BACON IN MODERATION

My dad and I have an agreement.  I tell him what to do and he doesn’t listen.  He tells me he’s just paying me back for my bad behavior as a child,  the tables have turned, and it will only get worse.  One of the things I harp on him about is his cholesterol.  What is cholesterol?  Globs of fat.  Cholesterol is a fat-like substance made in the liver and is found in certain foods-such as from animals (dairy products, eggs, and meats).  With his nutritious diet of buttermilk, tubs of butter, whole milk, bacon, roast beast, pork rinds, cottage cheese, and bar-b-que potato chips (he likes the marshmallow sugar coated peeps as well) you can imagine these healthy food choices go a long way to reducing his cholesterol and overall risk for heart disease.

Just like our stubbornness, Dad and I both inherit a tendency toward high cholesterol in our family so it was only natural I had to nag him for two years to have his cholesterol checked (this blood test is called a lipid panel).  While I like to toss back the bacon once in awhile and pound down a Big Mac on occasion, it has never occurred to me to have my own lipid panel drawn.  Since he had his checked I decided I better be a good role model for him and have mine done. 

Brief explanation here.  You have two types of fat globs rolling around in your body.  High Density Lipids (HDL) which is the “good fat.”  HDL carries the “bad fat” which is Low Density Lipids (LDL) back to the liver, essentially cleaning out the pipes that carry your blood “to and fro” around in your body.  The US Department of Health and Human Services provides guidance on how much circulating buttermilk, lipids we should have in our veins:

National                                                 Dad’s Cholesterol                             Tova’s Cholesterol

Recommendations                              (on cholesterol pills)                   (not on cholesterol pills)

Total Cholesterol: (mg/dL)
Desirable:   less than 200	184
Borderline high:  200-239		211
High:  240 and above
HDL:  Needs to be above 40!!!	34	62
LDL: (mg/dL)
Optimal:  less than 100
Near Optimal:  100-129	116
Borderline High:  130-159		130
High:  160-189
Very High:  190 and above

So what does this mean?  Does my buttermilk drinkin’, bacon eatin' dad have better cholesterol than I do?  Nope!  An HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL is a major risk factor for heart disease.  And we also have to consider ratios (bad LDL versus good HDL).  I have more HDL carrying my bad fat globs to back to my liver than my dad does.  He might have less LDL fat globs than I do, but I almost double him on good cholesterol.  Plus…he has to be on medicine to keep his cholesterol where it is at!!!  I just have to increase my mileage running and keep eating rabbit food!  (FYI:  My dad consented to me making an example of him and supports the contents of this e-mail.  He also may have demanded a tub of cottage cheese and a bag of chips but I pretended to not hear him.)

What can you do to keep your total cholesterol under 200?

·      Get your cholesterol checked by your healthcare provider at least once every five years.  Start at age 20.

·       Eat less than 300mg of dietary cholesterol a day.  Low in saturated and trans fat.

·       Exercise regularly.  What does this mean?  Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least four times a week.

·       Quit smoking!  Check out http://tobaccofree.mt.gov/quitlinefactsheet.shtml

These strategies won’t just help with lowering your cholesterol.  They will decrease your risk for heart disease and other preventable illnesses.

This picture is my Dad and Gramma and me...all smiling because we like bacon.  And we all have high cholesterol:

Bacon and buttermilk in moderation...