I arrived in the States on Monday to visit friends and family. Zurich has very good food, don't get me wrong, but the one thing it doesn't have is variety and an infinity of stimulating and tantalizing food choices. I felt like I needed a cigarette after my recent trip to Whole Foods.
Let me cut to the chase: now available is yogurt and ice cream made out of coconut milk (!!!!). I make no secret of the fact that I am highly suspicious of dairy in general, but I am never really interested in dairy-type products that are not made from milk because they are usually made out of soy of which I am also very suspicious.
So back to the product - they're "So Delicious" yogurts and ice creams made from a company that first started making nondairy products from soy. Now they do coconut milk too which is absolutely brilliant. http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/
If this is old news to people, I apologize. I have obviously been living in a cave.
If you want to know more about why coconut is the shizz, you can go to the July archives in this blog where I offered up a bit of info.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Safer Ways to Reduce Your Cholesterol
Happy Saturday! Unfortunately I got my fingers caught in a fan last night so typing is slow and difficult. Not a good idea to try to fix a fan in the dark while it's on!
Here are some easy alternative ways to both prevent and treat high cholesterol/cardiovascular problems. Diet and lifestyle, possibly a few supplements, will do wonders.
Watch what you eat.
You are expecting me here to say stop eating milk, cheese, eggs, and beef because they contain high levels of dietary cholesterol. That is definitely not what I’m saying! As reader Jamie pointed out in the first post on Tuesday, studies show that egg consumption has nothing to do with high cholesterol levels.
However, I am suggesting that reducing animal based foods and replacing them with plant-based foods will provide many benefits that will naturally keep your cholesterol in check. Plant based foods contain a lot more antioxidants that could prevent artery damage.
By eating a largely plant-based diet, you would also be consuming more B-vitamins which help keep homocysteine levels down. Again, homocysteine is known to be an independent risk factor for CVD. Grapefruits have been shown to be exceptionally effective in lowering homocysteine.
It is also wise to identify any food sensitivities. The most common foods that people are sensitive to (not allergic as in when their throats close up) are eggs, milk, wheat, soy and corn. By not recognizing food sensitivities, you could be subjecting your body to systemic low-level inflammation that I explained a few days ago is related to poor cardiovascular health.
Eat as little processed foods as possible. The funky chemicals can cause inflammation in the body. Worse, trans-fats actually cause your cholesterol to go up. Margarine claims to have "no cholesterol" but you sure will if you keep eating it!! Also look out for things like Skippy or Jif peanut butter and most commercially produced baked goods.
Consider following the Mediterranean Diet. http://www.mediterraneandiet.gr/
Increase consumption of garlic and onion.
Exercise:
It lowers blood pressure, increases blood flow to the heart, lowers LDL, and raises HDL.
Don’t smoke.
These supplement recommendations for high cholesterol come directly from the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine:
Here are some easy alternative ways to both prevent and treat high cholesterol/cardiovascular problems. Diet and lifestyle, possibly a few supplements, will do wonders.
Watch what you eat.
You are expecting me here to say stop eating milk, cheese, eggs, and beef because they contain high levels of dietary cholesterol. That is definitely not what I’m saying! As reader Jamie pointed out in the first post on Tuesday, studies show that egg consumption has nothing to do with high cholesterol levels.
However, I am suggesting that reducing animal based foods and replacing them with plant-based foods will provide many benefits that will naturally keep your cholesterol in check. Plant based foods contain a lot more antioxidants that could prevent artery damage.
By eating a largely plant-based diet, you would also be consuming more B-vitamins which help keep homocysteine levels down. Again, homocysteine is known to be an independent risk factor for CVD. Grapefruits have been shown to be exceptionally effective in lowering homocysteine.
It is also wise to identify any food sensitivities. The most common foods that people are sensitive to (not allergic as in when their throats close up) are eggs, milk, wheat, soy and corn. By not recognizing food sensitivities, you could be subjecting your body to systemic low-level inflammation that I explained a few days ago is related to poor cardiovascular health.
Eat as little processed foods as possible. The funky chemicals can cause inflammation in the body. Worse, trans-fats actually cause your cholesterol to go up. Margarine claims to have "no cholesterol" but you sure will if you keep eating it!! Also look out for things like Skippy or Jif peanut butter and most commercially produced baked goods.
Consider following the Mediterranean Diet. http://www.mediterraneandiet.gr/
Increase consumption of garlic and onion.
Exercise:
It lowers blood pressure, increases blood flow to the heart, lowers LDL, and raises HDL.
Don’t smoke.
These supplement recommendations for high cholesterol come directly from the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine:
- Flaxseed oil – 1 Tbs daily
- Niacin (as inositol hexaniacinate) – 500 mg three times per day with meals for 2 weeks, then increase dosage to 1,000 mg three times per day with meals. (Talk to you doctor if you are going to use niacin because it does have side effects that should be monitored. These side effects are in no where near those of statin drugs, and niacin has been shown to be a lot more effective in comparison. It is used in Europe all the time. I included more information below.
- Garlic – minimum of 4,000 mcg of allicin per day (allicin is the stuff in garlic that has the cholesterol-lowering effects)
- Vitamin C – 1,000 mg/day
More on niacin: This is the medicine (which is actually a B vitamin) that was used for high cholesterol since the 1950s and is still used in Europe. It is also used in the U.S. but to a much lesser extent, despite the better results. Here are some interesting numbers that also came from the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Studies show benefits like the following:
After 26 weeks of niacin therapy or lovastatin (Mevacor):
LDL Reduction:
Lovastatin: 32%
Niacin: 23%
HDL Increase (you want high HDL):
Lovastatin: 7%
Niacin: 33%
Lp(a) Reduction:
Lovastatin: 0
Niacin 35% (!!)
Niacin has long lasting effects so even after it is stopped, cholesterol levels remain low for a much longer time than statin drugs.
So to conclude on the topic of cholesterol, here are the important things to remember – high cholesterol is only a small part of the picture as it relates to overall heart health. Make sure to look into other risk factors like levels of homocysteine, Lp(a) and C-reactive protein. Before agreeing to any cholesterol-lowering drug, research it thoroughly because it is likely unnecessary and also very dangerous. There are other methods of reducing high cholesterol such as niacin and changes in diet that are safer and more effective.
If anyone wants me to dig up studies or further information for them, I’d be happy to!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs – Oh, the Dramz!
Here is the story. In the 1970s and 80s statin drugs and other types of drugs were being developed to lower cholesterol by inhibiting the production of a chemical in the body that is used to produce it. It was a brilliant idea that some guy in Japan came up with. The drugs were tested and the results showed that while they did lower cholesterol as predicted, they were also pretty dangerous. After just a few short years of testing, these drugs were causing cancer in animal studies. In humans, there was no change in mortality (meaning that people didn’t live longer because they were taking them). But it was still such a good idea so people weren’t willing to drop it. Fair enough.
So then the drugs, specifically lovastatin (Mevacor) and gemfibrozil (Lopid – not a statin, but another type of cholesterol lowering drug), were being reviewed by the FDA for approval.
Apparently FDA approval of new drugs is similar to court. People have to testify if they feel the drug up for approval is safe or dangerous. These people are scientists, some of whom work for the pharmaceutical companies that are trying to get the drug approved. There is an advisory committee (we can consider that the jury), and the group that ultimately decides whether or not to approve it (the judges). In the case of lovastatin and gemfribozil, there was overwhelming evidence that the safety of these drugs were unclear. They could cause cancer and other serious problems. The jury agreed and recommended that the drugs not be approved. The judges overruled the jury in this case and approved them anyway, even though they normally wouldn’t approve something that showed so much potential danger. And if FDA approval process is like court, then it let white-collar criminals loose to distribute dangerous substances! Worse, now the pharmaceutical industry is like a giant cartel with lots of "soldiers" dealing their goods – doctors!! Doctors push these drugs ALL the time now. Millions of prescriptions are written per year and you are never supposed to stop taking them once you start…. Hm…..
This sounds like a far fetched analogy, but look it up for yourself. It’s all true! I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I do believe that people will do some effed up things for money. We all saw Erin Brockovitch. And regardless of our political views, everyone has at least considered the possibility that the whole Iraq War was for cash. (I’m just saying). We know that people aren’t always honest and when there’s billions of dollars at stake, people can be tempted to cloud the truth a little.
What exactly is the problem with taking cholesterol-lowering drugs? They lower LDL but not necessarily your risk of heart disease. They also cause horrific side effects that would kill you faster than your cholesterol would. They may lower your total LDL, but not your Lp(a) which was already established as the type of LDL that causes the problems.
Side effects include:
Liver damage
Kidney damage
Cancer
Depression (because remember that cholesterol is needed for healthy functioning of the nervous system)
Impotence (yep!)
CoQ10 deficiency (you need it to LIVE and FUNCTION)
Stomach ache, tiredness, headache, etc.
Remember – no one knows what the long term effects are of taking these drugs for a lifetime, like what is recommended. If you start taking a statin when you are 75, it might not be a big deal. But what if you are a 25 year old guy? What do you think will happen after taking the drugs for 15 years? The truth is that people don’t know the long-term effects. What is probably the most tragic of all is that now, statins are being recommended for overweight children. Sigh….
If you love yourself, and more importantly, if you love ME, reconsider your use of cholesterol-lowering drugs if you are currently taking them. If they have been recommended to you by your doctor, please do extensive research before agreeing to take them. You may decide it is the right option for you but you owe it to yourself to be informed.
Don’t believe me. Try to prove me wrong. Call me an unqualified know-it-all jerk. Just please read the information that is out there!!
There are other alternatives to both lowering your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease which I will get into tomorrow.
Here is some stuff to read to get you started:
Note: My brother-in-law says you should never read what is on the Internet. Below are 2 peer-reviewed articles that appeared in normal hard-copy medical journals before being available online. The other two are articles that are just someone’s opinion, but they provide links to more peer-reviewed articles that support their positions.
"Crestor and Other Statins: Are They Really Worth the Risk?" http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/11/08/crestor-statins.aspx
"The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication"
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/07/21/statin-drugs-part-four.aspx
"Low Cholesterol and Nonatherosclerotic Disease Risk: A Persistently Perplexing Question"
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/151/8/748
"Statins - Similarities and Differences"
http://www.ajmc.com/files/articlefiles/A01_121_2001PedersenS132.pdf
So then the drugs, specifically lovastatin (Mevacor) and gemfibrozil (Lopid – not a statin, but another type of cholesterol lowering drug), were being reviewed by the FDA for approval.
Apparently FDA approval of new drugs is similar to court. People have to testify if they feel the drug up for approval is safe or dangerous. These people are scientists, some of whom work for the pharmaceutical companies that are trying to get the drug approved. There is an advisory committee (we can consider that the jury), and the group that ultimately decides whether or not to approve it (the judges). In the case of lovastatin and gemfribozil, there was overwhelming evidence that the safety of these drugs were unclear. They could cause cancer and other serious problems. The jury agreed and recommended that the drugs not be approved. The judges overruled the jury in this case and approved them anyway, even though they normally wouldn’t approve something that showed so much potential danger. And if FDA approval process is like court, then it let white-collar criminals loose to distribute dangerous substances! Worse, now the pharmaceutical industry is like a giant cartel with lots of "soldiers" dealing their goods – doctors!! Doctors push these drugs ALL the time now. Millions of prescriptions are written per year and you are never supposed to stop taking them once you start…. Hm…..
This sounds like a far fetched analogy, but look it up for yourself. It’s all true! I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I do believe that people will do some effed up things for money. We all saw Erin Brockovitch. And regardless of our political views, everyone has at least considered the possibility that the whole Iraq War was for cash. (I’m just saying). We know that people aren’t always honest and when there’s billions of dollars at stake, people can be tempted to cloud the truth a little.
What exactly is the problem with taking cholesterol-lowering drugs? They lower LDL but not necessarily your risk of heart disease. They also cause horrific side effects that would kill you faster than your cholesterol would. They may lower your total LDL, but not your Lp(a) which was already established as the type of LDL that causes the problems.
Side effects include:
Liver damage
Kidney damage
Cancer
Depression (because remember that cholesterol is needed for healthy functioning of the nervous system)
Impotence (yep!)
CoQ10 deficiency (you need it to LIVE and FUNCTION)
Stomach ache, tiredness, headache, etc.
Remember – no one knows what the long term effects are of taking these drugs for a lifetime, like what is recommended. If you start taking a statin when you are 75, it might not be a big deal. But what if you are a 25 year old guy? What do you think will happen after taking the drugs for 15 years? The truth is that people don’t know the long-term effects. What is probably the most tragic of all is that now, statins are being recommended for overweight children. Sigh….
If you love yourself, and more importantly, if you love ME, reconsider your use of cholesterol-lowering drugs if you are currently taking them. If they have been recommended to you by your doctor, please do extensive research before agreeing to take them. You may decide it is the right option for you but you owe it to yourself to be informed.
Don’t believe me. Try to prove me wrong. Call me an unqualified know-it-all jerk. Just please read the information that is out there!!
There are other alternatives to both lowering your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease which I will get into tomorrow.
Here is some stuff to read to get you started:
Note: My brother-in-law says you should never read what is on the Internet. Below are 2 peer-reviewed articles that appeared in normal hard-copy medical journals before being available online. The other two are articles that are just someone’s opinion, but they provide links to more peer-reviewed articles that support their positions.
"Crestor and Other Statins: Are They Really Worth the Risk?" http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/11/08/crestor-statins.aspx
"The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Cholesterol-Lowering Medication"
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/07/21/statin-drugs-part-four.aspx
"Low Cholesterol and Nonatherosclerotic Disease Risk: A Persistently Perplexing Question"
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/151/8/748
"Statins - Similarities and Differences"
http://www.ajmc.com/files/articlefiles/A01_121_2001PedersenS132.pdf
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Cholesterol Found in Sticky Situations...
Right. So where were we? Next on my list was to mention important factors related to cardiovascular disease that could be more important than simply the amount of cholesterol in your body. In fact, most people agree that there is some other factor that causes the cholesterol to build up in your arteries.
Lp(a). Like I mentioned yesterday, this is specific type of LDL cholesterol. It is not usually tested for in a normal cholesterol test (I think you’d have to request it) but most researchers agree now that it is the type that actually gets clogged in your arteries. It is very "sticky". But why does it stick in some situations and not others? One answer that has been proposed is that arteries of the heart are highly susceptible to damage from high blood pressure. After being subjected to constant stress from high blood pressure they develop lesions and weak spots. The Lp(a), in addition to other cells like platelets and proteins, stick to the site of damage as a protective mechanism, like a scar. The problem is that these scars can build up and either block the artery or cause a clot to form which eventually breaks off and gets clogged somewhere else. The solution: reduce blood pressure, strengthen artery walls by getting enough vitamin C (necessary for collagen production which keeps blood vessels strong), and lysine supplementation. For more info, look up the Unified Theory of human cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine: This is an amino acid that is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. That means that even if you have low cholesterol, if you have high homocysteine levels you are at risk of heart disease as well as other diseases. It hasn’t been completely proven why this is so, but one theory is that homocysteine interferes with oxygen utilization in the body, causing a build up of free radicals. Free radicals then damage the lining of blood vessels, and we have a situation again where cholesterol and other cells try to come to the rescue and end up causing clots and narrow vessels. In addition, homocysteine promotes the growth of smooth muscle (which is what your blood vessels are made out of) and that eventually can cause a hardening and thickening of the arteries that characterizes cardiovascular disease. What causes homocysteine levels to rise? A few things could – imbalance or deficiency of B vitamins, hormones, or it could be genetic. Homocysteine is included in blood tests when you go to the doctor if you have other risk factors such as high cholesterol or if you are a middle aged male. It also can be lowered.
Inflammation: Not like when you sprain your ankle and it swells up. I’m talking about low-grade systemic inflammation. This is an unhealthy state that suggests your body is fighting something like a virus, a food sensitivity, or the effects of chronic stress. The cause is not always obvious you may not even feel like anything is wrong. To explain it better, here is a quote from the American Heart Association’s website:
"The major injurious factors that promote atherogenesis [clogged arteries] — cigarette smoking, hypertension, atherogenic lipoproteins, and hyperglycemia — are well established. These risk factors give rise to a variety of noxious stimuli that cause the release of chemicals and the activation of cells involved in the inflammatory process. These events are thought to contribute not only to the formation of plaque but may also contribute to its disruption resulting in the formation of a blood clot. Thus, virtually every step in atherogenesis is believed to involve substances involved in the inflammatory response and cells that are characteristic of inflammation.
In addition, there is also research that indicates an infection — possibly one caused by a bacteria or a virus — might contribute to or even cause atherosclerosis. The infectious bacteria, Chlamydia pneumoniae has been shown to have a significant association to atherosclerotic plaque. The herpes simplex virus has also been proposed as an initial inflammatory infectious agent in atherosclerosis."
There is a protein that elevates in your body when you have inflammation – C-reactive protein (CRP). There are tests for it. It obviously does not cause heart problems but it is an indication of artery-damaging inflammation. Then of course you have cholesterol and other fibers trying to heal the damage… you get the drift.
I will summarize my thoughts for the day by saying that yes, cholesterol does in fact have something to do with heart disease. But it is most likely not acting alone. Since this is probably the case (as so many studies have shown), then it is not fair to blame cholesterol for all heart problems, is it? Logic would lead one to the conclusion that lowering cholesterol to unnecessarily low levels won’t really fix the problem.
Tomorrow: Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs – Oh, the Dramz!
Lp(a). Like I mentioned yesterday, this is specific type of LDL cholesterol. It is not usually tested for in a normal cholesterol test (I think you’d have to request it) but most researchers agree now that it is the type that actually gets clogged in your arteries. It is very "sticky". But why does it stick in some situations and not others? One answer that has been proposed is that arteries of the heart are highly susceptible to damage from high blood pressure. After being subjected to constant stress from high blood pressure they develop lesions and weak spots. The Lp(a), in addition to other cells like platelets and proteins, stick to the site of damage as a protective mechanism, like a scar. The problem is that these scars can build up and either block the artery or cause a clot to form which eventually breaks off and gets clogged somewhere else. The solution: reduce blood pressure, strengthen artery walls by getting enough vitamin C (necessary for collagen production which keeps blood vessels strong), and lysine supplementation. For more info, look up the Unified Theory of human cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine: This is an amino acid that is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. That means that even if you have low cholesterol, if you have high homocysteine levels you are at risk of heart disease as well as other diseases. It hasn’t been completely proven why this is so, but one theory is that homocysteine interferes with oxygen utilization in the body, causing a build up of free radicals. Free radicals then damage the lining of blood vessels, and we have a situation again where cholesterol and other cells try to come to the rescue and end up causing clots and narrow vessels. In addition, homocysteine promotes the growth of smooth muscle (which is what your blood vessels are made out of) and that eventually can cause a hardening and thickening of the arteries that characterizes cardiovascular disease. What causes homocysteine levels to rise? A few things could – imbalance or deficiency of B vitamins, hormones, or it could be genetic. Homocysteine is included in blood tests when you go to the doctor if you have other risk factors such as high cholesterol or if you are a middle aged male. It also can be lowered.
Inflammation: Not like when you sprain your ankle and it swells up. I’m talking about low-grade systemic inflammation. This is an unhealthy state that suggests your body is fighting something like a virus, a food sensitivity, or the effects of chronic stress. The cause is not always obvious you may not even feel like anything is wrong. To explain it better, here is a quote from the American Heart Association’s website:
"The major injurious factors that promote atherogenesis [clogged arteries] — cigarette smoking, hypertension, atherogenic lipoproteins, and hyperglycemia — are well established. These risk factors give rise to a variety of noxious stimuli that cause the release of chemicals and the activation of cells involved in the inflammatory process. These events are thought to contribute not only to the formation of plaque but may also contribute to its disruption resulting in the formation of a blood clot. Thus, virtually every step in atherogenesis is believed to involve substances involved in the inflammatory response and cells that are characteristic of inflammation.
In addition, there is also research that indicates an infection — possibly one caused by a bacteria or a virus — might contribute to or even cause atherosclerosis. The infectious bacteria, Chlamydia pneumoniae has been shown to have a significant association to atherosclerotic plaque. The herpes simplex virus has also been proposed as an initial inflammatory infectious agent in atherosclerosis."
There is a protein that elevates in your body when you have inflammation – C-reactive protein (CRP). There are tests for it. It obviously does not cause heart problems but it is an indication of artery-damaging inflammation. Then of course you have cholesterol and other fibers trying to heal the damage… you get the drift.
I will summarize my thoughts for the day by saying that yes, cholesterol does in fact have something to do with heart disease. But it is most likely not acting alone. Since this is probably the case (as so many studies have shown), then it is not fair to blame cholesterol for all heart problems, is it? Logic would lead one to the conclusion that lowering cholesterol to unnecessarily low levels won’t really fix the problem.
Tomorrow: Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs – Oh, the Dramz!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Cholesterol Week Cont'd.
Helloo there. Yesterday I was just generally talking about what cholesterol is – basically an ingredient of your cells that is responsible for holding your cells together, maintaining normal neurological function, and manufacturing other substances like bile and hormones.
Why is it considered so bad, then? Well over the past several decades, the medical community was trying to figure out what caused cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes, etc.). Then scientists discovered a way to measure cholesterol in the blood. So they started measuring and doing studies and the studies were linking cholesterol levels to cardiovascular problems. A link doesn't mean that LDL causes cardiovascular disease, just that the two tend to occur together.
At first, total cholesterol levels (LDL + HDL) were considered "normal" if they were around 240. Then in 1984 there was a Cholesterol Consensus Conference where everyone agreed that what should be considered "normal" needed to be lower, around 200. If a patient gets blood work done now and his or her total cholesterol is 200 or above, chances are he or she will be advised to lower it, possibly through medication. (I’ll get to that). Apparently 180 is now a good number.
Remember how I said that there are different types of cholesterol? Well these cholesterol numbers you get from a blood test normally don’t include a breakdown of the different kinds with the exception of differentiating LDL from HDL. This is a problem because it is becoming pretty clear that LDL alone is not the "bad" type of cholesterol. It is a certain type of LDL – called lipoprotein (a) aka Lp(a) that actually causes the problems in your arteries. This is not part of a normal lipid profile test. I am getting a physical soon so I am going to ask if that can be included in my test (just to see if it’s even possible).
Another thing that needs to be considered when looking at your cholesterol numbers is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL and the ratio of LDL to HDL. This is normally calculated for you when you get a blood test. Numbers should be:
Total cholesterol: HDL should be 4 or under
LDL:HDL should be 2.5 or under
Getting your cholesterol numbers is only a small part of the picture. Even though they doesn’t necessarily mean much, this is what doctors focus on. Why? I don’t know. But despite all the attempts at telling people to lower their cholesterol, the problem of cardiovascular disease (CVD) hasn’t gone away and only seems to be getting worse. That is because other factors besides cholesterol have been identified that contribute to CVD. They just aren’t being acknowledged right now by regular medical peeps.
Tomorrow I will write about research that implicates other factors besides just high LDL in cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, if your total cholesterol is above 200 or if you enjoy a piece of cheese on occasion, don’t sweat it for now. Wait until you can talk to a health professional that won’t push medicine on you.
Why is it considered so bad, then? Well over the past several decades, the medical community was trying to figure out what caused cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes, etc.). Then scientists discovered a way to measure cholesterol in the blood. So they started measuring and doing studies and the studies were linking cholesterol levels to cardiovascular problems. A link doesn't mean that LDL causes cardiovascular disease, just that the two tend to occur together.
At first, total cholesterol levels (LDL + HDL) were considered "normal" if they were around 240. Then in 1984 there was a Cholesterol Consensus Conference where everyone agreed that what should be considered "normal" needed to be lower, around 200. If a patient gets blood work done now and his or her total cholesterol is 200 or above, chances are he or she will be advised to lower it, possibly through medication. (I’ll get to that). Apparently 180 is now a good number.
Remember how I said that there are different types of cholesterol? Well these cholesterol numbers you get from a blood test normally don’t include a breakdown of the different kinds with the exception of differentiating LDL from HDL. This is a problem because it is becoming pretty clear that LDL alone is not the "bad" type of cholesterol. It is a certain type of LDL – called lipoprotein (a) aka Lp(a) that actually causes the problems in your arteries. This is not part of a normal lipid profile test. I am getting a physical soon so I am going to ask if that can be included in my test (just to see if it’s even possible).
Another thing that needs to be considered when looking at your cholesterol numbers is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL and the ratio of LDL to HDL. This is normally calculated for you when you get a blood test. Numbers should be:
Total cholesterol: HDL should be 4 or under
LDL:HDL should be 2.5 or under
Getting your cholesterol numbers is only a small part of the picture. Even though they doesn’t necessarily mean much, this is what doctors focus on. Why? I don’t know. But despite all the attempts at telling people to lower their cholesterol, the problem of cardiovascular disease (CVD) hasn’t gone away and only seems to be getting worse. That is because other factors besides cholesterol have been identified that contribute to CVD. They just aren’t being acknowledged right now by regular medical peeps.
Tomorrow I will write about research that implicates other factors besides just high LDL in cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, if your total cholesterol is above 200 or if you enjoy a piece of cheese on occasion, don’t sweat it for now. Wait until you can talk to a health professional that won’t push medicine on you.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Cholesterol Week
I’m designating this week to be "Cholesterol Week". This topic is very important to me because many people are taking dangerous cholesterol-lowering drugs without even fully understanding what cholesterol is and how these drugs can be extremely harmful. It makes me very concerned.
Today’s topic will be "What is Cholesterol?"
Cholesterol is a general term for the molecules in your body called lipoproteins. "Lipo" means "fat", so a lipoprotein is a fat and protein stuck together. There are different kinds of lipoproteins but their function is to transport fat molecules to the places they are needed in your body.
For example, our cell membranes are made up of fat. So the lipoproteins (cholesterol) brings the fat to your cells so that it can maintain a healthy membrane. Healthy membrane = healthy cell.
Your brain is also needs a regular supply of cholesterol because it is made up of a lot of fat.
Cholesterol is an ingredient in bile, that stuff you may have noticed while throwing up on an empty stomach. Besides burning the lining out of your esophagus, it actually has an important purpose of helping you digest the fat you eat.
As you can see then, cholesterol is completely useful and necessary.
You can eat cholesterol and it is also made naturally in your liver. If you don’t eat enough, your liver will make extra. When you have too much floating in your body, your liver takes some back and uses it for making bile or hormones. In other words, your body is designed to regulate its own cholesterol levels.
Like I mentioned, there are different types of cholesterol. You may have heard of "good" and "bad". I’m not here to judge, but what is normally considered the "bad" cholesterol is the low-density lipoproteins aka LDL. The "good" cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein aka HDL. The HDL is considered good because it can remove LDL from the blood. There are different types of LDL and HDL that have different effects on your body which is beyond the scope of this post. But just so you know.
Standard advice is to keep your LDL under 130 and your HDL as high as possible, preferably around 60. The numbers refer to milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood.
Tomorrow I am going to write about what cholesterol has to do with heart disease and why everyone is making a huge deal about keeping it low.
Bye for now!
Today’s topic will be "What is Cholesterol?"
Cholesterol is a general term for the molecules in your body called lipoproteins. "Lipo" means "fat", so a lipoprotein is a fat and protein stuck together. There are different kinds of lipoproteins but their function is to transport fat molecules to the places they are needed in your body.
For example, our cell membranes are made up of fat. So the lipoproteins (cholesterol) brings the fat to your cells so that it can maintain a healthy membrane. Healthy membrane = healthy cell.
Your brain is also needs a regular supply of cholesterol because it is made up of a lot of fat.
Cholesterol is an ingredient in bile, that stuff you may have noticed while throwing up on an empty stomach. Besides burning the lining out of your esophagus, it actually has an important purpose of helping you digest the fat you eat.
As you can see then, cholesterol is completely useful and necessary.
You can eat cholesterol and it is also made naturally in your liver. If you don’t eat enough, your liver will make extra. When you have too much floating in your body, your liver takes some back and uses it for making bile or hormones. In other words, your body is designed to regulate its own cholesterol levels.
Like I mentioned, there are different types of cholesterol. You may have heard of "good" and "bad". I’m not here to judge, but what is normally considered the "bad" cholesterol is the low-density lipoproteins aka LDL. The "good" cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein aka HDL. The HDL is considered good because it can remove LDL from the blood. There are different types of LDL and HDL that have different effects on your body which is beyond the scope of this post. But just so you know.
Standard advice is to keep your LDL under 130 and your HDL as high as possible, preferably around 60. The numbers refer to milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood.
Tomorrow I am going to write about what cholesterol has to do with heart disease and why everyone is making a huge deal about keeping it low.
Bye for now!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Veggies as a Meal
Getting the recommended number of vegetables a day doesn’t have to be as hard as we think. If we make it a habit to enjoy some meals made only of veggies, it’s completely possible. A lot of people around the world just eat veggies for a meal. Not only do they live through the ordeal, but they really benefit! Here is a quote from our favorite chef-crush, Jamie Oliver:"In Britain and the U.S., we tend not to eat enough veg, and when we do we always feel they need to be eaten with meat or fish. However, in Italy huge amounts of vegetables and greens are served… and the Italians are a damn sight healthier than us. So listen up. Let’s be like them and big up the greens. Cook them nicely, dress them with care and you’ll be laughing."
(I included his recipe below).
Think of the benefits...
- Save money because veggies (especially if seasonal) are cheaper than meat or processed food
- Become full faster due to the water and fiber content of the vegetables
- You can put some extremely healthy olive oil on it – so healthy and your body will love you forever
- A squeaky clean colon
- Lots of phytonutrients to boost your immune system, fight off nasty diseases, and keep your skin looking great.
- And my favorite benefit: A total superiority complex at the grocery store. Many times when I am in the check out line at the store, I look (in horror) at what other people have in their carts. Then I admire all the beautiful produce that I laid out on the rolling thingy and I know that I made much better food choices. While I imagine they are looking at my food in envy, WISHING they knew my secret to grocery shopping, they are probably just hoping I am not paying with change or something. But hey, it’s my twisted little game.
Jamie Oliver’s recipe:
Get a large pot of salted boiling water on the go, with a lid on. If you’re cooking Swiss chard, the stalks will need to be removed first and added to the water first. When they’ve softened you can add the leaves, which need only a minute or who in the boiling water. If you’re cooking broccoli, or Romanesco broccoli, don’t cook it al dente but don’t overcook it either – you want it somewhere in between. How do you check? Take a piece out of the water and eat it. You can also use asparagus, or cabbage leaves like Savoy Napa, or zucchini.
Rachael Ray’s recipes (I know…):
Spinach with Nutmeg and Garlic:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 bag triple washed spinach (10 to 12 oz), stems trimmed
course salt and pepper, to taste
2 pinches ground nutmeg
Heat garlic over medium heat. Add spinach and turn in pan until leaves wilt. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a couple of pinches of nutmeg – it’s delicious with any dark green.
Swiss Chard with Golden Raisins:
½ medium white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches chard, red or green, stems trimmed away, tops roughly cut
¼ c golden raisin, left to soak in 1 c vegetable broth
salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg, to taste
Heat the biggest skillet you’ve got over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic in oil for a minute or two. Add the greens and turn in pan as they begin to wilt. Add raisins with broth, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove cover and turn greens out onto serving dish. Makes 2 meals or 6 side dishes.
My own fav:
½ pound of string beans, already cooked to a medium consistency, sauteed with olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes.
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