DH initially bought 2 months worth of Atorvastatin for both of us. This initial batch would have both of us taking Atorvastatin for one month. Later on, she would buy another 1 months worth for me when we both finish the first month. At least that was the plan.
Elevated Cholesterol as a Metabolic Disorder
I suppose it was all the learning from reading and viewing videos that convinced me that statin drugs will not treat my elevated cholesterol problems permanently in the long run. The learning I'm referring to are the videos and reading materials put up by Dr. Jason Fung, a proponent of the value of intermittent fasting to treat metabolic syndrome.
Every time I pop an Atorvastatin pill into my mouth, I'm always wondering if this medicine will do more harm than good. After all, I was prescribed this medicine for one month in my previous consultation. And my cholesterol levels remained elevated. I seriously doubt that doubling the period of dosage would do the trick, what with all the side-effects I've been reading about.
So yes, I told DH that I'm quitting the Atorvastatin. I actually have 2 weeks worth of Atorvastatin to go, so I asked her to just return the unused medicines to the drugstore. She exchanged the unused pills for other medicines.
Funny, but DH wasn't all too surprised. I suppose she knows what my conviction level is and my commitment to this eating pattern called Intermittent Fasting.
Difficulties with Intermittent Fasting Pattern
I admit that the first couple of weeks hasn't been very easy. Somehow I always seem to get some headaches around 2pm or 3pm. But then, it usually goes away completely around 3:30 pm or so.
However, I do notice that it wouldn't be so bad especially if I have so much to do or if there are some tasks that I'm busy about - like writing this blog when I'm motivated.
It's a minor inconvenience, I know and I'm sure the feeling will go away over time when I'm accustomed to fasting. The best thing to remind myself is that fasting is very doable for me.
Stimuli That Trigger Hunger
There are some triggers or stimuli all around that sometimes make me salivate and want to eat - or that feeling of being "hungry". Photos or videos in Facebook and social media and even advertisements showing finger-licking food, cooking or recipes are the usual culprits.
The cooking of my next-door neighbor doesn't help either. They have a kitchen on the ground floor outside my bedroom window which is on the second floor. My neighbors are good cooks and are fond of cooking.
So oftentimes, especially during the late afternoons, there is this aroma of delicious dishes being cooked wafting in the air towards my bedroom.
The sound of the cooking is another stimuli, especially the deep frying kind which reminds me of fried chicken. Ugh.
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