Tiny habits lowered my cholesterol

Bowls of heart-healthy foods including amla powder and oats and lentils. All are plant-based and vegan. They help with cardiovascular health and cholesterol.

After I read James Clear’s Atomic Habits and B.J. Fogg’s Tiny Habits, I knew they could be helpful to anyone seeking to improve their plant-based eating habits. I was so convinced by this that I set up “30-Day Eating Habits Challenges” so that I could help others go on this journey with me. Over a hundred people did during the months of January and February 2022.

My cholesterol

I used the Challenges myself to see if I could get my cholesterol down to pre-menopause levels. I’d been enjoying total cholesterol levels in the 150’s after switching to a plant-based diet. But after menopause sank in, my cholesterol climbed into the 180’s and parked itself there for several years no matter what I did.

What I did

My first tiny habit was to start eating a half-cup of berries every day. Many nutritionally oriented doctors recommend eating berries daily. Berries contain high levels of antioxidants that can help the cardiovascular system. I can’t always get fresh berries, so I sometimes I make simple berry smoothies from frozen berries. I use the Reminders app on my phone to ping me each day around breakfast time.

After a month of getting the berries habit in place, I introduced three more habits:

  • 32 more ounces of water each day

  • A single Brazil nut daily

  • A teaspoon of amla powder stirred into 16 ounces of water.

For a post on amla powder, click here. For a video on why I chose Brazil nuts, click here. Important note: do not exceed a single Brazil nut per day. Brazil nuts contain anywhere from 68 to 91 micrograms (mcg) per nut. The recommended daily amount of selenium is 55 mcg. The tolerable upper limit for adults is 400 mcg, according to the National Institutes for Health, but, to be safe, keep it at one nuts per day.

Both James Clear and B.J. Fogg talk about “anchoring” a new tiny habit to an action you already perform every day. I put my container of Brazil nuts on top of my tea cannister so I couldn’t miss it every morning. I stir amla powder into the water I use to swallow my Vitamin B12 supplement.

Small changes added up to a big improvement

One, two, or all of these habits must have done the trick, because my recent blood test showed that my total and LDL levels had each dropped by 19 points. My total cholesterol decreased to 168 and my LDL to 103.

I can’t guarantee any specific health benefit to anyone, but I would definitely recommend the “tiny habits” approach for addressing a stubborn obstacle you want to work on. Getting a tiny habit in place is empowering, and it becomes the gateway to more and more good habits. In my case, I used one of my new habits (drinking more water) as an anchoring behavior for yet another new habit (amla powder), so good habits can quickly build on each other.

Eating Habits, Health InformationLinda TylerComment