Who, me?
Well, it looks like living to 107 is out! A recent blood test indicated that my total cholesterol level is way too high!
Needless to say, I was shocked. I thought I was taking care of myself!
Surely it’s not diet!
I think I eat well: lean beef and/or chicken breast maybe twice a week, no bacon in months, a quarter-cup or so of grated cheese on salads, occasionally indulging in desserts at potlucks, fresh fruits and vegetables always available.
Fried foods? Rare to non-existent in our house. Pasta? It’s been weeks since we’ve eaten either macaroni and cheese or spaghetti, though we’ve had some rice lately.
Maybe it’s genetic.
Diabetes, maybe, but not heart disease. My mother, who admits to being overweight, was diagnosed with high cholesterol in her 70’s, and although he was a paraplegic the last two decades of his life (the result of a high school football accident), my dad’s heart and lungs were still strong into his 80’s.
What to do now?
First thing, see a doctor for a long overdue checkup. We don’t have many choices in this little town, but from what a friend said, I thought Dr. G would not be quick to recommend medication. And I was right.
So what did the doctor say?
No dietary changes, except to recommend plenty of fruits and vegetables – not surprising.
His strongest recommendation?
1) Walking. 30 minutes a day. Every day. Not 45 minutes one day, 15 minutes the next, none the next.
2) One baby aspirin every day.
3) Another blood test in 6 to 12 weeks to see if the cholesterol level drops in that time.
(He’s a good example of what he preaches, by the way. He walks two hours every morning, no matter what his schedule.)
Putting my theories to the test
I have been pretty cocky about my theories of good health, so this blood test is a personal challenge to my simplistic assumptions.
Assumption #1. Good health is simply a matter of eating the right foods and getting enough exercise. Bolstered by the words and work of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, I have believed that – most of the time – when we suffer from a chronic illness, it’s because we’ve broken either a rule of good eating or been too sedentary.
Assumption #2. Long-term medication is meant to make up for our nutrition-starved bodies. They treat the symptom and mask the cause. Rather than taking an aspirin for a headache, for instance, determine what’s causing it and, if possible, fix it.
Test time
I say I’ll do anything to avoid becoming dependent on a pill. We’ll see about that, won’t we? But here’s the plan:
1) More walking. A quick check of my pedometer shows 139 minutes in the last seven days – an average of 20 minutes a day. Not that great! Why not make this a real challenge and double my current walking time to 40 minutes a day – 7 days a week, rain or shine, sleet or snow? (There’s always the walking track at the high school gym.)
2) Oats for breakfast most mornings, not just a couple of times a week.
3) Fish oil supplements, maybe?
4) Lose weight. Though I’m not considered overweight, I’m 6 or 7 pounds heavier than I was 20 years ago. Three months is a reasonable length time to shed that extra weight.
And if it doesn’t work?
Accept the situation and take the medicine. Be thankful it’s available. Determine to maintain healthful lifestyle habits. Never, ever adopt the attitude, “It’s okay to abuse my body or neglect my health – there’s a medicine that will take care of it.”
Talk to me: You’ve no doubt overcome greater health challenges than I’ve mentioned here. Were diet or exercise part of your recovery?
My cholesterol as of November ’08 was 186, LDL 90, “Risk ratio” (LDL/HDL) was 1.50, with a desired range of less than 3.22.
Here’s the interesting thing: I’ve been taking Omega III supplements for over 10 years. Maybe that has made the difference? I’m at least 15 pounds overweight, and right now, walk less than you do. As you know, I’m an “anti-medication” person myself, but have been gladly taking cough medicine with codeine so I can get a good nights sleep. Without a doubt, if I had to take medicine, I would.
Love the above picture, btw. I can see you in exactly that pose.
Thanks for those detailed numbers, Yvonne. I hadn’t looked at the ratio: mine is 2.65. HDL numbers are acceptable, but could be higher.
I have read that Omega 3 is a good supplement – Dr. Andrew Weil, among others, says so – so I actually bought some this afternoon. (The Mayo Clinic recommends the supplements as a inferior alternative to eating fish twice a week, but you just can’t get good fish around here.)
I’m trying to meet this challenge with a combination of exercise and supplements, so at last I’ll know I’ve tried. I do appreciate your input. I apologize for such a late reply.