There Will Be Blood

Or rather, there was blood -- taken from my arm -- during my cholesterol test in October. My doctor called me back with the results today.

Good news: My LDL's (good cholesterol) are up, so those are lookin' pretty perfect right now.

Not-so-great news: My HDL's (bad cholesterol) are down, but they're still high for my age. So she suggested the following remedies:

- skim milk
- go easy on the red meat (which I do already)
- eggs ONLY once per week (and Eggbeaters or another substitute is preferable to actual eggs. Since I don't like eggs that much, no big deal.)
- low-fat/no-fat cheese.
- the worst: stay away from yellow cheeses (like cheddar) as they have higher cholesterol levels.

Cheddar cheese is my fave, so that was sad for me to hear.

And in general, I feel weird being 27 years old and making changes in my diet to deal with my cholesterol level. I've touched on this before, but it really sinks in when I'm having conversations with my doctor about what I should and shouldn't be eating.

I've gotten a lot (a LOT) better in my eating habits in the past year and a half, but I still have a ways to go. I need to start implementing a serious exercise program (once a week = not enough, as it turns out, and I'm lucky if I manage to exercise even once a week). I have a stockpile of foods I can make that are healthy; it's just the eating out that kills me. And may actually end up killing me.

It's funny how people seem to have the luxury of eating/doing whatever they want until something happens to make them seriously evaluate how they're living their lives -- I think it's safe to say that most of us want as much time on this planet as we can get, so it makes sense to take steps to prolong your life rather than shorten it. That's common knowledge. But people don't really seem to get it until a major event -- be it a doctor's diagnosis or the death of a loved one or chest pains, whatever -- makes you stop and think about what you're putting into your body and whether it's the best option for you.

It's all about baby steps. I'm better than I was last year. Next year I hope to be truly on the right path. I know how to get there. I just need to suck it up and do it.