Foods for thought

[RubyWitch]

Hi...........
I have hyperlipedemia and am on a statin. I also take 2000mg of prescription Niaspan nightly. I try to watch what I eat and exercise, but my age, 62, makes dropping weight a bit harder, as does severe arthritis. I am about 30 pounds overweight, not good but not too horrid. That's my sob story portion of this post.

I know there are many, many foods that are low in cholesterol, and I eat them. My question is, are there foods out there that actually REMOVE cholesterol from your body?

I know that oatmeal is suppose to do that, so I ate oatmeal all the time. Then someone told me that the instant oatmeal I was eating was NOT helping at all. That bummed me out because I love it and cooking oatmeal the old fashion way is a pain in the rear.

.I have two cardiac stents from blocked arteries and the third major one is getting close.

Any supplements that will help? I take fish oil and a mutli, but that's about it.
Help and advice please.
Thanks so much in advance

[RubyWitch]

You are wonderful and I really appreciate the time you've taken to respond to me.

I am going to get the books and do more research.

I didn't know Clinton had had a QB.

That I don't have health insurance due to economic "complications" is not making my care much easier. But I have taken what you said to heart and I don't know how to thank you for your kindness and compassion.

Linda  

[Circa49]

Greenlydia,  

First of all,  I think the information you got from that person about oatmeal is incorrect.

I once called Quaker Oats regarding the various types of oatmeal.
They have Old Fashioned (5 minute),  and they have 1 Minute, and they have instant.
They told me the only difference is the how fine they cut up the oat.
The smaller the oat the faster it cooks.   It does nothing to the substance, oats.    Each of the three types are 100% oats.

By the way,  oats don't even have to be cooked.   In many muesli type cereals you find plain uncooked oats.
So, eat the type you enjoy most and gain the benefits.
You might eat them with soy milk which is very tasty,  especially the vanilla variety.   Soy milk has no cholesterol.

Now, I am your age,  actually 63.   If I had already had two stents and was cautioned about needing a third one,   I'd say "Whoa!"... this ain't working,  my heart disease is progressing and that will end up bad somewhere down the road.

I'd invest in about 3 books and read about others who have  been on your current path.
1.   Dr. Dean Ornish,   Reversing Heart Disease
2.  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn,   Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
3 & 4  Books by Dr. John McDougall and/or Dr. Neal Barnard

They are all very similar.    Normally I'd doubt most people are motivated enough to change,  but your apparent path is not one that has a bright future if you don't take some drastic steps.

Of course,  read and think about it.   If you come to any decision,  let your doctors know about anything you do.   Never stop any meds you are on without permission.

If you read two or three of those books and decide it isn't for you, at least you've viewed the option.   I don't have heart disease.   I changed my way of eating for other reasons,  but if I were in your shoes,  I'd do almost anything to alter the current path and progression.

Small investment in time and money for a couple books when you consider the alternatives.
By the way,  Bill Clinton follows the plan put forth by those first two doctors and credits them for keeping him from having a heart attack.
He only went "full-on" with the changes after he had a quadruple bypass.
Perhaps you can avoid that.

I wish you well.   You can do something instead of just waiting for stent number 3.