Lower your cholesterol.
Protect your heart.
A concerning blood test, a cardiovascular diagnosis, or a family history that's got you thinking ahead. Whatever brought you here, what you eat is one of the most powerful tools you have. The evidence on diet and heart health is among the strongest in nutritional science.
What your blood test is actually telling you
Most people leave their GP with a cholesterol number and not much else to go on. Here's what the key markers mean, and what diet can genuinely do about each one.
Often called “bad” cholesterol. Elevated LDL is associated with increased plaque build-up in the arteries, and it's the most commonly measured cardiovascular risk marker in New Zealand.
Diet can help viaLess saturated fat, more soluble fibre, plant sterolsA protein coating every artery-hardening particle in the blood: LDL, VLDL and IDL. Many cardiologists now consider it a more accurate risk marker than LDL alone. Not always tested by default, so it's worth requesting.
Diet can help viaFewer refined carbs and less saturated fat, more fibre and plant foodsOften called “good” cholesterol, because it helps clear other forms from the bloodstream. Low HDL is an independent risk factor, and the total-cholesterol-to-HDL ratio is often more meaningful than LDL on its own.
Diet can help viaOlive oil, nuts, avocado, exercise, fewer refined carbsElevated triglycerides, particularly alongside low HDL, meaningfully increase cardiovascular risk. Usually driven more by refined carbohydrate and alcohol than by dietary fat, which surprises most people.
Diet can help viaLess sugar and refined carbohydrate, omega-3s, limiting alcoholA largely genetically determined risk factor. Less modifiable through diet than the others, but your overall cardiovascular risk can still be meaningfully reduced by working on everything around it.
Diet can help viaOptimising every other risk factor, alongside medical monitoringA marker of systemic inflammation, now recognised as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Elevated hsCRP alongside normal cholesterol still indicates meaningful risk, and diet and lifestyle can reduce it significantly.
Diet can help viaAnti-inflammatory eating, gut health, stress and sleepA standard lipid panel gives you total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. If cardiovascular risk is a real concern, it's worth asking your GP about ApoB and hsCRP. They add information a basic panel misses.
Beyond a cholesterol-lowering food list
Heart health nutrition is one of the most well-researched areas in all of medicine, and one of the most confused in popular culture. Eggs, butter, coconut oil, red meat. The conversation shifts constantly.
The most protective patterns in the research, meaning Mediterranean, plant-rich and whole food, share a set of common features. No single superfood does the work. My approach looks at your full metabolic picture, because cardiovascular risk isn't determined by one marker.
Dietary fat quality
The type of fat matters more than the amount. We look at the balance of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in your diet and adjust based on your specific markers and current evidence, rather than outdated low-fat thinking.
Fibre as a therapeutic tool
Soluble fibre from oats, legumes, psyllium and fruit binds cholesterol in the digestive tract and removes it before it reaches the bloodstream. Most New Zealanders eat well below the recommended intake, and fixing that alone often moves the numbers.
Triglycerides and refined carbohydrate
High triglycerides are usually more about refined carbohydrate, added sugar and alcohol than dietary fat, a relationship that surprises most people. That's a different focus to lowering LDL, and we treat it as one.
Inflammation and oxidative stress
Cardiovascular disease is now understood as an inflammatory process as much as a cholesterol problem. A pattern rich in polyphenols, omega-3s and antioxidants addresses both the lipids and the environment they sit in.
Targeted supplementation
Plant sterols, omega-3s, and where appropriate red yeast rice and berberine all have evidence behind them. You'll get honest guidance on what's worth considering for your situation in NZ, plus my practitioner discount at cost, since I take no margin.
The lifestyle factors that matter
Exercise, stress, sleep and smoking all independently affect cardiovascular risk. We look at the whole picture, because no dietary plan fully compensates for a lifestyle working against it.
The hour is the smallest part
Every consultation includes a full written clinical protocol, and that protocol takes three to four hours to build after you've logged off. The hour is where I gather the case. The work happens after it.
The consultation
Symptoms, health history, medications, bloods, and what you actually eat on a normal Tuesday, not an idealised version of it.
Research and case review
Your case worked through against the current evidence: what's likely driving it, what the research supports for your situation, and any interactions with your medications.
Your cardiovascular protocol
Diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations with specific forms, doses and timing, plus the reasoning behind each, so you can question it rather than just follow it.
Yours to keep
A document you own and can come back to in six months, or hand to your GP. Nothing depends on how well you took notes.
Who I work with
This tends to suit people who want to take an active, informed role in their cardiovascular health rather than wait to see what happens next. A good fit if you're:
- Someone with elevated LDL, ApoB, triglycerides or total cholesterol wanting to address it through diet, before or alongside medication
- Already on statins or other cardiovascular medication and wanting to optimise outcomes further
- Someone with a significant family history of heart disease wanting to reduce your own risk
- Managing metabolic syndrome, meaning high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL, central weight and blood sugar issues together
- Recovering from a cardiac event and wanting evidence-based nutritional support alongside your specialist's care
- Confused by conflicting advice about eggs, butter, red meat and saturated fat, and wanting clarity from someone who's read the research
A note on scope
Nutrition works alongside cardiovascular medicine, never instead of it. If you've had a cardiac event or you're under a cardiologist, they lead and I support.
Never stop or change prescribed cardiovascular medication without your doctor. I'm happy to communicate with your prescriber where that's useful.
How working together goes
No guesswork. From the first conversation you'll know what we're doing and why.
Free discovery call
Fifteen minutes on what's going on, what you've already tried, and whether working together makes sense. There's no obligation, and if I'm not the right person I'll say so.
Free15 minutesConsultation + your protocol
An hour on your diet, full health and family history, lifestyle and your specific lipid markers. Then three to four hours of research, and a written protocol targeted to your numbers.
$27560 min + protocolWork toward your next test
We treat your next blood test as a tangible milestone, adjusting as we go. Seeing markers shift is motivating, and it's a clear signal to your GP that the approach is working.
$95per follow-upWhat it's actually like
“I followed Luke's protocol diligently, and the results speak for themselves. My latest blood tests show significant improvement across the board. I'm finally back to feeling like myself and functioning much better in my daily life.”Wendy — New Zealand
Cholesterol and heart health questions
Can diet really lower cholesterol and ApoB?
Yes, and the evidence is strong. Increasing soluble fibre, replacing saturated fat with unsaturated sources, and moving toward a plant-rich pattern consistently reduce LDL and ApoB in the research.
For some people dietary change alone produces significant improvement. For others it works alongside medication to improve outcomes further. Individual results vary.
What foods lower cholesterol in New Zealand?
The strongest evidence sits with oats and oat bran for their beta-glucan fibre, legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, nuts (particularly almonds and walnuts), plant sterols, and psyllium.
For triglycerides specifically, reducing refined carbohydrate, added sugar and alcohol tends to do more than reducing dietary fat.
What is ApoB and why does it matter?
ApoB is a protein that coats every artery-hardening particle in your blood, including LDL, VLDL and IDL. Because it captures all of them rather than just LDL, many cardiologists consider it a more accurate risk marker.
It isn't always included in a standard NZ lipid panel, so it's worth requesting from your GP if cardiovascular risk is a concern.
Should I avoid eggs and saturated fat?
This is one of the most contested areas in nutrition. For most people, dietary cholesterol from eggs has a modest effect on LDL compared with overall saturated fat intake, and the research on saturated fat is more nuanced than “avoid completely”.
The source matters too. Full-fat dairy appears to behave differently to processed meat. I interpret your specific markers and pattern against current evidence rather than applying blanket rules.
Can I work with you if I'm on statins?
Absolutely, and many of my clients are. Nutritional support works alongside medication, not against it.
In some cases dietary improvement meaningfully reduces the medication burden over time, but any change is a conversation with your prescribing doctor, backed by your bloods.
Got a blood test you don't understand?
Bring it to the free call. Fifteen minutes, no obligation. I'll talk you through what your numbers actually mean and whether diet can move them.
Let's look at your numbers
A free 15-minute discovery call is the clearest first step. Bring your most recent blood test if you have it, and we'll go from there.
Book a free discovery callOnline via Google Meet · Auckland in person available · No commitment required