r/Cholesterol • u/meh312059 • Jul 19 '25
Hey all,
There have been a lot of great posts over the past several weeks and months with delicious-looking heart healthy meals. This message is pinned at the top of the sub so that posters can share those recipes in the comments section. As the thread grows I'll save, re-organize and re-post so that they'll be easy to find.
I'll also look through the sub history and grab recipes as I find them but please - re-post here if you can in order to ensure that your great recipe won't be missed.
If you have a source link, please provide that as well so posters can use it as a resource. Images welcome too!
Thanks, and Happy Heart-Healthy Eating!
r/Cholesterol • u/Therinicus • May 08 '21
Welcome, and remember nothing posted here is a substitute for or intended as medical advice. This is a conversational thread for all things cholesterol/CVD and to a lesser extent health/longevity, peer-to-peer conversation in nature only.
This is a closely monitored Reddit. Comments in a thread where the OP is asking for advice are heavily monitored as this is not a conspiracy theory friendly sub, though posts made specifically for debates with good intentions are allowed.
This also includes other medical conditions, many are contributing factors to cardiovascular disease including.
+ Primarily, we see people looking for advice or information from other people who also have high cholesterol. The wiki has a great article from The Mayo Clinic on what your numbers mean but here you can talk to people that have also gone through something similar, while typically not quite the same.
+ Studies, articles, asking for advice, support, treatments that have worked for you are all allowed. Largely we focus on the current recommendations for blood cholesterol management written by the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association. Posts about studies or giving (not asking for) advice will be scrutinized. Asking for help is always welcome.
+ Debates about medication need to be stand alone posts and not about any particular poster, rather than part of someone asking for advice. This is because we see people trying to skirt the rules of not countering medical advice, by countering medical advice with a handful of studies either pro or against medication.
+ Diet debates similarly need to not be in a post where someone is asking for help lowering cholesterol. It's not appropriate to hijack every possible thread to turn it into a debate about a fad diet.
+ Conspiracy theories are generally not allowed, as they've been done to death and clog the sub.
**Telling people in anyway to ignore medical advice is against 2 rules and will result in a ban after the second, if not first offense.**
***If you disagree with your doctor's advice, it is OK to post, but please seek out a second opinion, a specialist opinion, or clarification from your medical provider, it is inappropriate for internet strangers to disagree with a medical provider who has actually met with and diagnosed you.
The main way people lower their cholesterol (without medication) is through diet. The general guidelines are to replace saturated fat like those found in fatty meat products with predominantly unsaturated fat sources, (some is important like when found in nuts), as well as replace simple carbs like white bread or sugar, with whole grains/complex carbs. And of course, eat more plants as well as eat high-quality whole food sources in general.
The TLDR is I recommend Harvard Medical’s Healthy Plate available for free online, (link in the wiki). It is unbiased data analytics on diets that increase longevity from a world leader in data analytics. HHP is based off of the same data that created the mediterranean diet (link in the wiki), though it includes more like the Nordic diet. The MD fits within HHP.
Essentially, fill half your plate with plants, a quarter with whole grains and the final quarter with a lean protein. Replace saturated fats with heart healthy ones and replace simple carbs with whole grains. Don’t drink things loaded with sugar (stick to water, low fat milk, etc).
The Portfolio Diet is also a good option, It is comprised of a ‘portfolio’ of foods that have been shown to reduce cholesterol.
Macro percentages don’t matter for health including weight loss and longevity. While still popular in the fitness industry macros are not a focus in health. Studies coming out show the greatest benefit in reaching for a variety of whole foods over fitting narrowly into a specific ratio.
Your diet should start with finding one good recipe that you would eat anyways.
You will probably have a few bad ones, the internet is full of bad recipes but it's not a reflection on your or your diet.
Once you've found that starting point, it becomes much easier to find a second and a third recipe that works for you. In this way, over time you will have replaced your old diet with one that works for you and your goals.
A diet with diverse easy to follow tasty recipes is much easier to follow.
There are recipes in the wiki; however, I've had the best luck finding easy, tasty recipes from the Mayo Clinic's recipe website (in the wiki). The main page separates recipes into diets or dishes, at which point you can command F to search for what you want to cook. For example, say you wanted a mushroom soup (which they have); command F either 'soup' or 'mushroom' in the search function of your browser.
Many people say to start with oatmeal (if steel cut try a pressure cooker like the insta pot) with fruit fresh or frozen and nuts/seeds, and/or low fat/sugar yogurt.
It is important for longevity and health despite having a smaller effect on cholesterol than diets do. Notably, exercise over time changes some of the lower-density LDL to higher-density HDL.
All movement counts. Cooking, cleaning, walking, running, anything with movement counts.
Moving throughout the day is important. Some studies show that waking for 10 minutes after each meal yields greater benefits than walking for 30 minutes and being sedentary throughout the day.
Don't worry about how fast or far, just move. Do not push so hard that you want to stop.
Intensity seems to play the largest role in smaller quantities. Most of your time exercising should be at a walking pace but it is also important to get some higher intensity intervals in every other day (every 48 hours). It can be as simple as running for 30 seconds 4 times on a walk, say to a light post.
The total time is currently recommended at 300, (or 150 vigorous) minutes, and 2 days of resistance training as a minimum. There are studies showing worthwhile benefits in doubling that amount of aerobic training, but at a diminishing return. I.E. it is the first minutes you move are the most important, but the last minutes you move still help.
There is little research on what type of movement is best, but for those interested a combination of aerobic and resistance training done separately at a single session seems to yield the greatest benefits, followed by hybrid (I.E. resistance training done at a pace that keeps your heart rate elevated). Of the 5 main types of exercise.
Find a way you like to move, and keep moving.
LDL is the main particle focused on in a standard blood panel. There is something of a sliding scale from below 70 (or equal to 70/1.8 in Europe) up to 190/4.9 mg/dL or mmol/L respectively. The number slides based on other health factors.
EDIT: Europe recently lowered their target LDL to 50 mg/dL, but the US has current (2018) guidelines remain the same. It is not uncommon for different countries to have different targets.
An acceptable LDL in an otherwise healthy person is going to be different than that in a person at increased risk of heart disease.
There are advanced forms of testing for cardiovascular disease including, particle density, calcium and/or plaque scans, Lp(a) ApoB, etc. As stated by Harvard Medical in there cholesterol course, “some people with high cholesterol will never develop heart disease”, which was one of the foundational reasons for the current Recommendations on Blood Cholesterol Management becoming a scale instead of one small number.
Many of these advanced testing methods appear to offer better insight into cardiovascular disease risk.
Please note, currently many forms of advanced testing do not change treatment plans because of the risk to benefit ratio. They are more commonly used on cases that are not clear cut yes medicate or no don’t medicate. However the standard screening tests and LDL recommendations may change in the future, your doctor may want to use more advanced testing methods, and/or you can request for advanced testing to be done.
The exception to this rule, is that everyone should be tested for LPa at least once in their life time. LPa is similar to LDL in that it delivers cholesterol to the cells, however unlike LDL it also is coagulatory (causes clots) and very irritating to the arteries lining within which is where cardiovascular disease happens. There are no treatments specific to LPa currently (2024) but there are multiple treatments that are expected to be available within the next few years. If you family history of heart disease, it may be related to LPa.
HDL is complicated, there is a great article on them in the wiki. While still the ‘good cholesterol’ it has been shown that not all HDL particles help. I.E. having a higher (not too high) HDL is great but does not offset having a bad blood panel. Raising HDL through medication has not been shown to improve patient outcomes, though raising it through exercise has. It is not as concerning of a metric on it's own as it once was thought to be, but still is a consideration.
Triglycerides can be complicated but are generally simple, there is a great article on them in the wiki
Triglycerides are a form of energy. I.E. if you ate something high in simple carbs they would jump, or if you walked a mile and retested they would be lower. Therefore, what you do before measuring them matters.
While some medications and illnesses do effect them, the most common cause of elevated trigs is simple carbs (sugary drinks, sugar, white carbs like rice or bread, and alcohol). Cutting back on those and/or increasing daily activity will lower them.
r/Cholesterol • u/xGentian_violet • 10h ago
A certain subreddit that claims to focus on scientifcally backed nutrition is completely overrun by fringe carnivore diet peddlers, who are the most active users.
So i ask for any recommendations you folks have for a sub that would actually live up to this description
Thank you!
r/Cholesterol • u/pinchecharlie • 9h ago
It’s been 15 days and it’s pretty unpleasant. My whole body kinda hurts and all my old injuries are aching lol. It actually kinda sucks. Iam trying pretty hard to ignore it and to not give it to myself with placebo effect.
I kinda feel a little bit high like weed high (which I don’t really like)
I feel super run down and lethargic
My ankles and my quads and my glutes all ache real bad.
Every injury I’ve ever had feels renewed lol!
I dunno I don’t want to have the “big one” anytime soon and I have genetic super high lp(a) so I gotta do a statin bit this kinda sucks…
r/Cholesterol • u/Common_Caramel_4965 • 1h ago
I'm a 32M, 6', 200lbs. I've had fluctuating LDL, cholesterol and triglycerides since I was in university when I had my first lipid panel at 20 years old.
I recently requested a test because I realized I haven't been retested in a while and the results scared me. Thankfully, my PCP recommended a statin and ordered a Lp(a) test saying that if the Lp(a) was elevated to start taking the statin and don't first try only lifestyle changes.
So here I am now happy to have started a statin (5mg Crestor) but also feeling like I should have started earlier. I would say my LDL was high when I was my most active self in college playing sports. Working from home now, I'm much more sedentary so I am not necessarily shocked at the results because they were high in the past. I vape nicotine which I'm trying to quit and don't eat a neccessarily awful diet.
My real only remaining thought is would a CAC test be worth it for me or just increase my health anxiety if I got a non-zero score? I've already started the statin so also not sure how soon soft plaque can stabilize and show up on a CAC.
My goal is to get my LDL down to 55/60 and will be working with my cardiologist and PCP to possibly throw another med in the mix on top of a statin. This plus lifestyle changes like dietary, exercise I feel like I'd be content to keep living life but I wonder if a CAC would offer me anything other than anxiety.
Cheers!
r/Cholesterol • u/avicularia_not • 3h ago
I have familial hypercholesterolemia, I've had "above safe" levels since I was 7. Doctors have recommended using meds, and now at 27 I think I am getting to an age where "oh but she's too young" doesn't cut it.
I know part of my fear is coming from my mom, she fought very hard against meds for herself and also for me. I recognise that she has an illogical dislike of medication, so I can perhaps overcome this part of it.
However, part of my fear is coming from things I've heard and experienced. The first time they prescribed me some medication, it was (something that isn't Lipitor that I can't remember) and Nurofen as blood thinner. I kept getting bruises everywhere, on locations that are practically impossible bump somewhere. My doctor didn't believe me, so I stopped the medication on my own will.
Another thing is, I heard that cholesterol medication can cause weakness in muscles. When I talked about this fear to my doctor, he dismissed it and said it should be fine. This isn't good enough to me. I have some type of rheumatoide arthritis and it only gets better when I have muscle to support my horrible joints, I don't want to lose what little of it I have. I've seen someone mention that taking certain supplements can help prevent this muscle weakness. I could ask my doctor about this, but I don't remember what they were.
I'm hoping someone here can dispell my fears to a certain extent. I am also wondering if people with similar problems managed to get some real advice from their doctors.
Could you help me with all the facts so I can go fully equipped for my next doctors appointment? I don't want to be so easily dismissed again. I'm sorry if this is a lot!
r/Cholesterol • u/st174ar • 7h ago
https://drstanfield.com/blogs/articles/massive-lpa-cholesterol-study-failed-now-what
Massive Lp(a) Cholesterol Study FAILED. Now What?
r/Cholesterol • u/No-Duck-4643 • 19h ago
30F, 126 lbs, pretty active, I run 3-5 times a week.
I got my cholesterol levels checked in August, my LDL was at 162, which scared me because I didn’t want to take statins. I thought I already ate healthy but I found some areas to improve. I got my cholesterol levels checked again yesterday and I am now at 94!! I was hoping to have lowered it, but I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that I was below 100!
This is what I have been doing in terms of diet:
Breakfast: I replaced my morning eggs by a bowl of oats mixed with almond milk. I also ensure that my coffee is filtered properly.
Lunch: Rice cakes with tuna, and some sort of tzatziki dip (not great but I am still looking to replace it by something with lower saturated fats). Or a cucumber chickpeas salad.
Snacks: I do not use butter anymore when baking, I have replaced it with avocado oil in my banana breads for example. I switched from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. I try to eat an apple 2-3 times a week. And if I am hungry in the afternoon I will have a some almonds.
Dinner: I make lentils every other week. I cook with olive oil or avocado oil. I add black beans in my ground beef to increase my fiber intake. And lots of veggies!
I did take 3g of psyllium husk capsules per day at first, but it was not convenient for me so I did not do it for very long.
I think in the end it was just about realizing the amount of saturated fats in foods and to avoid the ones with the most of it! I live in the USA and it is in almost all processed foods I used to buy.
r/Cholesterol • u/Ok_Back_2712 • 10m ago
Im 30 and stressed out, ive had high cholesterol for the past 3 years. Ive been going to the gym, taking cholesterol medications and eating healthy. Its been hard but i finally did it, i got blood work done and finally lowered my cholesterol
Well now i have aspartate aminotransferase ( which is high enzymes)
My liver seems to be inflamed. my protein is also thru the roof, Theres always something. How do i fix all this.
One thing gets better, but another thing gets worse.
i dont know what to est anymore
im a guy and weigh 224
Help
r/Cholesterol • u/dadduh • 33m ago
February of 25, I had my first checkup in 5 years. I was a 29m, now 31.
My total cholesterol was 268, my ldl was 195. and it was really irresponsible and foolish. my grandfather, a severe type 2 diabetic, died of a heart attack around 60, and I knew of my genetic predisposition, even as a kid my doctor would say my cholesterol was high.
But I chose to believe that seed oils and artificial sweeteners were the real problem, caught up in a radical anti-pharma and anti-big food movement. (i say radical because of course all of us know that there is very real corruption in these industries)
and it’s been a year and a half journey of making lifestyle changes, resisting the truth about ldl/apob, etc. a lot of half measures. I got my ldl down to 170 in a Few months of this.
june of 26, I decided to sign up with function health to see my full bloodwork panel.
ldl - 148
apob - 117
trig - 57
but for the first time, I was exposed to lp(a). 279.
and that’s what forced me over the last few months to finally get serious about my lipid profile. I’ve slowly gone from rejecting statins, to eager to identify the right pharmacological intervention for me.
since that time, not only did I finally pull all of the lifestyle levers at my disposal, but I also scheduled the areas leading Cardiologist for lipidology and preventative medicine.
initially, the appointment was for March. for a cancellation in December. Then today, I got a call for a cancellation tomorrow.
i want to say thank you to this sub for playing a key role in changing my mind about cholesterol.
and I want to implore everyone else who is on the fence about this, get a cardiologist, take a drug. Let’s do this together.
and I want to thank God who has blessed me in my health anxiety through this journey.
Metabolic:
glucose: 93
hba1c: 5.3%
insulin: 5.8
Homocysteine: 12.2
Omega 3 total: 6.5
test results so far:
CAC: 0
CIMT: thickening, but no plaque detected
r/Cholesterol • u/No_Snow1928 • 41m ago
Hey everyone, new here...and a bit in the panic stage.
46 female from Canada in perimenopause.
Oldest sister had her LipoA done and said all the siblings should get it done as our Mom died of a massive heart attack.
Oldest is 296 nmol/L
Middle Sis is 432 nmol/L and had a stent put in 2 years ago.
My results (youngest) are 216 nmolL for LipoA and 1.14 g/L for LipoB
Triglycerides 1.68
Cholesterol HDL 1.67
Cholesterol in LDL 3.3
Cholesterol Non HDL 4
Then my doc said I'm 5.8 in prediabetic range. For that I'm meeting with the staff nutritionist. Follow up with family doctor early November.
I don't know what to do with this information other than be panicked.
r/Cholesterol • u/dancing_bobo • 4h ago
So as a follow up to my previous Q, after incorporating more fibre, my mothers ldl and cholesterol has lowered to 228 (5.90 mmol/L) and 145 (3.75). So her family doctor says there are no test to examine arteries available in Canada and no longer any need to take the statins previously recommended.
based on advice here it seems the recommendation at her age is to take meds if borderline high given how it adds up in arteries. I don’t want to disregard GP advice but this does seem to not be aligned with modern approaches to cholesterol? Just want to know if anything we’re missing here
r/Cholesterol • u/Vivid_Remove_4699 • 15h ago
Currently do not have health insurance and am adversive to the doctors. Decided to get my blood test and these are the results. Have not had them checked in 6 years.
In 2020 they were:
Total Ch: 211
Tri: 45
HDL: 65
LDL: 137
Cholestrol/HDL Ratio: 3.2
Tested yesterday and they are:
Total: 267
Tri: 190
LDL: 185
HDL: 45
Ratio: 5.9
non hdl: 222
I'm scared. I am 40 and need to lose so weight, but other then some generalized anxiety i feel fine.
r/Cholesterol • u/Brilliant_Tea_7103 • 12h ago
I have been taking 10mg of Lipitor every other day (I’m very sensitive to statin side effects, hence the low dose). It has disrupted my sleep but I wanted to know if people have experienced actual muscle loss or trouble gaining muscle while on statins and/or Lipitor. I have tried Crestor but the side effects were too much on that one. I love to workout and I lift weights 4-5 times a week and wanted to know if the medications could actually be detrimental to muscle growth. Thank you for any insight
r/Cholesterol • u/Embarrassed-Sea1508 • 5h ago
6’1 173lbs Male
I am (was as of 5 months ago) extremely active, in the gym, trained martial arts 4-5 days a week, hours of cardio, my diet was middle of the road, I figured if I trained hard enough I’d be ok eating fast foods here and there along with a high protein diet for muscle building. I should also mention that I’ve been taking testosterone for almost 2-3 years biweekly. My blood pressure on average can be between 115-135 and 80-95. All my other testing such as echocardiogram, ECG’s, D-Dimer, troponin, holter etc have come back normal. (I had intermittent tachycardia due to steroids which is how I ended up getting bloodwork in the first place, and yes I’m done with the PEDS). But doctors do not suspect CAD at all.
These last 5 months I’ve had some health issues that prompted me to get bloodwork done that could or couldn’t be related to this but I have not been exercising or eating well at all since being out of the gym. These last 5 months I’ve been pretty depressed because I can’t exercise so I’ve been eating a lot of junk foods, burgers, pizzas, ice creams etc. I was 159lbs 5 months ago, I’ve gained 14lbs since.
When I got my bloodwork back that same day I changed my diet, no more fast food, I’ve been eating a high fibre diet 30-50g a day, lots of apples and blueberries, rolled oats, chia and flaxseeds etc. I’ve been eating like this daily for a month now. My doctor did not recommended a statin but that it’s possible my diet, steroid usage and lack of exercise for the last 5 months caused this. Not to mention the night before I got bloodwork I ate a burger, Parmesan fries and a chocolate milkeshake(?) which could explain the triglycerides. I’ve got about 2 more weeks until I get another round of bloods done.
There is the thought of familial cholesterol but tbh I don’t know if my family has had issues with it. My dad is on a statin, it was recommended to him in his 50s and my grandfather I also believe had cholesterol issues, not entirely sure. My dad’s diet is horrible and he also has never exercised. If anyone has any advice please let me know!
r/Cholesterol • u/Equal_Bit_2681 • 7h ago
32 year old female. High cholesterol runs in the family but I am overweight and also four months postpartum. I’m a stress eater, struggle with cravings, and tired all the time 🙃 what would be a good starting point for me to make adjustments to lower it?
r/Cholesterol • u/TankAccomplished3238 • 7h ago
Hello, I’m a 47 year old male. 3 months ago, I took my first blood test (ever?) and was shocked to learn that my LDL was 172 and my ApoB was 167. I was 5’8 and 225 pounds at the time.
Since then, I’ve lost 34 pounds (down to 191 pounds), have cut saturated fat to 5-10 grams a day, and have started 20mg Crestor. My LDL and ApoB are now in the low 80s and I’m planning to discuss Zetia with my doctor during my visit later this month to get my numbers under 70.
My concern is that I likely had high LDL and ApoB for a very long time and that I have advanced heart disease. I haven’t done a CAC scan and my doctor doesn’t seem to think it’s necessary since I’m being treated already and have made so much progress. My question is, is there anything else left for me to do? Am I still in danger now that my numbers have dropped so substantially? And if I do have a high CAC score, how would that change my treatment? Thank you in advance for any advice you might have!
r/Cholesterol • u/BonnetCoach • 7h ago
statin aches are real for some people. they show up a lot less in trials than in everyday practice, though. if you had aches, did they clear on a different statin or a retry with your doctor, or come back every time?
r/Cholesterol • u/frogsandfish • 13h ago
So for background I’m a 40 year old woman. I have a strong family history of heart disease but not “premature” it typically starts in the 70s. My grandfather died of a stroke and had several heart attacks in the decade prior. My grandmother had a massive stroke and peripheral artery problems. My other grandfather died of a heart attack and my aunt just died of a stroke in her early 70s. My ldl has always been in the 120s. I never thought much about it because the reference was to be under 130. As other risk factors I have a history of eating disorders and psoriasis. I don’t eat red meat or tropical oils. I slammed on the fiber started eating walnuts and switched to eating less low fat cheese. I also started weight lifting for osteoporosis prevention. I can’t safely change my diet anymore I don’t want to end up 20lb underweight again.
My blood work in July was
Total cholesterol 187
Triglycerides 78
HDL 44
LDL 130
My latest results
Total Cholesterol 201
Triglycerides 153 ( I started oral estrogen for perimenopause symptoms)
HDL 58
LDL 116
Lp(a) 14.6 nmol/L
I’m probably more emotionally invested in this than is normal because my husband had a cardiac arrest in 2021 and has 3 stents. I don’t actually fall in the medication recommended bucket with these numbers. My pcp was very dismissive when I bought up a statin when I got the first results. Should I just keep on with the fiber or should I go dr shopping until I can find one who will prescribe?
r/Cholesterol • u/Previous-Egg4404 • 10h ago
While I wait for my follow up, I’d love thoughts on my numbers.
46 yr old female, healthy weight, blood pressure, non drinker etc
First set is from June. Since then I’ve eliminated red meat, butter, PB (I was eating a lot of it), no fried food, very low sat fat, increased oats (esp with pecans), increased fish especially tuna and salmon, increased fiber, added plant based butter and avocado spray. I’ve probably lost 15 lbs in the last 18 months and the last 5 lbs since June. I was always a healthy BMI, fwiw.
I’m confused because my Lipo A went down 30ish points, total down but others slightly up? Is this just my genetics? Any reasons why better eating would cause triglycerides to go up, HDL to go down, etc? Confused and frustrated.
June 2026
Total 197
HDL 58
Triglycerides 64
LDL 123
Non HDL 139
Lipo A 185
October 2026
Total 191
HDL 51
Triglycerides 72
LDL 124
Non HDL 140
Lipo A 156
r/Cholesterol • u/alijef • 12h ago
I am a 49 yo female with a BMI of 21. I strength train 5 times per week and eat primarily whole foods with a protein forward diet. I could work on increasing my fiber and am currently doing so. One year ago my lipid panel showed a TC of 180, HDL 75, triglycerides 66, LDL 91 and non HDL 106. This is my first reading of ApoB. So this is a recent decline but I have not changed my habits. I am new to this. Please help me understand what is happening and how to help improve my health.
r/Cholesterol • u/specialist_spood • 13h ago
Has anyone here had a histamine response from their statin? I have had pretty severe histamine responses from meds in the past (full body hives, shortness of breath, chest pains), and with the rosuvastatin it is not severe--just swollen eyelids and my hands and fingers, wrists, ankles swell up and get puffy... ive doubled my cetirizine dose to counteract it. My guess is that it is from a filler in the med, since the actual statin medication itself wouldnt have any mechanism that would cause this, I dont think? So im wondering if anyone here has had something similar and if they switched to either a different generic, or name brand Crestor, and saw improvement? I am seeing my cardiologist next week to discuss options, and am thinking of seeing if he can prescribe the name brand?
r/Cholesterol • u/MacUserJoe • 22h ago
I miss bagels. These have Psyllium husk. Anyone try them? Thoughts on heart health? 0 Sat Fat, but high sodium and small amount of added sugar.
r/Cholesterol • u/mynwthrowaway • 1d ago
I tried googling my results but everything came up for high cholesterol and normal triglycerides, mine is the opposite
Cholesterol 175 mg/dl
Triglycerides 259 mg/dl H
HDL 38 mg/dl L
LDL calc 85 mg/dl
VLDL calc 52 mg/dl H
non-HDL cholesterol 137 mg/dl
I eat vegan-ish, mostly little meat or dairy but I eat some cheese everyday and lots of junk food and sweets like cookies and cinnamon rolls. I am overweight as well. I definitely have room for improvement. Also I was not fasting, i had breakfast and coffee 3 hours before the test if that would that make a difference. Would the dr say i need to take medication or weight loss could fix it? my A1C was 5.4