Martyn's story
My advice to you is take your glasses to the supermarket!
''In October 2023, following a routine blood test, I was advised by my GP that I had higher than normal cholesterol levels with total cholesterol of 6.0 mm/L, my TC:HDL ratio was 4.60:1 and my non-fasting triglycerides of 2.42. I was surprised at this, as I have a meat and dairy free diet and I was reasonably active.
I did not want to resort to medication, and as part of the advice received from my GP practice, I was directed to the HEART UK's website to gain additional understanding. I do not have a medical background and using the information, I set myself a one-year target to return to a lower-risk state and avoid medication.
Having read HEART UK's information, I set a simple personal objective to eliminate as much saturated fat intake as possible. I decided to closely look at saturated fat across my dietary intake.
We do cook quite often in the household, but I hadn’t taken much notice of what my food consisted of, especially packaged or pre-prepared items. In my opinion there is also a perception (which I would challenge) that ‘vegan’ foods are generally healthier, possibly resulting in less scrutiny of contents of food in this sector.
The first thing to go for me was pastry and pasties, probably a fairly obvious starting point without much research. However, as I looked further into saturated fat, the biggest eye opener for me (and supported by information on the HEART UK website) related to the very high saturated fat content of coconut. There is no longer any in our household.
What is also interesting is that coconut oil is widely used in many vegan recipes. We now substitute all coconut. In oil form for vegetable or rapeseed oil, and in cream form for dairy free yogurt.
I have found the information on HEART UK’s website invaluable. In particular, regarding diet and interpretation of test results. We have since cooked and eaten many of the recipes on the HEART UK site. They are generally easy to make, and all of them support reduced cholesterol intake. In particular, we enjoy the mung dahl, mutter paneer, stuffed peppers, walnut chilli and the tomato carbonara.
In my opinion, the best tip is in the Healthy Eating Guide to check the traffic light labels on the back of packaged food. They help you choose foods lower in fat, salt and sugars. It takes a little longer than usual to shop at first, but it’s well worth being more informed about the contents. I don’t count calories, but I take my glasses to the supermarket and I read the labels choosing mainly green with the occasional orange when it comes to fat. I strictly avoid red saturated fat, and try to avoid higher levels of other fat, salt and sugars. It is not always possible, but I have prioritised my focus on saturated fat.
One year on and my results have exceeded my expectations, prompting me to share the experience. Over around a ten-month period my total cholesterol reduced from 6 to 5; triglyceride levels from 2.42 to 1.37, and the TC:HDL ratio from 4.60:1 to 3.70:1. I have seen an incidental reduction in blood pressure, lost just over a stone in weight and my BMI is now normal.
Most of all, I am told no medication is required. I feel much better, and, as a family, we will continue to use the HEART UK's information going forward.
I’d like to thank HEART UK for the excellent information and support I have found on your website over the past year, in enabling me to drive my single biggest lifestyle change ever and I feel great!''
Access the Healthy Eating Guide here.
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