Had a meeting with my doctor today because my blood results were in. The aim was to confirm a diagnosis of hypoglycemia (which was confirmed). He had my overall health and nutrition tested in case there were other things that needed to be addressed. Today I learned that...
-My Vitamin D levels are low. Surprising, since I live in Hawaii of all places and spend hours and hours outdoors every day. Apparently sunscreen also blocks Vitamin D, and I wear sunscreen every day. Easy to fix.
-My overall mineral and vitamin nutrition (besides blood sugar and Vitamin D) is really good.
-My immune system is very healthy.
-My LDL (bad) cholesterol levels are "shockingly" high.
Let that last one be a newsflash to skinny people like me. I eat well, I am a long distance runner, I work out every day, but my cholesterol level is still not desirable. Partially genetics, partially my love of fine meats, shellfish and French cheeses. (What can I say? It's hard to say no to a good hunk of brie).
If in doubt, and even if you're not, maybe it's a good idea to have your blood cholesterol tested. Being young, fit, skinny, and health-conscious may all seem like they're going for ya, but cholesterol is a sneaky little devil.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a list of "beneficial foods" and "foods to avoid" the doctor gave me and I'm going to have to go to battle with the contents of my fridge.
2 comments:
I also have high cholesterol, though am not "skinny." The interesting thing is that skinny does not automatically eat healthy. A person with a high BMI (25-30) who eats well and exercises well daily is healthier than a skinnier person who does less. And this cholesterol thing is a total shocker! I don't eat meat (and before I stopped it was a rare occasion for me), I eat low fat dairy and exercise 6+ hrs a week. Crazy! I definitely think people should check in on such baseline levels. Much better to find out now and adjust your habits slightly or keep an eye things, than to find out at 45 that you're in really, really bad shape.
Well, I'm definitely not "in really bad shape." I run, row, lift weights and go to spinning/group classes at the local gym...every day. On top of that, my job is very active. My eating habits are not horrible either (except that I do cook with cream and cheese a few times a week), so it was really shocking, yes. My fitness/activity level isn't the cause (many marathon runners, like my dad, have high cholesterol too), and I don't eat fast foods, or processed foods, I also don't eat much meat. However, I will be on about a 90% vegetarian diet for the rest of my life that includes very, very little dairy. :-( Bad genetics require extremes, especially if I want to avoid the medication route.
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