Since following my husband on the low-fat plant based diet, I have been able to keep my cholesterol hovering between 170 1o 194 up until the last five years, at which time, despite following a low fat plant based diet, my cholesterol started creeping up to 215, to 235, to 265!!!
Being in denial, I would slip a nut in here and there, and a piece of 100% sugarfree dark chocolate in here and there, and during Covid-19 shut downs, my weight shot up ten pounds.
The 265 level was the wake up call, and I decided it was time to get very serious and follow the Esseltyn plan to the T.
I started strictly eating low fat plant based 100%, with no artificial sweeteners, no sweeteners, and no flours, not even whole grained for ten days. And of course, avoided all fats like nuts, avocadoes, and oils, plus, avoided anything with a mother or a face until March 29th.
On March 29th, I self-referred to Quest Direct labs for a full lipid profile, and my cholesterol tested to a mainstream medical safe level of a total of 191!!!!!
This was the first time I was able to drive down the cholesterol below 200 in five years despite much consultation and hand wringing with two primary physicians over whether to take statins or not.
I felt like I could play with this for a while until the 265 level cropped up, but now I know I must be strict, and that a comforting thought is I am an addition to the thousands of Esseltyn followers who have faced their genetics and defied them by driving cholesterol down through nutrition.
My goal is now to get my cholesterol down to under 150, and I'm sure I can do it now!!!
Here are my numbers: 191 total cholesterol, HDL 53, LDL 115 (a little high but much better), triglyceries 120.
I'm so happy!!!
