You can Lower Cholesterol with the Food You Eat!!

by Robert DeMaria DC, DABCO, FASBE, NHD

Are you taken back by the Title? I know, you've heard it before, if you take this proprietary product that comes from the mountains of Asia, Africa or South America you can see improved cholesterol levels in days. All that without changing your diet! Sound to good to be true, well from my nearly thirty years of being a Natural Doctor, it really is too good to be true.

Eudo Erasmus the author and expert in the area of fat metabolism in his book, "Fats That Kill, and Fats That Heal", said "There is no other substance as widely publicized by the medical profession – and no bigger health scandal. Cholesterol can strike terror into the minds of misinformed people. The cholesterol scare is BIG business for doctors, laboratories, and drug companies". I just thought I would start this off with a BANG for all of you that are new to understanding how the body works. People do have heart attacks with normal cholesterol, while they are on drugs that trick the body in having them become low. This is a very serious issue and I thought it was time for you to know the real truth.

Cholesterol is a hard waxy substance that melts around 300 degrees F. Cholesterol is essential for our health, but we do not need to obtain if from foods. Our body can manufacture it from simple substances which it derives from the breakdown of sugars, fats, and proteins, this occurs especially when our total intake of these foods supplies us with calories in excess of our bodies requirements.

The more calories we consume especially from my experience sugar, then also saturated (red meat) and other non-essential fatty acids (soy, safflower, sunflower and Trans fat oils)--the more pressure there is on our body to make cholesterol. Now this is going to be news to you, the more stress you are under the more cholesterol our body makes, because cholesterol is the precursor of stress anti-inflammatory hormones.

Cholesterol has many important functions in the body. If it gets to low, even the low range that you have been told in the 160 parameter it can have negative effects on the body. Cholesterol is a part of cell membrane formation. Health begins and ends at the cellular level. You don't want it to low.

Cholesterol is used to make natural cortisone that is one of the reasons when you take certain medications to unnaturally lower your cholesterol you can have pain. Cholesterol is use to make natural hormones for water retention, mineral absorption and Vitamin D for strong bones all are a part of the Cholesterol loop. Bile acids, which are very important for digestive function, are derived from Cholesterol. I have found in my practice patients without enough bile craves sweets. Cholesterol covers our skin and protects it from dehydration, and protects if from foreign invaders. Finally Cholesterol is used as an antioxidant. This is like a fireman in the body.

Let me tell you a story. Cholesterol is not good or bad. It is necessary. Let's say that you are under stress and have been eating a bit more sweet items than normal. Truthfully in America, people are addicted to sugar; I was just trying to be kind. Anyway, when you eat sweets it creates a state of inflammation in the system. Our body was wonderfully designed by our heavenly father, and he put a pair of glands in us called the adrenal gland; that make cortisone when inflammation needs to be subdued.

OK, so you have been eating a lot of sweets, under stress and eating dead processed food. You don't feel good, and you visit your family health care provider that suggests a blood test. You agree, have the test and your LDL Cholesterol comes back high (LDL cholesterol is the one that you have been told is BAD), and your overall Cholesterol is at 220. You are given the no meat and cheese abstinence story and you go home, hoping not to go on another medication.

Let's break the story down for you to understand, like a parable Jesus would give. The sugar, which I fondly tell my patients, is from Satan, interrupts normal metabolism in the body. Sugar depletes minerals, upsets the formation of pain relieving fat hormones, and creates stress on the adrenal gland to make pain relieving cortisone. This cycle continues for sometime, years actually, your body runs out of the resources to make cortisone, but your body has a back up; Cholesterol.

Your adrenal gland tells the brain that it needs more cortisone, so your brain sends an email out, and Cholesterol is promptly released from a number of sources. The cholesterol is being transported to help assist putting out the fire. You see it is a precursor for cortisone. Now, it needs a vehicle. We will call the fire truck that takes Cholesterol to the fire the LDL fire truck. So, you continue consuming food like sugar and Trans fat that causes more inflammation in the body. Your body is under distress you don't feel good; tired, depressed, in pain, blood sugar fluctuations, headaches, frbromyalgia, and on. You are alarmed, your LDL cholesterol is going up, you are afraid, and start to take one of the most prescribed medications ever on the planet. Your cholesterol does go down, but you start having the bad effects described on the little sheet of paper that you can't decipher all the symptoms, but you know they are from the medication.

Here is what is happening. The LDL cholesterol IS NOT THE BAD GUY! It is doing its job, putting out the fire. HDL is considered the good guy when it is up, and the reason it is up, is because it is taking the Cholesterol back to the fire house; the fires is out. Here is the question? What caused the inflammation (FIRE)? I have had patients not eat eggs, red meat and cheese for years, just like you, and guess what? They still had high cholesterol. Why? Because they were avoiding the WRONG FOODS!! Sugar and the fat designed to be better than lard and beef tallow; Trans fat or partially hydrogenated oil is causing the inflammation. I discuss this in my book, "Dr. Bob's Trans Fat Survival Guide: Why No Fat Low Fat is Killing You" I have had patients not eat an egg for twenty years, and ate sweets. There Cholesterol never goes down until they got off the sweets and start eating Dr. Bob's ABC's; Apples, beets and carrots everyday. One apple has 22grams of carbohydrates so I encourage a half a day, beets and carrots.

Yep, you understand it right apples, beets and carrots. Eating apples can lower your cholesterol 13% and eating beets can lower your cholesterol 40%. I see it every day in my practice. Cholesterol attaches itself to the beet fiber and is released in the colon. I am not talking beet juice, but beet fiber. I prefer fresh organic grated on your salad, or bake them at 400F for one hour or until fork tender.

Cut the beets into small pieces and sprinkle on balsamic vinegar, Celtic Sea Salt and olive or coconut oil. Bake at 400F. Cool, put them in a sealed container, and freeze the extras. I normally cook about 10 beets or more per week. I wear gloves, to prevent red beet stained hands, and I use a sharp knife. I eat several beet pieces on my mixed green salad every day.

Beets do have a side effect. They can turn your stool or bowel movement a deep red color. Don't be alarmed, that is good. Beets will also help you have a firm full bowel movement.

I do not suggest commercial pickled or canned beets. Fresh beets from the market. I know from experience if you minimize the sugar in your life. Stop eating the trans fat you will see results in as little as three months. You will want to become a label detective, because trans fat can be found in the packages that say 0 grams Trans Fat. Do not be fooled. You will want to get my Trans Fat book and learn how to read a label.

Let me tell you about myself. I am over 50. I needed to upgrade my life insurance policy, a common procedure in my age bracket. I have been doing exactly what I told you in this article. I do not eat sweets, I do not drink alcohol, I do eat eggs, red meat (once a week), I do not drink soda, I exercise everyday, I eat a half apple every day, beets at lunch with five or six baby carrots. The results from my insurance exam were so overwhelmingly healthy that they LOWERED; yes you read it right, they LOWERED my premium. Thank you LORD.

Do not go off your medication without speaking to your health care provider first. Work together this is a team effort. Also, one note, a low functioning thyroid gland can elevate your cholesterol. I have found that most practioners today know that their patients that are proactive have more time to research natural remedies, and understand that food can be your medicine, and medicine can be food.

© Copyright by Robert DeMaria DC, NHD. Used with permission.

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