Earlier this year my cholesterol was 284 and my doctor suggested I start on cholesterol meds. I just do not like taking manufactured medications. I researched options that are more “natural.”

Here is what I learned:

• Delete fried foods from your diet as much as possible. (My husband, who LIVES on fried food, has 140 cholesterol. Life is not fair.) Partially hydrogenated oils (solid fats) increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower the HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Use monounsaturated fats to lower LDL and raise HDL (olives, olive oil, canola oil, tree nuts like pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashews, avocados). While the nuts are higher in calories, they lower LDL.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes 3-5 times a week. I walk, yoga, dance, step exercise, bike, garden. The longer the duration of activity the greater the effect on raising HDL and lowering LDL.
• Eat fish (wild salmon, Bluefin tuna) 2-4 times a week.
• Substitute olive oil for butter which has the potential to lower LDL by 15%.
• Add spices: garlic, curcumin/turmeric, black pepper, coriander, cinnamon. Adding 1/2-1 clove of garlic daily can lower cholesterol by 9%.
• It takes 3-6 months to see results from these “natural” methods, longer in women.
• Psyllium can lower LDL by 6-10%. Put it in your smoothies or sprinkle on salads.
• Fish oil must have EPA and DHA (1000 mg recommended) to be effective. Higher EPA/DHA lowers triglycerides and raises HDL.

I bought good fish oil, started exercising at least 5 days a week. I added veggies and nuts to my diet. It is learning a new way to eat but not a bad way. At the four month check, I had lowered my cholesterol by 58 points. (I had a pact with a nurse friend that if I did not lower it by 10%, I would go on the meds. I smashed that which still makes me do the happy dance!)

Mecca T.