So last September, I found out that my cholesterol was high. The doctor immediately wanted to put me on medication to get it under control. I had feared this for a while. It’s in my genes.
No chemicals for me, please.
I didn’t want to take any pills. No chemicals for me, please. I had heard of too many side effects. Plus, I really just want to live a healthy lifestyle. So I asked the doctor to let me try to correct it with diet and exercise. He gave me three months and told me to eat lots of fiber, less red meat, and lots of fiber. Beans he said! Lots of beans, lots of veggies and whole grains, small servings of nuts and exercise.
I got right on it! I started walking, I mostly cut out red meat. I added tons of fruit and veggies, started eating oatmeal every other morning, nuts for snacks, grilled chicken and lots of fish. I started doing yoga at home several times a week and eventually, I added in acupuncture.
Did you know that stress levels can contibute to high cholesterol? Did you know that yoga and acupuncture can lower your cholesterol? I didn’t!
I took six months instead of three (I mean, November and December shouldn’t have counted, right??) and I did it! I lowered my cholesterol. Brought it back into normal ranges, barely, but I did. It was back to where it usually was and I was dancing a happy dance!!
But… lately, I’ve gotten off track. I find myself slipping back into my old habits of eating and I’ve got to stop that!! I’ve got to get back on track! Why do I do this to myself?
So this morning, I made that decision. I am going to eat well. I am going to exercise. I am going to do this and I’m going to stay healthy.
But what should I have for breakfast? I’m out of everything. I was gone over the weekend and have been super busy so I haven’t been to the grocery store in FOR-EV-ER. Then I remembered DD’s breakfast tacos last weekend.
I didn’t have all the same ingredients she had but I made due. I shredded a small potato and half a zucchini. I found a little bag of peppers and onions in the freezer, a can of refried black beans in the pantry along with some flour tortillas.
I heated up the skillet, added some garlic olive oil, and threw it all together. I added in some ground red pepper, a little black pepper, and a dash of garlic powder and voila!
It doesn’t look like much but it was really yummy and I feel like I made a good start to getting back to my healthier eating.
I read that a cup of beans a day can lower your cholesterol but 10% so I’m on my way. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if when I go back in, I’ve lowered it even more?? That’s my goal! Good health… here I come!!
What do you do keep your lifestyle healthy?
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