The Doctor Said I'm Gonna Die. So...Who Wants a Beer?

[Jester]

Cut down on the alcohol a bit.

Hi, mom! When did you get here?

So, if you keep on your salads, try to find dressings that are made with GOOD oils.

Which are...what, exactly? And how do I know what kind of oils, good, bad, or otherwise, are in the dressings at restaurants that I eat at?

Ok, then, what about using 2% milk for a month or so?

I don't mind 2% or 1% all that much, though I prefer whole. But I suppose for my eggs (that I have left) I can get by using a lesser milk. But again I should stress that I really don't drink a lot of milk in general. Of everything he told me to cut back on, that was one that was probably the most irrelevant to my regular diet.

You already exercise and drink water, since you're in the tropics, so that's great!

My job by its nature is usually a decent workout. And I don't drink so much water as I do Gatorade and fruit juice. Have pretty much eliminated sodas from my diet, though, and don't drink any coffee or tea, since (a) I don't drink caffeine, and (b) I don't like coffee or tea.

[42_42_42]

Gatorade and fruit juices actually aren't all that great for you. Unless you are profusely sweating, say from doing lots of yard work or working out, you don't need the stuff in Gatorade. I LOVE fruit juices, but they are naturally high in sugar without all of the other benefits, such as fiber, that you get from whole fruits. So I limit myself to occasional glasses of high pulp OJ and the Northland Dark Fruits juices (b/c they are really high in antioxidants) and mostly when the fresh version of the fruit in those is out of season. When the fruit is in season, I try to eat it instead. Otherwise, drink water or iced green/herbal tea (sweeten with stevia, although I find the Celestial Seasons brands various green-herbal blends don't need sweetened to make a refreshing iced beverage).

I know you hate oatmeal, but it really is one of the best cholesterol busting natural things out there. I'd rather eat that every day than have to take a statin.

As for salad dressings at restaurants, switch to oil and vinegar AFTER checking that the oil is indeed EVOO (it should be). That's the easiest way of managing salad dressings when you eat out. At home, you can make your own vinaigrettes.

I hate to say it, but the thing that's throwing your levels out of whack the most is probably the alcohol. I know that the likelihood of you reducing that intake is nil, so adopting some of the other changes to combat the alcohol's efffect, is your best bet.

[Sapphire Silk]

There is one thing you should never use extra virgin olive oil for, and that's pan searing fish, as the EVOO will burn at the temps used for it.

That's good to know. I don't use it that often, but should use it more probably.

Untrue. One day I MAY wake up and have high blood pressure. I may not. No one, not my doctor, your doctor, myself, you, or anyone else, can say what WILL happen. Not with any certainty.

Current medical science and conventional wisdom say that you will probably end up being right. But both medical science and conventional wisdom change, and change constantly. As a minor example, for years margarine was touted as the healthier alternative to butter, but now things are starting to turn around the other way.

You're quite right; I'm sorry.

Okay, let's get something straight here: I have NEVER done a marathon, I have never WANTED to do a marathon, and I have never had any PLANS for doing a marathon. Running 26.2 miles? Are you NUTS? HELL no!

But I can understand the confusion. What I DID do was a biathlon, or two parts of a triathlon.

No, I never did another one, though I think I am going to make a point to do the one in September. They have one this year on Saturday, but as that is St. Patrick's Day, AND I have not been training much (i.e., at all), I am going to give this one a pass and focus on September.

Oops! Sorry. I remember the pic you posted, I didn't think you looked at bad at all; just tired that's all.

One way to counteract reflux with the fish oil pills is to freeze them. So, if you have trouble finding ones that don't cause the nasty burps, you don't have to suffer.

I'll have to try that. I can't stand the reflux; it turns into full blown heart burn.

I'll have to look into the l-arginine; what I read was very interesting and it might have some benefit for my situation with high blood pressure. I'll have to discuss it with my doc.

[Barracuda]

Little tip for the salad dressings, Jester: You know how to make an emulsion? All it is, is a fat and an acid. That's all. Any fat and any acid, and you have an emulsion (also called a vinaigrette because vinegar is the most common acid used.) Mix olive oil, which is a good oil, with any acid (citrus, wine vinegar, use your imagination,) and some other ingredients--say, crushed garlic and herbs---and stir until it gets creamy. Just be aware that this dressing will harden in the fridge, since olive oil does that. I can actually give you a tasty Filipino or Thai salad dressing recipe, both of which are tasty and healthy, if you like.

[Der Cute]

Which are...what, exactly? And how do I know what kind of oils, good, bad, or otherwise, are in the dressings at restaurants that I eat at?

Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. The key to a healthy diet is to choose foods that have more good fats than bad fats—vegetable oils instead of butter, salmon instead of steak—and that don’t contain any trans fat.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritio...rol/index.html

[Jester]

Gatorade and fruit juices actually aren't all that great for you. Unless you are profusely sweating, say from doing lots of yard work or working out, you don't need the stuff in Gatorade.

I drink a little Gatorade at home, but at work, a lot more. Because my job is rather physical, especially when the bar is busy and/or I have a lot of stocking to do, as I do a lot of lifting and, more importantly, running around. I HAVE finished my shift with my shirt pretty damp from sweat, so yes, I use Gatorade as a rehydrant while working. It is mostly water, plus the salts that you lose in busting your ass, and while I know there are some things in there that I don't need, I would say it is more good than for me at work. Better than drinking soda, to be certain, which is something I have basically eliminated from my diet. Not easy for someone who grew up on soda.

I LOVE fruit juices, but they are naturally high in sugar without all of the other benefits, such as fiber, that you get from whole fruits.

I eat fruit, too, but you can't really drink a glass of whole fruit with your dinner. And while they are somewhat high in sugar, it's natural fructose, rather than anything artificial or added. I can live with that.

Otherwise, drink water or iced green/herbal tea (sweeten with stevia, although I find the Celestial Seasons brands various green-herbal blends don't need sweetened to make a refreshing iced beverage).

Two things. First, I don't drink tea. Can't stand the stuff. Never did like it, hot or iced. Secondly, I don't sweeten anything, with sugar or other sweeteners. Not even sure what stevia is. Seriously.

I hate to say it, but the thing that's throwing your levels out of whack the most is probably the alcohol.

Question: how? I've seen nothing in my research to suggest that alcohol would be the main culprit, nor did my doctor seem to emphasize that all that much. From what I've gathered, the main problem is my low good cholesterol, which is somewhat hereditary, though of course I could be wrong. Did I miss something regarding the whole alcohol/cholesterol thing?

[ArcticChicken]

salmon instead of steak

Those are not interchangeable!! They are both tasty, but salmon won't do if I want steak, and vice versa. Just sayin'.

[Food Lady]

Stevia is an extact from a south american bush, also known as sweet leaf. It has no calories. They steep it and evaporate the moisture out of it to make a powder, but sometimes it comes in liquid form. You don't need it. You don't really need to worry about sugar unless your teiglycerides are high or you have diabetes. I think you're a well-rounded, fairly healthy eater. I think genetics and alcohol are messing with your numbers.

[42_42_42]

Question: how? I've seen nothing in my research to suggest that alcohol would be the main culprit, nor did my doctor seem to emphasize that all that much. From what I've gathered, the main problem is my low good cholesterol, which is somewhat hereditary, though of course I could be wrong. Did I miss something regarding the whole alcohol/cholesterol thing?

Drinking more than 1 or 2 beers/glasses of wine a day has been shown to increase triglyceride and overall cholesterol levels. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....emia/91-1.html
http://www.careurheart.com/heart-car...holesterol.htm

Plus, the liver is what processes both alcohol and cholesterol. Logically, I would think that the more it's processing the one, the less efficient it will be at processing the other.

[PepperElf]

(NOTE: Can anyone here direct me to a website that explains in relatively plain English the whole cholesterol ratio thing? Just wondering.)

I'll give you the dime version:

good cholesterol will take plaque off of your arteries and send it to the liver for processing. this can help prevent a heart attack.

bad cholesterol does the opposite - it puts plaque onto your arteries. this can clog your arteries so your blood doesn't get through.



You want good-high and bad-low cos that helps prevent heart attacks
if you have good-low and bad-high you're setting yourself up for not getting enough blood to support your heart which can cause heart attacks and other related issues.

[Der Cute]

Think of fiber also as a gut scrubbing thing. Helps pull the shit (literally) out of you.
You might want to start drinking Metamucil as a breakfast additive.
For fruit juice, try doing a 50/50 water and juice dilution. You can still taste it and you get water. I've done that before.
Moderation is the key here, so if you want beef, try for a leaner cut. And you don't have to cut it out of your diet all the way. Moderation. When I was on the diet to change my cholesterol, I had a steak towards the end of it. My tummy WAS NOT HAPPY. I'd changed my fat intake so much my body said WTF DUDE.

For dressings, go for top shelf. Literally. Find the gourmet looking names, read ingredients and cholesterol on the labels. And moderate. What I do with a salad is put some dressing in a tiny cut on the side, away from the lettuce. Dip fork in that, stab lettuce, eat. This way you're not dumping stuff all over, messing up portion control. For restaurants, you could ask for a vinaigrette, but you COULD go with ranch. Just on the side, ok?

Shit, your DOC tells you to fix this, isn't it their responsibility to steer you towards a nutritionist or give you guidelines? Call back!

[Jester]

Moderation is the key here, so if you want beef, try for a leaner cut. And you don't have to cut it out of your diet all the way. Moderation.

I feel the need to point out here my earlier comment that I eat pretty healthily. Now I feel the added need to elaborate on that.

Steak: I average 1-2 steaks. A YEAR.
Burgers: I eat about 1-2 a month. Never from the fast food places.

Frankly, beef is not a huge part of my diet.

For restaurants, you could ask for a vinaigrette, but you COULD go with ranch. Just on the side, ok?

And ranch is healthy...how? Again, a note about my diet: I PREFER vinaigrettes, and rarely have other dressings, with the exception of bleu cheese occasionally. Because, you know, it tastes freakin' awesome.

[Der Cute]

For restaurants, you could ask for a vinaigrette, but you COULD go with ranch. Just on the side, ok?

You had asked about restaurants and food/oil. I assumed you meant Ranch. I'm sorry.

[Jester]

Actually, I was asking about salad dressings in general, not ranch in particular. Sorry if you misunderstood me.

Also, a friend of mine pointed out to me in a PM that some of my answers here might come across as a bit "snippy." Please, don't anyone be offended or take personal affront to any of my answers or comments. If there is any snippiness in my tone, it is unintentional and probably unconsciously directed towards the situation and/or my doctor, for his advice/ultimatum about my diet.

While I DO appreciate ALL suggestions, some simply don't apply to me, or have been addressed thoroughly in this thread already. In such situations, my reflex is to simply respond as such, not realizing that sometimes it sounds (or may even BE) defensive.

I came on here and sought advice, and as I said, I DO appreciate all the suggestions, comments, links, and advice. If I seem to brush something off, it is because it may not be relevant to me, or may not fit my ideas of what I want to do, but it should in no way be taken as my being annoyed or irritated with the person (or people) making such suggestions.

Sometimes I'm just a bit businesslike, straightforward, or even brusque in my responses, both in real life and on here. It is not anything personal, and I hope no one here takes it as such. If anyone has, please accept my apologies, as that was never my intent.

So, again, thank you to all of you for your continued offerings of advice. And a big thank you to my friend that brought this to my attention.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

I get snippy when someone tells me how to eat, too...even if I ask what they think Seriously, I think most of us understand where you're coming from.