Menopause and Cholesterol - It’s My Diet

I took this from my weight loss journey blog because it is quite interesting if you have high cholesterol.

It is a simple fact that you cannot exercise when you cannot breath.

I have not been able to breath well for more than 2 weeks now, but the end is in sight. No, not my end, the end of this forsaken cold. It is just a cold. I felt kind of sick for two days...that’s it...but I swear, the coughing is awful. It has kept me from keeping with my exercise program.

It has not kept me from eating right.

Doctors asked me to get an arthritis blood test and since my cholesterol test was due, I did that one as well.

The results were nothing less than outstanding.

I have essentially eliminated dairy and red meat, it’s about 1% or less of my diet now, I go vegan a couple of meals a week, started a protein shake daily with fiber pills, and exercise at least twice daily when I can breathe.

That is all I have done, and I want you to see my results. Original test was in Feb 2023.

If you don’t understand the numbers, don’t worry. Here is the breakdown and what they should be:

Overall cholesterol: Was 273, Now 179

HDL (Good cholesterol): Was 44, Now 56

LDL (Bad cholesterol): Was 196, Now 103

Triglycerides: Was 182, Now 100.

This is close to what they should be:

Women age 20 or older:

Type of Cholesterol

Healthy Level

Total Cholesterol - 125 to 200mg/dL

Non-HDL - Less than 130mg/dL

LDL - Less than 100mg/dL

HDL - 50mg/dL or higher

I was borderline heart attack with my previous levels now I am within reasonably normal levels and in 6 months to a year, if I can keep this going, I can go off 2 different medications for high cholesterol.

My high cholesterol was blamed on family history and smoking. I dispute that to a point. My family history may account for HOW I process dairy and meat. How, in my body, they raise my cholesterol and in my husband they don’t. BUT the lack of dairy and meat in my diet for the last 6 weeks has completely lowered my numbers. It is indisputable. I guess the blame game, on smoking and my family history is no longer an argument, is it? It’s not even menopause causing high cholesterol.

It is one thing and one thing only. My diet.