The final part of a three part series...I was told I had high cholesterol and needed to bring it down or else have to go on medication. This is what I did to try to prevent that.
I’ve been reading so much these days, I actually find it comforting to have such an ordinary problem for which there is a whole wealth of literature out there addressing. A book by Dr. Janet Brill called Cholesterol Down has given me some semblance of a program with which to work, and I’ve adapted many of it into my current routine. Some of the advice I did not take: I wasn’t crazy about the suggestion that I take Metamucil, so I decided to skip that one. I had trouble incorporating Flax Seeds into the diet. But overall, it was a very powerful plan that helped me a great deal so if that sounds like an endorsement of this book, then go ahead and check it out of your local library.
Whole grain oats. Every day I eat Cheerios, which this book considers to be an acceptable substitute for cholesterol-lowering oatmeal (which I also eat). I have also substituted whole grain bread for all my sandwich needs
(I keep a stash at work). If there is only one thing of which I am sure about all this, it is that a diet of whole grains is absolutely necessary in any serious attempt to lower cholesterol. A side note: I also laid off the mayonnaise, but I’m sure it will find other work real soon. (sorry, bad pun).
Apples and nuts. An apple a day. Red delicious are supposed to be the best for my purpose, but fujis are right up there. I cut up an apple and eat it with a handful of almonds, which are good for your cholesterol but are also high in fat. Therefore, just a handful a day to get the benefit of this food.
Overall, I’ve found that the biggest changes in my diet are an increase in fruits and vegetables (for the necessary fiber) and the elimination of cheese, which is fatty and raises cholesterol--in fact, high cholesterol seems to be a result of consuming animal products, of which I must say I do consume a lot.
Soy. I probably didn’t follow this one religiously, but I tried. I ate boca burgers, I used soy milk in my coffee. If nothing else, soy milk in my coffee turned out to be a very yummy thing (vanilla flavor was my favorite.)
Exercise. Would you believe I joined a gym? Would you believe that I have been running 25 minutes at a time 4-5 days a week? Would you believe that I actually find myself liking it? There’s something about routine that I obviously must crave, and indeed I thrive under it. Writing every day helps me to write better, and running every day helps me to run better. Going to a gym and running on a treadmill, listening to music that I like and knowing that I am burning calories, to boot--well, it’s pretty great. I am at that point where I need to maintain my body or watch it fall apart, and while my generally active lifestyle keeps me from gaining weight, putting in that extra effort has helped me to lose weight. In 80 days I went from 160.2 pounds to 150.4, almost a whole 10 pounds. While it wasn’t the objective of this project, it certainly didn’t hurt it either.
So…how did I do?
After almost 2 months of this diet and routine, would all of these things really reduce my cholesterol? Even just a little bit? Or would I be forced to give in to the inevitable and take medication? I can only speak for myself on the issue of medication. I know that for some people, diet and exercise are not enough, and medication provides a solution. But I just really hoped that this would not be the case for me, and that is why I took so many steps to ensure that this wouldn’t happen.
April 17.
I went to the Dr. on Wednesday and got my blood drawn again. I had nothing to eat and then to be on the safe side, I didn’t even have a beer before bed. I called back today and asked for my results, and the Dr. said everything was good--and I asked him how good: What was the number?
“154. Good Job--keep doing what you are doing!”
154? Down from 236?
82 points??? In 82 days???
I did it!
It’s very empowering to know that simply by taking direct and positive action, I could affect a change in myself this profound.
I’ve changed, albeit, in a small way. But it is definitely something real. When I go to the store, I look in my basket and I see things I had never seen in it before: apples. Carrots. Salad mix. Skim Milk. Bananas.
And I think about how even that is a big switch, a small but important step away from a general apathy about my health I felt before.
It helps that I’m not really a food person. Or at least there is nothing previously in my diet so important that I couldn’t learn to live without it (I don’t like bacon THAT much.) That said…
I’ve got a gift card for Outback Steakhouse that we’ve been sitting on for months now. Now that I know my number is down, I think it’s time for a little indulgence (I’d say “Hello Bloomin’ Onion if I actually liked onions). And then we’re back on the good stuff Monday because I rather like my healthy, 10 pound lighter self.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to become an obnoxious health nut--this is not going to become “The Doctor G Health Blog.” I just wanted to let people know that I am a regular guy with a common problem that I believe I have conquered. Much like when you fall in love, you want to tell the world, I want to tell the world that I lowered my cholesterol. If any of this helps you, great. If not, great--thanks for reading anyway.
That’s it for now. Feel free to comment or ask questions, otherwise, I’m getting back to book reviews and Davey G shows and other Davey G related things, and tomorrow I going to enjoy my yummy steak.
--Davey “I lost 10 pounds and 82 points off my cholesterol and I’m not even selling anything to profit off of it” G.
1 comment:
Good for you. Maybe you should lay off the lotion, too--I hear that stuff's, like, pure cholesterol.
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