Ashley’s answer: Now I have a question for you. Did your doc give you any explanation for needing to go gluten-free? I ask this first because while a quality gluten-free diet can be helpful for many, adopting a quality gluten-free lifestyle (beyond food and supplements to include your skin, haircare, and dental products) has little to do with cholesterol. Although some ongoing irritation from gluten exposure could contribute to digestive issues—which can impact how the body processes and removes nutrients such as cholesterol—it’s really only critical for someone with celiac disease. And here’s another question: What do you mean by “my doctor slapped me on medication?” While medication can prove necessary and helpful to optimize cholesterol levels, diet and lifestyle play an equally important role. Some question whether certain cholesterol medications are even the best first step. (Extra credit reading for you and your doctor: The Cholesterol Myth by Jonny Bowden, PhD, and Stephen Sinatra, MD.) I think you already know this and that’s why you’ve asked your question, but I wanted to acknowledge that it’s okay to ask that same question to your doctor. Depending on a number of factors, diet and lifestyle may be the best first step, but regardless, they should be a step anytime medication comes into the picture. So can you eat butter? The (saturated fat) loaded question. You could, but I actually prefer that you choose to eat a quality egg (one where the chickens are fed what they’re meant to eat—not GMOs—and enjoy time roaming around, like a local farm egg.) Get your fat from there instead of adding butter. To your point about taste, a farm-fresh egg will taste, well, like an egg, but the key to getting better flavor can come from preparing the onion, spinach, and beans, great choices for cholesterol-optimizing benefits. Prep them with spices or even a salsa to get added flavors and nutritional benefits, too. I love to pepper my eggs with chili spices or pizza spices, like oregano and basil. Keep in mind that if you wanted to (or if your heart disease risk is significant), you could go all Dr. Dean Ornish on us, skip the eggs, and enjoy all the nutrients your body needs from the beans, spinach and onions, with some spices for taste. Whether you do this or not, you could also consider quality supplemental food, like New Chapter Wholemega or Vital Choice wild salmon oil to get more nutrients that will help optimize your cholesterol. Chewing over a food quandary? Send it to AskAshley@Prevention.com Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian, Qualitarian, nutrition expert, and
