Staying Healthy

I see my family doctor twice a year and from what I recall it was only once a year so maybe it's twice now because of my age.

My doctor spent a lot of time discussing all the health issues that I was currently experiencing, even though for many of those health issues I was seeing a specialist, like an Oncologist, a Cardiologist, a Urologist, a Dermatologist, and a Orthopedic Surgeon.

However, it made me feel fairly comfortable that she had taken this kind of interest with her patients as I know her behavior was not just for me.

In our conversations, we discussed recent blood work I had a week before and all the medications that I was taking.  It is this blood work that is the focus of this posting.

My cholesterol level (both bad and good) was a total of 70...  the last time I had blood work, my cholesterol level was 84...  so, there is very little difference of levels during those six months.

My low cholesterol level is by design.  When I was 40 years of age, I stopped smoking, I stopped eating red meat, fried foods, and sugars (sweets).  My focus was on chicken, turkey, fish (cod, salmon, flounder, orange Ruffy), vegetables, and beans.  Along with my diet, I add in pita bread, English muffins, rice, and noodles.

Now, that is not to say that I am completely off red meat.  About three or four times a year, I will eat a hamburger or an all-meat hotdog or a fully loaded pizza...  and the fact that I do this SELDOM is the key to my success.  By eating read me a few times a year, it keeps me from eating red meat all the time.

I will put strawberry preserves on English Muffins once in a while as well and eat a cake doughnut from Dunkin Donuts.

However, I am pretty strick with the alcohol and seldom ever break that rule.  The older I get the less that I find the need to drink alcohol.

THE POINT HERE IS THAT IF I CAN DO THIS SO CAN YOU...