Bacon, sausage, country ham, pork barbecue....

[NewWaveChick1981]

These are among the foods my husband must now give up. He went to the doctor last week for the first time in three years, and his cholesterol is through the roof. (I had to restrain myself from saying, "I told you so!" :P) He also has high blood pressure (although it's at the lower end of high) that was news to him. He really needs to lose weight, and the doctor read him the Riot Act. Additionally, he has developed arthritis in both knees because of the weight. He's 46 years old. He and I go to the same family doctor, whom we have both seen for many years, and I applaud the doctor for getting through to him when I could not. I have never nagged him or given him a hard time about his food, but when he would not cooperate with me on making food changes, I did it anyway. I'm in excellent health now because of that and exercise.

I've never been a huge pork fan like he is, but my problem is sugary foods. I began limiting my intake of unhealthy food several years ago, and it's done me a world of good. He did not, and his fast-food intake was unbelievable. He even got one of our dogs hooked on McDonald's hamburgers for lunch during the week, and weaning her off them has been worse than my sister quitting smoking years ago. :yoiks: That was solely his doing, and now HE must take responsibility for dealing with her.

I'm glad the doctor put the fear of Jeebus into him. He goes back in two months for a recheck, and if he has not gotten both the cholesterol and the high blood pressure under control, the doc will put him on meds. He says he's ready to lose weight now, and I hope he sticks to it. He'd better pay attention to this wake-up call. :)

He's been researching fast-food nutrition information, and it's shocked him to find out just exactly how much saturated fat and sodium is in his favorite foods. I'm never gonna tell him I told you so, but I told you so. :) I'm not perfect and never have been, but I paid attention to nutrition warnings that he must now heed.

This has been a public service announcement by NewWaveChick1981. :patriot:

[peekaloo]

1. why am I reminded of that scene from 'Pulp Fiction' with Travolta extolling

the virtues of eating pig? :silly:

Good luck to your husband. :-)

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. ROFL! I keep thinking about that too...

"Bacon tastes GOOD...Pork chops taste GOOD..." :rofl: :hi:


Thanks. :)

[Inchworm]

3. I took a few months off fast-food during winter

When I had my first dbbl cheeseburgers again it was such a shock to my body I didn't know whether to shit or go blind. I don't know if it was just a bad day. I still go to McDs for my tea, but I won't eat there again :D

According to what you are saying I guess that was a good thing. Hope the best for hubby.

:hi:

[NewWaveChick1981]

4. Last week, I ate a McDonald's hamburger for the first time in three months.

It wasn't all that great, and I wondered why I'd ever eaten them to begin with. I guess a lot of people (including Mr. NewWaveChick1981) get into the habit and can't seem to break it.

Yes, the wake-up call was a good thing. :) I just hope he's successful. :hi: Thanks.

[Guava Jelly]

5. And a valuable one it is

And you look wonderful nwc..(Well from the last time you blessed du with a picture that is) :)
I am glad the dr got through to him.
He will feel so much better when he sheds the wieght.
And other things will be better as well ;)

[NewWaveChick1981]

9. Awww....thanks, gopsux...

:hi: :hug: :loveya: I know things will be better... :)

[The_Wizard]

6. They make substitutes...

out of tofu now. If you fry them in lard and slather them with maples syrup and butter, he's never know.

[NewWaveChick1981]

10. LOL!

:rofl: :hi: I'll bet he won't... :P :)

[PeaceNikki]

7. If you're comfotable sharing...

What's "through the roof"?

I ask because I am facing the same thing as he is. My total was 258. My doc insisted I go on meds (Lipitor) immediately, but I begged for 6 months to change my life. He said we'd check in 3 months... I am working out 4-5 times a week, changed my diet, quitting smoking and using Vitamin C therapy. Here is a very interesting resource: http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2004/03/18/lipitor_side_effects_and_natural_remedy.htm.

"The continual recycling of cholesterol happens naturally when you have sufficient ascorbate, another name for vitamin C. Excess cholesterol is naturally converted to bile acid and then excreted. But if you don't consume enough vitamin C (about 2000-3000 milligrams per day for an adult), cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream. It is here that doctors make a critical error: instead of telling you to take more vitamin C, they prescribe Lipitor.
If Lipitor and other similar statin drugs are in fact indirectly causing neural and muscular degeneration, this is a very serious matter indeed."


Best of luck to him!

[NewWaveChick1981]

8. Three years ago, his total cholesterol was 184. Now it's 241.

Thanks, PeaceNikki! :hi: That's great info. I'll pass it along to him!

And congrats on your progress! :toast: :applause:

[PeaceNikki]

11. It's a real shocker because the RDA of Vitamin C is only 60 MG/day

Which they say is barely enough to prevent scurvy!!

Well, thanks - but I don't know yet what, if any, progress I've made - but all of the changes will only be beneficial, that's for sure. I'm only about 3 months into the regular exercise, 1 month into the Vitamin C therapy... and my smoking quit date is soon (I'm on a drug called Chantix).

Crossing fingers! I only 35 and I am terrified of being on meds like that long term as there is not a lot of long-term data. The muscle degeneration and liver function issues frighten me.

[Nikia]

12. It is good that your doctor told him to make changes

I know a couple of people who either weren't told to make changes to their diets or are in denial about it being told to them when they have similiar problems. Good luck to him in making those changes.

[NewWaveChick1981]

21. I know several people like that.

They just expect to pop a pill and have it all go away. Nope, it doesn't work like that. :( Denial is definitely their state of mind too.

Thanks!

[LeftyFingerPop]

13. If he hasn't done so already...

have him watch the DVD "Supersize Me". It should reinforce some of the good eating habits that he is trying to establish.

Best of luck.

[NewWaveChick1981]

22. I've seen it, but he hasn't.

Time to put the DVD in and let it go...:)

Thanks!

[SPKrazy]

14. Well good for your doctor!

He's gotta get in shape to keep up with you ;)

I hope this is a wake up call for him.

Good to see you :D

:hug:

:loveya:


I had a dream about you :blush:

:D

[NewWaveChick1981]

23. Thanks, SPK!

:hi: He needed a good ass-kicking, and the doctor was just the guy to do it. :P

Good to see you too, sweetie. :hug: :loveya:

So....tell me more about this dream.... :P

[SPKrazy]

35. Uhm, well, let's see...

it was good :D

you were there :D

:blush:

:loveya:

:hi:

[applegrove]

15. This is the reason why having some form of universal health care is so important.

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE will save on prescriptions and operations and even save a life. All cheaper than the alternative. Good on your doctor.

[NewWaveChick1981]

24. Exactly right.

:hi: Thanks! My doctor knows when to take off the kid gloves. I'm gonna thank him when I see him next.

[lildreamer316]

16. I just bought the George Foreman grill--

the top-of-the-line one with the interchangeable plates. It has made eating healthy SOOOOOOOOOOO much easier! Nice grilled chicken or sometimes very lean burgers; at the most 6 min.; usually three for the chicken and I am done! Love it! It made switching my diet much easier.

Hope your hubby stays motivated. Best of luck.

Oh! Forgot to add; I don't eat it much either, but for some reason I really LIKE the turkey bacon! My husband likes it ok also. Maybe if he gets a craving; that might be a good bridge? I dunno. Just a suggestion.

[Lars39]

18. I recently started cooking turkey bacon in the oven.

*Very good* :9 Are you cooking raw chicken breasts, and do you kinda pound them flat? I'm not sure how long to cook those. :hi:

[lildreamer316]

20. The booklet says 3 to 5 I believe--

most of the chicken breasts I get are pretty flat anyway; but the grill presses them pretty well.
Guess the cooking time depends on the oven/grill you are using also.

Do love that turkey bacon.

[Lars39]

34. Thanks for the info...

:hi:

[NewWaveChick1981]

25. Thanks, lildreamer!

:hi: :) That sounds great, and I'm glad it's working so well for you! :hug:

I'll have to suggest turkey bacon if he gets a craving! :) Thank you!

[Lars39]

17. Turkey bacon, turkey sausage, turkey ham, turkey pepperoni, turkey kielbasa,

bbq chicken instead. Some pork loin roasts are pretty lean, too.

[NewWaveChick1981]

26. Thanks, Lars!

:hi: :) I know he'll appreciate the suggestions!

[rockymountaindem]

19. Time to hit the gym!

Well, not literally... maybe he should just go there and work out :)

[NewWaveChick1981]

27. LOL...

:rofl: :hi: Thanks! He's been going to the gym here and there, but he needs to get on a regular schedule. :)

[rockymountaindem]

30. I just got back from an hour and a half at the gym

When I first started working out four years ago when I was 16, I hated every minute of it. I was motivated by the fact that I was 30 pounds overweight and that a doctor I had seen warned me about the consequences of heading into young adulthood in bad shape. So, fearing hte spectre of being overweight my whole adult life, I dropped all thirty pounds in five months and have been going to the gym about five days a week ever since. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd feel worse for having *not* gone to the gym, but if you reach the tipping point where working out is part of your routine it starts to feel pretty good.

Of course, the unlimited food and dessert at the college dining hall wasn't so good for my waistline, but now that I've graduated I think I'll be much better from here on out :) Good luck to you and your husband in the weight-loss challenge.

[northzax]

28. living without bacon?

what's the fucking point?

[NewWaveChick1981]

29. That's just what Mr. NWC said...

:hug:

[pagerbear]

31. No reason to ban any particular food completely.

In fact, in my experience that's been a set-up for failure.

[dropkickpa]

32. Pork

Is pretty damn lean these days (woe to my roasts!!), it's all the crap we put on/in it that makes it fatty. I always cook boneless porkchops rubbed with fresh garlic, lemon, and pepper in a little bit of olive oil, very yummy and not much fat (most of it comes from the olive oil in fact).

I wouldn't ban any food group outright (well, maybe fast food), just change how he approaches those foods. I've always been the type that, when I'm told I can't have/do something, I just want it all the more, so I sympathize with Mr. NWC. Good luck!

[MistressOverdone]

33. There are pretty darned good meatless

substitutes for a lot of that. Salty, though.

[My Good Babushka]

36. Turkey bacon

I made turkey bacon one time. It was a sad betrayal of all things bacony.

[Matsubara]

37. Lean pork *IN MODERATION* will not aggravate cholesterol

Bacon and sausage are high fat and full of nitrates and just awful, but an occasional rib should be all right.

It should also be noted that eating foods with cholesterol in them does is not what gives you high blood cholesterol.

It's a sedentary lifestyle, and too much fat and calories overall. Your body produces the cholesterol in blood, and even if you NEVER eat ANY food with cholesterol in it, if you are sedentary, and overweight, your cholesterol will continue to be elevated.

Ways to lower cholesterol:

Watch fat and calories more than cholesterol (a boiled egg is better than a donut cooked in vegetable oil!)

Exercise

If this doesn't work, try one of the anti-cholesterol supplements Niacin, policosanol, red yeast rice.

If it still doesn't work, get a prescription for one of the statin drugs as a last resort.



Sorry to be contrary, but I do think it's important to dispel the misconception that eating foods with cholesterol = high blood cholesterol.