Doctors Visit!

[Tricia452008]

well i saw my endo last night and he gave me good news and bad news...

The good news is my A1c went down to about 8.0 which is a big improvement. Yay!

The bad news is my cholesterol went up....so he put me on these pills and said i would have to incorporate more food into my diet. Like healthy food to lower my cholesterol. I gave up ALOT of food when i went on metformin and there are some things i still cannot eat.

But i was wondering....what kind of foods would be good for a diabetic with elvated cholesterol to eat? I know oatmeal is one but is there anything else? has anyone been on metformin and had elevated cholesterol? mine was fine before i went on the metformin, and once i went on i cut out soo much bad stuff from my diet and now i get this haha its always something. Thanks guys!

[Funnygrl]

Congrats! :)

[princesslinda]

So glad you're seeing improvement with your A1c. I know it's frustrating dealing with the cholesterol. My HDL was really low, 24, needs to be over 50. I'm on metformin as well, but I hadn't had recent blood work prior to diagnosis, so i'm no sure how things have changed since being on metformin.

As far as diet, I think chicken, lean meat and seafood along with plenty of veggies would be a good start. You're probably doing most of this anyway. Breakfast is hard for me, as I don't care for eggs or oatmeal. I usually eat on of the S. Beach bars or a protein drink.

You hang in there. It sounds like things are looking up for you.

[Tricia452008]

OOOO i love those S beach bars for breakfast.....and thanks for the info!!

[nneighbour]

Metformin isn't your only option for problems with insulin resistance. If you are having problems that you never had before you started the drug, ask to try something new. Do your own research.

Personally, metformin had me running to the bathroom often enough that I would have sworn I had tourista. I now take Actos (Pioglitazone HCl) and it's much better, no side effects plus you only need to take it once a day.

[jen_slc]

But i was wondering....what kind of foods would be good for a diabetic with elvated cholesterol to eat? I know oatmeal is one but is there anything else?Food low in saturated fat (fat free or reduced milk, whole grains, fruits, veggies, fish, lean meat) or with lots of soluble fiber (oats, like you mentioned, dried peas & beans, fruits, veggies, lentils/pulses/legumes), are good for high levels of (bad) cholesterol.

[poodlebone]

In April 2005 I was put on Lipitor for cholesterol. I was also overweight at the time. As I lost weight and changed my diet my cholesterol numbers improved. In April 2006, I was taken off Lipitor and (so far) my numbers have stayed in range.

I started out by eating a lot less meat, and when I did have meat it was always lean. Usually chicken or turkey breast and some lean beef on a couple of occasions. I started eating a lot more vegetables and fruit. Veggies that I would never, ever touch before as a kid or adult are now some of my favorites, like Brussels Sprouts. I've always liked broccoli and green beans and still eat tons of them. Huge green salads (NOT iceberg lettuce - leafy greens), Egg Beaters instead of eggs (although I have hard boiled eggs a couple of times a month), fat free or low fat dairy.

For some people, like me, dietary changes work well. For other people their cholesterol problems might be genetic and no amount of dietary changes will make much difference. For me it was all about losing weight, exercising and cutting way back on animal fats and animal products in general.