called healthy fat, compared to margarine. Nuts are great, lean meat, chicken, fish. Daily walking and a glass of red wine is also considered a good thing with cholesterol. The bad press it has got over the years is def changing, esp with the low carb high fat diets that are so popular of late.
Cassie that’s not official advice though, it’s just your opinion. There really hasn’t been a massive change at all in the way proper health organisations treat high cholesterol. It is *not* good to have high cholesterol, it is damaging and fatty foods and saturated fats are still considered harmful. BHF & NHS both still consider high cholesterol a serious risk factor for heart disease. NHS usually tests for LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol as part of a CBC.
It's not Cassie's opinion - it is as stated on the BHF website - and where the lay person's terms "good" and "bad" cholesterol are used
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-cholesterolIt specifically says: "If your total cholesterol is high, it CAN mean that you have a lot of bad (non-HDL) cholesterol in your blood. A high level of good (HDL) cholesterol can help keep that bad cholesterol in check and remove it from your body." (my capitals).
The article also says:
"There is no specific target cholesterol level because your doctor is looking at your overall risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases"
So whilst the general health advice you gave ATB is excellent re diet and exercise - we should be guided firstly by the ratio of HDL:LDL, as well as our Qrisk score which the GP should be calculating from our readings.
Only after that has been carried it will it be necessary to decide whether further treatment is required.
I also have personal experience of this and quoted my figures some while ago in another cholesterol post. I have high total cholesterol but my ratio is fine as is my Qrisk score ( also takes into account age and blood pressure amongst other things - can't remember exactly) so my doc says no action needed but to test every couple of years.
Hopefully Lynda007 your doc has done this by now?
Great that you're not overweight and as long as you make some changes to your diet as you are suggesting - re fruit and veg which should form a substantial part of a healthy diet, and increase your cardio exercise, then you are doing the best you can for yourself.
Re alcohol - you didn't say how much you drink as a regular drinker but drinking a very small amount and not daily unless you have beem medically advised to drink none at all - the effects should be minimal. I can't take large wuantities of alcohol but I limit any alcohol to Fri, Sat Sun and would have no more than two small drinks before or with eve meal. My glasses of wine are actually half glasses etc. Of course you may feel better after giving up compoletely but I've managed to keep to this 3 days per week for some years ( Christmas and holidays are the exception
!)
As for "breakfast white toast is to be replaced by 20 mins on my cross trainer. " - I'm not sure whether you mean you are cutting out breakfast completely? Hopefully not - it's a very important meal, though having it later, after exercise is also excellent, if your lifestyle/working areranagements allow for this.
For breakfast I either have grapefruit, then oats/museli with fruit, possibly followed by boiled egg ( if attending zmuba class), or fruit, yougurt, two boiled eggs. Sometimes egg, baked beans and mushrooms as the cooked breakfast. I've put on weight recently so try to replace the whole meal toast and marmalade which I love, with a boiled egg instead. I tend to have breakfast as late as possible, depending what I'm doing, so if at home - then 9.30 - 10 ish.
Hope this helps and you manage to make healthy changes without worrying too much and that you have been reassured by your doc re Qrisk?
No way I want to take statins, ever - and I am late 60's...(not that its been suggested yet...)
Hurdity x