When I was a kid I’d always assumed history would repeat itself. My life would be a carbon copy of my parents’. I’d marry at 26 (I was 28), have two kids (none), work in management (freelance writer), drive a large Ford (small mini) and live in one of those semi-country hamlets somewhere north of Watford (I’ve always lived in the edgy inner City).
At least history is repeating itself with my elevated cholesterol although my blood pressure is only slightly up. Yet friends are counseling me against installing on this blog a widget counting down to my death. My reckoning is , if I’m to die at exactly the same age as my father, I should drop off my perch around August 7 2009 at work (perhaps I’ll be reviewing your restaurant).
I’ve certainly been deliberately living the lifestyle for it. I ask myself: is life that great that I want to slosh around press lunches at the age of 80 with a leaky colostomy bag? I think not.
My doctors have other ideas though and one in particular thinks I should give up reviewing restaurants to bring my cholesterol and my weight down. Or at least I should participate in some serious exercise. And to be honest I’ve been in a real lifestyle funk and to be quite honest I think my work, blogging and personal life has been suffering because of it. Somehow I think I’ve been here before.
What I had of a routine I lost long ago and my personal and work life has merged in an unhealthy way. Here’s the way out.
The action plan
1. Aerobic exercise: Join a boxing gym. (Probably the Punch Club if anybody wants to kick my head in)
2. Mental fitness: meditate daily
3. Restart my routine: First thing: Salute to the sun. Walk dogs. Write all morning. Emails and phone only in the afternoon.
4. Revitalise the blog with new ideas. Blog as I eat.
5. Get back into cooking proper, healthy three course meals at home.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Good luck with the action plan!
I guess we will be seeing some home cooking – 101 uses for oat bran and great things to do with artichokes!
Let me know if you want a list of health-friendly restaurants to review
Good luck with the plan. I had really high cholesterol and had to take medication for a few years before I started eating the South Beach way. I’ve been slipping a bit on my own “stay in shape and avoid getting fat again ” plan, and I’m looking forward to school getting out so I can get more exercise. Diet is important, but I do think exercise is crucial to being healthy. Good luck! Looking forward to seeing what you’re cooking.
There sure are a lot of boring aspects of getting older. Good luck!
The action plan sounds good and though I’m loath to pipe up with gratuitous (as well as anonymous) health advice a couple of extra things do occur.
The evidence appears to be firming up that a fish oil supplement can assist a range of conditions including cholesterol.
Nature’s Way Fish Oil 1200mg is an high dose, low reflux version (gel caps so easier to get down) that seems to working for us:
http://www.naturesway.com.au/images/supplements/gold_Fish_oil_1200.jpg
Likewise Chinese tea. There have been studies on its efficacy but I tend to look at it this way – the Cantonese love their deep fry and black tea in equal amounts and it seems to give them some protection. Try a cup a day – the standard loamy, slightly earthy
bo lai/pu-ehr black tea you get at yum cha is a good start.
well, i can recommend the Punch Club as being a fun way to get fit! i stlil have my membership although yet to get back after our trip overseas – oops.
Thanks Alex
AOF, I think oat bran makes me feel sick, perhaps the lack of fat, buut I’ll try again.
Kalyn, i think the missing thing is excercise and the only reason it is up because I’ve eaten in 30 restaurants in 3 months – just think of all the butter I’ve eaten.
ilva, Boring? No, an intersting new challege to be healthy but decadent.
Pussycat, funnily enough somebody else already has a large tub of fish oil pills so I’ll pinch some.
Cin, get back down there. We can have food blog fight club!
Ed,
Whilst the headline number looks bad, your ratio is below average – ie the total cholesterol / HDL. This ratio has better predictive value than just the total cholesterol alone.
Whilst the action plan sounds good, If there is a family history, I think the answer if drugs! A statin and something for the blood pressure rather than recreational!
Tragedy! I can think of nothing worse than to be told by my Doctor that I have to give up all of the things I love for my health. Mind you I have already had to give up the fags & seriously cut down on my alcohol intake since I got pregnant so I do know how it feels – Good luck!
Edward, I could try statins but i want to try and avoid drugs. Until this year my cholesterol levels have been coming down. I rhink I may buy some of that special margarine though. Ange, I know what you mean. i doing pretty well on fags (Jak isn’t) and on the wine I’m doing fairly well mid week.
This is what I highly recommend:
1. Psylliusm husks (now available in Safeway) in a mug of water, after every meal.
2. Organic barley grass every morning before food.
3. Organic flaxseed oil (provides essential Omega-3/6 oils to address the imblance of bad cholesterol etc.).
4. The juice of a lemon, soon after a particularly oily meal.
I also like yoga, myself.
Good luck!
Love your blog! Makes me miss melbourne like nothing else.
Thing is, if you keep eating the way you do it’s more likely, with modern medical science, that you WILL live till 80 and have a colostomy bag, you will have a heart attack or at least angina at some point with constant pain and you’ll have a miserable mid 50’s onwards health wise.
Whereas if the action plan goes well, you’ll probably be a much happier healthier person as you get older.
So it’s awesome that you’re taking on the action plan. Don’t forget though that 6.9 is just a number, and there’s more to it than that.
My suggestion (even though you didn’t ask for it) is that you have a big glass of green juice in the morning to start you off and try to eat more raw foods when you’re at home (with your cooked meals).
Sorry Pussycat, but I think supplements including fish oil do not aid long term health. I think it’s much better to improve your nutrition via diet.
NO STATINS! And no drugs because it is truly truly avoidable. Esp living in Melbourne. Statins have horrid side effects.. It frustrates me as a doctor that people take meds so easily so I’m glad you’re anti the idea.
And that’s enough condescending advice from me
I forgot to leave you a recipe for green juice.. (obviously you can do it any way you like!)
Green Limeade
1 Head of Cos Lettuce
3 Stalks of Celery with Leaves
2-3 Limes (juice with skin)
2 inch knob of ginger (or more if you like!)
2 apples
Juice it all up- it’s fabulous! Variations such as spinach, wheat or barley grass, kale or chinese vegies, parsley.. all good options but this mixture tastes best! Beetroot is also a good blood cleanser so you can try that once in a while.
Dr MC, thanks for the sensible advice. I currently plan to eat in more than out which will help. I’ll try the green juice although recently I’ve been cutting out the middle man and eating the fruit instead of juicing it – hope you approve.
Hi Ed
You don’t need my approval! Haha..
The reason for the suggestion of juicing vegetables is that it gives the digestive system a bit of a rest, and allows full absorption of all the good bits. Same with fruit but I think both fruit and vegies should be juiced and eaten as much as possible! Fibre is good too but for first thing in the morning, juice is perfect.
I’m sure you’re a brilliant cook so there’ll be no lack of wonderful dishes to convince you to stay home to eat
Good Luck!
Dr MC
I shall dust the cockroaches out the juice exttractor then. My digestive system does suely need a rest.