While at our doctor today for an unrelated ailment, he checked my cholesterol. To his surprise and my chagrin, despite a long-time vegetarian diet and an active lifestyle, it has climbed again, into the red zone. I’d like to think it is related to the stress of raising a teenager, but more realistically, it is simply the hand I was dealt as the son of the Almighty Cholesterol King, Joe Barron.
So our doctor decided to put me on the statin drug Simvastatin (trade name Zocor), and see how I respond. Side effects might include hairy knuckles, man boobs, wanting to watch daytime TV, and spitting on anyone wearing gabardine.
I’m sure it’s Mitchell’s fault your cholesterol is too high. You should ground him for this. Or you could make him run 100 yards from the end of the driveway to the house. As far as daytime tv goes, I highly recommend General Hospital.
Hi Richard! Do you mind if I ask you what eat on a regular basis? I hope the prescription works for you, but perhaps there is something in your diet still that could be eliminated that might help.
Good luck,
Heather
Heather, I thought of you while I was posting this entry. I’m pretty well-versed in vegan wellness, and despite my best efforts, it just hasn’t been enough. I will tell you that my some of my favorite foods are beans, stir-fried vegetables, vegan veggie burgers, and in the summer, vegetables and fruits that I grow here on the patch. I’m always open to suggestion, and I’m not married to the idea of staying on statins for the rest of my life. But it is increasingly clear that diet and exercise might not be enough for me.
Thanks for your thoughts about this.
I guess sometimes, you can’t beat genetics. Well, I hope you can find something that works better than prescription drugs. This will always be a last resort for me. Your diet sounds quite healthy. Have you read much about raw food? I know raw garlic is supposed to be a good cholesterol lowering food.
Garlic is an odd schism for us. Abby and I used to cook with it, and eat it raw, all the time. In recent years, certain medications she took have made it difficult for her to tolerate it. Fortunately, some of those meds, like methotrexate, are no longer in her pharmacopia, so I may be able to reintegrate garlic into our diets.
Yeah, it can be tricky when medication is involved. You could also try garlic supplements. I’m not sure if the garlic in those capsules is cooked or not, though.