Okay, so I went for my 45-49 year old health check yesterday. I can safely say I am in perfect health apart from............my cholesterol level........... is 7.4 mmol/L !!!
~
My (good) HDL is 2.1 - it needs to be above 1.0 mmol/L so thats good
My (bad) LDL is 4.2 - it needs to be 2.5 or less mmol/L
My (ugly) triglycerides are 2.2 - they need to be 1.5 or less mmol/L
~
Everything else checked out - BP is 122/69, pulse 92, blood sugar good, urine clear, weight...let's not go there... okay I will ... their scary scales say 74 kgs which means I need to lose those 4 kgs at least!
~
My aim - I have 3 months before I get my cholesterol re-tested. In that time, I am going to halve my cheese consumption, halve or cut out butter/margarine altogether on sandwiches and toast, eat rolled oats/porridge and wholemeal toast for breakfast. Eat more tuna, sardines and salmon which I do like. Up to 4 eggs a week are okay - not fried. Cut out processed meats like ham (which I eat a lot of) and replace it with chicken, turkey. Aim to eat lots more fruit and raw vegetables.
I already use the lowest fat skim milk and we eat reduced fat/sugar yoghurt and I like balsalmic no-oil dressing.
~
I walk 5 kms each week day morning so I hope to see some improvement in the coming weeks. I'll let you know how I am going.
~
This health check was completely free and paid for by the Australian Government and is available to anyone in the 45-49 year age group especially if you have a family history in heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc - the blood work, half an hour with a nurse/consultant discussing general health and well-being, testing bloodpressure, weight, height, eyesight, memory function, social life, diet then half an hour with your doctor to further discuss the blood test results - all free. I am also checked into a skin clinic at the end of the month to have my moles checked for melanoma and abnormalities.
~
Breakfast today - porridge with a drizzle of honey, 1 slice wholemeal toast with vegemite - no margarine.
Lunch will be : small can tuna in springwater, lettuce, tomato, carrot, beetroot, 3 bean mix.
~
Oh, and did I mention I am making Bakerella's Choc Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Brownies (thanks Pity Pat) as a treat for my girls? Yup! None for me though...I'll just take some photos!
~
Cheers - Joolz
Good luck Joolz, I hope you achieve your target.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it... and I KNOW you can do it, because you're an achiever!
ReplyDeleteBut now you're making me feel guilty, 'cause I haven't had mine checked in at least 2 years. Urk!
Over the last couple of years my cholesterol has crept up but not quite as high as yours Joolz. I can only put it down to butter and cheese, as previous to that I wasn't eating/using very much butter or cheese, so now butter is very limited and cheese is low fat or very limited consumption. I'm also using baking recipes that don't use butter but use olive oil instead. Hope your levels come down by your 3 month checkup.
ReplyDeleteOh, Joolz, I SO need to take this on! I have a lot more to lose than you do though.
ReplyDeleteHey Joolz,
ReplyDeleteSorry this is a long comment and I hope it helps you with your health journey.
I had this same test done on Wednesday this week. I am very healthy too except my BMI is a bit high. I have to reduce my weight by another five kilos and start walking for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week.
Good news is that my cholesterol is 4.3 so no problems there. All other bloods were okay too. Also had an ultrasound of the abdomen and that was fine as well...$200 later and it tells me I am healthy!
I don't eat many meat products. Definitely no processed meat at all. Cholesterol is caused by animal products, meat...especially red and dairy. Fish especially oily is okay, tuna, salmon etc.
I have lost weight recently by cutting down on breads (as soon as I eat bread I gain weight) and have cut out SUGAR! So none of those goodies that you publish on here sometimes lol.
Brekky is bowl porridge (lowers cholesterol), sprinkled LSA (ground up linseed, sunflower and almonds), Pura Heart Active milk (helps to lower cholesterol) and sweetened with 1/2 tspn manuka honey. Freshly squeezed orange juice by my own hand, and added to this is 2 teaspoons of BONVIT psyllium Husk (lowers and maintains cholesterol level). This is orange flavoured naturally so no artificial flavours, not like metamucil that as aspartame in it.. ewww!
Lunch consists of and varies but firstly I make up a healthy milkshake made up of 1 cup milk, 3tbspns natural yoghurt, some frozen mixed berries, 1 banana, 1 tspn manuka honey, 1 egg (you can leave out the egg if you want), 1 tspn LSA, touch of flaxseed oil. Whiz all together. Some days this is all I have as I am full or I have something light like a couple of ryvitas spread with nuttelex Pulse margarine (lowers Cholesterol) and vegemite.
For tea/dinner I have only been having mixed vegies and sometimes a bit of meat. I do make tuna patties and other tuna and salmon dishes sometimes.
For snacks I eat dried fruit or nuts like almonds and cashews, small tub of yoghurt or fruit etc. I even make up some healthy slice thingy's so I don't think I am missing out. I find that I rarely snack now. I tend not to think about food as much anymore.
I am down to 68kg and still losing... another 5 to go! I was up to nearly 78kg before Christmas. I haven't been consciously exercising apart from lots of scrubbing of houses (my job).
I know it sounds boring but it works.
I wish you luck, (cholesterol can be an inheritance like my hubby and son have got). So if it doesn't lower could mean it's heredity.
So it's goodbye to all those foods we have enjoyed for so long....they are BAD for you.
xTania
I have never heard of this checkup. What a great idea!!! Bit scary though. What if they found something? Lol! Ahhh..... ignorance is bliss! (And quite possibly foolishness)
ReplyDeleteHi Joolz I just got my results and have high chol. for the first time ever I have even been put on medication till it comes down.
ReplyDeleteChol. 6.5
LDL 4.4
good chol was good and triglycerides
were good.
So there will be less baking on my blog only healthy low fat stuff.
I think my problem is that in the last 6 months or so I have switched to using butter (that is the only thing I have changed).
So good luck
Joolz, ahhh something I very familiar with. For years I have been on medication to keep it down, because it is hereditary. I still indulge once in a while. I have to live a little! hehehe, You can do it! just remember MODERATION, all wonderful horrible for you junk food and great tasting stuff in MODERATION! LOL
ReplyDelete