At my last annual, my cholesterol was slightly raised. Rather than going on the Crestor prescription my doctor suggested, I'm giving myself 6 months to lower it through diet and exercise. I've always eaten relatively healthfully, and between an active, non-sedentary job, ballroom dancing and walking, (not to mention running after grandkids and dogs!) I considered that I was moving enough to be healthy. But after the cholesterol diagnosis, I've radically changed both my diet AND my exercise habits. I joined a gym, and now weight train as well as my usual cardio. My diet is geared towards heart health now, as well as the low fat/low sodium/no processed foods that I tried to maintain before. Meet my new breakfast fare! It's a very healthy fruit smoothie….Almond milk, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, banana, oatmeal, and a tablespoon of mixed flax, chia and wheatgerm, processed in my Magic Bullet which imho is the greatest invention since the wheel! What's missing this morning is the handful power greens I typically add, which would make it a green smoothie. It is amazingly delicious in spite of being way healthy, and packs a hefty punch of antioxidants and cholesterol lowering ingredients. Along with my usual supplements (I don't take any medications…..yet! Fingers crossed!) I've added additional omegas in the form of fish oil supplements. That, along with the omegas I get from the flax and chia, and the other changes in my diet, is hopefully what is going to lower my cholesterol so that I don't have to resort to statins.
I admire your determination. Go, girl! Your smoothie looks very delicate. I'm glad it's tasty too. Good luck.
Good for you resisting the medication. It sounds like your physicians are like ours and are too hasty about prescribing medication as a first resort. Your smoothie looks delicious!
You go Ronni. It actually looks yummy! And I do encourage you to stay away, as far away as you can, from the meds to lower it. I had a friend who was on one and it ruined her health and she couldn't get her doctor to admit that it had anything to do with the secondary issues she developed until she started doing her own research and removed herself from them, unfortunately she will never get back the loss of strength in her legs and arms since it was nerve related.
Carolyn, it's exactly that kind of anecdotal information that has me DETERMINED to stay as far away from the medication as I can…..and really, as far away from ALL medications if there's any possible way I can avoid them. I'm working hard on my health. Thankfully I've never been troubled with high blood pressure, I'm not at risk for diabetes, and all my numbers are in normal ranges except for the cholesterol. Other than that, my only other issue is weight gain after menopause, which has, and continues to be troublesome, but again, I'm thankful that I was slim before the gain, plus I'm tall, so that extra 40 pounds, though extreme, has distributed itself pretty evenly over my body so I don't look obese. And with the pounding I'm giving myself at the gym, even if I don't lose any, I'm fairly confident I at least won't gain any more. And if I can replace some of this fat with muscle mass, I'll be making my body a more efficient calorie-burning machine.
Good for you Ronni. Sounds like you are really healthy. The health risks of the medication are definitely not researched adequately. New research is also showing a link between higher cholesterol and the health of your brain as you age. As in cholesterol is necessary for brain health and memory. I was reading that current numbers used by the medical field may well be in error especially if you want to have a better chance of avoiding dementia and Alzheimer's.
A year and a half ago I had a blood test. A few days later the nurse called and said my cholestrol was 239. They wanted me to go on Crestor, too. I said can I have six months to try to get it down without meds. She called me back and gave me some things to try. I was talking to a friend's father about my my cholestrol problem. He said he was taking an herbal supplement called "Red Yeast Rice" capsules. He took 4 but his doctor said he should lower that to 3. I started taking two a day. I take fish oil capsules and a few other supplements and a multiple vitamin, too. My doctor told me to keep doing what I was doing. My last visit my cholestrol was down to 205. I had lowered it by 34. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, all, for the encouragement! I'm really planning my work and working my plan as regards my health, and I'll take as many cheerleaders and attaboys as I can get! Don, I appreciate this information. I had a couple of people already who mentioned red yeast rice supplements, and now you have, so I'm definitely going to check them out and see if I shouldn't be adding them to my daily supplements. I love that you lowered your number without medication! That's awesome, good for you! And it's exactly the result I hope to attain.
For those of us who wage war with the cholesterol demons your diet is a commendable example of a take charge approach. I was able to lower mine through weight loss when my doctor asked me to lose weight. I was also able to lower my sugar levels during the same period. I would be interested to see if your efforts keep you away from the pharmacological solution. Jerry
Jerry, that's awesome!! I really hope I can manage a similar result. I'm going back in March for a new blood test and I'm working towards that target on a daily basis. I worked out hard at the gym last night. Because I'd been so sick, I hadn't really done more than bare maintenance, but I used last weekend as my launchpad to ramp back up. By yesterday I felt like I could really pound it out, so I did! My muscles are NOT thanking me this morning. :-?
