Action Plan to Lower Cholesterol

I have been thinking a lot about my high cholesterol for the past 24 hours...perhaps a bit obsessively. My sister, sensing my frustration, called my Dad to ask if high cholesterol runs in my family. Apparently, his total cholesterol level is 250 as well. It made me feel a LITTLE better that there is a genetic component to my health issue. But I'm not letting myself off the hook that easily. There are a number of behavior modifications I can make to lower that number too!

So what is my plan of action?

#1 Give credit where credit is due. Like a lot of people, I tend to be quite compassionate with others about their flaws, but when it comes to my own, I beat myself up. This has never helped me make effective behavior change. So this time around, I will be nice to myself.

I have a number of positive habits that will help keep my cholesterol levels in check:

I eat plenty of fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains. Most of my fat comes from vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, an d avocado. I consume very little packaged/processed food. I eat lean meat. I exercise regularly. I drink red wine.

#2 Acknowledge my weaknesses. Although I am doing some great things, I do have two habits that I could change to lower my cholesterol. Changing these two habits will actually put me perfectly in line with Andrew Weil's food pyramid (my goal for Feb 2010)!

My weaknesses are full fat dairy and eggs. I love whole milk. I love full fat cheese. So does Michael. I buy them every week and have at least 1/2 serving of each every day. These contain a high amount of saturated fat, contributing to my high total cholesterol. I also love hard boiled eggs. I eat one 4 days per week. They are so healthy and filling and portable! They are also packed with cholesterol.

#3 Create plan of action: Given my weaknesses, it is quite clear what I need to do to change my diet. I plan to switch from dairy to soy at least 75% of the time. I plan to switch to egg whites instead of whole eggs at least 75% of the time (egg whites are pure protein: the yolk has all the cholesterol).

#4 Test the results: After practicing these lifestyle changes for 12 months, I wil get my cholesterol levels rechecked. We'll see if there is any effect!