Had some bad news a few days ago. You’d think with my focus on being healthy that I would actually be, well, healthy. Right? Apparently not. Went to the doctor because I suspected I had hypoglycemia. I’ve been having problems with it for longer than I’d like to admit, and I’m just now going to the doctor. I was right. I do have it.
But that wasn’t the worst part. He said he also thinks I might also have high blood pressure. Are you serious? I’m only 40! Yes, my dad, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, and probably every other relative older than me has it, but I somehow figured I’d be immune to this malady. Not so.
So here’s what he wants me to do for both conditions.
- No Smoking — No problem! Don’t do it anyway.
- Exercise More — Cool, don’t mind that one. Bring on the Jazzercise!
- No Alcohol — Ouch! That one hurts a little more. I don’t drink a whole lot, but I am by no stretch of the imagination a teetotaler.
- Lose Weight — Well, I needed to do that anyway. I’ve maintained what I lost when I turned 40, give or take a few pounds. But my “ideal weight,” according to him, is about 16 lbs less than what I am now. Ugh, here we go again.
- No Sugar — He said I should cut out pretty much all sugar and refined white starches (bread, rice, etc.) No fun.
- Lean Meats — No cheeseburgers or steaks. Again, no fun.
But, considering the alternative, I guess I’ll just consider this new motivation. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the US, and I don’t want to be one of them!