Law Students

Healthy on the Inside

By Anonymous

I was going to write up a little report card for the mid-year resolutions I wrote so optimistically only three months ago:

1. Work out twice a week. F
2. Buy more fresh fruits and vegetables and eat them. B
3. Make more simple, healthy meals B-
4. Limit diet cokes to one a day A+
5. Go to bed before 11:30 if I'm working and 11 if I'm not.C-

So I have a 2.4 health resolution GPA. Could be better, could be worse. The working out thing is really bringing me down. I'd like to say I just can't find the time, but that's not true- it's that I won't. If I really tried I'm sure I could find two free hours a week to be at the gym, but between work, Landon, JP, and my need to spend at least some time sitting unproductively on the couch, I can't seem to make it a priority. Right now I just try to be very active during the day doing all those mini exercise-light activities (taking the stairs, parking far away, sitting as little as possible) that I scoffed when I was a Hard Core Athlete. They help, I think, but I still have big dreams of long walks in the morning with the dogs when the weather dips down below 105. I miss all the walking I used to do in Chicago and didn't realize how much that subtle exercise helped keep me fit.

On Wednesday my office had a Health Fair and I received a confidential "biometric screening" complete with blood cholesterol work up, blood pressure reading, and height and weight check. And I got a 4.0! (my own interpretation of the little chart they filled out for me) My BMI is 20.5 (though I know that is totally inadequate measure of health and fitness since the handy online calculator just informed me that my very lean, muscular husband is overweight). My total cholesterol is quite low, probably due to our eating vegetarian about 3 nights a week and my family's lack of high cholesterol issues (I think, I could be making that up). I've given myself homework on raising my HDL ("healthy cholesterol") levels- they're 48 and the ideal range is greater than 60. And rather than talk with a doctor or any other informed, science-related person, I turned to eHow.com for a cheat sheet.

According the article, the following things will help me raise my HDL levels:

1. Get moving. Regular exercise is an important component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and aerobic exercise has been shown to increase your HDLs if done for periods of 30 minutes or longer several times a week." Yeah... no; see above. I want to try harder though- if there's any superwoman or superman out there who does fit in exercise with work, family, etc., leave a comment and shame me into doing the same.

2. Avoid high-fat foods, especially those containing trans fats or hydrogenated oils. You'll typically find these oils used in fried foods, as well as many cookies, crackers and chips. French fries and cookies are the two big culinary loves of my life, but I've been working on it. This week I haven't had either one even once and I've found I miss them less each day.

3. Incorporate more monounsaturated oils into your diet. These include foods like olive oil, avocados and whole nut butters. More guacamole, peanut butter on ritz crackers, and bread dipped in olive oil? This almost makes up for the decrease in cookies and french fries.

4. Get more fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber helps to reduce your LDL cholesterol and raises your HDL level as well. You can find soluble fiber in foods like oatmeal, many fruits and vegetables, as well as in whole grains. Already done.

5. Stay away from processed, high-carbohydrate food. Because these foods contain more simple sugars, they may increase your blood sugar and decrease your HDL cholesterol in the process. Check- other than cookies I already did this one too.

6. Prepare to shed a few tears when you add onions to your new HDL-friendly diet. Studies suggest that your HDL may be increased a substantial amount by eating up to a half an onion each day. Really? I don't like onions except when they're grilled on top of my hamburger and I doubt that's an HDL-approved way of adding them to your diet. Plus I'm not sure JP would appreciate it.

7. Raise a glass and toast to your new healthier lifestyle when you consume an occasional glass of red wine. These libations contain antioxidants that have been shown to slow the oxidation of HDL cholesterol, helping it to stay in your system longer. Woo hoo- I have a glass of wine 3-4 nights a week. Maybe this means I shouldn't skip days...

So I'm not sure how much that helped me. I already do a lot of these things, which makes me think exercise would be even more effective if I added it to my routine. Until then, I'm looking forward to ordering extra guacamole at all my favorite Mexican restaurants.

And in other health news, Landon was sent home from daycare on Wednesday with a 102 fever, only two weeks after I remarked that he hadn't been sick once in the past year. I think it's just viral- he has no other symptoms of anything and has been in good spirits. JP and I have been contorting our schedules to be home with him and this has resulted in some very late work-from-home nights for me, which combined with Landon's fevered 3 a.m. awakenings, has made me very tired, a little crabby, and suffering from painful flashbacks of life with an infant. Shudder.

Full post as published by Lag Liv on August 14, 2009 (boomark / email).