Lately I've been feeling that my body is aging rather quickly. I know I've always been an optimist, but as I progress in my 60th year and into my sixth decade, I've noticed my body is shifting, and I want to make peace with it.
My Cholesterol Is Rising
"My cholesterol has gone up more than 50 points since last year," I said to my BFF M. "It's at 297. It's my genetic makeup."
"Mine is really high too," said M. "Mine is hereditary too. I'm not worried about it." I wish I could make peace with it like M.
"I've tried two different statins," I told Dr. S at my annual physical. "Each time I have muscle problems."
"We usually try three different statins, and then if it doesn't work, we'll have to see what's next," said Dr. S as she wrote the prescription for a low dose of pravastatin. "Your HDL, the happy cholesterol, is really good at 86. Your LDL at 189 is high."
She recommended I try CoQ10 as a supplement to help with any side effects.
I so wanted the pravastatin to work. After three nights of pills, my muscles were weak.
"I know what I can do," I told myself. "I'll lower my LDL on my own." My heart was listening, yet my emoji was sending LOL signals.
I exercise each morning on my stationary bicycle, do yoga and try to get in my thousands of steps each day. I'll do more cardio. Maybe that's it. I'll work out more to lower my LDL. There goes my emoji again sending more LOL signals. Make peace with it, Judy, make peace.
I eat healthy. Yep, Cheerios for breakfast (so much for the tagline "helps with lowering cholesterol") and an orange for fiber, vitamin C and calcium. Yep, low-fat cheddar cheese and avocado slices for lunch with a low-fat yogurt parfait with blueberries, strawberries and bananas for dessert. Yep, salad, lots of fish and veggies with polenta or potatoes for dinner. Then there's the two squares of dark chocolate when my boyfriend L is around or the gluten-free grahams and dark chocolate Raisinets when I'm on my own.
Oh, I forgot about the nuts for snacking, nuts are nutritious and supposed to contain the good kind of fat.
Oops, I forgot about the two cups of veggie crunch sticks each afternoon. Maybe I need to cut those veggie crunch sticks out. Yep, they say they have veggies in them, but it's likely all sodium and no substance.
I know, I'll eat more high-fiber foods and other foods that are supposed to help lower LDL. Let's see, beans, oatmeal, walnuts and other nuts, olive oil, fish, strawberries, avocados and soy. I'll drink more green tea (decaf) and red wine , which I've read may be good for your heart health.
There goes my emoji again sending more LOL signals. Make peace with it, Judy, make peace.
My Middle-Aged Middle Is Bulging
"I cannot fit into my favorite DL jeans anymore," I said to my boyfriend L. "My middle-aged middle is rolling over the button." No matter how much exercise I do, it just keeps getting plumper with more rolls.
I recently posted a video on my Facebook fan page from The Today Showwith personal trainer Anna Victoria and celebrity trainer Will Weber demonstrating how to get fit abs for spring. "I know, I'll do Victoria's abs workout each day and Will's pulse-ups," I said to myself.
What? Lift a 5-pound dumb bell in each hand while doing squats? What's that? You want me to do 5 sets 10 times? That's 50? OMG!
And then you want me to do inclined pushups. What's that? You want me to do 4 sets 5 times? That's 20? OMG!
Will, you said I should do kneeling step-ups with 5-pound weights and pulse-ups on my back with just my abs. My body doesn't move that way anymore. My abs aren't strong enough.
There goes my emoji again sending more LOL signals. Make peace with it, Judy, make peace.
Oh, Oh, Those Sleepless Nights
Ever since the menopause monster took away my estrogen my sleepless nights have gotten longer. In the past few years, night sweats have decided to revisit me as well.
Have you seen the My Crazy Page owl video where the owl gets into bed and then finds she cannot fall asleep? I shared it on Facebook a while ago. Do you know that video has been shared more than 900,000 times? Guess I'm not the only postmenopausal woman in this world who cannot sleep.
There goes my emoji again sending more LOL signals. Make peace with it, Judy, make peace.
Losing Bone Density, My IBS and the Constant Pee
While I'm on a roll, I might as well add my osteopenia diagnosis. "I don't advise taking calcium supplements because they may cause more calcification in your arteries," said Dr. S.
To get more calcium in my diet I eat low-fat yogurt, orange juice with added calcium and greens like kale and spinach. Oh no, I eat hard cheese, too. Is that causing my LDL to go up?
There's also my IBS that I'm trying to tame. I follow the FODMAP tummy diet, eating gluten-free whenever possible and low-fructose fruits. I take probiotics daily and fiber or softener supplements as needed.
Wait, I have to take a break because I drink so much water that I have to go pee—all the time.
Thankfully, there's no leakage yet.
"Are you done yet, Judy?" I said to myself. There goes my emoji again sending more LOL signals. Make peace with it, Judy, make peace.
Giving Gratitude for My Aging Body and the Breath That Keeps Me Moving
I think it is time for me to take a break and go within. Stop judging my negatives and be happy with my aging body and all that I can do each day. It's time to go straight to the heart that keeps beating and honor, as I tell my yoga students, the breath that keeps us moving.
As Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutra: "Even so large as the universe outside is the universe within the lotus of the heart … All things that exist, all beings and all desires, are within. Make peace with it, Judy, make peace.
Best wishes for a joyous spring!
This post originally appeared on aboomerslifeafter50.com.
