Calling All Vegetarians...

[Over50Newbie]

I just got back from my physical and my blood work shows that my cholesterol is too high . My HDL and triglycerides are very good, but my LDL number was not. My ratio of HDL to Total Cholesterol was also good. Here are the numbers

Total Cholesterol: 241
HDL: 54
Triglycerides: 101
LDL: 161

We had a long discussion about the numbers. She says that my HDL and triglycerides are good because of my commitment to exercise and eating healthy. But she really didn't like my LDL number and wants me to try to bring it down. Surprisingly, she wasn't really concerned about my total cholesterol number even though it was high.

So, instead of immediately putting me on a statin drug, my doctor and I decided that I would only eat only vegetarian food for the next 4 months and then be retested in August. I really like this idea! I don't want to go on any drugs if I don't need to.

The meat that I eat now is almost always chicken (and beef every now and then). I also eat eggs, cheese, butter, and yogurt on a daily basis, which, as you know, are animal by-products.

She gave me the option of eating vegetarian, or if I want to be more extreme, to eat vegan for the next four months. My choice. I'm not sure which I should choose. Any suggestions would be welcome.

So...

I need some help. I would like to add tofu and more soy to my diet, but I don't have a clue where to start. Is there a really good cookbook that you guys can recommend? Or maybe some really easy recipes?

I am very good at cooking all sorts of beans, legumes, and vegetables, but I have never tried cooking with tofu, tempeh, or those vegetarian crumble thingys (don't know the name of them). And it is sooo confusing with all the different types of tofu - silken, firm, extra firm, etc. And what exactly are tempeh, bean curd and those vegetarian crumble things?

I am such a novice in this area!

And are there any animal byproducts in the Beverly Chocolate Muscle Provider? Do I also need to give up my protein shakes? Please help!

I'm a bit overwhelmed and would appreciate any help at all.

Lynette