Me? High Cholesterol?

This week, I found out that I have pretty high cholesterol for someone being so young and having such low body fat. My general practitioner was shocked.

Here are my numbers she pointed out:

• My LDL-C ("bad" cholesterol) was 130, which is a high risk range. It needs to be around 100
• My NON-HDL-C ("good" cholesterol) was 149, which is intermediate risk range. This needs to be below 130. 
• Triglycerides (fat) was 109, which is good. It needs to be under 150. 

If my "bad" cholesterol builds up in my arteries over time, I have a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life. That is no good. I need to keep my "bad" cholesterol down and my "good" cholesterol up. How do I do that? 

After going over my diet, we figured out that it is mostly genetic. I eat very healthy since I have Crohn’s disease- no fatty food, chicken, fish, no red meat, no beef, no pork and I even take an Omega 3 (fish oil) supplement.

So, how do you lower your cholesterol when it is out of your control? I can’t help my genetics!

Well, my doctor wants me to start taking four Omega 3 supplements each day instead of one! I didn't know I wasn't taking enough. That’s a lot of fishiness going into my body. Omega 3 is good for your heart. Also, I found out that Omega 3 is an anti inflammatory and may help fight my Crohn's inflammation. 

Thankfully, you can get Omega 3 for fairly cheap. I bought this bottle for about 10 dollars at Walgreens, and it comes with 100 soft gels. That will only last me about a month. Ha. 

She also prescribed Welchol to take once a day. Welchol is a powder substance that you mix into your drink once a day. It is an FDA approved medicine that lowers “bad cholesterol” in adults with high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes as long as you are dieting and exercising.

Here is Welchol’s web site: www.welchol.com

The only concern I have with Welchol is not good for people who get intestinal blockages easily. (Constipation)  With Crohn’s, I usually have way too much Diarrhea (especially during a flare), but I seem to get stopped up easily as well. It is always one or the other.

Tomorrow, I see my GI specialist for a check up, so I will check with her first and see what she says about this powdery substance.

Another thing I need to do more of to lower my “bad cholesterol” is exercise!

To be honest, I have never been a fan of working out. If I do work out, I like to take walks and look at scenery.

Since I have been in a flare, I have been way too tired to work out. It takes everything out of me just to make it through a day at work.

But I do need to get in the habit of at least walking a few times a week or doing my Wii Fit that my sweet husband bought me last year. When I have been feeling better, I like to walk for 30 minutes during my lunch hour at my company’s gym. (yes, we have a fitness center at work. We are spoiled.) It is a nice break during the day.

I need some fun ideas for working out. Way to take my mind off the fact that I am exercising. Feel free to tell me what you do to exercise! Here are some I thought of:

• ·         Walking my dog
• ·         Yoga moves with watching a movie
• ·         Stretching while watching TV or listening to music
• ·         Always take stairs over elevator
• ·         Wii Fit
• ·         Take a walk around a neighborhood I wish I lived in
• ·         Dance!