Well, what do you know, all those advertisements about eating your oatmeal and lower your cholesterol are right!
I didn’t consciously sit down to eat oatmeal intending to lower my cholesterol. I don’t do things just because someone says “eat it, it’s good for you.” Oatmeal made my menu about once or twice a year on a funky day when I needed it as a comfort food. The rest of the time I preferred to sink my teeth into something I can chew.
Nonetheless, right after the Christmas holidays with all the rich holiday foods, I went on an oatmeal kick.
And not just any oatmeal – oatmeal with an attitude. Every morning I pulled out a serving dish, tossed in a handful of steel cut oats, chopped walnuts or almonds, raisins, brown sugar, a tablespoon or two of flax seed meal (which had I sporadically eaten since my sister suggested it last spring), a dash of salt, a couple shakes of cinnamon and a bit of water or milk.
I have no patience with gloppy pans and boiled over slime on my stove, so I clunked it into the microwave for a minute or so, let it cool, then doused it with milk and poured myself another big glass of milk to wash it all down.
The stuff still lacked eye appeal, but all those chewy nuts and raisins made it palatable. I even made up packets of pre-measured oatmeal mix to take when we traveled. I ate so healthy for a couple months, that I couldn’t stand myself.
Then one morning my stomach absolutely refused to digest one more meal of boiled oatmeal … not even with raisins and nuts.
No more of that stuff – ever!
My resolve was quite firm, until I heard about a free cholesterol check. I’ve helped my insurance company pay for a few cholesterol checks the last few years. I’ll take a free one when I can.
My first cholesterol check came free when I joined a ‘get healthy with a group’ program four years ago. I registered 240 that time and the doctor mentioned changing my diet or taking a pill.
Me!? Remember to take a pill every day? That ranks right up there with gooey oatmeal in my book.
But with a cholesterol count of 240, I dutifully studied the diet sheet that mandated a HUGE change in eating habits. I don’t do drastic changes so, of course, my cholesterol level did not change.
I may not obey doctors, but I really try to obey God and about that time He began impressing me to pray for specific friends, family, church and community concerns instead of eating specific foods. He didn’t do it all at once, but one person, one concern at a time, He impressed me to give up this food, and pray for that person.
I faded out of the exercise with a group program. Eventually I found an elliptical exerciser at a yard sale and actually began using it for 15-30 minutes every couple days or so – when I thought about it – and could find a good novel to read as I exercised.
Last spring, the News-Times challenged their desk jockeys to lose weight. I exercised a bit more, remembered the flax seed once in a while and added a few more veggies to my meals – and I lost some weight.
Last fall, my insurance paid for a cholesterol count that registered 208 points. I wore my 32-point-drop like a gold star. Four months later, after a post-holiday oatmeal until I could not stand another bowl of healthy eating, I found another free cholesterol check. A pin prick and the technician pronounced me normal. My count was 194.
I’m not complaining about the validating truth in the advertisements. I do feel better – but that oatmeal – that’s another story, altogether.


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