Do you know what your cholesterol level is?

He bought it at WalMart's pharmacy. I was surprised to realize that modern science had come that far to where we can check our own cholesterol but, since they already have things to check your (a female's) fertility level when trying to conceive a baby, I shouldn't be surprised at the cholesterol meter. Since it showed mine to be where it was the last time I had it checked, not to mention where it's been for approximately the last 10 years, I'd have to say it's pretty accurate. They have different tests that you can buy for this meter. Each test is sold separately. You can check your total cholesterol, your HDL, triglycerides, stuff like that. I opted to just have my total cholesterol checked because I doubt that my HDL would be very good right now since I've been taking it very easy for the past few weeks because of these never-ending palpitations and haven't gotten much physical exercise so it really wouldn't be a fair test right now, at least not until after I've been at my normal exercise level again for a few weeks. I believe my husband did both, his total cholesterol and his HDL but he didn't tell me what his HDL level was, probably because I was reading the pamphlet that came with it and told him where his HDL level SHOULD be. I have the feeling his was much lower than it should be. Oh, by the way, chocolate doesn't count when being extremely health-conscious. Nope, chocolate is as necessary as oxygen, food and water! Chocolate gets our endorphins jumping around for joy so at least we'll die happy, right?

There are a lot of good fats he could eat to help with the cholesterol problem. Of course the fried foods hurt him, but fish like salmon, and using olive oil to cook things in is helpful towards getting good cholesterol. But it's not like salmon is so afforadable. I try to eat less red meat to keep my cholesterol okay. My family has a history of high cholesterol.

I use olive oil whenever I fry anything. I do my best to get good foods into my husband but he doesn't always eat what I fix. He has always had very strange eating habits, probably because of the way his brain works. When he's working on a project, he's 100% absorbed by it. He won't eat any fish except for McDonald's fish sandwiches because he has a phobia about choking on a fish bone and is convinced he'll never get a bone in a McDonald's fish sandwich. He's such a weird man!

I try to learn from the examples of other people (good and bad)... both of my parents are 86 years old and were never overweight and never overindulged in terribly unhealthy food or drink. My mother did smoke for 50 years (and now has to be on oxygen all the time). So I try to learn from them and others. But part of it *is* luck... my brother in law eats pretty well and exercises a lot, but he's always had problems with high cholesterol (runs in the family) and recently was found to be prediabetic. Luckily, he's taking these problems seriously and is trying to do the right things to stay healthy.

Lucky you! Well, it's not just luck, is it? Eating right has a huge impact on our health and our lives. My cholesterol was always around 150-160 until I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. That caused me to slow way down from the constant pain. I've tried to compensate by eating even healthier than I did, but I guess nothing really compensates for physical exercise. You are definitely a rare breed... a male who eats healthy! Either that or I've traveled in the wrong circles all my life. I've always eaten healthy and have tried very hard to get my husband to eat better but he always sneaks in sausage, beef and all kinds of fatty snacks whenever he can. Keep eating healthy and congratulations on an awesome cholesterol level!

yeah, get lots of insurance - you will be so better off without him!

You're welcome.

That is absolutely awesome, Chevee! Wow! Whatever you're doing, keep doing it! I know you've been walking and that is something that any doctor worth his salt would tell anyone to do in order to lower their cholesterol, but your total cholesterol level is well below what they like to see, below 200. Congratulations!!! I wish I could walk like you do, but any time I try to walk around more, my back begins SCREAMING at me. That's my biggest problem. I had tried it years ago and started suffering from falling arches in both feet. I've always had very high arches and have had to use arch supports even in shoes with good arch supports built in but, if I try to walk too much, it feels like I've got huge shards of glass in both heels. I can't win for losing! But, I still do what I can when I can. Maybe that's what has kept my cholesterol under 300. I wish I could have stayed on Lipitor, but it felt like a huge hand had reached in and was squeezing my liver really hard... it hurt so much! I had to stop taking it. I think the cholesterol monitor is quite new. I had never seen it before and, believe me, I spend a lot of time in the pharmacy! LOL I have no idea how my husband actually found it... maybe he was looking for something like it since he is a confirmed hypochondriac. He claims he buys these things for me but I know better. He buys them for himself. I think he was hoping to "win" when he tested his cholesterol, after mine read 260. He said he wasn't going to tell me what his was, until I said, "It's over 300, isn't it." Then he fessed up. He actually went shopping and bought all kinds of fruits, whole grain breads, all kinds of healthy stuff. The problem is, I know he won't eat them. Well, he might start, but he'll be back to his old eating habits in no time. He can't pass by a cheese steak sub! He loves pizza, all kinds of fatty foods. I've bought a lot of fruit since I married him and, if I don't eat them, they go bad. Well, except for oranges. He likes oranges, but that's about it. I guess I'll be the one eating all the fruits that I'm growing here. Not all bad, it means more for me! I could live on fruit and vegetables. There are none that I don't like, although there are some I could live without, like asparagus. Even so, I've planted asparagus here in honor of my mother who loved asparagus. I should get a nice crop of it next year. Oh, right... I can't stand coconut, but that's the only thing I actually despise. I love meat, too, but could give it up if necessary. I can get my protein from peanut butter or eggs or fish. Hmmm, maybe I'll eat less meat for awhile and see what that does. Keep up the good work, Chevee! Actually, it's more like GREAT work! Whatever you're doing, it's working! I surely wish I lived close to you because I'd be more apt to push myself more if I had a walking partner and someone who would eat healthy with me instead of someone who will grab a bag of chips over an apple or something healthy like that.

As long as your weight is good for your height and you are a reasonably active person and eat relatively healthy, I don't see why you would have a reason to have your cholesterol checked or even a reason to worry about it at your age. However, you should watch what you eat now so you don't have a problem later. That stuff can creep up on you! When I was your age, I could eat anything I wanted and never gain an ounce. I had quite a sweet tooth, too! But, I was also quite an active person so I know that had something to do with my not having a major problem later in life. My husband is not fat but he eats horrible things full of fat. He adores sausage, bacon, cheese steak subs, pizza, stuff like that. He eats a lot of potato chips and other very salty foods. He's much less healthy than I am. And, since he's not fat at all, that proves that your cholesterol can be very high without being an overweight person. Take care of yourself now and, chances are, you'll be healthy way into old age.

When I was your age (geez, that makes me sound so old! LOL) my health was excellent. My blood work was always at a very healthy level. But, time has changed that. Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I've been increasingly less able to be as active as I used to be. I've always eaten fairly healthy and, lately, I eat extremely healthy. I know that my cholesterol is over 200 because I can't exercise as much as I should. My husband's problem is in what he eats. He's thin, but eats horrible, fatty, fried foods. I can control what he eats while he's here, to a point, but he always gets the worst things possible for lunch while he's at work and always orders unhealthy foods from restaurants when we go out. He won't listen to me. But, I'm happy for you! Keep up the good work. Whatever you're doing, it's obviously working.