Saturday 30 January 2010

The Grapefruit Diet

Sonata :


While not this ancient , I 'm no spring chicken . I was prescribed Statins a few weeks ago , a low dose , because , as the specialist explained , though my cholesterol levels have been borderline for a couple of years , the borders had recently been lowered . I'm diabetic , have been for decades and am over 55 . Ergo . Statins .
I wasn't very happy about it but it's true , I don't really want to keel over just yet so I started on 20 mg. a day . Reluctantly .... for the rest of my life ? And , when the pharmacist said that I couldn't drink grapefruit juice while taking it , I was sad . Never , ever again then ?

By the second week I was feeling peaky and by the beginning of week three I had agonising pain round one shoulder blade . No , not the statins apparently but a pulled muscle . But I've decided , with the doctor's consent , to stop the wretched pills anyway . I'll give a low cholesterol diet a whirl first . Hard for someone who loves cream and cheese ....but on the bright side , I can go back to squeezing my own pink grapefruit juice again .

And I have some amazing pain killers and an excercise to do . Breathe in and hold ....




though I can't help feeling that overdoing this might be , in itself , stroke inducing . So gently , perhaps .

I'm planning to combine it with the bottom wiggling warm-up one Smitonius taught me a while ago .



Should liven up waits at bus stops now that it's snowing ... again .

15 comments:

Rattling On said...

I'd be okay, I can't eat citrus fruits. Well, I shouldn't as they make me very ill. But sometimes a lemon or a lime will beckon (not au naturel you understand- on a pancake or marmalade or such). I have to pay later but just occasionally it's worth it.

molly said...

Oh, I would love to be standing at that bus stop! I'd even endure the snow......

Thomas Hogglestock said...

I don't like grapefruit so I don't mind that aspect of being on statins. I dropped my cholesterol level from 220 to 160, which is well below recommended.

On the other hand I read some article recently that suggested that the scientific links between cholesterol and heart issues are not as proven as the drug companies would like us to think.

You may want to clarify with your dr/pharmacist on the grapefruit ban. I was under the impression that you couldn't ingest grapefruit at the time that you took your pill--not a total ban on grapefruit. Might be worth asking for clarification as I may not know what I am talking about.

Von said...

What a wise decision! Good luck with the cholestrol reduction.In our house tried a diet of salads and fish which got the weight off amazingly too and is very healthy.A bit hard for Winter over your way although we did it in Winter here.
Like many things the medical profession recommend, pills are not always the answer.

silfert said...

I usually bring bottles of soap-bubble solution for waiting in line in the car. Dancing might be a fun alternative...

Anonymous said...

You'd be good at hula hooping then! I think the tendency to view statins as a universal reducer of heart attacks and strokes will be over-ruled before long as too risky because of the side effects for blanket, preventative prescription. Glad you used your wisdom. There's much you can do to keep healthy through restraint and wise choices rather than pill popping - and a little of what you fancy!

rachel said...

A friend and I have been scaring ourselves on the internet as she too is resisting the almost-casual assumption that statins are the great cure-all. So little is ever said about the patients who suffer terrible and incurable side effects, so it leaves people having to find information that is intelligible to the layman. The Toronto Protocol (oats, almonds, soy, etc) makes for interesting reading on the subject. Good luck with both the cholesterol and breath-holding!

mountainear said...

Love those little drawings - I do wish you were coming to a bus stop near me soon.

Not from personal experience, but I've heard that statins don't suit everybody.

Tania said...

I'm a wiser woman, thanks to you. Who would have thunk that bottom wiggling could lower cholesterol?Middle kid will also be impressed that all his 'begone hiccups!' breath holding has dual function.

PS. I'd pay top be at the same bus stop.

Tattieweasle said...

Statins mostr definitely don't suit everyone and anyway life without pink grapefruit!!! Shuddering at teh thought. Picked up a couple of Florida Pink ones today - so looking forward to breaksfast! There again why wait??!!!

Tattieweasle said...

Ladies - with many apolgies I have tagged you for a meme if you would like!

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

oh...i hear ya..turning 53 this year here....

i don't blame you ..i would try and figure a way around the pills too....

the kale in the soup sounds wonderful...those beans and kale would be healthy...i'm trying too...

the Dandelion jam was a gift from a friend who got it from a lady who sells on ETSY. Her name is Aunt Jenny...i think that is the name she sells under...and i never opened it..didn't have the heart too. loved looking at it sparkle in my kitchen window.....

kind of reminds me of spring....

stay warm, my friend

sending warm love,
kary
xxx

Anonymous said...

Pink grapefruit is hard to do without, good luck with the diet and try not to get arrested at bus stops!

Friko said...

fun!
I also refuse to take statins, they do damage to my stomach.

Liz Hinds said...

I thought you were the other way round! So Sonata is the mum?
Okay.

I should have my cholesterol checked. Well done you on giving the healthy diet a go first.