My cholesterol profile didn't improve until I abandoned the whole grain, stay away from meat program. The Ornish high carb, low fat approach had me becoming insulin resistant. Now, plenty of protein and good fats and complex carbs from peppers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, salads and fruits is the way I go. I made pasta, pizza, potatoes, and rice occasional treats rather than staples. The whole lipid hypothesis is up for grabs now anyway. It will take awhile for the inertia of big pharma's mega reliance on statin profits before some of the research takes hold. As Rich mentions, statins have some benefit but there is research that it may not be by lowering hdl. IMHO, it is the anti-inflammatory effect and there are other, more benign ways to mitigate inflammation.
When I lived in California, I had a 3X weekly personal trainer -( worked with weights, did cardio,) plus I ran 5 miles 4-5 X weekly. The trainer completely changed my eating habits to Dr. Ornish....high carb, lo fat.
My fiance' was an MD, and was very vocal in his disapproval....
The Mediterranean diet was soooo much healthier, according to him...the body(esp. brain) needs fuel & not from simple carbs.
Well, after 6 months with my trainer & the lo fat, carb diet...I crashed...felt & looked like hell...no energy....yada yada...That was 10 years ago, and I basically follow the Mediterranean diet:
Vegetables esp. red,orange,yellow
Organic olive oil
Lean meat(beef & chicken) plus Alaskan wild salmon
Nuts: almonds, walnuts & pecans to munch on -
Blueberrys, strawberries on Kashi Go Lean cereal w/ organic milk
Very little bread....occasional whole grain wheat & brown rice
Sandwiches - use Wasa multigrain crispbread or Lavash bread (wraps)
No pasta or *potatoes...well, once in a great while
*I have a great recipe for "mashed" potatoes using cauliflower
For Mexican dishes, I substitute, black soybeans for beans & also
make a big pot of chili every week using the soybeans.
Lo sodium...I am horrified at the salt added to everything
check labels for sodium content...esp. soups & broths, canned tomatoes
Omlettes - 1 whole egg, plus 4 egg whites, olive oil, veggies, bit of cheese
Supplements: calcium, multi B vites esp. folic acid, Omega 3 fishoil
Drink - I'm trying to kick the a.m. coffee habit & substitute green tea..
it's a work in progress! Good ol' H20 during the day & a glass of Merlot with dinner....yeah I'm guilty of a nip of the single malt scotch every now & then esp. when the markets tank!!!
53 y.o gal
6' tall
125 - 130 lbs
HDL 100+