Tag: lowering cholesterol

Special diet dilemma

Limiting sugar intake makes sweet goodies are REALLY SWEET!
Three weeks without red meat makes sausage almost unpalatable.
It is next to impossible to do this when traveling. I definitely need to travel with my own cache.

Of course, I substitute a salad for the fries.

So glad that I had ordered the cheeseburger

After celebrating Mowgli’s 8th grade promotion by enjoying a cheeseburger at Cuffs, I was contacted by my doctor’s office who reported a significant jump in my bad cholesterol. He suggested a low dose of statins.

Uh, no, thank you.

I confessed my sins: more pastries in the past 15 months than in the previous 5 years combined, thanks to the pandemic. My knee surgery and the quarantine had reduced my physical activity to treks to the bathroom. Online-yoga and Butts & Guts had ended months ago. A few mini morning salutations eased any stiffness and was considered a days worth of exercise.

Give me another chance

Forgiven and blessed, I promised to return to a regular exercise routine and improved diet with a follow-up blood test in a few months.

I would eat and exercise in a way I could sustain over time. Not vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or any other -ian, I searched online for appropriate foods.

Let’s say I have been eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, which, thankfully, I enjoy. Hummus and nuts for snacks, a piece of whole grain bread for breakfast with egg or non-fat yogurt. In close to three weeks, only two ounces of red meat (and, by the way, it was smoked tritip and delicioius and totally worth it!).

The most difficult to ignore is cheese which I love and use often to assuage hunger. No more.

I’ve got this

The first week, I was frequently hungry and had to figure out ways to alleviate it. It was especially annoying to awaken hungry in the morning. With no sugar-free flavoring in the house, I found that a teaspoon of chocolate syrup in a cup of warm non-fat milk (no one says “skim” any more) in the evening got me through the night.

Although I have not yet given up wine (let’s not go crazy), I have been conscientious. Here is what I have relearned:

  • Limiting sugar intake makes sweet goodies REALLY SWEET!
  • Three weeks without red meat makes sausage almost unpalatable.
  • It is next to impossible to do this when traveling. I definitely need to travel with my own cache.

Until I get the results of my next blood work, I have no idea if this is making an impact on my cholesterol. But the current diet is sustainable, so it is worth a shot.

Meanwhile, if your cholesterol is managed, I highly recommend the cheeseburger at Cuffs.