04/08/2026
I was in my early 20s when I found out I had high cholesterol.
Young, thin, seemingly healthy, with heart disease and high blood pressure already running in my family. I didn’t fit the picture most people have of someone with a cholesterol problem and because of that, a lot of people didn’t take it seriously.
“You’re young. You’re fine. Just watch what you eat.”
That was the general response.
But I wasn’t fine. And the generic advice, “cut the fat, eat more fiber, here’s a pamphlet” didn’t teach me how to actually build a way of living that worked for my real life. No one sat down and said: here’s what’s happening in your body, here’s what your numbers mean given your family history, and here’s how to make caring for your health sustainable when you’re young, busy, and don’t “look sick.”
I had to figure that out on my own. I learned to ask questions, bring up my family history again (and again), and treat routine labs as an act of self‑advocacy instead of waiting until I felt terrible.
That’s why I care so much about preventative care now. I know what it feels like to get a diagnosis that doesn’t match how people see you from the outside. I know what it feels like to be told you’re “too young” for something serious. And I know how powerful it is to know your numbers and make changes before a crisis.
If you’re navigating something similar, high cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, or just that gut feeling that it’s time to get checked, consider this your gentle nudge to schedule the appointment, ask the questions, get the labs.
Your health isn’t a look; it’s how you care for yourself before everything falls apart.
Read more on this and how I advocated for my own health in my blog, 🔗 in bio ✨
