Office Hours: Why Your Cholesterol Is High—and How to Start Fixing It in 10 Days

Mark Hyman, MD

Dr. Mark Hyman is leading a health revolution—one focused on using food as medicine to support longevity, energy, mental clarity, happiness, and so much more. Mark Hyman, MD is a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. He is the founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, Founder and Senior Advisor for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, a sixteen-time New York Times best-selling author, and Board President for Clinical Affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine. He is the founder and chairman of the Food Fix Campaign, dedicated to transforming our food and agriculture system through policy.

He is a co-founder and the Chief Medical Officer of Function Health. He is the host of one of the leading health podcasts, The Dr. Hyman Show with 150+ million downloads. Dr. Hyman is a regular medical contributor to several television shows and networks, including CBS This Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The View, Fox, and CNN.

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Full Transcript

Automatically generated. Please forgive any typos or errors in the following transcript. It was generated by a third party and has not been subsequently reviewed by our team.

Dr. Mark Hyman
Welcome to Office Hours. This is our dedicated one on one space to go deeper, get clear, and explore what truly moves the needle for your health. I'm Doctor Mark Hyman, and each week, we're gonna pull back the curtain and share the insights, the research, the lessons that don't always make it into our conversations with guests. Because at the end of the day, you are the CEO of your own health. And for many of you, your family's health too.

And you might not feel it all the time, but you have far more power and agency than you realize. I'm glad you're here. This episode is brought to you by Function Health, empowering you to live a 100 healthy years with over a 160 lab tests for just $365 a year. And use the code Mark twenty twenty six to get $50 off your membership. You get your lab results back and your cholesterol's high.

And almost immediately, the conversation goes in one direction. Lower your cholesterol. Cut fats. Start a medication. But what if that's not the full picture?

What if cholesterol isn't the root problem at all? It's just a deeper signal of something going on in your body. What if in just ten days you could start shifting that in the right direction? Not by chasing a number, but by fixing what's driving it in the first place. In functional medicine, we look at cholesterol in a very different way.

We don't just ask, how do we lower this number? We ask, why is it elevated? Because cholesterol is not happening in isolation. It's influenced by your blood sugar, your insulin levels, your inflammation, your diet, your gut health, your lifestyle. So instead of chasing cholesterol directly, we focus on fixing the system.

And when you do that, cholesterol often improves as a byproduct of better health. So what's really driving cholesterol? Let's take a step back and look at this through a functional medicine lens. Because for many people, high cholesterol isn't about being driven by dietary fat the way we've traditionally been told. It's being driven by deeper imbalances in the body, things like insulin resistance, too much sugar and refined carbs, chronic low grade inflammation, ultra processed foods, and a lack of movement throughout the day.

These are the real drivers for a large percentage of people. And here's where it gets interesting. For many people, sugar and processed carbs are actually a bigger problem than fat because of what they do metabolically. When you eat a diet high in starch and sugar, you spike your blood sugar, and that triggers insulin. And over time, consistently elevated insulin can lead to something called insulin resistance.

And insulin resistance changes how your body handles fat and cholesterol. It can increase the production of triglycerides. It can alter LDL particles. It can drive the kind of inflammation that contributes to cardiovascular risk. So now we understand cholesterol isn't the root problem.

It's just a downstream effect of metabolic dysfunction. And you have layered on top of that lots of things. Inflammation from poor diet, from stress, and from environmental exposures, all of which further disrupt how your body regulates cholesterol. So when you put all this together, high cholesterol is less about the cholesterol itself and more about what's happening underneath. Your metabolism, your blood sugar, inflammation, your overall lifestyle.

And once you start to see it through that lens, well, it changes the question. Instead of asking, how do I lower my cholesterol? The better question becomes, how do I fix what's driving it? Because when you address the root causes, cholesterol often improves as a byproduct. So once you understand what's actually driving your high cholesterol, the next question becomes, what can you do about it starting right now?

The good news is that your body can begin changing surprisingly quickly. In fact, many people start noticing meaningful differences in as little as ten days. And this isn't about restriction. It's not about doing something extreme or unsustainable. It's about creating a short, focused reset where you reduce inflammation, you stabilize your blood sugar, and you support your metabolism with the right inputs.

Because when you start improving those core systems, the body often responds faster than people expect. Your energy improves, your cravings begin to calm down, then your clarity gets better, and markers like blood sugar, inflammation, even cholesterol start moving in the right direction. And honestly, that's exactly the thinking behind the ten day detox. It's built around these same foundational principles. Removing inflammatory foods, focusing on real whole food, supporting the gut and metabolism, and giving the body a chance to reset.

And one of the reasons people find it so effective is because it provides structure, simplicity, and support, which can make healthy change feel so much more doable. So whether you do this on your own or you follow a guided program like the ten day detox, the goal is the same. Create a window of time where you're consistently supporting your body instead of overwhelming it. Because once you do that, the body often starts moving toward healing remarkably quickly. The first step is reducing the biggest drivers of inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.

For the next ten days, I want you to focus on removing sugar refined carbohydrates, ultra processed foods, and industrial oils. That means cutting back on things like soda, pastries, processed snacks, fast food, packaged foods with longer reading lists, because these foods don't just affect cholesterol. They disrupt blood sugar. They increase inflammation and stress in the body, and they screw up the whole metabolic system. And when you remove them, the body often starts to reset surprisingly quickly.

So this is where a lot of people get confused. They think, well, I have high cholesterol, so I should avoid fat. But the issue isn't fat itself. It's the type of fat. Healthy fats are actually essential for metabolic health and improve your cardiovascular risk.

They help stabilize blood sugar, they reduce inflammation, they support healthy hormones and cell function. So instead of fearing fat, focus on upgrading the quality. Choose foods like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, omega three rich foods like wild salmon. At the same time, try to reduce highly processed fats found in ultra processed foods and fried foods, which tend to promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Because when you start choosing better fats, well, you're actively supporting your body's ability to regulate cholesterol more effectively.

Protein is another foundational piece. Eating enough protein helps do a lot of things. Stabilizes your blood sugar. It reduces cravings. It supports muscle mass.

It improves metabolic health. And all those things will influence cholesterol and inflammation. So try to include quality protein with every meal. Eggs, fish, chicken, legumes, or other whole food protein sources. Sometimes even small shifts in protein intake can make a big difference in energy, cravings, and your blood sugar stability.

And one of the most important powerful tools for improving cholesterol and gut health is fiber. Fiber helps remove excess cholesterol from the body and the gut, and it feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut that support metabolic health. So focus on adding more vegetables, leafy greens, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and high fiber whole foods. The more whole food fiber you eat, the more you support your microbiome, your digestion, and your overall metabolic health. And this is often one of the fastest ways to start shifting in the right direction.

Right? Your gut plays a much bigger role in cholesterol and metabolic health than most people realize. Microbiome helps regulate inflammation, blood sugar, even how cholesterol is processed in the body. So supporting gut health is key. And there's some simple ways to do that, including eating more fiber, adding fermented foods like yogurt or sauerkraut, reducing processed foods, supporting your overall digestive health.

Because when the gut becomes healthier, inflammation often goes down, and metabolic health tends to improve right beside it. So what does this actually look like in a real day? Let's walk through a simple example of how to eat if your goal is to optimize your cholesterol and support metabolism. And the key here isn't perfection. It's following a pattern.

Whole foods, balanced meals, and stable blood sugar throughout the whole day. So start your day with a balanced protein forward meal. For example, eggs with sauteed greens like spinach or kale cooked in olive oil, add half an avocado on the side, maybe some berries for fiber and antioxidants. You're getting protein, healthy fats, and fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar right from the beginning of your day. If you're having coffee, have it with or after food, not an empty stomach, and avoid adding sugar or highly processed creamers.

For lunch, think in terms of a nutrient dense bowl. For example, grilled salmon or chicken, a large base of mixed vegetables, leafy greens, broccoli, peppers, olive oil, lemon as a dressing. And, optionally, put a small portion of fiber rich carbs like quinoa or lentils. This gives you omega three fats, fiber, and sustained energy without the blood sugar spike, which is important. Here's something I've noticed about men over decades of practice.

Some of us will wake up at five in the morning to train. They'll track macros, cut carbs, they'll push through workouts when we're exhausted, but we don't have a plan to find out what's actually happening inside our body. And I understand why. There's something about getting blood drawn that feels optional, like something you do after something goes wrong. But here's what thirty years or almost forty years now is a doctor's talk.

The conditions that shorten a man's life don't send a warning. Cardiovascular disease can build in the background while elevated lipoprotein delay and ApoB go undetected. Testosterone can shift alongside inflammation, and insulin resistance is there that no one's ever checked. This Father's Day, the most meaningful thing you can give the man in your life is another piece of equipment for the gym. Give data so he can stop guessing and check his health.

It's time to stop guessing. Check your health with function. Function gives you access to over a 160 lab tests every year, including advanced lipoprotein testing. It's time to stop guessing. Check your health with function.

Go to functionhealth.com/mark. And if you're one of the first 1,000 people this week, use the code mark 2026 for a $50 credit toward your $365 a year membership. That's functionhealth.com/mark, and use the code mark twenty twenty six today. If you need a snack, I don't really think snacking is necessary, but keep it simple and balanced. A handful of nuts, apple slices with almond butter, veggies with hummus.

The goal is to avoid these spikes and crashes. For dinner, focus on protein, plants, and healthy fats. For example, wild caught fish or clean protein like chicken, roasted brussels sprouts, some vegetables, zucchini, cauliflower. Drizzle with olive oil, maybe a side of a sweet potato if you want some more healthy starches. And this supports fiber intake.

It's anti inflammatory and helps you feel full without overeating. In the evening, try to avoid late night snacking, especially on processed or sugary food. That's a no no because that's gonna disrupt your blood sugar and screw up your metabolism overnight. So when you zoom out, this way of eating isn't about restriction. It's about quality, protein, plants, healthy fats, and minimizing processed foods.

And when you eat this way consistently, you're not just lowering cholesterol, you're improving the entire system that controls it. In addition to food, well, movement is one of the most powerful tools for improving metabolic health because exercise directly improves insulin sensitivity. And insulin resistance is one of the biggest drivers of cholesterol imbalance and inflammation. When your body becomes more insulin sensitive, well, it gets better at regulating everything, blood sugar, fat metabolism, inflammation, energy production. And the good news is, well, it doesn't have to mean intense workouts or spending hours in the gym.

In fact, consistency matters far more than intensity. Simple things like daily walking, strength training a few times a week, taking movement breaks throughout the day, walking after meals, or simply sitting less can have a profound impact over time. Even a ten minute walk after meals can help improve blood sugar regulation and support your metabolic health. Now strength training was especially important as we age because muscle acts almost like a metabolic organ. The more healthy muscle mass you maintain, the better your body becomes at managing your blood sugar and your cholesterol.

Movement also helps lower stress hormones, which helps improve circulation, supports your mitochondria, it reduces inflammation, all which contribute to better overall health. And because your body's designed to move, when you move consistently, your metabolism, your brain, your gut, your cardiovascular system, they all work better. Finally, sleep and stress. Because even if your diet is perfect, if you're not sleeping well or you're constantly stressed, the body stays in a state of imbalance. Poor sleep and chronic stress can increase inflammation.

It can disrupt hormones. It can worsen cholesterol markers. So focus on consistent sleep, reducing stress, and creating recovery time in your day because your body repairs and resets when you rest. So once you start addressing the foundations of your diet, your movement, your sleep, well, there's also a few targeted supplements that can help support this process. Now supplements aren't a replacement for the basics.

They're not gonna override a poor diet or lifestyle. But when used strategically, they can help accelerate progress. And a few that are commonly used to support healthy cholesterol and overall metabolic health include omega three fatty acids. They're found in fish oil, they help reduce inflammation and support healthy triglyceride levels. Things like soluble fiber, things like psyllium husk or glucomannan can help bind cholesterol in the gut and support its removal from the body.

Plant sterols and stanols, well, these compounds can help block cholesterol absorption in the intestine. Magnesium, well, that supports metabolic health and blood sugar regulation, and of course, cardiovascular health. And for some people, red rice yeast may be used under guidance, and it can have pretty good cholesterol lowering effects. But this is something that should be personalized and monitored because the goal here isn't just to make more supplements. It's to use the right tools at the right time for your body.

And ideally, we'll have to stand with a practitioner who can guide you. So lowering cholesterol isn't really about cholesterol. It's about trying to fix the system underneath it, your metabolism, your inflammation, your blood sugar, your lifestyle. And when you support those things, well, your body starts to rebalance naturally, and cholesterol improves as a result. And the good news is with Functional Health, you can do a deep dive on your lipid numbers, all the metabolic health markers and your insulin and your nutrient levels and your omega three fats and all the things that really determine your cardiovascular risk.

And then you can track it over time and see what changes are impacting your health and your cardiovascular risk. So check it out, functionalhealth.com. So if you wanna start today, keep it simple. Remove sugar and processed foods. Eat whole real food.

Focus on healthy fats and protein. Increase fiber. Move your body. Prioritize sleep. You don't need to do everything perfectly.

Remember, you're the CEO of your own health. Even a few consistent changes can create real momentum. And honestly, the hardest part for most people is just getting started. Knowing what to eat, how to structure your day, staying consistent. That's where having a little more structure can really help.

And programs like the ten day detox are designed to take the guesswork out of it, giving you a clear plan, real food guidance, and even the option to be part of a community with live coaching along the way so you're not trying to figure it out on your own. But whether you follow something structured or start making small changes on your own, the key is to begin because your body responds quickly when you give it the right inputs. So instead of fearing your cholesterol, start using it as feedback. When you support your system properly, your health improves, and your numbers often follow, sometimes in as little as ten days. So to dive a little deeper on heart health and lowering cholesterol, check out this clip from my episode with Doctor.

Asim Malhotra.

Dr. Asim Malhotra
But what's most promising and interesting is, when you correct for insulin resistance, right, their level of risk of heart disease for FH patients almost comes back to someone who's completely healthy. That's It's only for slightly higher. So what were the two markers? Normal waist circumference and low insulin. Yeah.

Now how do you get there? Diet. Right? Cutting out the sugar, processed foods, refined carbs.

Dr. Mark Hyman
That's right.

Dr. Asim Malhotra
And it rapidly so this is amazing. So I can so what I do with those patients is I go through that with them. Now if I think they're actually the high low propritin, low l a, and they're probably at high risk, I say, listen, the statin benefit is there. It's small, but why don't we do a halfway house? High dose statins are more likely to give you side effects.

Let's do a low dose statin. Let's do the lifestyle. The lifestyle's most important for you, and I go really hard on that with them, including the diet, the exercise, and actually the the one that I think isn't discussed enough, you know, it it comes out in my my documentary film. Which is called? First, do no farm, p h a r m, not f a

Dr. Mark Hyman
r m. Oh, and how do you how do you find that?

Dr. Asim Malhotra
We it's released online at the moment, and you can download it for for $10, and it's the website is nofarmfilm.com. And the reviews have been, you know, pretty extraordinary. Nofarm? Nofarmfilm.com. Pharm?

Pharm.

Dr. Mark Hyman
Okay.

Dr. Asim Malhotra
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nofarmfilm.com. We screened it in in the Leicester Square Odeon in London, which is the most famous cinema in the world.

Seven ninety people came. It was invite only, but celebrities. Really good feedback. Streamed it to doctors at Integrated Mental Health Conference in Washington DC. Really amazing feedback there.

And so far, you know, we're getting reviews that are giving it sort of 9.7 out of 10, which is great. I'm proud of that. But most importantly, Mark, it is a it is, in my view, this film uncovers literally how we have got this pandemic of chronic disease, both with big pharma and big food capturing this. We've got, you know, the medical knowledge. We've got very credible experts, four medders of the BMJ.

We go into some dark stuff in there, just how many people have been killed by research fraud, but we also give people hope with the lifestyle stuff. And one of the most interesting things I discovered in the in the film or in my own research is that, for me, pushing the boundaries on heart disease is also the next phase is can you reverse the blockages of coronary artery disease? And the only there's not a lot of research out there. We know, of course, Dean Ornish did his trial many years ago, but the reversal was very, very, you know, at least it's very least it's stabilized coronary disease, but it was like one or two percent in terms of blockages. Cardiology in India for twenty years has been reversing heart disease to the level where, you know, one of his papers that he published showed a twenty percent reduction within two years.

Of the narrowing of arteries. Seventy percent became 50, 50 became 30. So he did it through this healthy lifestyle program. It was a they were devout Hindus, hundreds of patients. Right?

High fiber vegetarian diet, because they were devout Hindus, Two thirty minute brisk walks a day. Okay? And then something called Raj yoga meditation. And when he did a deep dive analysis into what caused a reversal, the only independent factor for reversal of heart disease was forty minutes of Raj yoga meditation a day. So I went to India, and I thought, let me just is this true?

Is this real? Let me look at the angiograms on myself. I trained in this stuff. I know this stuff inside out. It was unbelievable what I was seeing.

I was seeing those patients. Was seeing the angiogram reports. There was clear reversal. In some patients, there was a complete 100% occlusion that then opened up. Wow.

Right? So I think it's because you've turned down the chronic inflammation by getting on top of the stress, but it wasn't just about breath work and meditation. This comes into something that we are dealing with right now in society, which is a crisis of morality. Okay? It was a spiritual transformation.

These people changed their mindset. They became less materialistic. They became more spiritual. They had thought how to reduce their anger. They were you know, he got them into the ashram with their wives, for example, the men and and vice versa, to talk about why were they getting more angry, like, how is your relationship?

What's going on with your work? It was a real spiritual transformation that reduced probably the stress, and I think that probably has a scientific basis, because we know chronic stress increases chronic low grade inflammation. Talked about heart disease being a chronic inflammatory process. You turn down the inflammation, and the body can heal. The body has a capacity to heal itself.

Dr. Mark Hyman
What if brain fog, anxiety, and mood swings aren't simply all in your head? What if the health of your mind actually starts deeper in your body, in your gut, in your hormones, metabolism, and your immune system? Well, let me tell you, the connection is real and it affects how you think and you feel every single day. And that's why I created Brain Shaping Academy, a six week program that shows you how healing your body can help you heal your mind. Brain Shaping Academy relies on the same target nutrition and lifestyle strategies that I've used for thirty years to help my patients improve their mental, emotional, and cognitive health.

So if you want to feel calmer, clearer, and more in control, and stay sharp, and protect your brain as you age, check out Brain Shaping Academy at doctorhymen.com/brainshaping. That's doctorhymen.com/brainshaping. Thanks for joining me for office hours. I love diving into these topics with you. Remember, you are the CEO of your own health, and every choice you make can move you closer to healing and vitality.

I wanna keep these episodes as relevant and useful as possible. So tell me, what do you wanna explore next? What questions are you wrestling with? What breakthroughs are you chasing? Share your ideas in the comments on social media or through the link in the show notes.

I'm listening. Until next time, keep taking charge, keep asking questions, and keep showing up for your health. If you love this podcast, please share

Dr. Mark Hyman
it with someone else you think would also enjoy it. You can find me on all social media channels at Doctor Mark Hyman. Please reach out. I'd love to hear your comments and questions. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Doctor Hyman Show wherever you get your podcasts.

And don't forget to check out my YouTube channel at Doctor Mark Hyman for video versions of this podcast and more. Thank you so much again for tuning in. We'll see you next time on The Doctor Hyman Show. This podcast is separate from my clinical practice at the Ultra Wellness Center, my work at Cleveland Clinic, and Function Health where I am chief medical officer. This podcast represents my opinions and my guests' opinions.

Neither myself nor the podcast endorses the views or statements of my guests. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. This podcast is provided with the understanding that it does not constitute medical or other professional advice or services. If you're looking for help in your journey, please seek out a qualified medical practitioner. And if you're looking for a functional medicine practitioner, visit my clinic, the Ultra Wellness Center at ultrawellnesscenter.com, and request to become a patient.

It's important to have someone in your corner who is a trained, licensed health care practitioner and can help you make changes, especially when it comes to your health. This podcast is free as part of my mission to bring practical ways of improving health to the public. So I'd like to express gratitude to sponsors that made today's podcast possible. Thanks so much again for listening.