Independent health store advice on heart health and healthy cholesterol

Looking for advice on natural health and wellbeing? Your local independent health storecan offer a wealth of expertise. This month we talk to Sarah Hagen, owner of Healthy Indulgence in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Here at Healthy Indulgence we often have customers asking for guidance around heart health and cholesterol, and usually for a couple of reasons. Some people don’t want to go on medication; they want to try and do it in a more natural way. Others want to do it alongside medication.

Understanding cholesterol
Cholesterol isn’t always as simple as people think. Stress plays a massive part, and so does long-term inflammation. If someone has a lot of pain in their body, their cholesterol will generally be higher because the body is trying to settle that inflammation down. If we address the root cause and try to reduce the inflammation and rebalance the system, we often find that the cholesterol levels can rebalance too. Of course, it sounds simpler than it is. Sometimes it’s genetic, sometimes it’s age-related, sometimes someone has ongoing pain or illness and their levels of inflammation will always be higher. In those cases, some people will need medication.

But even then, it’s about keeping the body as balanced as possible alongside it.

Food first
I like to give our customers simple advice that they can take on board. I always recommend eating real food. It’s about variety, lots of colours, lots of vegetables, soluble fibre, and reducing processed foods and sugars. But it’s also about balance, because people don’t want to feel restricted.

If 80 per cent of the diet is good, real food, and 20 per cent is a bit naughty, the body can deal with that. The problem is when the percentages creep the other way. People are busy, tired, feeling low, and grabbing more processed foods, which then makes them feel worse. It becomes a cycle. I’m not dismissing how hard that is. Try starting with one small change. See if it works. Then make another. If you tell someone to change their whole life, it’s too much.

Targeted support
Some people prefer to focus on food; others are happy to try supplements. We might start with plant sterols, which are a natural way of lowering cholesterol. Then, we would consider vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D plays a part in how cholesterol is produced and influences both LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol).

It’s a fat-soluble vitamin, involved in calcium absorption, bone health and hormone production. Cholesterol and vitamin D are linked – the body synthesises vitamin D – so both need supporting.

Magnesium is another one I love. I think it’s underrated. It’s involved in lipid metabolism and cholesterol synthesis.

Most people are low in magnesium, especially under stress. Stress leaches magnesium out of the body, tightening muscles and increasing tension, which then makes people feel more stressed. Supporting magnesium helps to relax the system.

We also have to support the liver, because it’s crucial for metabolising cholesterol. Sometimes we look at milk thistle if there’s an issue there. But I’m a big believer in not bringing too much in all at once. People sometimes leave places with armfuls of supplements, and then you don’t know what’s working. Slower can be frustrating, but it’s more effective in the long-term.

Stress, movement and slowing down
Lifestyle changes can really help, but they need to be realistic. If someone’s stress is really high, meditation might be the worst thing you could suggest. It’s too quiet. It won’t work. I often suggest pausing — putting the kettle on, doing some breathing, and actually sitting down to drink the tea instead of doing six jobs at once. Gentle movement is important, but not high-intensity exercise if someone’s already stressed. Walking, slowing everything down, even putting music on and dancing at home can help.

We’re not taught how to relax. As children, we’re taught to stay busy. So sometimes it’s colouring, jigsaws, anything that absorbs the mind, like an active meditation. Walking in nature works for some people, but not everyone.

What I always say is: don’t do someone else’s journey. Find your journey. When people try to copy what they’ve read online or in books, it’s not sustainable. Health has to work for the individual if it’s going to last.

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