Health Cabinet Update

 Some ups and downs – update on managing cholesterol without medications...

              I guess the first “up” I have to share is how much better I feel not taking the statin medication.  Those nasty, distressing leg cramps that kept me up at night have completely stopped and even the frequency of “restless leg syndrome” seems to be less.  That’s a real positive and one that I have to admit I hadn’t really connected to the use of the statins until my doctor and I started changing them around.   If anything, this experience has taught me to read the medication pamphlet thoroughly to understand what side-effects can occur with seemingly “innocent” medications.

Second “up”- my weight is stable.  While my goal is to have a lower BMI by the end of the year, I still have time to work on that.  With the events of the past two months – evening commitments, packing and moving—I have not been as committed to attending Spinning class two times/week or using the strength training machines as I should be.  Fortunately, in our condo complex there is a great exercise room and I hope to get down there and use the machines, especially if we can’t find the time to get to the Wellness Center.

The beginning of April I had blood work done again and the results were mixed, but encouraging.  My HDL count (the good cholesterol) rose a whopping 25% and my triglycerides decreased by 30%!  Remember, my strategy includes using 1-2 tablespoons of flax seed daily, increasing fiber, and decreasing intake of sugar.  My LDL count (the bad cholesterol) increased, but only by 2%, and my total cholesterol also increased, but only by 6%.  My total cholesterol level is still in the high range and needs to come down so I’m going to stay focused on activities and diet that can reduce cholesterol. 

One of the reports in the information I’m reading from University of California at Berkeley includes a chart for figuring out your risk of having a heart attack based on age, HDL levels, total cholesterol levels and BP reading.  My risk of having a heart attack turns out to be only 1% in the next 10 years.  That’s pretty good, and I’m relieved about that.  I’m pretty competitive though and I’m goal driven, so I know I can reduce my risk further by working harder at getting more exercise, and watching my sugar and alcohol intake.

I’m going to give myself four months to work on decreasing weight, increasing exercise, and decreasing sugar and alcohol intake and report back to you those results in September.  Because I’m not on medication, I don’t need bloodwork again until October (another plus!) so I’ll be able to report on the effects of those interventions in November.

In the meantime, if there are any health related issues that you are wanting to work on and would like some help with goal setting or need information to help determine appropriate interventions, please give me a call or speak to me at church – I would be happy to help!

Sharing the Spirit,

   PJ May, Parish Nurse