Bad blood

You know you're getting old when you're comparing cholesterol levels with your parents and siblings.

The other day I got back the results of my annual medical examination, and to my dismay, there was an ominous "H" (for "high") typed beside "Total Cholesterol". I got 5.72 mmol/L, a good 0.52 above the normal range, the first time I've ever gotten a bad result on my blood chemistry. It alarmed me, but not so much as the fuss my mom made over it. She must have exclaimed "So high!" in Chinese at least a dozen times, cluck-clucking her tongue and then going on to gloat that HER blood chem results were all normal (conveniently forgetting she's been taking cholesterol medication and niacin supplements).

It seems a cruel joke that it's now when I've actually started seriously exercising (yoga twice a week, walking twice a week) that my cholesterol levels have gone up. So now I'm adding something to my new year's resolutions: reduce my intake of red meat (bye bye steaks, sniff). And I really do need to add more fiber to my diet. Bring on the salads (and the flush-free niacin capsules!).