# Need help lowering Cholesterol



## Robin (Dec 4, 2005)

My husband was recently told that he needed to eat healthier because he has very high cholesterol. Are there any tips you guys can give to help us out? I've been trying to get him to eat more fish but then I have to fix two meals because I hate fish. I also got him to eat some veggie meat because he loves his beef and pork.


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## lmw80 (Dec 4, 2005)

Oatmeal for breakfast or at least once a day, and lots of garlic!


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## theislandgirl (Dec 4, 2005)

Robin said:
			
		

> My husband was recently told that he needed to eat healthier because he has very high cholesterol. Are there any tips you guys can give to help us out? I've been trying to get him to eat more fish but then I have to fix two meals because I hate fish. I also got him to eat some veggie meat because he loves his beef and pork.



I lowered my bad cholesteral and increased my good cholesteral, and vastly improved my ratios (doctor said "awesome ratios!") by getting rid of sugars and refined starches in my life.  Kept the beef and pork (and the good fats  in oils, and fibers in nuts and flaxseed, and the "good" carbohydrates and fibers in non-starchy vegetables, lots of them, and deeply colored fruits and berries.  Got rid of trans (hydrogenated) fats, VERY important.  

Too bad you hate fish, though!  I love a really *good *piece of fish, and can highly recommend halibut and basa fillets for their flavor, and fresh salmon when you can get it.

It's not total cholesteral that matters so much, but the Ratios and the Triglycerides. These numbers are available from the test results. Triglycerides are most often affected (increased) by a high carbohydrate intake.  And here's a depressing thought, but not only is 80% of a body's cholesterals produced by the body, but if you reduce dietary cholesterals too much, the body tries to make more, they're essential for the production of hormones, and fats are needed for brain tissue and function.

You might consider that as a viable approach for your household.

from: http://heart.healthcentersonline.com/cholesterol/cholesterolbloodtest4.cfm


_*Triglyceride* levels. Normal levels are 40 to 160 mg/dL for men and 35 to 135 mg/dL for women. Values tend to increase with age. Levels over 150 mg/dl are considered borderline-high, and levels greater than 199 mg/dl are considered high. 

_
_*Lipoprotein*/cholesterol fractionation. The recommended *HDL* level is 40 or greater, while the *LDL* level should __optimally be less than 100 (with levels of 160 or greater considered high). The American College of Cardiology recommends that women maintain an HDL cholesterol level of at least 45. HDL levels above 60 mg/dL are considered helpful to heart-health because HDL carries excess cholesterol out of the body. LDL levels over 190 mg/dL may signal an increased risk of *coronary artery disease* and are of significant concern.       

_
_*Cholesterol ratio*. According to the *American Heart Association*, the level of total cholesterol should not be more than five times the level of HDLs (a ratio of 5:1)._
 Hope this helps some.


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 4, 2005)

*Robin stop reading this... ok... finish the reply, then stop*

I am in exactly the same situation... well actually not exactly. I just had a heart operation to put me in the right path, so your other half is right before me actually. Being that I'm 38... and told I've had several heart attacks.. and told one was in my 20s.... well what can I say... I take things day by day. Right now I am still in recovery from the operation.

After the operation, the hospital told me everything about what to do. Exactly what to eat, how much I should excercise, every little step of my recover to make me a better and more healthy me. And if you believe this, please send me a check for $10,000 at the address I'll send you later. Oy... Robin, they just kinda tost me out the door. My discharge paperwork says, "Cardiac Diet". Oh... that's very descriptive... I should know exactly what to do with that one... well, I am sure you realize by now, it is VERY HARD TO FIGURE OUT. Very confusing.

Well since I have just started on my quest, I really should not give you real specifics of what he should do yet, cause I am learning myself (dont want to put you in a wrong path), you got an answer here already and I am sure folks who know more then me will give more.

What I am going to say is to go out and get this book! It is such an incredible book and my cardiologist was thrilled when he saw me reading it. It is called "Don't eat your heart out" and here is a link to Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563055589/qid=1133742974/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-3081605-3685643?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

There are 2 editions out as well, so be sure you get the latest one. The writter had bypass when he was 32 years old and explains things very clearly about what is going on, why it happened and what you can do about it.

But my learning is going well at any rate. I am learning about the mediterranean diet and how it is good for cardiac health. Oh and about the fish... I have the same problem cause my wife hates fish. Don't know what to say except that he really needs fish. Everything I have seen so far says the same thing. He REALLY needs fish. The fish oils lowers bad cholesterol and from what I have read so far, big time. If he hated fish he could swallow fish oil capsuls, but since he seems to like fish, I think I would recommend you to swallow the capsuls and make sure he eats fish. Just seems like too much of a good thing to pass up when you start reading everything and take all the positives that fish offers really. My wife and I had been making two meals at times (I just can't eat the same things she does not want to give up anymore... like hotdogs... like processed food). We are not comming up with too many different ways to do it actually. 

I mean... my cardiologist sat me in his office and basically said... I have a very simple choice. Either my diet and life style has to change or I can get ready and prepair my affairs to die. It was clear that before my operation my body was prepairing for another heart attack and with the heart pumping at 22% it was not looking that I was going to make it. So that is the choice I have really.... yeah... not much of a choice huh 

Oh and Imw80... Oatmeal is not bad... but I find it rather tastless. I do like it if I put in something like rasins or other fruit... peaches for example. But you know what I like... Malt O Meal. Grits are not bad either... I like it better then oatmeal at any rate.


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## purrfectlydevine (Dec 4, 2005)

Dr told DH to try niacin along with an aspirin to combat the flushing that niacin can cause.  Unfortunately, he was not able to tolerate it and had to go on one the statin drugs.


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## Robin (Dec 4, 2005)

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will pass all this along to hubby. Thanks for the book suggestion. We really do not know a whole lot about his condition so we've been doing searches online to find out exactly what is up. 

I find it interesting that you had a heart attack several times and didn't know it? I wonder if that has happened with me and hubby. Every now and again we get a pinching pain in our chest but it goes away quickly.


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## grahamkerr (Dec 5, 2005)

*If Hubby absolutely, positively has to have*

Beef or pork, find the lowest fat content you can, and broil it. Unsaturated fats are big culprits for bad cholesterol, and animal fat has loads of it. But if you take an already lean piece of meat, and not allow it to "stew in its own juices", it will cut way down on the cholesterol. Grilling fish, chicken, beef, and pork will help a lot.
Obviously, don't give him a pound of steak, but an (occasional) small (4 oz) won't hurt, and can be used as a reward for eating the right things. ("I've been eating tossed salad for two weeks. Give me a steak. Now.")


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## Michael_Schaap (Dec 5, 2005)

*Yeah I know...*



			
				Robin said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone for the replies. I will pass all this along to hubby. Thanks for the book suggestion. We really do not know a whole lot about his condition so we've been doing searches online to find out exactly what is up.
> 
> I find it interesting that you had a heart attack several times and didn't know it? I wonder if that has happened with me and hubby. Every now and again we get a pinching pain in our chest but it goes away quickly.[/quote ]
> 
> ...


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## Robin (Dec 5, 2005)

Michael, 

All I have to say is wow! And I do hope your tumor removal goes well! 

We work 10 hrs a day 4 days a week so often we forget to take things out of the fridge. It's hard to think beyond putting shoes on at 5 am! We did eat lots of hamburger. Probably 2 packages of 1lb hamburger per week. Fixed in various ways. Plus ordering pizza at least once per week. Hubby always orders all meat I order pepperoni or chicken barbecue. 

As for milk we never drink it unless we have cereal which is not often. Our only drinks are coffee in the morning and Pepsi. I'd say we go through 3 liters of Pepsi a day. We take two liters to work and drink more (around 5 cans) at home. I know all that's bad.....but to get through our day we need the caffeine! He tried to switch to decaffeinated but that didn't' last long. 

As for the small heart attacks, there is only one instance with me that I worry about. It lasted for about 10-15 minutes and happened about 5 months ago. I was working and suddenly I had a very sharp pain from the back of my neck all the way down to my chest. The best way I could describe it is someone stuck me with a sword starting from my neck to my heart. I couldn't move my left arm which really worried me. It only lasted that 10-15 minutes and hasn't done it since. Hubby has heartburn daily, so we would never know. He takes other medication that mess with his stomach.


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## Constance (Dec 5, 2005)

My cholesterol is not so bad, but my triglycerides are little high, because I'm a beer drinker.
I do have to watch what I eat, though, because I try to maintain a holistically healthy appetite to help with my arthritis. Believe me, what I eat really makes a difference in the level of pain. 
I avoid beef, pork and processed meats. That doesn't mean I don't eat any, but I limit the amounts. Venison is a great substitute if you have a source for it. It has virtually no fat, and is not injected with all those hormones and antibiotics. Lamb is also good for you, as well as chicken and turkey. Fish is healthy for you in many ways...the good oils it contains not only help lower cholesterol, but help with depression. 
I hate oatmeal as a breakfast cereal, but I like it in breads and such. Barley is a great alternative, and is delicious in soups or stews. 
I use olive oil in place of butter or margarine in any way I can. 
Be conservative about potatoes and carrots, as they are full of sugar. Eat lots of green leafy vegies, raw if possible. 

As for the spouses who hate fish...heat up a can of soup for yourself. Your SO needs to eat it.


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## purrfectlydevine (Dec 5, 2005)

Robin said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone for the replies. I will pass all this along to hubby. Thanks for the book suggestion. We really do not know a whole lot about his condition so we've been doing searches online to find out exactly what is up.
> 
> I find it interesting that you had a heart attack several times and didn't know it? I wonder if that has happened with me and hubby. Every now and again we get a pinching pain in our chest but it goes away quickly.


We learned that when my father passed away.  He had a massive heart attack.  When he was in the hospital thae dr told Mom that he had at least one heart attack before that one, which none of us knew about.  The dr called them "silent" heart attacks because the person doesn't usually go gor treatment because the pain goes away, but damage is done.


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## Nesrine (Dec 23, 2005)

*high cholestrol*

high cholestrol runs in my family. my doctor suggested Niacin, which caused flushing but I decided to take it at night before I go to bed with a small snack this way I won't feel the unpleasant flushing. It Worked.

As far as diet, for breakfast my biggest meal of the day, I eat oatmeal with 1 TBS ground flax seeds, a handful of raw almonds, couple plums & 2 apricots,a cup of fresh frozen blueberries, a banana & soy milk. The last blood test showed my HDL skyrocketing to 142, the lab rechecked it, my doctor didn't believe & I didn't think there is such levels any one can reach. I've been eating this for 10 years. I also never eat any fried food, hardly any meat, I do eat chicken breasts & also fish. I excercise 3x  week at the Gym, cardio & resistance weights. I feel energetic throughout the day. FLAX & ALMONDS do raise HDL levels.
I hope this information is helpful. Good Luck


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## valnaples (Dec 23, 2005)

*Do try beans and some meatless meals.....*

you can find so many meatless main dish recipes now everywhere...fish is great, chicken too, without the skin, but you might want to try a meatless dinner once a week and then work up to 2 or 3. There's a recipe using black beans and polenta at Epicurious that is absolutely delicious..(calls for cream...just sub whole milk or low-fat sour cream)...


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## amcardon (Dec 24, 2005)

I know this sounds wrong to a lot of people but eating eggs is a great way to lower your cholesterol. Not only are they fairly low in calories but they have shown to help _lower _blood cholesterol in many patients. Yes, eggs are high in cholesterol but they are also very high in nutrients. 

One of the reasons I'm picking out eggs specifically is because I have seen them benefit many people with high cholesterol, including my father and a good friend who suffered a major heart attack losing 32% functionality of his heart. My father was told by his doctor that his cholesterol was way too high and he really needed to change his diet. In short, by advice of a couple of nutritionists, he greatly increased his egg consumption to 2-4 eggs per day. After a couple months he went back in to get his cholesterol levels checked and his doctor couldn't believe how far it had dropped and asked what he was doing differently, he didn't believe my Dad when he told him about the eggs...

Anyway, there are a lot of doctors who have discussed this point at length who can illustrate how beneficial eggs actually are to reducing and controlling cholesterol a lot better than I can!

"As many members pointed out, together with liver, kidney and prawns, eggs do contain more dietary cholesterol than many other foods. It was for this reason that past advice focussed on limiting intakes of these foods if you had high blood cholesterol. And as eggs tend to be eaten more frequently than liver, kidney or prawns, they were particularly thrown into the spotlight when it came to advising people to cut down on cholesterol-containing foods.

However, thanks to more recent research, we now know the cholesterol in food has little effect on our blood cholesterol levels. What really affects blood cholesterol is the amount of saturated fat we eat. This means if you need to lower your cholesterol, the most important thing you can do is cut down on the amount of foods you eat that contain saturates, such as fatty meats, full-fat milk, butter, lard, cream, pastry, cakes and biscuits. Eating more fruit, vegetables and foods such as oats and pulses, which contain a type of fibre called soluble fibre can also help to lower cholesterol.

Thanks to this newfound knowledge, the Food Standards Agency doesn’t recommend limiting the number of eggs you eat, unless your GP or a dietitian has specifically advised you to do this. This is great news for slimmers as eggs contain just 85 calories each but are packed with nutrients including protein, zinc, iron, iodine and vitamins A, D, E and some B vitamins..."
-Link to full article

More Links:
http://www.britegg.co.uk/nutrition05/nutrition2.html
http://www.nutritionandeggs.co.uk/
http://chetday.com/eggyolk.htm
http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm
http://www.goodegg.com/cholesterol.html
http://www.enc-online.org/views.htm <--very interesting read


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## Robo410 (Dec 24, 2005)

one can eat well and loose weight and lower colesterol.   whole grains and oatmeal, brown rice, skimmed milk, go easy on the cheese, substitute olive oil for butter whenever possible, add lots of greens to your diet etc.  

develop an interest in cultures and foods and it won't be a diet at all but an adventure!  Enjoy.


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## buckytom (Dec 24, 2005)

well said robo, thanks.

and thanks to all of the posters for all of the good info supplied here on this thread. some i knew, but i've also learned a lot.
this is obviously a very important subject considering the size of all the replies.


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## Robin (Dec 24, 2005)

I read on the American Heart association website that one egg a day is recommended. SO that is what hubby is allowed to get. HOwever he has ate three before because he was good all week....


He's sort of got this be good and the weekend be a "little" bad routine going.


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## anticuchos (Dec 29, 2005)

Just what good is cholestrol; what role does it play?  Is cholestrol absolutely unwanted by the body?


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## Andy M. (Dec 29, 2005)

anticuchos said:
			
		

> Just what good is cholestrol; what role does it play? Is cholestrol absolutely unwanted by the body?


 

You have to believe it's there for a reason.  Here's one:

http://cholesterol.about.com/cs/aboutcholestero1/a/cholesdef.htm


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## cara (Dec 29, 2005)

cholesterol is a human hormon produced in the liver... and it IS needed by the body!!
I could explain a lot, but I must admit, it's too difficult to translate into english.
But I'm sure you find enough infos within one of all the links posted here...


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## Michael_Schaap (Jan 1, 2006)

Cholesterol is needed in the body.  The American heart Association recommends less then 300mg for the average person.  If you have a cardiac condition then its 200mg per day.  

This number adds up quickly... a Big Mac for instance is 80mg... one egg has about 210mg.

Then there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol... I am utterly confused by the differences... why one is good vs bad... I know olive oil is good .. eggs used to be thought of as bad.... now it depends on who you talk to.  Bacon grease is bad.... but fish oil is good (why opionion has changed on fish so dramaticly).


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## Robin (Jan 1, 2006)

I think I read somewhere that Omega (in fish) is good for someone with this problem..so that's why they recommend more fish..

I cooked hubby shrimp today..didn't come out so good though....I suck in the cooking dept.


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## Michael_Schaap (Jan 2, 2006)

*marinating/Coating*

With a cardiac diet I am discovering that finding something to marinate with or give food a good coating of is very hard.  Can't use soy sauce any more... terriaki is out of the question.... BBQ... forget it other then a small amount... Italian dressing (HAHAHAHAH....) no can do.....

But... Honey mustard is great!

1 1/2 TBS Honey Mustard
1/2 ish TBS Olive Oil
1 TBSish Lemon Juice
1/2 TBS (or as much as you want) Hot sauce

Then mix it up with spices you like....
Garlic
Pepperrika
Oregeno
Spice mixes WITHOUT SALT

This is real good with fish and chicken.  I usually leave the lemon juice out for  beef and add something like... worseshire sauce or a very small amount of a low sodium BBQ sauce (very hard to find).


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## Robin (Jan 2, 2006)

Good for you Michael. But hubby expells stomach contants when he smells mustard......


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## Eric_C (Jan 15, 2006)

We went through the same thing years ago after a heart scare.  Turned out to be something else but it really did straighten us out.

We tried all the diet books and honestly they were horrible.

We found several EXCELLENT recipes that helped.

Some quick tips:

Fiber...lots of it.  I have popcorn, minus salt but still with a bit of margarine.  We eat Hommous at least 2 times per week.  Fiber is a big helper.

Beef was the toughy and we did try ground turkey but honestly it just doesn't cut it.  Our biggest savior was Piedmontese Beef.  Its very low fat in certain cuts, but not all.   Do some research into it.  Only the Sirloins, Tip Roasts, flanks, soup beef, and Filets are 'good' for you, the T-Bones and New Yorks are better than regular beef but not enough to make it a regular part of your diet.

When I had some time tommorow I'll put together our favorites....the only big problem with them is they may be high in salt which thankfully we're able to tolerate.  One of them is a peppered flank steak with a blue cheese sauce that is fantastic and very low fat.

It can be done...Some of Subway's stuff is good too, but the sodium levels are astronomical.  

I'm no doctor and if you ask 10 doctors you'll get 10 answers.  My father has had 2 heart attacks in the past 35 years.  Obviously his cardiologist knows what he's doing since its been 35 years and 20 since his last one.  He told him to eat 3 eggs per week as his levels were getting too low.

Drink a day if your blood pressure can handle it...olive oil instead of butter for cooking....

There are a lot of little things that pop out of my head as I think about it but the biggest is moderation.  I set my limit at 300mg of Cholesterol which honestly is EASY.  Except for shell fish and eggs food does not have much cholesterol in it.  Surely not enough to push you over 300 unless your just eating fast food all the time.  I put my sat fat limit at 15mg a day.

We go out for Pizza with veggies and real cheese, I tell them 1 cup of cheese over the entire pizza, I eat my portion and enjoy it, 8g of sat fat in that meal so I have 7 for the rest of the day.

Don't give up what you like, learn to manage it into your diet.  If I go out for Mexican at lunch, its vegetarian at dinner and some extra fiber.

Once a week we go out for dinner and I have whatever I want.

I guess we are lucky that neither of us are really into junk food like candy bars and that.

We love Healthy Choice Ice Cream and some of the Sargento low fat cheeses are decent.

Oh...and wash your beef...if your  making spaghetti or something that requires browning, brown it, drain it, and wash it to get the rest of the fat off.

Good luck and I'll put some of our stuff up tommorow.


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## Robin (Jan 15, 2006)

I've been getting I can't believe it's not butter for us now. Hubby isn't too big on olive oil. It says no cholesterol on it so I guess it's good.


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## Eric_C (Jan 15, 2006)

I forgot to mention and it doesn't seem that you can edit your messages here...you can make certain things taste exactly like their regular counterparts.

An example.  We make taco salad orginally from this recipe:

1 head lettuce
1lb ground beef
1 16oz bag of Dorito's
1 regular sized container of Catalina Dressing
2 Cups Mexican cheese

You mix everything, smash the Dorito's and mix.  Great stuff, super high in fat.

Now we make:

1 head lettuce
1 lb washed Piedmontese Ground Sirloin
Fat Free Catalina Dressing
Sargento Low Fat Cheese
16 oz bag of WOW Dorito's(be careful with your stomach)

exactly the same taste and less than 15 percent of the original fat.

I don't have the exact numbers in front of me but its amazing the difference and no one could tell the difference.

Downside...not everyone can take WOW chips, forget the nutrional benefits since the WOW chips negate them, and high in sodium.

But for those moments when you want something GOOD this is a great backup.

Don't pay too much attention to cholesterol.  If your going with proper sized portions of meat then your not going to hit 300mg unless your having eggs or shellfish.

When I said olive oil, I meant for cooking instead of butter.  You have to watch out, alot of those butter subs have hydronegated oil(sp?) and that is way way worse for you than any regular fat.  We never have butter subs, alot of docs will tell you your better off with real butter.


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## cara (Jan 16, 2006)

Michael_Schaap said:
			
		

> With a cardiac diet I am discovering that finding something to marinate with or give food a good coating of is very hard. Can't use soy sauce any more... terriaki is out of the question.... BBQ... forget it other then a small amount... Italian dressing (HAHAHAHAH....) no can do.....
> 
> But... Honey mustard is great!


 
Michael, even without a cholesterol problem, my marinade consists of:

Olive Oil
Vinegar (Aceto balsamico de Modena)
possibly some sherry
garlic
ginger
herbs and spices as you like

something else:
ever tried to substitue cream cheese or cottage cheese for the butter?
I would suggest Quark, but you don't have it over the ocean...


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## urmaniac13 (Jan 16, 2006)

Eric_C said:
			
		

> 16 oz bag of WOW Dorito's(be careful with your stomach)


 
Eric, if I remember correctly, wasn't Wow products from Frito Lay the "fatfree" stuff made with olean?  If that's what I am thinking of, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they have some utterly invincible stomach and digesting power... that stuff may taste good but really gives you nasty consequences... there are baked corn or tortilla chips available, either from Frito Lay or a fresh bakery section of a large supermarkets... they would be a better option for your recipe, though it will be a better idea to add the chips as you eat rather than mix everything beforehand and serve it, as they get soggy very quickly...


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## cara (Jan 16, 2006)

why don't make the tortilla yourself?
there are good and easy recipes...


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## Eric_C (Jan 16, 2006)

Yes, WOW is made with Olean.

If you sit down and eat a bag of chips then your in trouble.  If you do some reading on it with a little experimentation you can come down to an acceptable amount.

The long and short of it is this....your body absorbs alot of fats while it travels through the intenstines.  More or less once your stomach has finished breaking things down the oils from the deep frying pass by themselves.  The vegetable oil, Olean, has been chemically altered to NOT be absorbed by your intenstine.

Good points, its really vegetable oil, so they taste just like regular chips.  The bad...well deppending on how much you eat determines how much undigestable oil, in a pure form, travels through you.

Don't need to draw a picture at this point, but if you eat these on an empty stomach were there are no other byproducts to absorb the extra undigested oil then you get some of the more unpleasant side effects.

Its not something we have everyday but for those times when you want something bad that tastes good they work well.


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## urmaniac13 (Jan 16, 2006)

Eric_C said:
			
		

> Yes, WOW is made with Olean.
> 
> If you sit down and eat a bag of chips then your in trouble. If you do some reading on it with a little experimentation you can come down to an acceptable amount.
> 
> ...


 
I see, thanks for a little education Eric, I was really discouraged from my own not so pretty incidents, and I haven't had any of them for 6,7 years (and they are not found here in Italy anyway...) but I think I have done those no no's as you described.  It is a good thing to keep in mind if you do choose to use that product...


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## purrfectlydevine (Jan 16, 2006)

Eric_C said:
			
		

> Yes, WOW is made with Olean.
> 
> If you sit down and eat a bag of chips then your in trouble. If you do some reading on it with a little experimentation you can come down to an acceptable amount.
> 
> ...


As always, I think moderation is the key.  If you eat an entire bag of regular chips you probably won't feel too great either.  Keep in mind what a serving really is.


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## Michael_Schaap (Jan 16, 2006)

We just came back from Chilies  restruant.  Last time I went there was two months ago.  Today was my second day at work full time and I am so exhausted its beyond belief.  So I thought I'd treat myself with my favorite hamburger at Chilies.  It was great..... but..... now that I have been cutting way back on sodium it tasted way too salty.  And greasy for that matter.


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