When Dr. Vickie was 26 years old, sitting in a hospital cafeteria surviving on hamburgers and Coca-Cola, she got her first cholesterol result back: 256. High cholesterol runs in her family — so she wasn’t shocked. But she was paying attention.

Decades later, she lowered her own cholesterol by 100 points through diet and exercise alone — something her doctors once said was barely possible. Now she’s bringing that personal experience together with the brand new 2026 cholesterol guidelines to help you understand your risk and what you can actually do about it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Cholesterol isn’t the villain it’s been made out to be — your body needs it. But when levels in the bloodstream get too high, the risk to your heart and blood vessels is real. Dr. Vickie walks you through the science simply and clearly, covering everything from how cholesterol is made in the body to what the latest guidelines say about treatment targets.

You’ll come away knowing how to find your personal 10-year heart disease risk using the PREVENT calculator, what your LDL number should actually be based on your individual risk level, and why fiber and saturated fat matter far more than whether you eat eggs. She also takes an honest, myth-busting look at statins — including the real side effect profile, the misinformation that has made people afraid of them, and when they genuinely make sense.

The Bottom Line on Diet

Saturated fat raises bad cholesterol. Fiber lowers it. That’s the foundation. Beyond that, unsaturated fats — found in avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fish — can actually raise your good cholesterol. And if you’re looking for a dietary pattern with the most evidence behind it for lowering LDL specifically, Dr. Vickie introduces the Portfolio Diet alongside the better-known Mediterranean diet.

What About Statins?

If you’ve heard that statins cause dementia, or that doctors prescribe them to make money, this episode is for you. Dr. Vickie addresses both claims directly — and explains what she would personally do if her own doctor ever recommended one.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• PREVENT Cardiovascular Risk Calculator 
• 2026 ACC/AHA Cholesterol Guidelines https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423
• Good vs. Bad Cholesterol — previous episode 
• Join the LAB: healthylooksgreatonyou.com/the-lab/

Join the LAB This April

April inside the Healthy Looks Great on You LAB is all about heart health — cholesterol, blood pressure, diet, and exercise, all in a supportive community of women who are done just knowing what they should do and ready to actually do it.

If that’s you, we’d love to have you. 👉 Join the LAB here