Why is My Doctor So Set on Using Medications to Lower My Cholesterol?

Thursday, 05. 7. 2009  –  Category: Cardio Vascular Disease, Cholesterol, Cholesterol Basics, Cholesterol Medication, Diets for Cholesterol, Exercise, Heart Diseases, Heart Health, Naturally Lower Cholesterol, Nutrition, Weight Management

Addressing the Issue

I will not pretend I know the answer to this question, but I can give some of my opinions on the matter.

Doctors for years have been telling us to eat right and exercise.  For most of those years we have taken a very American stance and asked them kindly to mind their own buisness and give us a pill.  Over time, I think they may have become tired of saying this and have slowed down or even stopped.  It is also possible that they don’t believe people are really going to do the work needed to make a change.  It’s hard to blame them, though, when you look at the lifestyles a lot of Americans enjoy today.

Doctors and Diets

Doctors do not normally receive extensive training in nutrition and diet.  Sometimes just a one day course or a one semester class is all that is required to graduate medical schools.  Registered dietitians are underutilized and the possibilities of lowering cholesterol naturally through diet has become almost impossible without properly trained help.  By working with your doctor, it can be possible to make lifestyle changes rather than take medication.  However, it will require a lot of work and more than a little outside help. 

The Changes You Make

The benefit of knowing our cholesterol numbers is that we can have insight into our cardiovascular health.  Knowing that our numbers are high should motivate us to make dramatic changes in our diet and lifestyle.  We may become motivated for a short time, but in the long run we often become complacent.  It is difficult to break free from the dependence on fast food and highly processed food.  Not only does it take time to prepare food but the processes of learning how to prepare healthy foods at home seems insurmountable.  With all the misinformation today it can be difficult to tell a good food from a bad food.  Taking care of yourself is an ongoing process, and is also a learning process.  If you keep an open mind and have determination, the lifestyle changes are possible.  However, you have to be able to do some homeword and stick with it.

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