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January 10, 2006
Hypocrite!
So I have high cholesterol. What's up with that?! I'm 26 years old, an "athlete" (if that's what you want to call it) and a dietitian to boot.
Here was the breakdown:
total cholesterol - 230
HDL cholesterol - 92 (this is the good stuff)
LDL cholesterol - 125 (this is the bad stuff)
(blood pressure, triglycerides, glucose all within normal limits)
My HDLs are awesome - the higher the better - and they have actually risen over the last time I got my numbers checked (about 13 months ago). You raise these guys by exercising.
My LDLs are not so good though. Given that I have a family history of heart disease, my LDL should be under 100. Arf. Because my LDLs are higher than they should be, my total cholesterol is high too - should be under 200. Double Arf. Total cholesterol isn't really the best way to look at it, a better number is the ratio of your total cholesterol to your HDLs, which is really good for me. But any way you look at it, I need to lower my total cholesterol and I need to do it by lowering my LDL cholesterol.
There are a couple ways you can do this:
1) lower your saturated fat intake and cholesterol intake
2) take lipid lowering agents
3) curse your parents for giving you bad genes (okay, this won't really lower your LDLs, but it may make you feel better)
I consulted several doctors today at work as to what they thought about my numbers. The first, a marathoner that happens to specialize in infectious diseases, didn't think it was such a big deal but was going to ask her cardiologist friend. The second, a gastroenterologist, told me to put myself on a low fat diet and get it checked again in 4 months. The third, a critical care doctor, laughed at me because I'm a dietitian with high cholesterol. All three said it wasn't at a level where I would actually be prescribed medication but that I should keep my eye on it. Note, none of them were cardiologists. I don't happen to know any cardiologists. I might go hang out on the cardiology floor tomorrow and see who I can wrangle into giving me (free) advice. :)
But I'm not messing around. There is a history of heart disease in my family and I don't want to continue the trend. We don't have much cancer in the genes but bad tickers instead. I guess you have to die somehow.
I don't think more exercising is my answer - my HDLs are already good. And losing weight isn't a good option either because I'm pretty much exactly what my ideal weight should be. Meds are out (they cause liver failure anyway). So that leaves me with diet. Imagine that? My co-workers told me I could consult them for diet education if needed. I told them I thought I could handle it. :)
The first thing to go is ice cream. I just eat too much of it. I'll take that out first and then see what will go next. It might be reducing red meat intake (but not totally getting rid of it). I'll have to replace the calories with something else but I'm not sure what yet. I'm thinking cereal. I could use the extra calcium anyway. Then in a couple months I'll go to my PCP and get some new measures. I think I'm up for the challenge!
Cholesterol talk aside (assuming you are still awake) - I did exercise some today. Spinning and core exercises to be exact. The spinning instructor today was one of my favorites. She plays the music REALLY loud (further contributing to my hearing loss) but plays very good, upbeat music. It's hard to keep up with her.
Hope everyone has a great night!
Posted by beth at January 10, 2006 7:48 PM
Comments
I was in a convenience store the other day, and I heard a song that I have never liked - "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez. I realized immediately that I associate it with spinning. I haven't taken a spinning class in more than five years, but I think I must have taken one instructor's course several times, because I can clearly remember "climbing hills" to that song. So even if you like that music now (my case is different b/c I never liked it), if you work too hard during spinning class you might start to have negative associations with those songs!
Sorry to hear about your cholesterol. I think your case is the ultimate example of how strong the genetic component is. I'm particularly sad to hear that the ice cream must go. You may be more of an ice cream purist than I am, but low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt can be tasty, too, in my opinion.
Posted by: Alison at January 10, 2006 11:18 PM
My doc attributes my high HDL (103) to exercise (running) and red wine, which I drink daily (a bunch of glasses). In fact, on seeing a few of my black toenails he advised me to run less and drink more, lol ;-) Seriously, maybe think about increasing you intake of red wine, it's a good thing.
Posted by: David at January 11, 2006 12:01 AM
It's been a while since my cholesterol was checked, but it was a little too high about five years ago. I don't remember the ratios, but the total was 199 which the doctor found odd given my diet and exercise level. She wasn't too concerned, but I am curious to see what it is now. Since my new insurance kicked in, I should make an appointment to do it again and see what the numbers are.
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at January 11, 2006 10:28 PM