Can three weeks of healthy eating make a significant impact on one’s cholesterol levels and other health factors? This is what I am about to find out since a few days ago I embarked on a three week, plant-based, whole foods diet.
To say that there are many confusing health-promoting diet suggestions and plans out there these days would be an understatement.
After looking things over I’ve settled on the plant-based, whole foods approach to attempt to reduce my cholesterol. Plant-based is just the new way to say vegetarian. And whole foods does not refer to the wildly successful grocery chain, recently purchased by Amazon, but to eating only foods that have fresh, not processed, ingredients.
There are lots of web sites and other helps out there to help you make the transition to plant-based eating. I have quite a fondness for meat so it should be quite a challenge to go all plant-based. Plus, throw in some food allergies that I am dealing with and it gets interesting.
The bottom line for me is I want to lower my cholesterol by not having to take medications, namely statins. Statins have been around for a long time and are some of the most commonly prescribed medications. I took a statin for many years and had no noticeable side effects and my cholesterol levels were great. But if there is a way to avoid taking statins and still be healthy I’m interested.
The basic question is, “Can I lower my cholesterol enough just by eating a plant-based, whole foods diet and exercising more?” If so, does eating a plant-based, whole foods diet provide enough health benefits to make me want to stick with it permanently?”
Some may say that three weeks is not enough to have a full effect on my blood levels and health. I figure it has to have some impact. Whenever I go in to get my cholesterol checked they want me to go in fasting so if not eating for 12 hours before my blood test has an impact on the test then I figure three weeks is enough time to have a fairly significant impact.
And of course, if I lose some weight and feel better in the process its just a bonus.
Sometimes people bring in the Bible to support a particular diet. I will address that topic in part two of this series.
Mirror Neurons 
Go you! I hope it has some impact!
It’s going well so far.
You’ll be amazed at what 3 weeks can do! In 2016 I ate a strict whole foods diet for 12 weeks. I felt the effects quickly and although I don’t own a scale (that’s on purpose) I know I lost weight because of my clothes. I still eat a whole foods diet most of the time and actually prefer eating this way. I just feel better.
Thank you for the encouragement!