On a warm afternoon, Mr. Li walked into the doctor’s clinic with a hint of unease. He had recently been diagnosed with hyperlipidemia during a health check, and he had heard from friends that people with hyperlipidemia cannot eat cilantro, which confused him greatly because he was very fond of it. Faced with this predicament, he decided to seek help from a professional doctor, hoping to get a clear answer.
The doctor listened patiently to Mr. Li’s concerns and said with a smile: “It is true that you need to be careful with your diet when you have hyperlipidemia, but it’s not that you can’t eat all vegetables. As for cilantro, it is okay to consume it in moderation, but there are indeed some vegetables that need to be consumed cautiously by patients with hyperlipidemia.” Hearing this, Mr. Li was immediately reinvigorated and listened intently to the doctor’s explanation.
The doctor explained in detail the dietary principles for patients with hyperlipidemia, emphasizing that in addition to cilantro, there were five other vegetables that should be eaten in smaller quantities. These vegetables either contain high levels of starch or fats, which could have a detrimental effect on blood lipid levels. The five kinds of vegetables the doctor warned about include: potatoes, taro, lotus root, pumpkin, and Chinese yam. These vegetables have relatively high starch content which can transform into sugar and potentially into fat in the body, making it unfavorable for controlling blood lipids.
The doctor further explained, “Hyperlipidemia means the fat content in the blood is too high, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.” Diet is key to controlling blood lipid levels. Although vegetables are rich in nutrients, not all are suitable for consumption in large amounts by patients with hyperlipidemia. Specifically, vegetables with high starch content like potatoes, taro, lotus root, pumpkin, and Chinese yam can quickly convert to glucose in the body. If consumed excessively and without sufficient exercise, this glucose can turn into fat, thereby exacerbating hyperlipidemia.
A few months later, Mr. Li walked into the doctor’s clinic again, this time with a smile on his face. Through reasonable dietary control and moderate exercise, his blood lipid levels had significantly decreased. He exclaimed with feeling: “It turns out health is right by our side, as long as we put our hearts into discovering and maintaining it.”
Health is the cornerstone of life, and diet is its guardian. Hyperlipidemia is not to be feared, what’s fearful is our ignorance and neglect towards it. Let’s start now, mindfully choose our food, protect our body with love, and let health accompany us on our journey. In the little things of life, we all can become guardians of our own health, letting health and happiness go hand in hand for a beautiful future.
