Hello Everyone,
I hope you are keeping well. In this article, I will discuss a hot topic: How to lower your cholesterol.
Let’s dive in…
What Is Cholesterol?
What Causes High Cholesterol?
Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
Can Anti-Inflammatory Foods Reduce Cholesterol?
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance produced in the liver. We also get a small amount (roughly 20%) of cholesterol from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Cholesterol is an essential substance in the body with several different roles:
- Forms the basic building block for hormones like cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
- Reacts with sunlight on the skin to create vitamin D.
- Provides structure to every single cell membrane in the body.
- Used to repair damaged tissues in the body.
- Helps create bile in the liver to aid fat digestion.
There are 2 main types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein).
The HDL form is often called “good” cholesterol and the LDL “bad” but this is too simplistic. The truth is we need the right levels of both types of cholesterol.
What Causes High Cholesterol?
When a doctor says you have high cholesterol, it is important to clarify exactly what they mean.
You might have high levels of HDL and normal levels of LDL, high levels of both, or high levels of LDL and low HDL. The ratio between the two types is important – you need to know what you are dealing with.
High cholesterol can be caused by:
- Familial hypercholesterolemia: This is an inherited condition that causes elevated cholesterol.
- Chronic inflammation: Inflammation causes internal damage to cells and tissues. Your body has to produce more cholesterol to help deal with this.
- Stress: Cortisol, your main stress hormone, is manufactured from cholesterol. The more stressed you are, the more cortisol you have to make so the higher your cholesterol.
- Underactive thyroid: Low thyroid function can slow cholesterol clearance through the liver and bowel.
- Diabetes: People with diabetes are more prone to high cholesterol (American Heart Association, 2024) and both conditions increase the risk of heart disease.
- Menopause: Hormonal changes during menopause lead to an overall increase in cholesterol in menopausal women (Currie & Williams, 2008).
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so prevention is critical.
Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
High cholesterol does not usually occur on its own. It is a symptom of an underlying cause, like chronic inflammation, underactive thyroid, or diabetes. It is important to explore what else is happening in the body so you can deal with all the issues, not just high cholesterol.
Your doctor will most likely check your cholesterol alongside triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are how your body stores fats. If you have high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides, you are at risk of cardiovascular problems like heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. And what is the common thread amongst all these conditions? Chronic inflammation!
In this study by Tsoupras et al. (2018), the authors note that:
‘The cause of chronic diseases is chronic and unresolved inflammation… Instead of cholesterol, targeting and treatment of inflammation will lower the side effects of chronic disorders.’
Can Anti-Inflammatory Foods Reduce Cholesterol?
Research shows that soluble fiber from foods such as oats, vegetables, and certain fruits can lower cholesterol (Ghavami et al, 2023). But these are not the only foods that are helpful; many more foods have anti-inflammatory properties and nutrients to support cholesterol balance.
This is why I created Eat Burn Sleep. I have done all the research and meal planning for you so you can step straight into your anti-inflammatory lifestyle and enjoy your best health.
There are many wonderful foods to choose from in our program! We have hundreds of recipes for breakfasts, lunches, evening meals, snacks, and drinks. Each meal includes key nutrients that tackle inflammation and support energy, immunity, gut health, heart health, hormone balance, and more.
If you are taking medication for high cholesterol, I recommend you speak to your doctor before making any diet and lifestyle changes. A combination of treatments can be more effective than a single one, and you might need to take a lower dose of medication. We frequently hear from members at Eat Burn Sleep that medical professionals want to know what lifestyle they are following because of their remission success!
If you want to optimize your cholesterol levels, I suggest you start with the 6-week reset. There are meal plans and food lists to guide you through the diet, alongside movement videos and guided relaxation sessions to support your physical and mental well-being.
What do our Members say?
We get amazing feedback and reviews from our Members every day. This is what EBS Member Jill says about her experience:
“Following Yalda’s low inflammation lifestyle has changed everything for me. My CBCs come back showing no cholesterol issues, I don’t have active arthritis anymore, I rarely have eczema flare-ups and I’ve lost almost 40lbs over the past 2 years of following Eat Burn Sleep.”
And Mona:
“I started the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle in March 2020, and in June, I went for a blood test.
My cholesterol last year in June 2019 was 247, this year it went down to 233. I was so excited and more motivated.
This is the first time in years my cholesterol went down.
Usually, my cholesterol will increase every year and I refuse to take medication. I also have a very high family history of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack. I got so tired of other diets and decided to change my lifestyle, nothing worked for me in the past.
This lifestyle worked. I feel better and more energetic. Thank you Yalda!”
Are you inspired to make changes to your cholesterol? Find out more about our membership options now.
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Yours, in health,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
