And #TuesdayTwirl
Dear friends. I've had a rude awakening. I need to radically change my diet after a routine NHS over 60s health check revealed high cholesterol. It was high both overall and for the "bad" sort, the LDL reading.
I like to keep out of the clutches of the NHS. I'm not on any prescription medications and consider myself fit and healthy.
After numerous online invitations to book a health check, I finally succumbed. The appointment includes a cholesterol test, blood pressure reading, questions about parental strokes or heart attacks, and questions about diet and lifestyle. You then get given a score which assesses your chance of having a stroke or heart attack.
My score was quite high because of the cholesterol. Even though I do a lot of exercise, have normal blood pressure and hardly ever drink alcohol, it didn't mitigate the pesky cholesterol. High cholesterol can be hereditary but isn't in my case.
High LDL ("bad") cholesterol is dangerous because it leads to plaque build up in artery walls, a condition called atherosclerosis. This narrowing restricts blood flow, significantly increasing the risk of serious health events like heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease. High LDL is a major causal factor for cardiovascular disease
How did I get here?
I have been deluding myself about my diet. On the plus side, I rarely eat sugar (chocolate, biscuits, cake) or UPFs, and have a lot of olive oil, avocados, salads and grapes. On the minus side, I eat far too much cheese. In fact I like dairy products in general too much (kefir, full fat Greek yoghurt, cream). I have red meat quite often. I tend to avoid leafy veg except for broccoli and I rarely eat oats, grains or pulses.
When I say too much cheese, I was having it for lunch on most days and getting through a 500g block of vintage Cheddar each week. If that's not bad enough, I would graze on grated cheese while waiting for dinner to cook.
The health check has been a wakeup call. I could go on statins but I've chosen instead to try to lower my cholesterol by improving my diet. I'll get another test taken in 6 months time.
My New Diet
Foods which help to lower cholesterol include oats, broccoli, pulses and grains, fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel, olive oil and fruit and vegetables. I normally have 2 eggs a day but for someone with high cholesterol a maximum of 7 a week is recommended.
I'm trying to up my fruit and veg, to have more protective antioxidants, and to increase the fibre consumed. We're also having fish for dinner twice a week now, and I'm off the steaks.
I have 2 eggs on sourdough for breakfast just twice a week now (before cycle rides), and on the other days, low fat Greek yoghurt with berries and no sugar granola, or porridge with fruit and walnuts.
My lunches have changed considerably. I now have:
- Vegetable and grains or lentil soup with wholemeal bread OR
- Salad with lots of colours and chicken OR
- Tinned red salmon or mackerel on a slice of toasted sourdough.
Dinners include salmon with sweet potato or lentils/butter beans and veg; salads with spinach leaves, multiple vegetables with some protein, and a vegetable curry with cauliflower rice. If I'm out and about, I'll take a bottle of Huel or an M&S Nutrient Dense salad.
Plant sterols can also help to lower cholesterol so I'm having a Benecol yoghurt drink each day.
I was afraid the grains and oats would make me put on weight, but so far so good. I hope that my body fat percentage will decrease with less cheese.
Cheese has sadly become a very occasional treat.
I'll let you know how it goes! I'm on the lookout for a good recipe book, but I think I'll need to avoid the words "cholesterol" in the title. That threw up a book called "Low cholesterol recipes for Seniors over 60". I'm sorry but I just don't relate to the word Seniors. It makes me cringe.
The outfits featured were worn over the last few days. Top pic: Caribbean Jade shirt and belt in hibiscus from Kettlewell, worn to the Schiaparelli exhibition at the V&A (more to follow in my monthly review).
Second pic: Red Coral jacket by Kettlewell, cream blouse from Holland Cooper, jeans from Whistles, shoes from Boden. Worn at the Ideal Home Show. Above: lime jacket, Kettlewell via eBay, jeans M&S, bag Pom Pom London.
Third pic: striped tee and Chloe jacket, both old, Kettlewell; jeans M&S, bag Pom Pom London.
Have you got high cholesterol, and have you lowered it with statins or diet (or both?). Do share in the comments.
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Last Week's Favourites
Long Haul Travel in your 60s: The Honest Version by Alison at Midlife and Beyond
Longing for Spring by Jacqui at Mummabstylish. Jacqui has all the trends going on in this outfit!
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