Secrets of Mind and Reality

Get Heart-Healthy with a Cholesterol Lowering Diet

Now that I’m entering my forties, health is becoming an important issue for me. I want to make sure that I take care of myself so I can be here for my family for decades to come. As a result, I’m doing things that I never did before, including going to my doctor for regular checkups, working out at a gym four times a week, and watching what I eat. Gone are the days of lunches at the local burger joint and dinners at the steakhouse down the road. Instead, I’m following a cholesterol lowering diet that will get my low-density lipoprotein (LDL) back to a healthy number.

I began my cholesterol lowering diet after my doctor reviewed my lab results following a complete blood work-up. Although I’m not in a danger zone right now, he felt that I was heading that way based on answers I gave about my eating habits. So instead of waiting for a problem to occur, he decided to put me on a cholesterol lowering diet now so that I can begin seeing positive results soon.

To be honest, I thought I would have a lot of trouble following this cholesterol lowering diet. After all, I love my burgers and steaks, and wasn’t looking forward to giving those up. But while it’s true that I’ve had to drastically reduce my intake of red meat, I haven’t had to completely abstain from my favorites. I just eat these foods once or twice a month now instead of once or twice a week like I used to. As long as I’m reducing bad fats in other ways, then my cholesterol lowering diet will still be effective.

The major adjustment I’ve had to make to accommodate this cholesterol lowering diet is adding food that I didn’t usually eat before. My doctor gave me a list of foods that are good for the heart, including oatmeal, walnuts, certain fish, and olive oil. These are all things that I never went out of my way to eat before, but that now comprise a significant part of my daily meals.

Speaking of meals, in order to keep dinnertime interesting, I’ve been checking out special menus and recipes for people who are on a cholesterol lowering diet. These resources can be found online, and I’m happy to report that I’ve discovered several tasty, healthy dishes this way — all of them very quick and easy to prepare.

If you’re worried about your health, then I recommend talking to your doctor about a heart-friendly cholesterol lowering diet today. You can still enjoy a wonderful variety of delicious foods while taking measures to lower your LDL. This change in my eating habits hasn’t been as difficult to accomplish as I feared, and I already feel more energetic and vigorous as a result!