I think I’d better update you on the porridge and my cholesterol test.

To make sense of this post you need to read this one first.

Well, the good news is that my blood test results are back and the cholesterol level has gone down to 6.5 so, thankfully, no need to start taking statins. The GP said continue eating a healthy diet and you should be ok.

I’m still having a bowl of porridge for breakfast every day and I’m sure that helps. I’ve looked for more evidence about the beneficial effects of eating porridge and found this report on the NHS website  . This report is a bit more scientific than the reports I quoted the other day. And this article is interesting too although it’s loaded with advertising.

We ran out of Yockenthwaite oats and bought some more from the health food supplier, Suma. These oats are very good too but the fibre content is considerably less. 10% in Yockenthwaite compared with 6% in Suma.

I’ve started adding a tiny drizzle of Manuka honey to my bowl of porridge. I bet the three bears never had that! It’s very expensive  and is produced in Australia and New Zealand from the nectar of the mānuka tree. The honey is commonly sold as an alternative medicine. While a component found in mānuka honey has antibacterial properties there is no conclusive evidence of medicinal or dietary value other than as a sweetener but a friend of ours swears by it.

The other honey I add to my porridge, as an alternative to Manuka, is from a jar produced by Ryedale Honey. It has a much thicker texture and a creamy, cloudy appearance and costs about half the price of Manuka. The temptation with honey is to eat too much as it’s so delicious. As I said, just a tiny drizzle in the porridge: less than a quarter of a teaspoon. Except when one of us is getting a cold. Then, a teaspoon of honey dissolved in boiling water with a squeeze of lemon always seems to do some good! Or is that just an old tale used as an excuse to have a sweet drink when you’re feeling one degree under the weather?

Generally I avoid sugar and sweeteners. I don’t eat cake, chocolate or biscuits except as a rare treat. So my drizzle of honey is a lovely sugar burst at the start of the day. I stopped eating sugars, except as it occurs naturally in fruit, when I started trying to lose weight. Three years ago I was three stone overweight and I commenced a weight reduction programme and shifted all of the excess. I’ve managed to keep the weight off and currently my BMI is right in the middle of the chart. But, I don’t want to be smug. The temptation to eat too much is always there and I have a regular weigh-in to ensure that I’m keeping in the right zone.

Right, that’s all for today! I’m delighted with my blood test result and that the GP was so supportive. And thanks for being sufficiently interested to read this blogpost. If you’re a fan of porridge for breakfast, hope you’re enjoying yours as much as I am!