Reducing Cholesterol

[TDM2023]

Hello! Are there any medical professionals on the forum who can advise as to an anticipated rate at which cholesterol can be reduced over each 3 month period by changing diet, exercise and lifestyle? I would rather try to reduce cholesterol naturally as opposed to using stations. Thank you!

[TDM2023]

Statins- ****🤬 autocorrect!

[Pita123 in reply to TDM2023]

Hello, I am not a medical professional but I am happy to share my personal experience. People might have different timelines and some might need statins no matter what since lifestyle changes are not a guarantee for them.

I started walking every day for an hour and completely changed my diet, eating habits and sleep habits. Happy to share specifics if you like.

You must be very disciplined and after a while you will get used to it.

After 10 weeks of lifestyle changes I did blood tests with no changes in my results whatsoever. I did lose some weight but it was not enough. The doctor ordered other tests to measure heart risks and after 2 weeks he called me to say that I needed to get on statins due to my overall risks. By then I was traveling internationally. The doctors where I was asked that I do blood tests again so they can prescribe the medication that my US doctor ordered. I did the tests a week or so later. When the results came all the numbers improved. The doctor there said she would not prescribe me meds but wanted to keep an eye on things. I thought I should do the tests again at another lab to confirm. 2 weeks later they improved even more.

I returned to the US and did the lab tests yet again to make sure I am not missing anything. Luckily it confirmed the improvement.

So for me it was about 4 months. I am not sure if cholesterol will be an issue again but I am doing my best to continue this lifestyle.

Best wishes.

[TDM2023 in reply to Pita123]

Thank you so much for such an informative reply.

[harambe in reply to Pita123]

Hi Pita123, would you mind to share your life style change? I have to lower my cholesterol I would like to know more about your diet if possible. Thank you

[Pita123 in reply to harambe]

Sure. I think it's important to understand what you were eating in the first place. I didn't have to make major changes but I became very careful with every meal.

I eat more fish than I used to. I always ate chicken and still do but some meals now are strictly vegetables. Very little red meat. No fried food or anything that seems fatty. Almost no cheese, and very little in the way of white stuff like rice and bread. I used to eat lots of bakery items and now it's either oatmeal or cereal. Fruits added.

I make a yogurt fruit shake with low fat milk and have it as a snack. Another daily snack is nuts like walnuts, almonds and pecans. I go through 5 avocados in 2 weeks on average. Boiled or fresh beets are fun. All berries are good, especially blueberries. Mangoes, papaya and bananas.

Lots of water and a daily walk. An occasional spoon of virgin olive oil. Roasted garlic and other vegetables is common.

When I go out I try to focus on dishes with vegetables and lack bread or rice. Grilled or sautéed. These days, salads have become yummy.

I cut down on anything salty such as soup and in general the less processed the better.

Removed milk and sugar from coffee. Cut down sugar drastically overall and my inflammation went lower. I do have less energy though which is frustrating as I was always very high energy.

I think I covered most things but feel free to ask if you have any questions.

[harambe in reply to Pita123]

Thank you so much. How kind!

I normally eat healthy homemade food. I walk everywhere at least 30 minutes a day. I have a Nikel food allergy and have not been able to eat many vegetables and grains since last year. So I started eating more animal protein, mostly chicken 1 to 2 times a week meat. I don't eat dairy products at all. Now my cholesterol is very high 8.9. It used to be 6.9. I have now cut sugar completely. I was wondering how you did it when I saw your post. Once again thank you.

[Pita123 in reply to harambe]

I just read very quickly about nickel allergy and it must be tough for you, I'm sorry. Looks like nuts and oats are not good options but some vegetables and fruits are ok. Check with a specialist but I would focus on them. Cucumbers and cabbage seem to be ok along with grapes and some berries. All the best!

[harambe in reply to Pita123]

Yes it is difficult nickel is in everything healthy. I am afraid the animal protein did not help. Thank you so much for your advise it is helpful I will try. best wishes