walking-in-the-sun
Out on my walk, today. Minus 13 (with windchill, minus 20 something.) Celsius.

Not surprising.

But disappointing.

For the first time in a long time….so long I don’t quite remember how long, I went to a family doctor for my annual check up. Well, first I had to find a GP taking new patients…fortunately, that wasn’t too hard. Then, I went to see her and she ordered x-rays, and blood work and my mammogram and so on.

The news is this: the x-rays showed osteoporosis in both hips. I am pre-diabetic and my bad cholesterol (LDL) –as well as my non HDL cholesterol– is high. Unfortunately, my HDL is quite low.

Here’s the breakdown.

  • Fasting glucose: 6.6 mmol/L (Impaired is 6.1-6.9 mmol/L. Diabetic is >6.9 mmol/L)
  • I forgot to ask for my A1C numbers.
  • HDL Cholesterol (the “good” kind) 1.54 mmol/L
  • LDL Cholesterol (the “bad”) 3.79 mmol/L (o.o – 3.4 mmol/L is OK.)
  • Non HDL Cholesterol 4.93 mmol/L. (4.9-5.6 mmol/L is considered high)
  • Triglyceride 2.50 mmol/L (normal is o.0 – 1.70 mmol/L)
  • My blood pressure was within normal range which is not normal for me. Usually my blood pressure is low.

Dr. Osman said I had to bring those numbers down in three months or she would put me on medication. She booked a consult with a dietitian for me and told me to stay away from the “white stuff” and lose some weight. She didn’t tell me how much weight to lose.

So, I’ve been doing  bit of research.

Apparently, losing 7% of my body weight will help those numbers go down.

Losing 7 to 10 percent of your body weight (18 to 25 pounds for a 250-pound person) can significantly improve health conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood cholesterol. From The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

So, to do that in three months, I will have to lose about 6 pounds a month.

As well, I need to increase the amount of fiber I eat. (The goal, apparently is 25 grams per day.)  Did you know that soluble fiber will glom onto and absorb cholesterol hanging around your intestines waiting to get into your bloodstream–and carry it right out of your body?! That’s amazing.

What does a day of 25 g of fiber look like? I’ll have to do some research on that.

Refined carbs not only wreck havoc on my blood glucose: but apparently any glucose not shuttled into my cells converts to LDL. So, I’ll really have to lay off the Lay’s! And the cinnamon buns and the brownies and the cookies and ice cream. But not the dark chocolate. Hooray for small mercies.

And I need to go back to taking fish oil. The Omega 3 fats will raise HDL and lower my LDL. Omega 3 will also help my cells be more receptive to insulin…so not as much glucose will run rampant in my blood. And, of course, my bones will thank me. (I also need more vitamin D, calcium and magnesium, too.)

Now that I am menopausal, my hips could also use more foods rich is phytoestrogens, like miso paste and soy.

So, while I was a bit depressed and scared by the news from my doctor last week, I am feeling a bit better. I feel capable of putting together an action plan that will help me get those numbers down and avoid medication.