have a healthier diet

• add niacin supplements (under a doctor’s care)
• avoid alcohol
• avoid simple sugars
• adopt a strict exercise regime
• eat a low fat diet
• maintain or achieve a healthy weight

• trans fats: margarine, most processed foods, anything with partially hydrogenated soybean oil
• fried foods
• sweets: occasional exceptions are angel food cake, yoghurt
• bad carbs—always choose whole grain options over the white stuff

• Benecol or Take Control margarine
• nuts: best choices are walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pecans
• fruits and veggies high in fiber and pectin. best choices are: green peas, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, carrots, pears, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts, turmeric, bananas, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, and kiwi.
• oats and whole grains
• sterol or stanol fortified orange juice
• soy. this is disputed, but is good for me as a source of protein in any case.
• unsaturated fats: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, almond oil, and polyunsaturated fats: corn oil, soybvean oil, sunflower oil
• green tea and black tea

I already take a regular multivitamin and a calcium + D supplement. On the advice of my doctor (at least until I am regularly eating enough through better food choices) I am to add omega acids, fiber, and red yeast rice to lower my cholesterol (the fiber can probably be gotten mostly from food, with a few small and easy changes.) These new capsules are NOT vegetarian, as they are in gelatin capsules, and the omega acids include fish oils, but I’m pretending for now that I don’t know that, as it’s more important at the moment to get them in my system, and I can find different (and probably more expensive sources) when my regular income starts.

Am a vegetarian, but make very unhealthy food choices. I saw my doctor a few days ago, and my triglycerides have recently gone from more or less normal to over 400! Must begin to eat more healthfully!