Isn't my cholesterol a little high for being a vegan?

Question

Okay.. So I've been a vegan for almost a year and a vegetarian for a little over a year. I just went to the doctors for my annual checkup and my cholesterol was 197! When I ate meat it was 211 and when i was a vegetarian for about a month it only dropped 2 points. Im 5'4 and weigh around 125. I don't go to the gym that often but I ride horses and run errands so I think I get enough exercise..? I rarely ever eat hydrogenated oils. I'm just so confused! Shouldn't my cholesterol have lowered more than 14 points? It is still considered "high" and I don't even eat cholesterol!!!

Answer 1

Cholesterol does not only come from food.  Your body makes it too and sometimes it just makes too much.  Eat more whole grains and set aside time for exercise.

Answer 2

It probably does run in your family.. cholesterol has a LOT to do with your genes! 197 isn't too terrible, but I would keep watching it... talk to your doctor if you're worried!

Answer 3

Even if you are predisposed to high cholesterol, you have to understand soluble vs insoluble fiber and what each of them does.

Insoluble is what most people associate fiber with.  Most noticeable are the frequent bowel movements.  It helps the digestive tract but doesn't go much beyond that.

Some of its sources include:

Vegetables such as green beans and dark leafy greens

Fruit skins and root vegetable skins

Whole-wheat products

Wheat oat

Corn bran

Seeds & Nuts

Soluble fiber is the key to the whole equation though.  Soluble fiber stays in your system for a long time, during which it pretty much "extracts" a lot of the fatty acids from your body (it bonds with them and then continues through and out of your body).  This is the "cholesterol killer" that's been shown to lower LDL levels.

Some of these foods include:

Oat/Oat bran

Dried beans and peas

Nuts

Barley

Flax seed

Fruits such as oranges and apples

Vegetables such as carrots

If you're not receiving enough of these in your diet, then your cholesterol probably won't be all that different, especially if you're prone to naturally high cholesterol levels.

Answer 4

Some people are just genetically predisposed to producing excess cholesterol in the liver.  For most of us, reducing consumption of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat makes a huge difference.  But for others, diet and exercise alone may not work.  Since you're vegan and at a healthy weight, this is probably you.  Keep watching your sat fat consumption and try to get more exercise (running errands really doesn't count, unless you're actually *running* them.)  What does your doctor say?

Answer 5

High cholesterol most likely runs in your family.

Answer 6

allveggielinks.com

ecomall.com

vegan books:

125 best vegan recipes / Maxine Effenson Chuck & Beth Gurney.



  The complete vegan cookbook : over 200 tantalizing recipes, plus plenty of kitchen wisdom for beginners and experienced cooks / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay



  The joy of vegan baking : the compassionate cooks' traditional treats and sinful sweets / Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.



  The Mediterranean vegan kitchen : meat-free, egg-free, dairy-free dishes from the healthiest place under the sun / Donna Klein



  The new vegan : fresh, fabulous, and fun / Janet Hudson



  The new vegan cookbook : innovative vegetarian recipes free of dairy, eggs, and cholesterol / by Lorna Sass ; photographs by Jonelle Weaver.



  Skinny ***** in the kitch : kick-*** recipes for hungry girls who want to stop cooking c**p (and start looking hot!) / by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin



  Vegan express / written and illustrated by Nava Atlas



  

The vegan gourmet : full flavor & variety with over 120 delicious recipes / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler, Mindy Toomay



  Vegan planet : 400 irresistible recipes with fantastic flavors from home and around the world / Robin Robertson



  The vegan sourcebook / by Joanne Stepaniak ; special nutrition section by Virginia Messina



  Vegan world fusion cuisine : healing recipes and timeless wisdom from our hearts to yours / [Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and the chefs of the Blossoming Lotus, with a special foreword by Jane Goodall].



  Veganomicon : the ultimate vegan cookbook / Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.