There's a lot more to eating wisely than losing weight, namely I'm after improving my health. To get a benchmark early in the dieting process, I took advantage of a local medical center that offers a "women's blood work-up" package once a week for $25. Wednesday morning after Pilates I dropped by and got blood drawn and picked up the results today. Much as I suspected, my cholesterol, at 247, is way too high, as is LDL at 166. Optimally, these need to be less than 200 and 100 respectively, although the accompanying report showed a range of 91 to 130 for LDL. Back in April, these had been Cholesterol 225 and LDL 137.9. Clearly, despite increased exercise, something has been amiss.
Some light research shows that green tea, dark chocolate, a little 1 1/2 - 3 oz. alcohol, and 12 weeks of yoga might prove beneficial. Five beneficial foods recommended by the Mayo Clinic include the following, although I can't imagine drinking anything artificially fortified.
1 1/2 c oatmeal and oat bran (10 grams of soluble fiber daily)
walnuts, almonds and a mix of nuts (1.5 oz = a handful)
oily fish twice a week or more: lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon
2 T+ olive oil (not light versions)
2 grams of foods fortified with plant sterols (2 glasses of fortified oj, yogurt drink)
Goal for the year: carotid artery test.
Day 7
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