This 20-something-year-old has something to say about cholesterol. Isn’t cholesterol something that only “concerns” older people or people whose meals consist of fried chicken and Doritos’s? No, my friends, it is not. Around 2-1/2 years ago, my cholesterol came in at a staggering, to me, 199. This slight border between good and not-so-good made me take a step back. There was no way I was going to be on cholesterol pills before the age of 80, let alone 30!

Now, the problem is, I eat like a rabbit to most of the people around me. There are lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and water. I work out religiously and vigorously. Other than genetics, I couldn’t figure this one out.

So, I started eating even better, if that was possible. Oatmeal is now my breakfast of choice. And when I have eggs, I make sure to leave out a few of the yolks, a sneaky source of an entire day’s worth of cholesterol. I haven’t eaten a drive-through burger in who knows how long? Tracking food intake every now and then for a week or so really opens my eyes as well.

So, this past week, I was anxious to see the results from the blood draw this year. Turns out, I’ve lowered my cholesterol by 12 points. Twelve whole points! It’s now down to 187.

Turns out you can do something about your health all by yourself.