About 6 months ago, my doctor, during a routine visit told me my cholesterol was on the rise and she wanted to prescribe Lipitor or some other statin drug. I am opposed to taking Lipitor because of the potential for negative influence on my liver...which I need to keep working properly for as long as it can! I told her I would "watch" what I ate and increase my activities.
Well, I wasn't very effective at watching what I ate because three months later, the cholesterol had gotten worst! The highest reading ever was 270! This was shocking to me because I consider myself a fairly healthy guy who is always active. I am not overweight either at 166.
I began to take a serious look at how and what I eat and I realized it wasn't as healthy as I thought. My favorite snack food, for example is Gouda Cheese...straight. It was nothing for me to take a good hunk of cheese after work, before work, before bed, or whenever I wanted. I would go for the cheese on everything: eggs, salads, sandwiches, tacos, and the occasional burger. The only thing I didn't like cheese on was french fries, but I ate french fries with Mayonnaise instead of Ketchup. I also love cottage cheese and bleu cheese dressing is my favorite!
When my doctor said I'd like you to avoid all dairy products, I about cried. She also said avoid red meat as in, "Do not eat any red meat." Lastly, she told me to avoid all fried foods. Wow! Now, I am a recovered vegan...so the meat was not a huge issue...I easily quit any red meat. What I miss the most, is Taco Bell.
Because I am eating so much fish and chicken, I have begun to grow gills behind my ears and wings near my elbows!
The good news today is that I have effectively reduced my total cholesterol to 199, and improved my HDL to 62. My diet is working. For the last 7 weeks, I have eaten not one bite of red meat and only three small 1/2 inch long shredded bits of white cheese! I have totally avoided dairy products. I have eaten Shrimp one time and sardines one time. Both are high in cholesterol, but the experts say it is good to eat shell fish and sardines because it raises the HDL. I have been taking fish oil and Omega 3 and drinking vinegar periodically. I also eat oats and nuts and tons of vegetables, concentrating on celery.
I want to get the total down to about 185 before I cheat...but I am looking forward to cheating soon.
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