Anyone on a low cholesterol diet?

[Bettie May]

Nope don't drink loads and don't smoke. Do have an underactive thyroid which has possibly been a little on the low side as they've upped my dosage for the first time in ages. Cakes and pastries and choc are probably my downfall and it's about time I sorted out my diet anyway. On the upside my weight is finally going down with a combination of the right thyroid levels and just a week of eating more healthily and I've been trying hard to shift even one pound for the past year with no results so some good has come of all of this! I'm going to work hard for a year on sticking to exercise and a better diet and see what it's like at the next test (do they test regularly or do you have to request it?). As I say my dad had a disease in his arteries (weird name mostly suffered by asian women and smokers of which he was neither!) in which his valves collapsed and he had clots etc so I must be careful now. I was told years ago to watch my cholesterol but of course you don't listen in your youth when you are stick thin and think you are invincible!!

[Faith]

I was told years ago to watch my cholesterol but of course you don't listen in your youth when you are stick thin and think you are invincible!!

Funnily enough my stick thin younger sister has far worse cholesterol levels than me . Probably because she could live off mars bars and not put on any weight. But not good for you, obviously!

[Bettie May]

I DID live off Mars bars! And not much else. So true that it all comes back to haunt you!

[Willow]

My dad has high cholesterol and was advised to have porridge for breakfast as that helps lower it. (proper porridge not instant stuff).

Why can't you have the instant stuff? Mine's slightly high, I've been eating the pots. I thought that would be ok?

[Mrs Moss]

Why can't you have the instant stuff? Mine's slightly high, I've been eating the pots. I thought that would be ok?

It's because they're so processed. Like the difference between white and wholegrain bread. The best oats are steel cut as this minimises the processing and alters the grain least. They're hard to get hold of though - I buy the Flahavan's Oats from Tesco's (Waitrose do them too) and they're a good compromise. I think it's the soluble fibre in whole oats that lowers cholesterol? Not sure - maybe someone actually knows for sure

TBH it doesn't take any longer to make real porridge than Ready Brek or any of the instant ones - I just leave it to cook on low while I unload the dishwasher or make tea. I bet you could soak whole oats overnight and heat them quickly of you're in a rush (although I would actually have to remember to soak them so unlikely to happen here ).

[Bettie May]

The instant stuff does say on the packet it can actively reduce cholesterol too. OH made me some instant stuff his daughter has this morning... totally vile golden syrup flavour stuff which I shan't be buying but it said that on the back of the packet anyway.

[Mrs Moss]

The instant stuff does say on the packet it can actively reduce cholesterol too. OH made me some instant stuff his daughter has this morning... totally vile golden syrup flavour stuff which I shan't be buying but it said that on the back of the packet anyway.

I'm sure it does to an extent but not quite as well. I've had that golden syrup stuff (the M&S one) once when I was on a course and no time to eat b'fast. OMG it was like eating flavoured wallpaper paste.

[Willow]

I love the golden syrup one, that's my favourite, also like the cinnamon. The apple and blackberry isn't great though. It's the beta glucan that's lowering the cholesterol which the instant stuff still has, but it won't be the same amounts. I read up on this last night after your post Mrs Moss. You had me worried, thought i'd been wasting money.

I can't eat the plain ones, they turn my stomach. Also, I don't drink milk, and some of them taste horrible with water.