Iliana Monroe wasn’t expecting a wake-up call during her annual check-up.

“I felt fine,” she says. “But my cholesterol numbers were through the roof.” Her doctor suggested medication, but Iliana wanted to try food first.

She’d been flirting with a plant-based lifestyle for years, mostly for environmental reasons. Now, with a clear health goal in mind, she committed fully. “I told myself—give it 90 days,” she says.

At first, Iliana worried a vegan diet would feel restrictive. But the opposite happened. “It opened up a whole new world of flavor,” she says. Instead of bacon and eggs, she ate avocado toast with pumpkin seeds. Her salads got heartier—with lentils, chickpeas, and roasted sweet potatoes. She discovered oat milk lattes, tahini dressings, and tofu stir-fries that became weekly staples.

But the biggest surprise? How her body responded.

“By week four, I had more energy than I’d felt in years,” she says. “And when I went back for a follow-up after three months, my LDL cholesterol had dropped significantly. My doctor couldn’t believe it.”

Iliana emphasizes that the change wasn’t just in the food—it was in the mindset. “I didn’t focus on what I was missing. I focused on what I was gaining: heart health, better digestion, and a deeper connection to what I put in my body.”

Now, Iliana shares her journey with others looking to lower cholesterol naturally. “Food can heal,” she says. “You just have to give it a chance.”