High cholesterol? Start where it matters most: what you eat


Join a physician-led, evidence-based program designed to lower cholesterol naturally, improve heart health, and support lasting lifestyle change

Dr. Ted Barnett introduces the Jumpstart Program

Average participant sees a 63 point cholesterol drop in just 2 weeks!

Trusted by 2,800+ participants across the world

Guided by physicians board certified in lifestyle medicine

Close-up of a blood vessel with a yellow fatty plaque buildup inside.

You’re trying to eat better and exercise more, but your cholesterol is still too high…

You are trying everything and your LDL still isn’t budging.

Maybe you’ve done a Mediterranean, vegan, or keto diet, and nothing has worked.

You’re beginning to wonder if it might just be genetic… or if it’s still possible to avoid or reduce your statins.

Can this improve this naturally?

Yes! Cholesterol is actually one of the quickest numbers to improve when you follow our Jumpstart Program!

Our 15-day Jumpstart Program is designed to lower cholesterol through a simple, scientifically-backed approach.

Light green bar chart with decreasing bars and an arrow pointing downward, indicating decline.

Lower Cholesterol Naturally: Following a whole-foods plant based very-low fat diet (without counting calories or measuring portions) can dramatically lower your total and LDL (bad) cholesterol in just two weeks

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Reduce reliance on medication:
Many participants are able to decrease or eliminate their need for statins and other cholesterol lowering drugs.

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Feel better in your body:
Along with lower cholesterol, participants report weight loss, improved energy, decreased pain, and better overall health and wellbeing.

Why It Works: The science behind Jumpstart

Our program is grounded in evidence-based lifestyle medicine principles and decades of research showing the powerful effects of a very low fat, whole-foods, plant based (VLF-WFPBD). 

Did you know…

  • Cholesterol comes from two sources- the animal-based foods we eat and what the liver manufactures from the fat in our diets

  • ALL animal-based foods (meat, fish, dairy, and eggs) contain cholesterol, which is a big, fat molecule in the cell walls of animals that allows them the flexibility to move around! 

  • In contrast, plant-based foods do not contain ANY cholesterol (they don’t have to move around like animals do!)

  • Humans do need cholesterol in order to make various hormones in our bodies, but we can make all the cholesterol that we need.  We do not need to consume any!

  • A diet low in saturated fat reduces cholesterol production in our bodies (1).

  • Meat, dairy and eggs not only contain cholesterol, they are also are the biggest sources of saturated fat (from which even more cholesterol is made!) in the American diet.

  • Diets high in fiber (found only in whole plant-based foods) are associated with lower total and LDL cholesterol and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (2).

  • Most heart attacks are not the result of arteries slowly clogging with cholesterol over time but rather most heart attacks are due to moderate sized cholesterol plaques rupturing due to inflammation.

  • Animal protein consumption is linked with higher levels of inflammation while plant based protein consumptions is linked with lower inflammation, risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality (3).

Sources:

  1. Dietschy JM. Dietary fatty acids and the regulation of plasma low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. J Nutr 1998; 128:444S-448S [PubMed]

  2.  Wu Y, Qian Y, Pan Y, Li P, Yang J, Ye X, Xu G. Association between dietary fiber intake and risk of coronary heart disease: A meta-analysis. Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;34(4):603-11. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2014.05.009. Epub 2014 May 28. PMID: 24929874.

  3. Azzini E, Peluso I, Intorre F, Barnaba L, Venneria E, Foddai MS, Ciarapica D, Maiani F, Raguzzini A, Polito A. Total and Plant Protein Consumption: The Role of Inflammation and Risk of Non-Communicable Disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022; 23(14):8008. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23148008

Meet Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: RLMI Scientific Advisory Board Member

Pioneering Cleveland Clinic physician, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn MD, showed that a VLF-WFBD can actually arrest and reverse cardiovascular disease!  If you haven’t seen the documentary Forks Over Knives, which prominently features Dr. Esselstyn’s life’s work, you can watch it for free at here.

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, pioneering Cleveland Clinic physician whose research demonstrated that a very-low-fat whole-food, plant-based diet can arrest and reverse cardiovascular disease.”

Our 15-day Jumpstart Program is based on his groundbreaking research and lifestyle based heart disease reversal protocol:


REAL results in just 15 Days!

Over 2800 hundred participants have been through our 15-Jumpstart Program:

A chart titled 'Average Jumpstart Improvements' showing health metric improvements for individuals with high BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, LDL, and fasting glucose. Each metric lists a specific weight or point reduction inside green boxes.

Meet Beth:

She joined Jumpstart to improve her health and ended up lowering her cholesterol by 100 points in just TWO WEEKS!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Nothing in Jumpstart will go against doctor’s orders, so you should continue taking your medications. We recommend that you tell your physician or PCP that you are taking Jumpstart, so he or she can monitor any changes you may experience, and can taper dosages of your medications if necessary. For example, medication for high blood pressure and diabetes or pre-diabetes, as well as blood thinners, may need to be adjusted during Jumpstart.

  • Jumpstart can absolutely complement GLP-1 drugs. If you're already taking one of these drugs, Jumpstart will support your progress with a sustainable eating pattern that promotes satiety and weight loss—without the side effects or long-term costs of medication. If you're considering one of these drugs, know that a WFPB diet can produce many of the same benefits naturally by helping your body find a healthy weight set point and keeping you feeling satiated.

  • Jumpstart is designed for real life, not isolation. You’ll learn simple strategies for handling family meals, dining out, and conversations with others who may not understand what you’re doing.

    You don’t have to be perfect or change everyone around you. Most people start with their own choices and lead by example, often gaining support along the way.

  • This program is designed to make healthy living easy.

    Meals are simple, with no calorie counting or complicated prep, and the education is structured to be practical and efficient.

    Most participants find that once they get started, it actually simplifies their routine rather than adding to it.

  • We’ve got you covered! Jumpstart participants get extensive support during Jumpstart and beyond.
    You’ll receive:

    • A detailed and comprehensive Jumpstart Guide to help you succeed

    • Daily emails with tips, resources, and encouragement

    • Access to our secure online platform: the RLMI Community

    • A trove of recipes, and shopping, cooking, and meal prepping tips

    • A vibrant support forum where you can ask questions and share your wins

    PLUS: After Jumpstart the journey continues! Jumpstart alumni get extensive, ongoing support, including access to our monthly whole-food plant-based support group meetings in our membership community

  • Jumpstart is designed to give you results quickly but also set you up for what comes next.

    By the end of the 15 days, you’ll have a clear understanding of what works for your body and how to continue on your own.

    Many participants feel confident continuing independently, using what they’ve learned as well as thoughtfully adding back in some favorite plant foods while maintaining their results.

    RLMI offers ongoing support through additional programs, coaching, and community options to help you stay consistent and keep improving over time.

  • We’ve instituted a Pay It Forward model to make Jumpstart as accessible as possible to those who need it, while still trying to cover our program costs. 

    This means you can choose the price that works for your financial situation.

    As a nonprofit, RLMI relies on the generosity of donors and participants to help cover costs and expenses, as program fees alone do not. So if you’re in a position to pay more, we invite you to do so. Your contribution directly supports others in accessing the care and knowledge they need to transform their health.

  • If you’re willing to meet the participation criteria below,  you’ll qualify to repeat Jumpstart Live for free!

    To qualify, you’ll need to:

    • Attend at least 5 out of the 6 live sessions

    • Complete the brief before-and-after health assessments

    • Submit results from your blood work immediately before and after the program

    • Schedule your repeated Jumpstart within 12 months of program completion


    Your participation means that your anonymized data will be added to our data pool.  It helps us to not only improve the program,  but adds to the overwhelming evidence regarding the power of eating real food.

  • Jumpstart Live:

    • If you have a scheduling conflict, we are happy to move you into a different cohort one time, at no cost.

    • You may cancel before Day 1 of the program for a refund, minus a $50 administrative fee.

    Jumpstart On Demand:

    • You may cancel within 60 days of purchase for a refund, minus a $50 administrative fee, as long as you haven’t started the program.

  • We stand behind this program because we’ve seen what it can do.

    If you fully participate in the Jumpstart Program, completing the core components (including blood work and surveys before and after) and engaging with the material, and you’re still not satisfied with your experience, you can contact us for a full refund.

    We simply ask that you give the program a genuine, full effort.

RECENT PARTICIPANT QUOTES

I’m enjoying eating this way, plus my cholesterol dropped 67 points. I’ve lost weight and I’ve even lowered my blood sugar levels too.

-B.D.

★★★★★

I was delighted to lose 9 pounds and to see all of my levels go down. My blood pressure was 201/98 now it’s 129/75. This program has sent me on a path of becoming more aware of how food can change your life.

-C.M.

★★★★★

I learned that it is possible to lower fat intake and not feel hungry. As a physician I am glad I had a chance to experience this program to get insight about what people go through and also how a program like this can be run!

-C.D., MD

★★★★★

Upcoming Jumpstart Live Programs