I could not believe the lab report. I had high cholesterol. Even though I’m overweight, it runs in my family, I’m a pack a day smoker and a couch potato; I found myself surprised. I am not sure if I thought it would just go away, or if it really didn’t matter, but I didn’t pay attention until my brother-in-law died of a heart attack at the age of 42. I realized it was time to listen. I imagined a world where I did not see my children grow up, get married, have kids of their own. The thought of not being there scared me into action.
The phrase was simple; quit smoking, eat healthy and exercise. It rolled off my doctors’ tongue as if she said it a million times a day. She probably does. Six simple words, yet they seemed so overwhelming. I took them one at a time.
Quit Smoking: I tried everything from patches, gum, candy, weaning, Chantix, and hypnosis, but in the end it was cold turkey that got me through. By far the healthiest thing I did for myself was to quit smoking. It was hard, but the alternative seemed to be an early death, so I got it done.
I quit smoking on Easter of this year. It took about two months of being a non-smoker before I could start seriously working on the diet end of things.
Diet: To lower cholesterol, the Mayo clinic recommends changing to olive oil, more fruits and vegetables, egg whites, and more whole wheat. After researching what types of food I should be eating, I decided to try the Mediterranean diet. I like that it is not so much a diet, with measuring and food portions, as it is an alternative way of cooking. It incorporates cholesterol reducing foods and is easy to follow.
Occasionally I change from the Mediterranean diet and follow a Diabetic Diet. Although I am not diabetic the regulation of my sugar intake gives me more energy throughout the day and it incorporates healthy food which is cholesterol lowering.
It took two months for the healthy eating to become a habit. I stopped purchasing the unhealthy foods and without them in my house, it took effort to get a treat. It became easier to eat the carrots with salsa in the fridge that to drive to the store to get the chips and dip.
Once I managed my smoking and my food intake I decided to tackle the exercise. I no longer need to exercise for my cholesterol. My levels were back to normal (as was my blood pressure), but sometime over the past few months the journey had become about overall health and not just changing a number.
Exercise: Years ago I went to the gym but that no longer appeals to me. Instead of setting aside an hour a day to train, I decided to keep fit with daily activities. I purchased a metal detector and walk the trails near my house. I went to the pound and got a puppy. Rain, snow, sleet or shine, I get up and walk at least three times a day because the alternative is a messy one. I also started a vegetable garden this summer. Gardening gets me exercising a few times a week and has also helped with improving my diet.
I did not get unhealthy overnight, and there is no miracle cure to fix it. It is a slow and steady process to reverse and I am still working on it. This started off about my cholesterol but ended up being about my overall health. I very much want to live a long and healthy life and quitting smoking, eating healthy and exercising were the six words that got me started.
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