Speaker 1: 0:00

And the question I want to ask Jared today is why is it so hard to lower cholesterol? Because we have so many clients that come to us and they've had such difficulty. The truth is, we now know it's not hard to lower cholesterol. You just have to know some things. That are misconceptions. But, jared, why would you say most people think it's so hard? It feels really difficult to lower cholesterol.

Speaker 1: 0:22

Hey sister, welcome to the Power on Plants podcast. Are you tired of staring into the fridge wondering what to eat so you can just feel better? Do you want to avoid spending hours in the kitchen making complicated meals in the name of health? Would you love to leave fatigue behind and finally have the energy to do all the things you want to do? Hi, we're Jared and Anita Roussel, christ followers, healthcare professionals, parents of four and big fans of great tasting food.

Speaker 1: 0:50

We, too, tried exercising more, eating natural and clean foods, but we still found ourselves struggling with what we thought were changes that come with age or bad genes, and we weren't finding answers to traditional routes. So we dug into the research and created our secret nutritional weapon sustainable plant-based living. The truth is, you can eat more whole plant foods and it's not hard. You just need the way that's realistic and delicious so you never feel deprived. If you're ready to enjoy your meals, no longer be held back by your health struggles, struggles, and actively live your life, then you're in the right place. So grab your favorite plant-based cup of happy pop in those earbuds and let's get started.

Speaker 2: 1:33

Did you know that of all Americans surveyed, that zero percent like nasty tasting food?

Speaker 1: 1:39

Honestly, that has to be the best stat I think I've ever heard. You're cracking me up.

Speaker 2: 1:46

It is so true, it's completely true.

Speaker 1: 1:48

That is one of the major roadblocks. Like if you want to feel better, what are you going to do with a dry black bean vegan brownie? That's never going to make you happy and it's never going to last.

Speaker 2: 2:00

Which is why we have compiled a long list of our favorite recipes that are amazingly delicious, super simple and quick as can be.

Speaker 1: 2:09

These are our family favorites and trust me when I tell you I have worked to perfect them for hours and hours. My taste tester extraordinaire over here can vouch for it. Although he never complains when he has to taste test, I never complain, Never complain.

Speaker 2: 2:24

Oh no, we got to taste. Test this one again. Okay, if I have to, but it's all part of the process to perfect these recipes so that every time you eat one you can know that it's the absolute best and you never have to worry about eating another nasty meal again.

Speaker 1: 2:39

If you want to know how to eat whole food, plant-based meals that are simple, enjoyable and delicious tried and true, quick and easy, go to poweronplantscom forward slash cookbook and check out our cookbook bundles with all the bonuses. That's poweronplantscom forward slash cookbook.

Speaker 2: 2:55

Today we're on episode 360. So we are coming back full circle on the topic of cholesterol. Oh I see what you did there. Did you like what I did there?

Speaker 1: 3:04

Yeah, geometry man. I see what you did there. Did you like what I did there? Yeah, geometry man, I totally see what you did there.

Speaker 2: 3:06

Oh yeah, that was clever, wasn't it?

Speaker 1: 3:09

And the question I want to ask Jared today is why is it so hard to lower cholesterol? Because we have so many clients that come to us and they've had such difficulty. The truth is we now know it's not hard to lower cholesterol. You just have to know some things. That are misconceptions. But, jared, why would you say most people think it's so hard, it feels really difficult to lower cholesterol.

Speaker 2: 3:31

I think the key element there, though, is why does it seem hard to lower cholesterol? Because, really, when you know how, it's not as difficult as you've been led to believe, but I think the biggest element there, initially, is our mindset.

Speaker 1: 3:45

So, if you think about it, when you go to your doctor and you find out you have high cholesterol, do they talk to you about how you're going to be able to lower it, how you're not going to have this for life? Are those the terms that you generally hear?

Speaker 2: 3:57

I don't know that. I've ever heard that in my training or dealing with any other medical provider ever.

Speaker 1: 4:03

And were you taught to teach that to your patients in medical school?

Speaker 2: 4:07

They taught us diet and exercise and when that fails now they didn't say those words, but that's kind of if you're reading between the lines what they were saying. When that fails, here's a medication for you.

Speaker 1: 4:19

And so we go into the doctor's offices. What we hear a lot of times is well, it's genetic and it's your age and it just happens. And so here let's start you on this medication to help you to get the level lowered. Problem is, most of us know that the side effects of those medications are going to make our lives miserable. We've seen people that have dealt with it in our families that have been crippled by the medications and just had all these different side effects that just make taking them miserable. So no one wants to take them. Meanwhile, your cholesterol keeps creeping up and you don't know what to do about it. You almost feel like medication is your only choice.

Speaker 2: 4:53

Well, you're taught that is the only choice. And the other problem I have with cholesterol is we're taught that it's pathologic, that it is a problem. Cholesterol is very necessary. It's in every cell of our body. We must have it. The problem is the form in which we have it in our bodies. But we're taught it's pathologic, it's genetic. You must control it and really the only way to do that is a medication. But as you say, anita, it is very, very common for people to have side effects, and sometimes it can be mild, but many times it can be very crippling. And then you're left with this oh no, I've got to get it lower. I can't take the medications. What can I do? I'm kind of stuck here.

Speaker 1: 5:32

So what we need to do is get to the root cause. I mean, many times we're just looking at symptoms. Oh well, my cholesterol is high. We're trained to do that, and so it's putting out symptoms, putting out symptoms, putting out symptoms.

Speaker 2: 5:42

Controlling a number.

Speaker 1: 5:44

Yeah, and it's so frustrating. I mean, we went through that for years with our own health situations that we were going through when we entered the mainstream medical system. But then we worked in it and that's what we were told to offer our patients the ways to manage their symptoms. Well, we got tired of helping people manage their symptoms. We didn't go into it.

Speaker 2: 6:02

We got tired of managing our own symptoms, helping people manage their symptoms.

Speaker 1: 6:05

We didn't go into it. We got tired of managing our own symptoms. We didn't go into medicine and nursing to help people manage symptoms. We want to help people feel better, to prevent and even reverse those symptoms. So the question is is there a way to do that? When it comes to cholesterol, when you're trained, it's just genetic, surely it's just genetic, right Wrong. So then we have to ask what is the root cause? What is the source of it? Where is it coming from?

Speaker 2: 6:28

Our body makes it, but it makes what it needs, so the majority of excess cholesterol comes from our food.

Speaker 1: 6:35

So then the question is which foods contain cholesterol? Is it in every food?

Speaker 2: 6:40

No, it is not in every food.

Speaker 1: 6:42

actually, it is only found even beloved dairy cheese, yogurt, sour cream all the stuff I used to love eating on the regular. So how do I survive now that I don't eat any of those things? Don't I miss it? No, I don't, Because I found my new favorites, my new favorite ingredients, my new favorite meals. I don't miss any of those things. I still eat cheesy, creamy things, Alfredo sauce and creamy soups and things that I love that are still cheesy and taste great. And I found my sour cream replacement and my mayo replacement. When you do that, you set yourself up for the biggest wins because you're living the way that you actually enjoy. You're still having those things you love. You're just having them in the upgraded way that makes your body feel great. It loves your body back.

Speaker 2: 7:31

Now I have a question Does organic or quote unquote clean help with this problem?

Speaker 1: 7:37

Oh no, because we did that for years. We were eating clean and organic whenever we were at our sickest, but we just didn't know. No one was telling us that these foods were filled with cholesterol and other things that were harming our bodies, making us feel bad, keeping us stuck and unable to live the full, active life that we were longing to live.

Speaker 2: 7:57

We ate free range eggs, no hormone added milk or cheese. We had beef from pasture raised cows, so stuff that we thought was the best of the best. We still had those problems. It wasn't making a dent in our symptoms.

Speaker 1: 8:10

And one of the problems was that, even though they're pasture-raised and cage-free and organic, they still contain cholesterol. Why?

Speaker 2: 8:17

is that Because these are animal products and animals have cholesterol in them.

Speaker 1: 8:23

So the first reason it seems hard to lower your cholesterol is because you think it's genetic and you don't know that these foods that you're eating on the regular are filled with cholesterol. Know that these foods that you're eating on the regular are filled with cholesterol. So what happens if you now take out or remove the foods from your diet that have cholesterol in them, all these animal products we've just mentioned? What if you do that? Well, you're going to crash and burn because you know what. You don't have anything you enjoy anymore. You haven't done part two of the one-two punch, which is putting in foods that you absolutely love that don't contain any cholesterol. Wait, there are foods that contain no cholesterol. That's right. There are whole plant foods that have absolutely no cholesterol in them whatsoever, but what they do have and this makes it doubly good is that whole plant foods are full of fiber. Fiber helps the cholesterol get out of your body.

Speaker 1: 9:14

So let's say now you're not eating any cholesterol from animal products. No, animal products are coming into your life, and now you're eating all these wonderful replacement foods that are made with whole plant foods that you absolutely love. It tastes just as good or better than your old favorites, but they have no cholesterol and on top of that, they are full of fiber, which helps the cholesterol that is already in your body get transported out of your body safely and effectively. So now, how do you think that's going to affect your cholesterol levels? Well, we see time and again those numbers start to drop. So the huge thing is remembering it's not just about what you're not eating, it's also about what you are eating, what you put back into its place. Just always remember one thing out, one thing back in its place that you absolutely love. That's going to promote your health.

Speaker 2: 10:03

I thought of a good analogy. But it's not a car. What if you had a bathtub that was stopped up and you leave the faucet on Now, not going fast but just coming in at a moderate pace? That tub is going to overflow. But if you stop eating the cholesterol, turn the water off, you open the drain, you're eating the fiber, the tub is going to empty, the cholesterol is going to flush from your system.

Speaker 1: 10:27

That's a great analogy. Now let's think about this. But, jared, do you think that protein fear leads to increased cholesterol intake? We were talking about this the other day, and I think it's a very interesting thing to consider, because there's such protein fear in our society. Am I going to get my protein? Am I getting enough protein? Would you like a protein with that? They even ask you that in the restaurant. I want you to start noticing, when you go out to eat, how often you're asked would you like to add a protein? It's really twisted. It really is a marketing ploy. It's okay, we need protein, right, but the thing is we have a protein surplus in our society. People are not, as a general rule, unless they're starving lacking protein. What we are lacking is fiber.

Speaker 2: 11:16

What they really should be asking is would you like a side of fiber with that? Would you like to add some fiber to that? I think the protein fear that we have is absolutely leading to an issue with cholesterol, because we think animal-based foods are the only source of protein that is out there. I must need more and more protein, and the only way I'm going to do that is by eating four eggs in the morning with a slab of steak. For lunch, I eat another slab of meat, and that you're getting more and more, and then it's only natural. What else is going to come with that? You're going to get saturated fats, you're going to get cholesterol and all those things that we talk about on our podcast here.

Speaker 1: 11:49

Look, and if you're like I was, you're eating your baked potato or something that's whole food, plant-based, right but then you're putting all the animal products on top of it the bacon, the cheese, the sour cream, the butter. You have to stop and realize that this is what got me into this situation in the first place, and no one was telling me. Why are my healthcare providers not telling me this?

Speaker 2: 12:09

And, ironically, you're told to stop eating the baked potato, thinking the potato is the issue, when the potato was not the issue, it was everything else going on there. Because now, like you said, we will use a yogurt. It's an almond milk based yogurt with no sweetener, no fruit, and it's an Excellent, excellent replacement for the sour cream, because it tastes just like it. So we now have that tangy goodness on our baked potato and we don't miss it. That is our new favorite. That is our upgrade.

Speaker 1: 12:37

And on our burrito and on our.

Speaker 1: 12:38

Mexican casseroles and on our lasagnas. There's so many ways you can use these things when you know the ingredients to use. That's why it's just so important that you get inside community. You're going to get ideas and inspiration that is going to change your life. That's why we have a whole module inside our accelerator course where we teach you how to make these simple substitutes. How do you substitute this ingredient and that ingredient and what products do you buy and what produce do you buy and where do you find those in the store. I take you around and show you all the different shelves and what we buy and where we shop, how to organize your pantry and make it simple so you don't want to pull your hair out and you actually love this way of living. These are the things that you need to know. It's so very important. But seriously, get in community and start getting these ideas for making these substitutes. It's going to change everything for you.

Speaker 2: 13:27

Let us teach you in days what took us years to learn.

Speaker 1: 13:31

A hundred percent. This is one of the big keys. So right now, join us at poweronplantscom forward slash P-I-E. That's poweronplantscom forward slash pie. So we've established that there is no protein famine in our land. There's a fiber famine, a fiber famine. So if you start eating these foods that have no cholesterol and that are filled with fiber which are what foods?

Speaker 1: 13:54

Whole plant foods there's a reason we call these the five power foods fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes because they will power you. Well, when you get these things in the place of the things that have been sabotaging your health for so long, you're going to find that you're able to get out there and start doing the things you want to do, because you finally feel good. So what can you do about this? We've been talking about this a little bit all along, but what can you actually do to start lowering your cholesterol? Step number one understand it's not just genetic. Cholesterol levels that are too high are largely related to animal product intake. Not all food, not just hey, it's the food you eat and you need to change what you eat. No, you need to know what the foods are to get out and which foods to get back into their place and that sounds great and all because now you realize that animal products are the things that need to come out and whole plant foods are the foods that need to come into your life on a regular basis. So how do you do that in a way you actually enjoy? You find your new favorites, anita, I don't know where to start. Get the cookbooks at poweronplantscom forward slash cookbook. That is one of the best places to start.

Speaker 1: 15:07

Step two get inside the community at poweronplantscom forward slash pie. It's not going to cost you anything except your time and attention to get in there and learn these things. Every podcast episode is searchable for you there and you're going to start finding the answers that you need. What can I eat instead? What can I make with this whole plant food? And you start finding your new favorites and gaining that momentum. And the next step is get on the wait list for Accelerator and the next time it's open, do not miss it, because it is going to change your life.

Speaker 1: 15:38

This is a five-step framework that takes you from feeling like you don't know what to do. You don't know where to start. You don't know how to make it last. A lot of our clients that come to us have been trying to eat whole plant foods or vegan for a very long time, but they don't know how to make it work because they don't have the system that's been proven and tested and works. But when you have that, it is going to change everything for you. You can find out more about that at poweronplantscom. Forward slash accelerator.

Speaker 1: 16:10

What is your one takeaway today? What is one thing that you're going to do as a result of what you've learned so that you can start lowering your cholesterol naturally, in a way that's actually enjoyable, that doesn't feel miserable or feel like dieting? Is it just power through and drop all the animal products you're eating and start eating all whole plant foods? Is it getting into a community where you're going to be supported and start finding those favorites that you're going to enjoy one step at a time? Is it getting inside Accelerator so you can learn the proven system step by step to walk you through to finally feeling good? Whichever step you're ready for, know that we are here for you, you are loved, you are prayed for and we will see you again very soon.