Lower your cholesterol in just one week!

The no-bull keys to being successful at any diet program are: self-monitor, eat what you know is right - don't eat crap, and write it all down! However, this about more than just losing a couple of pounds. This is about SAVING YOUR LIFE in the long run. Since none of us want to keel over before our time, good health starts by taking care of #1 - yourself.

If you want to lower your cholesterol in one week without medication, its as easy as oat cereals, vegetables, cutting the crap (don't eat out..or if you do..get low fat options), and lean, if any, animal products. You can do it!

I was recently diagnosed with high
cholesterol and, being that I'm only 23 (22 at the time of diagnosis), I was not only shocked but thought my life was over. I called everyone, cried, googled, and thought my days of invincibility were coming to a halting stop at the end of a cliff..only to jump off the edge (Yes..I was THAT dramatic). Fortunately, I had a wonderful fiance at the time, now my husband, who copied all the information he could get his hands on to get me started on a healthy diet to lower my number.

In the last week of April, the number that came along with a relatively uninformative pamphlet was 252 (my total cholesterol number). Within one week I returned to the doctor and had managed to lower my LDL number by 19 points. I was amazed at what diet (not really even exercising at the time) could do for me.

When I found out I had high cholesterol, I immediately went on a vegetarian diet, almost vegan. I wouldn't go near a piece of meat. I switched to soy milk for my morning cereal which was surprisingly delicious. While you don't have to go that far, there are simple life changes that can help.

When I presented a food log to my doctor at the second visit, she was surprised and could easily pick out where I needed more help. She also encouraged me to get plenty of vitamins and suggesting I take extra iron (being a young female and having a previous record of lower iron levels). B-12 and iron can be difficult to get on a vegetarian diet.

If you're diligent writing in your food diary each day, it will help you stay accountable for what you eat. This can be helpful for more than just lowering your cholesterol but making sure you eat healthier in general but remind you to get some exercise for the day. You can keep track of your food intake as well as your daily activity in these diaries. After you've written down a three or four weeks, show your diary to a nutritionist or your doctor so they can help you further stay on track. One thing to note is that you don't have to literally record every single thing you put in your mouth. Gum and breath mints - irrelevant.

Here's an example of my own diary:

Monday: Breakfast (7:30 am) 1/2 cup oatmeal with 5 prunes, 8 oz apple juice.
Lunch (2:15 pm) Sandwich made with 2 pieces white bread, 1 tbsp light mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, water
Snack (3:30 pm) 1 individual package of M&Ms
Dinner (8:00 pm) 1 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breast, broccoli, carrots, water

If you want to jump-start your HDL and lower the LDL, actively cut out the amount of meat you consume. Bad cholesterol is ONLY found in animal products and that includes eggs and dairy. I started consuming soy and rice milk instead of the regular stuff. If you can't go as far as becoming a vegetarian, buy very lean meats and only eat them 2-3 times per week. Tofu and beans are great protein substitutes! I also buy faux meat products from MorningStar and I highly recommend the steak and chicken substitutes.

Sometimes we don't even realize how many times we eat out in a week's, month's, or even year's period. If you cook at home, you could save hundreds of dollars a year AND eat healthier. Eating lower fat meals and meals with less meat/dairy will improve your quality of life drastically and a consistently healthy diet paired with exercise will reduce the chance of having to rely on cholesterol meds for the rest of your days.

You don't have to run a marathon or swim 40 miles a day. Just get whatever exercises you can. Get off the couch, and walk to the corner store. Maybe you have an exercise dvd or a gym membership. Every little bit helps! Any more exercise you can add to your routine the better. You don't have to go crazy or anything. You can also write your exercise amounts in your food journal. Exercise is a fantastic help in lowering your number.

I do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred or spend time walking on the beach. Its great exercise :)

Go to the doctor regularly, every 6 months if you're cholesterol is really high, to check your numbers. Get the full lipid panel to see both your HDL and LDL numbers.