James just had a blood test as part of the annual physical examination. This person exercised moderately and loved to eat but this was all about to change when the results came in.
The results showed that the LDL commonly known as bad cholesterol was much higher than the good cholesterol. The doctor said if some changes are not done, this individual will soon suffer from high blood pressure, a heart attack or a stroke.
Being a father of 2 children, this person had to take the situation very seriously to be able to continue providing the needs for the family.
Since James was working out twice a week, the doctor advised the individual to do it more often. This means working out four times a week and engaging in other activities to help lower the cholesterol.
There is no point in exercising more often if the intake of food does not change. The doctor told James to make some changes in the diet because nothing will happen if the food being burned is just resupplied into the body.
The doctor referred James to a dietitian. The two had a long talk about the food that was bad and this should be cut down. These should be replaced with those that are much healthier so the level of bad cholesterol can be lowered.
The plan on paper looked very simple. James will have to eat food that is low in fat and no longer that rich in carbohydrates. During breakfast, this person can eat the yellow portion of the egg but not the white one.
Instead of having coffee in the morning, this should be changed with unsweetened tea. There are times that James likes to eat cereals with the kids but the milk this individual will consume is not the regular one but is non-fat.
During lunchtime, something heaver can be eaten. Chicken can only be consumed without the skin. The portion of steak should be reduced and mixed with a lot of vegetables and side dishes.
It will take some time to adjust to the new regimen and people like James who are new to this will feel hungry in the late afternoon. Having some carrot sticks or an apple is much better than having a donut that has a lot of sugar.
Instead of having a cola with the snack, this has to be changed with either water or fruit juice and not the artificial one but made of real fruits.
The program continues on to dinner, which can be fish or pasta with some sidings. The person will be sleeping for the next 6 to 8 hours after the meal so there is no need to fill it up.
Drinking a glass of red wine is safe. This is better than drinking beer, which is something James had to give up.
James to follow the plan even when dining out in a party or eating in a restaurant. There is no day offs for someone who is at risk of heart disease or high blood pressure and this wasnt only for himself but also for the family.
The next checkup with the doctor showed significant results. The LDL was much lower than the HDL, which was good for someone at that age. The diet program chosen by James is just one of many out there in the market. It takes some time to find the right program to be able to lower the cholesterol and be healthy again.