I don't think three weeks is nearly long enough to make any real difference in your cholesterol, particularly from a diet stand point.  And vegetarianism alone isn't the answer.  We're vegetarian, though my husband sneaks an occassional chicken dish when eating out, and he still had high cholesterol.  The doctor said it was all the carbs he eats.  (He loves cereal any time of day.)  He cut back on carbs and after about eight months his numbers were much better - not perfect - without any meds.  As an added bonus, he lost a lot of weight too.

Your situation may also be genetic.  Some people are just prone to high cholesterol, or high triglycerides.

Personally, I don't think there's any way to be heart attack proof, just to do your best to eat well.  With the current state of my gut, I am doing anything but eating well, consuming mainly carbs and way too much sugar, but at this point getting any food into my system is more important than eating the right foods.  You have to pick your battles.

Does heart disease run in your family?  Why are you (apparently) so desperate to make yourself heart-attack proof?  Your own body is perfectly capable of making cholesterol (even if you stopped eating fat, which I wouldn't recommend)... and like Kat said, genetics play a big role.  I'd also like to point out that cholesterol in your blood vessels is not a big deal as long as your inflammation levels (CRP, ESR, etc...) are normal.  Drugs like Crestor have risks.  They're not nearly as safe as the medications we take for mast cell symptoms.  Are you sure it's a necessary risk in your particular case?  I would think twice.

Heather

ps - How is your HDL level?  How about the ratio of HDL to LDL?  My HDL runs low, but the ratio is always perfect.

Just because something is an "epidemic" doesn't mean it's a problem for you personally  I find it's very important to remember that I'm not normal and what works for "most" people might not work for me (in fact, there's a good chance it won't).  Case in point: on the advice of their doctor, my parents take baby aspirin and fish oil to prevent heart disease.  It works for them, but I can't take either one... blood thinners are a major trigger for me.

86 seems like a pretty good lifespan!  It sounds like you have good genes going for you.

Heather

I read this a while back in some news article, thought it was very interesting. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18662284/

My Mother btw had perfect cholesterole eating lots of eggs and cheese and not very many carbs and she hates vegetables and fruit. But the she decided to eat a "healthy" low fat diet so of course you end up eating more carbs and her cholesterol jumped way up. She went back to her old way of eating and has never gone low fat again.  If you're looking to reduce inflammation for vascular health consider the good healthy fats out there and stay away from sugar and stick to complex carbs.  I had horrible CRP numbers and didn't eat very much sugar but was eating a lot of white flour having just moved to Louisiana (yummy! Pasta and jambalaya!) and since I changed back to eating lots of healthy fat and complex carbs the numbers are much much lower. Of course due to EDS, ME, ect It won't be totally gone but at least I'm not adding fuel to the fire.  Avocados and coconut oil are staples in my kitchen now and I use butter and lard too.  My cholesterol is in range and my vascular system is in great shape. (have several tests and scans this year to prove it)  Also it really pays not to abuse your body with smoking, drugs or alcohol. The only people on either side of my family who passed away prematurely all had abuse some substance or other.  I actually sat down with my Mom and asked her about everyone's past and when and how they died and thats when we realized that. The ones who didn't are still going strong even with chronic illness, no cancer, no vascular problems. I plan on outliving my great grandmother who recently passed at 101yrs.

Hi Futurehope,

I saw your question and thought I'd throw out a few suggestions.  Heart healthy fats include any of the fats that are mono or polyunsaturated.  If it's saturated fat, it can clog arteries and increase cholesterol levels (usually animal fats like butter, whole milk, fatty meats, etc...)  Some of the healthy fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed, fish--especially salmon, nuts, other seeds, and avocados.  Those things usually have omega-3 fatty acids as well, which are good for you

Please read this information on fats...
http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/skinny-on-fats

I no longer allow canola oil in the house. (I cooked with canola and olive oil when my numbers were bad) I only cook with coconut oil, lard, and butter. I never cook with olive oil now but I do use it to make salad dressing.  My numbers are now in range. Just proving Mary Enig and Sally Fallon have been saying for a while.

Wow!  I've always thought I could stop eating all together, and all my problems would be gone!  Well, of course they would be gone: I'd be dead from starvation.

All kidding aside, yes, I could starve myself and "try" to lower my cholesterol.  But more importantly, maybe getting my MC's under control would help?  I'd prefer that to eating a very low fat diet (which is difficult).

Oh yes.  I must add my 2 cents worth.  All the meds that people are given to lower cholesterol can cause other issues as far as I'm concerned. The other issues can be worse.  I prefer to try to lower my cholesterol by getting my mast cells to stabilize.