Is anyone an OK weight but under orders to become more healthy for other reasons (cholesterol, blood pressure etc. etc.)?

[foxinsocks]

because I have 3 months to turn myself around grrrr

I am a totally fine weight but I come from a family with a high risk of heart problems and cholesterol issues.

My cholesterol has always been in the upper range but always been seen as acceptable given that I'm bound to have some sort of inherited risk. My one saving grace is that I have low bp.

Of course, last week, I had an appointment at the gynae, was running late, had to grab a taxi but it was raining...when I finally got one, the traffic was so bad I had to get out 100m away and run (in heels) to make the appointment. They took my bp when I got there and it was on the high side.

This has now triggered this whole palava and I have 3 months to get it down. Now I KNOW I don't have high bp but it probably is a timely reminder to do something about my health but I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and how they've gone about it.

I'm well aware I'm woefully unfit which is probably half the problem ggrrrr.

Hello. My stepdad lowered his cholesterol by adding beans or lentils to his diet every day and taking exercise. I also got myself back on the right track by not eating any shit, going for a walk (fast and up hill) every day for at least half an hour and eating more fruit and veg and muesli,etc. I'm well off it again now, but it really does work.

thanks sauer

I think that's exactly the sort of thing I need to do.

also, dh is allergic to chicken and I'm not a great fan of fish and I think a contributing factor is that we have been eating far far far too much red meat at home.

I was wondering whether I should start trying to include some lentil meals. The exercise is key isn't it.

I love walking but it's been such a miserable winter and because I work, I just haven't been fitting exercise in.

I'm glad it worked for your stepdad. That's encouraging!

I actually don't know what to do with lentils

reminds me of home ec classes in the 70s/80s with my right on veggie teacher

Up the no shit, beans and exercise plan! It takes a massive mental self-inflicted kick up the arse, especially in winter. (And as regards beans, for me). I regret letting it all go, I feel like shit, and I really did feel much better when I was doing it. The key is to start slowly, with a 10 minute walk followed by a pat on the back, 15 the next day, until one day you find yourself enjoying it. Have you got somewhere nice to walk?

lean pork n bean cassarole?

A lentil stew is nice, and you can buy less red meat and put a handful of lentils in a casserole with it too. I have a good recipe for baked beans too if you like, and a chilli is good with kidney beans.

Also chorizo, bean and tomato stew is nice.

oh yes, I am very spoilt for walks. We are near the thames and some lovely london parks. It's the time unfortunately. Ideally I need to go without the children (otherwise I'm walking at 0.00001 mph) and at the moment, I have them all weekend as dh is working .

Yes, I'd certainly need a virtual windy kick up the backside to include beans and lentils. In fact, I'd probably need hand holding from buying them to cooking them let alone eating them .

If you fancy doing it again Sauer, let me know and we can virtually kick each other .

Pork and bean casserole sounds lovely colditz. What sort of beans should i use do you think?

yes, if you wouldn't mind posting the recipes Sauer. I am very bean clueless I am realising (other than flageolet beans which I love with err lamb ).

Good idea! Shit-free diet starting tomorrow!

Lentil Stew

1 onion
2 carrots (more if you like)
100g bacon bits (optional)
300g small green lentils (Puy)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
sprig of rosemary or thyme
tin of tomatoes
1/4 pint veg stock
1 tbsp tomato puree

fry onion and bacon in a big pan until onion is soft, add lentils and fry for a minute. Dice carrots. Add everything else and simmer until lentils and carrots are soft.

Serve with bread.

oh that sounds perfect because it's easy too. Does it come out like a thick soup? I don't think bacon is too bad for cholesterol and blood pressure is it ? Or maybe I should just go the whole hog and abandon all salt laden (i.e. bacon, sob) and red meat foods for a few months just to see what happens? (you may have to scrape me off the pavement).

Actually my biggest vice is crisps. I love crisps. And err biscuits with my tea at work. Oh dear.

Have you got some nice walks near you?

Baked Beans

250 dried beans- haricot, cannellini, borlotti are best.
2 onions, chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tbsp molasses or treacle
4 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcester sauce

Soak beans overnight in large bowl of cold water

Drain, rinse and put in pan. Cover in plenty of cold water, bring to boil, boil hard for 10 mins then simmer for 1-2 hours until tender and drain. (Or buy 2 tins of said beans and cut out that crapola)

Put beans in large clean pan,add remaining ingredients and enough boiling water to cover. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Or in a casserole dish, 1 hour in oven, 180 degrees.

Well, I must say, to me it tastes better with the bacon but the dcs love it without. I think a little bit would be ok, just for the taste. Of course, dh loves a good meaty sausage with it (fnarr), which kind of defeats the purpose. We are lucky in that where we live you don't really get crisps worth having, but I am living on biscuits and chocolate, almost exclusively and that is Not Good. I have no excuse in that we can see the forest from our house and there are beautiful paths for walkers.

I wouldn't abandon red meat completely unles you've never been anaemic...

A humble packet of mince goes well with a handful of red lentils thrown in- you hardly taste the feckers. My favourite is mince stew with lentils and prunes, a cinnamon stick and a bit of tomato puree. You could throw a tin of chickpeas into that instead of the lentils.

My mum, when she was doing it for my step dad, made salads like tuna mayo and threw a tin of white beans in there too.

ah yes good point. I struggle with anaemia too (I am making myself sound like a walking doctor disaster zone but I am not so bad).

Are you in Germany? In which case I salute you for not being hideously overweight because if I had access to those biscuits and sausages, I suspect my bp and cholesterol would be a lot worse!

thanks for those recipes. Sound lovely. I think even throwing lentils in instead of half the meat might be a good idea (with stews).

If you want to lower your cholestrol - the best thing you can eat is a bowl of porridge in the mornings with a spoonful of oatbran or whreatbran ..

yes good stepmum throwing in beans idea. I think this is going to confuse dh but will be good for him too. As I do most of the cooking, we established very early on that he had to shut the fuck up not complain if I gave him something he wasn't keen on otherwise he could get off his arse and do it himself try and see if he could manage to cook something resembling food that was edible (err no)!

I feel strangely inspired Sauer. You are a good motivator I think!

Porridge- absolutely! Oatbran is supposed to work wonders too, in muesli.
Thanks- this has been bugging me for a while and now I feel motivated too. Especially as my guts suffer hugely from my current diet...

I am in Switzerland.
Funny, that- that's exactly the deal my mum and step dad have, which is why it worked!

1. You need the new Leon cookbook! Is full of beans and lentils. We have been bean, lentil and muesli mad of late. I will send you the best recipes. DC actually like them and they are tasty.

1. You need to get on 10/10

1. Get a dog. Failing that, walk more when you can.

1. Reeeeelaaaax. You are going to have to do yoga or meditation or something. Freaking fantastic. I want to hear all about it. But you are. It's stress too.

I'll second that, 100, 10/10 works wonders!

My mum also cooks without salt but I'm not 100 percent sure it's a good idea

yes stress . And 10/10 . I did, very nosily, read the thread today I'll have you know.

lol at your stepmum Sauer.

See, I would LOVE a dog. But I'd have to give up work. And then we really would be eating beans all the time. Hmm perhaps that's a plan .

Weirdly, I am freakingly good at meditation and all that relax yourself malarky. The only sadness is that everything else in my life seems to counter its effects!

Oh oats. Yes I know they are good. Just can't force myself to eat them. I think this is half the problem really. I can do oats for a few days, then I've had enough. Same with museli etc.