If you’ve ever been told your cholesterol is “a little high” and wondered if there’s a more natural way to support it — you’ve probably heard of red yeast rice.

Let’s talk about what it actually is, how it works in the body, and why it deserves both respect and caution.

What Is Red Yeast Rice — Really?

Red yeast rice is made by fermenting rice with a specific yeast. During that fermentation, the rice produces compounds called monacolins.

One of those compounds — monacolin K — is important because it’s chemically the same as lovastatin, a prescription cholesterol-lowering medication.

So while red yeast rice comes from a natural source, it’s not “gentle” in the way many people assume. It works on the same pathway in the liver that statin drugs do.

That’s why it can be effective — and also why it needs to be used thoughtfully.

How Red Yeast Rice Supports Cholesterol & Heart Health

1. Helps Lower “Bad” LDL Cholesterol

Multiple studies show that red yeast rice can significantly lower LDL cholesterol — the kind that contributes to plaque buildup in arteries.

In research settings, LDL levels dropped by 15–30%, which is similar to what you’d expect from a low-dose statin.

This is the main reason people turn to red yeast rice.

2. Supports Total Cholesterol & Triglycerides

Red yeast rice may also help lower:
• Total cholesterol
• Triglycerides (another blood fat linked to heart disease)

Some studies even show small improvements in HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

3. Supports Overall Heart & Blood Vessel Health

By improving cholesterol numbers, red yeast rice may help reduce strain on the heart and support healthier blood vessels — especially when paired with nutrition, movement, and stress management.

4. An Option for Some Who Don’t Tolerate Statins

Some people who experience muscle pain or side effects from statin medications have used red yeast rice successfully under supervision.

That said — because it works like a statin, it can still cause similar side effects in a small amount of people.

Very Important Things to Know

This part matters just as much as the benefits.

Not All Supplements Are the Same

Red yeast rice supplements are not regulated like medications, so the amount of active ingredient can vary widely between brands.

Some products contain very little active compound.
Others may contain more than expected.

That means results — and side effects — can be unpredictable. At the Wellness Training Institute’s all the supplements are third party tested and researched to make sure  they are of the highest quality.

It Can Have Statin-Like Side Effects

Because red yeast rice works like a statin, it can sometimes cause:
• muscle aches
• liver enzyme changes
• digestive discomfort

And it should not be combined with prescription statins unless guided by a healthcare provider.

“Natural” does not always mean risk-free.

Talk to Your Provider First

Red yeast rice is not appropriate for everyone — especially if you:
• already take cholesterol medications
• have liver or kidney issues
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• take medications that affect the liver

If it’s used, labs should be monitored.

Our Perspective as Wellness Practitioners

We view red yeast rice as a powerful tool — not a casual supplement.

It may be helpful for:
✔️ people with mildly elevated cholesterol
✔️ those exploring alternatives with supervision
✔️ individuals also committed to nutrition, movement, and overall health

But it’s not something I recommend casually or without guidance.

Cholesterol support works best when we also address:
• whole-food nutrition
• fiber intake
• inflammation
• stress and sleep
• consistent movement

Supplements can support the process — but they’re never the whole picture.

Bottom Line

Red yeast rice can significantly lower LDL cholesterol and support heart health — sometimes in a way similar to low-dose statin therapy.

If you’re considering it, the safest approach is an informed one — with your provider involved and your lifestyle foundation in place.

You can buy here.

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One of our members recently told me a story about a chili dog. Which reminded me of my life-long temptation with potato chips. Which taught me an incredible lesson about why people fall off their diet.

So, a quick story:

A few months ago, I was talking with one of our members who was ready to graduate from our program. She was doing great! She’d stuck to the plan we’d created together and she’d completely turned around her health. As we were talking, she mentioned that after she was at the point where she could begin adding different items back into her diet, she was at a barbecue where they were serving chili dogs.

She tried one.

Nine months before that day, she would’ve eaten it and felt normal… or, she would’ve felt terrible (she now knew) but she always felt terrible so there wasn’t much of a difference no matter what she ate back then.

On this day, though, she could feel it instantly. The chili dog was not good. It didn’t taste good. And, moreover, she didn’t feel good after eating it.

And she told me, as we talked, that it was amazing that once her system had been reset, once she’d eliminated all the terrible food she’d eaten her whole life, and gone full-in on a plant-based diet, her body could tell instinctively when it was fed something that wasn’t giving her the nutrition she needed

Overcoming the Misconception

I think this is an amazing example of what people who haven’t gone through a detox or thorough dietary transition don’t understand. The idea of giving up soda, hamburgers, or potato chips (once my kryptonite, as I’ve mentioned before) sounds impossible from the outside. Won’t you have constant cravings? Won’t you think about nothing else, every minute of every day?

The truth of it, though, is that yes, it’s hard at the beginning. But as you get in touch with your body, learn the “why” behind your cravings, and face them directly, eventually, your body, as you feed it what it needs, will learn what works for you—and what doesn’t.

And, more than that, you’ll learn to listen for the signals it’s sending you.

If you begin building the habits that provide the foundation for so much of our health—awareness, consideration, transformation (which you can read more about here)—your body will tell you what it needs. It will tell you when you feel great and will communicate when something is wrong.

You, as we’ve said before, are your own best doctor. And when you feed it what it needs and respond naturally to its signals, the cravings for the junk you used to eat—the garbage that’s slowly killing you—eventually disappear.

Good News, Good News

So, there’s a double heaping helping of good news here.

The first is that if you fall off your diet, it’s not the end of the world. It just means that it’s time to hit the reset button again (with, for example, a detox) and get your body, mind, and soul realigned.

The other bit of good news is this: If you’re doing something wrong, your body will be sure to let you know!

The post Why Your Cravings Don’t Have to Define You Anymore appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

Larry left the cardiologist’s office that day with bad news. If he didn’t get his blood sugar under control and lose some weight, he was going to have to go under the knife for an aortic transplantation.

He left with the warning. But what he didn’t have were any ideas about how to get his health under control.

His first experience with Nicole and Mickey at the Wellness Training Institute’s Dinner Seminar left him skeptical… until they started talking. It was at that point—when he realized that he’d been getting bad health advice for his entire life—that he realized he needed what they were offering. Namely, education.

The post Larry: Change Your Understanding, Change Your Life appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

Joy woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. The pain in her joints was overwhelming… She was terrified by not knowing what was happening to her.After visiting doctor after doctor, she was eventually diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. To treat her condition, the doctors put her on a whole laundry list of medications.And that’s when things started to get really serious. She gained weight and developed a number of conditions that she hadn’t had before going on all the shots and pills.So, she turned to The Wellness Training Institute, and by changing her lifestyle, she was able to take back her health. Watch Joy’s story to find out how she was able to change her life to the point that her rheumatologist was shocked at her transformation!

The post Joy: Change Your Education, Change Your Life appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

The numbers speak for themselves. At 50, Paul’s cholesterol was at 350.The doctors told him not to worry. Just do the following and you’ll be fine:Switch to skim milk.Only eat egg whites.Eat more fish.Switch over to olive oil.All standard medical advice, right?Well, by 55 things hadn’t gotten better. In fact, they’d gotten much worse. And it was only after a life-threatening medical emergency that Paul made the one change that, by the time he turned 60, had lowered his cholesterol from 350 to 100. A change that’s also given him more energy than he had at 30!Watch how Paul changed his lifestyle, and in turn, changed his life!

The post Paul: Change Your Habits, Change Your Life appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

Liz always considered herself a healthy person because she never got sick. But then, she started to gain a lot of weight.

She’d never had a weight problem, so she started to wonder if something was wrong.

So, she turned to The Wellness Training Institute and a whole new world of health opened up before her.

Watch Liz’s story to find out how such simple things as education, support, and encouragement revolutionized not only how she ate… but also how she lives now!

The post Liz: Change Your Mind, Change Your Life appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

Paul’s story started with a moment of incredible pain. The pressure on his chest was like nothing he’d ever felt before.

He quickly found out that he had a hundred percent block in his right artery, a left bundle block, a heart murmur, sarcoidosis on the right side, an enlarged heart, and leaky valves.

His life hung in the balance. And he was running out of time.

It was a miracle, he says, that at the Cleveland Clinic he got the cardiologist that he did. As Paul lay in a gurney, getting ready for surgery, the cardiologist looked down and told him, “You know, I’ve only done this serious of a surgery twice in 20 years. Would you be willing to try something different?”

Paul replied, “Yes, I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”

And in that moment, Paul’s life changed for good.

Watch the rest of his inspiring story.

The post Paul: Change Your Nutrition, Change Your Life appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

This salad is SO quick and easy to make! Make a big batch of it at the beginning of the week so that way you are prepared.

Ingredients:

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 4 hand fulls of your favorite leafy greens
• 1 bag raw slaw (or chopped veggies)
• 2 chopped bell peppers
• 1 can chickpeas
• Hummus Salad Dressing (to add before eating)

Directions:

1. Cut up romaine lettuce and bell peppers.
2. Mix together with raw slaw and chickpeas and put in Tupperware containers.
3. Top with our hummus salad dressing before eating.

The post 3-Minute Salad appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

This week for Cooking Day we did a “back to basics” class.

We commonly hear people say “eating healthy is too expensive” and it’s just not true! Yes, organic is more expensive then non-organic food. However, when you learn how to navigate the grocery store it becomes quite affordable.

For this month’s Cooking Day, I shopped at Kroger and bought all the groceries I would to meal prep for my typical week. Everything all together was only $63.00 and it would last me all week! While I normally shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joes, I wanted to give Kroger a shot. There were not as many organic options but still quite a bit! Whenever I grocery shop, I pick out a different green vegetable for some of my dinners for that week. This time I got asparagus, last week was broccollini, and the week before brussel sprouts. It’s fun to mix it up! When I buy too much variety at a time, some of my veggies go bad, so I stick to a theme and have less waste.

Here is a list of food that I got for class. I included all of the recipes! Use this as your meal prep for next week! These are all the ingredients you will need, plus a little extra for back up.

• • 1 bunch Spinach
  • 1 bunch Romaine Lettuce
  • 1 bunch Curly Kale
  • 1 bag Raw Slaw Mix (for salads)
  • 2 packages pre-cut Cremini Mushrooms
  • 1 bunch Asparagus
  • 1 head Cauliflower
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 4 Bell Peppers (assorted colors)
  • 2 Lemons
  • 2 heads Garlic
  • 1 package Organic Sprouted Tofu
  • 1 small bag Organic Sprouted Quinoa
  • 1 small bag Organic Raw Unsalted Cashews
  • 8 cans Organic Chickpeas (they were on sale you will only need 2 cans for the recipe)
  • 1 carton Organic Vegetable Broth
  • Hemp Hearts (I found a hemp heart seasoning that was great on the quinoa!)
  • Organic Dijon Mustard
  • Organic Balsamic Vinegar
  • Liquid Aminos
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • I used the following spices (Oregano, Paprika, Thyme, Rosemary) You can use those or substitute your favorites!

Here are the links to all the recipes! I live alone and all of these recipes serve me for at least 2 meals. If you are looking to meal prep, and cooking for more people, multiply the recipes by the number of people and you will be good to go!

The 20-Minute Quinoa Dinner is my dinner a few times each week! I typically add something to it each time I heat it up so I am not eating the same thing all the time.

Nicole’s Go-To Dinner is literally, my GO TO, mushrooms and tofu are probably my favorite foods!

The 3-Minute Salad is SO FAST and will last all week. I normally get four lunches out of it.

Nicole’s Cheese Sauce is a crowd pleaser and great for snacking with bell peppers or your favorite veggies. The Oil-Free Hummus is too!

The Hummus Salad Dressing I always make right after the hummus. It saves the time of cleaning the blender and is DELICIOUS.

You can cook all of these things at once or you can cook as you go along the week. My demonstration took a little over an hour. Not a bad time investment to set yourself up for the week! 🙂

Quinoa is SUPER easy to make, just simply add quinoa to some boiling water, let simmer for about 15-20 minutes and wa-la! Quinoa is also a staple food when you are doing our detox. We added mushrooms, and onions because of their anti-cancer benefits and… because they are SO tasty! Quinoa can be a little bland without other vegetables or spices to give it some flavor. BUT,  it absorbs whatever flavors are added to the dish… so get creative! In this dish I added some hemp heart seasoning and loved it. If you make a big batch of this at the beginning of the week you will be good to go for multiple tasty meals.

Click here for the recipe.

Tofu scrambles are SO easy to make. While tofu is not detox-friendly, it can still be a part of a healthy diet. Soy isn’t bad, technically, it is just SO PROCESSED. Make sure you buy organic tofu to avoid the potential contamination of soy products. There is a variety of types of tofu out there, my favorite type is extra firm and favorite brand is Organic Sprouted Trader Joes. With tofu, it’s all about the SPICES.

Along with the tofu I add some steamed greens, sautéed mushrooms, and typically some avocado.

Click here for the recipe.

3- Minute Salad

The name says it all! This salad is so simple! Use some large Tupperware containers to combine your greens, add some beans and whatever veggies you like! Then store it away. As you go through your week, add hummus for your dressing or the hummus salad dressing.

If you wanted to save even more time (1-minute salad?!?) buy lettuce that’s organic, pre-packaged, and pre-washed. I like to add pre-packed raw slaw to add some crunch.

I always have romaine in my fridge! You can cut it up for a salad or if you just break off a leaf you can easily make a romaine boat snack… add some hummus and some pre-cut up peppers and wa-la. When you are meal prepping your food, cut up some raw veggies for a quick snack throughout your week.

Click here for the recipe.

5-Minute Hummus, Hummus Salad Dressing, and Nicole’s Cheese Sauce

These 3 sauces are the only dressings you need all week! They are easily interchangeable! You can add them to a salad, zoodles, a stir-fry, or use them for dipping your veggies in. Most store-bought dressings are filled with dairy, sugar, and oil so you need to be creative and make your own.

Click here for the hummus recipe.

Click here for the hummus salad dressing recipe.

Click here for the cheese sauce recipe.

Making changes to your diet and lifestyle is hard in the beginning. Eventually, it becomes easy. You just need to develop some new HEALTHY habits. I hope these recipes help you on your journey!

The post Back to Basics – Meal Prep appeared first on Wellness Training Institute.

Marc and Kim of chickpeaandbean.com are back to talk about how to fuel your body and mind… the right way!

In this video Marc shares how our bodies are incredible machines. Machines that, if they’re broken, can heal themselves.

But to do that, to get our bodies working for us and not against us, we need to give them the right fuel to run.

Watch as Marc explains how to take back your health and live a better life by making just a few small, but life-altering changes to your lifestyle!

(For more information on his and his wife’s health journey, visit their fantastic website www.chickpeaandbean.com)

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