getting healthier

my company organizes free basic health checks for us every year.
in the past, the health checks were conducted by NKF, and they simply consists of height & weight measurements, blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol. the last 2 items were done based on a tiny prick on the finger, thus the results are not very accurate.

last year, we stopped the NKF checks and switched to dayspring wellness instead.
the free check now consists of the same tests, but blood glucose and cholesterol were tested by drawing 2 tubes of blood.
at the same time, if we wish to upgrade to executive health screening, it can be done on the spot (just one more tube of blood), and the prices are discounted.

hmm, i won’t call myself a health freak but i am responsible when it comes to my health. so i bought the executive package last year. and i was pleasantly surprised with the services because the final report was excellent, really reader-friendly. when i did health screening at GPs, the reports are merely lab reports with lots of medical names and numbers and acceptable ranges. you decipher the results yourself. the GP tells you: everything is fine. and that’s it.

dayspring’s report is different. they still attach the technical lab results. but they also provide a fairly detailed explanation on what each result means. so despite the nurses (i doubt they are called nurses… well, the ladies who drew my blood) giving me a really huge bruise (they claim they can’t locate a good vein to draw blood with), i was pleased with the service.

this year, i didn’t pay for the executive package. i merely took the basic test. no bruise this time, in fact, the drawing of blood was absolutely painless (so how can the previous one claim that she can’t locate my vein?!).

and we got the results today.

and i am amazed!

i’ve always had pretty good cholesterol. my HDL (the good cholesterol which is good for the heart) has always been in the high range (high HDL is good) and my LDL (the bad cholesterol) is OK. which is surprising for me because i love fried food, i love fatty pork, i love pork intestines, i love crab… etc etc.

this year, my results surprised me.

my LDL dropped significantly! it was in the desirable range last year, but has now improved to optimal range! woohoo!
and my triglycerides was already low (which is good) last year but it has almost halved this year!

triglycerides is a type of fat residing in our blood. high levels can lead to heart disease. if we consume more calories than the body requires, the body will convert the unused calories into triglycerides, and are stored as fat cells. if one regularly consumes more calories than required, one will have high levels of triglycerides. Source

so, does it sound like i have not been consuming enough calories?

but this says otherwise:

in the past year, i have put on close to 3kg!
that is a real feat for me. 2008 is the year where my weight exceeds 40kg for the first time in my life.
and i am still seriously underweight! (BMI less than 18.5 = underweight)
in order to be in the healthy BMI range, i need to put on another 5kg!
i think dearest will faint if i grow to 45kg. *too much cellulite* hahaha.

so, i am not consuming too much calories, but i am putting on weight. hmm… sounds contradicting isn’t it?

must be the exercise! and also cutting down of junk food (less potato chips and fast food)

see? i am walking evidence that exercising DOES makes one healthier.
so what are you waiting for? start jogging, playing badminton and swimming like me!
hahahahaha…