Eating Away The Cholesterol
Guess what? Guess what? “My cholesterol was down 90 points and I passed my treadmill!!”
Wait. Slow down. What?
Bob, my friend, had burst in the door and stood there with his arms open wide and a little kid grin, just beckoning me to come receive a hug.
He was so darn proud and somehow, I had something to do with it.
So, never one to decline a hug, I collected my hug and got down to the business of finding out why I was so honored.
Well, it turns out that I had been giving Bob some advice about diet over the last year or two and he had gradually started doing it. He had become frustrated with going to the doctor and getting the recommendation for pills so he had decided to take action.
I had made a simple eating suggestion. I call it the “plate rule”. At least one half of the plate should be vegetables and fruits. Mix up the colors and easy on the starchy ones. 1/4 should be whole grains and legumes, sometimes less depending on the person, and sometimes excluding gluten. And, about 1/4 should be protein like lean chicken and fish, though there are other options for vegetarians. Hold the frying and the fat laden sauces. Eat whole grains and hold the baked goods for special occasions. He was already getting regular exercise by walking.
He gradually added in the changes more and more consistently, and much to his amazement, it worked! It really worked.
His LDL cholesterol dropped by 90 points, his good HDL cholesterol improved, he lost some weight, and he exercised like a champ on that treadmill…
Nothing brings joy to my heart like the look of a ten year olds’ happiness in a middle aged man…
…just walking on cloud nine. Because he took charge, and it worked.
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Dave says:
Wow I envy Bob. If he can make such dramatic improvements with your diet and exercise advise,I wonder how much I can improve mine? Go Bob go!