Many of you are very familiar with my highly indulgent eating habits. As you’ve been reading the sudden influx of updates on this blog lately, it correlates to a sudden influx of my food consumption (dining out).
I went for a blood test on Saturday morning – and since I hadn’t eaten anything before I arrived, Isa told me to throw in a cholesterol test, and I never gave it a second thought.
I just received a long voicemail from my doctor explaining that my cholesterol levels are very high for a 26 year old. “I know you’re a foodie, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to tell you to dramatically cut down your saturated fat intake. Things like Wagyu – wagyu is a disaster!!! Duck, Pork, Calamari and Prawn roe are EXTREMELY bad. Please take care of yourself.” The fact that she used the phrase “please take care of yourself” SEVEN TIMES in a 5 minute voicemail message is probably not the most comforting either.
The thing that frustrates me is that I’m all for healthy eating when I’m cooking at home – but when you’re ordering at a restaurant, there’s is a reason why everything tastes so amazing. It’s all cooked in fat and butter, even when it is a side of creamed spinach.
I guess I have a new objective - Dine in instead of dine out.
ARGGGH! I’m not even overwight! <insert constant whining here>
Yeah, eating out is probably the culprit– it’s more difficult to fit in veggies and control what the ingredients are cooked in.
Or– working out could help keep cholesterol levels low if you are eating out often.
the end is nearrrrrrr!
wagyu is a very very tasty disaster
ask your doctor for a prescription for liptor…your problem solved =D
just curious, how’s your activity level? I eat crap all the time, but I’ve always considered myself healthy because of regular exercise. I wonder if my cholesterol is high too.
weight isnt a good indication for whether you are health or not. there is a correlation but it shouldnt be the defacto .
my tip for you: lick your hand and if you taste salty then you are definitely not healthy
it could also be genetic… i have high cholesterol too =(
i guess try to increase your fibre intake would help reduce cholesterol absorption… stuff in an apple/mandarin during breakfast/lunch/dinner…
hope your cholesterol goes down to normal soon… > <
ciao~
i got EXACTLY the same voice msg from min.. i think it’s carrot and celery sticks for us from now on.. NO MORE TACO NIGHTS
hehehe… I think a few Fiber Pills should do the trick? But I hear you, dining out everything is cooked in fat even the vegies.. which makes keeping a healthy cholesterol level very difficult… I haven’t got the gutts to get my blood tested yet, and I don’t think I want to do it anytime soon… I guess ignorance is bliss?
Is there any family history of heart disease? If not, allow yourself to enjoy food occasionally, and don’t stress about it. Stress is probably worse for you than a week of wagyu. I think that enjoying food is the true basis of the French paradox, and you obviously do!
your critique on the food is the main reason i read your site, and now that you’re going to dine in i hope it’ll be as good as dining out =) stay healthy
that’s actually my next challenge, to eat only homecooked meals for 2 weeks, no takeaways or prepackaged
i feel for ya!
good food?
i eat out almost everyday too,b ut i fix this problem by drinking at least 70 oz of water as well as 5 servings of fresh fruit a day. i also start out my day with oatmeal or granola and i skip out on meat. well, at least muscle tissue.
o__O What’s a foodie to do?
that’s horrible!
I’m eternally sad. Being a foodie is for the most part a healthy thing, but perhaps going out to eat all the time would catch up with you once in a while. I hope you can find your balance again.
Btw, what’s up with all the dining out? Did I miss something? How are you able to eat out so much? (…envy) =P
I feel for you! I love eating all those things you mentioned..
:O it’s time for the one month cheerio diet.. it helps bring down your cholestrol.. or red wine..
Elevated cholesterol does not always relate to being fat or no. It’s the matter of eating habit and daily lifestyle (sedentary or active).
There are two types of cholesterol, HDL which is good cholesterol and LDL which is bad. You have to cut down on LDL which means less saturated fat (beef, pork, fried food) and transfatty acid (commonly found in butter and desserts). Transfatty acid is the biggest culprit as it does not only increase your LDL level, but also clog your artery! That leads to arteriosclerosis and worst still, myocardial infarction.
Beef and lamb have high content of bad cholesterol, so you have no choice but to cut down on them. Stick to lean meat or chicken breast, which has very low fat content and high protein. Good source of protein that make you fill!
Increasing your HDL, which is good cholesterol is essential too. Start consuming polyunsaturated fats (such as omega 3, 6) and monounsaturated fats. Flaxseed oil is the most wellknown natural oil found in nature that has high level of polyunsaturated fats. It helps to decrease level of bad cholesterol in the body. It is available in leading pharmacy stores perhaps clinics too.
Besides that, if you like the dull taste of oat, it would be awesome! Oats have been proven to reduce bad cholesterol in the body. Not to forget to work out. It’s everyone’s responsible to go exercise. Just a 30 minutes walk a day and balanced and healthy diet will make a great difference to your health. I know how it’s always easier said than done but if you do not make the first step you will never achieve something. 30 minutes walk, 4 times a day!
Being healthy is an important asset of human.
Take good care girl~ Hope to hear from you again perhaps few months later that you have your LDL succesfully subsided.
LDL ftl!
how about start walking to work instead of driving??
or we should schedule more neighbour walks/jogs!
@Empearl_City - walk to work? NO!
hahahaha
I eat a lot of crap, but I temper it with vitamins, fish oil, aspirin, and bouts of horrible starvation.
oats. for breakfast, if not more often. i had initially thought it was a marketing ploy but my cholesterol levels declined after a few months without making drastic changes to my diet nor increasing physical activity. give it a shot hun
I need too get myself checked too.
After 8 months in the states, I’ve gained a bit of weight.And hearing my friend has high cholesterol after a blood test also (with a high chance of a heart attack), pushes me to check myself even further. He’s my age and pretty much the same build… and no, he’s not obese!
I think a healthy diet with a mixture of dining out and in and exercise is the key. It’s all about balance Ami.