Re: dietary cholesterol vs. Dietary fat

Posted By Andre on August 25, 1997 at 22:46:09:

In Reply to: Re: dietary cholesterol vs. Dietary fat posted by Bill Keedy on August 24, 1997 at 23:11:39:







Bill,
I appreciate your help. I was looking for some help from a dietician as my question contains one specific issue about which there is not a clear cut consensus. You expressed an interest in knowing a bit more about me. I am under the best care of several cardiologists who are world renowned experts. I also run one of the most comprehensive Internet sites about heart disease. Please check it out at -
http://www.heartinfo.org Click on patient stories and then click on my name and you will see my whole story. There are other inspiring stories there as well. You mentioned that you had a similiar experience. Please consider sharing your story by clicking on the Heart Patient of The Year button. Here you can submit your story and even earn $5,000 for helping others. This is a real contest to find inspiring stories like yours and mine. I know because I won the award 2 years ago and I used the money to get the HeartInfo web site started!
I am still curios about dieatary cholesterol vs. dietary fat...
Thanks,
-Andre

I had angioplasty on 1 of 2 100% occlusions 3 years ago at the age of 31
I have type III hyperlipidemia and am very rigorous regarding my treatment
I exercise daily, take Zocor and Lopid and Eat a virtually fat free and sugar free vegetarian diet.
Once a month I like to "treat myself" and have a special food. I was wondering which is "safer" for my condition:
1. Chicken (white meat broiled) with no oil (High fat low cholesterol)
2. Shrimp (steamed) (Low fat high cholesterol)
3. Crab legs (steamed)
4. Grilled Squid (Very high cholesterol, very low fat)
My question boils down to this:
Is dietary cholesterol in my case problematic or is it just dietary fat or both? Which is worse?
I have decided not to eat any foods that have more than trace amounts of fat (corn is the highest fat food that I eat). Although, small quantities of these foods probably won't hurt me I figure that they certainly won't help and does anyone really know what causes a plaque to start forming?
Thanks for you input on this.
ANDRE,
First of all, get your cardiologist (I assume you have been seeing one) to refer you to a
good dietician.  I had a heart attack in October 96 followed 2 days later by an emergency
triple bypass.  After 10 months of my new lifestyle, my cholesterol and other blood lipids
are under control and beginning to look pretty good though my HDL and tryglicerides still
need some adjuctment.  That's where I am....now about you.  There are so many issues here.
First, it sounds like you have reacted to your situation about the way I did.  This really
got my attention!  But, it also sounds as though you may have over-reacted on the fat. Our
bodies need fat to the extent that if you cut your intake too much, it will begin to
generate it.  If corn is the food you eat containing the most fat you may be go that far.
Get expert advise.  Also, corn is a starchy food meaning it is a high carbohydrate food.
These are good for you and are where we get our energy for all that exercise.  However,
too many carbohydrates can overcome your efforts in cutting out sugar entirely.  I assume
you did so because of high tryglicerides.  The key to all this is get expert advise and
pay close attention to portion control.  You didn't mention other aspects of your diet
other than it is vegetarian.  We need lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Don't forget
those high in fiber.  We need that to help control/reduce cholesterol levels.  I hate to
keep stressing this, but it is of paramount importance.....seek expert advise.  



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