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Natural Remedy for High Cholestrol


Hills Bro
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Not looking for something you may have read about but something that you know by experience works. I'd love to hear from Sudo and his specific diet.

I have been on statins (Lipitor) for about 2 years and have developed muscle fatigue. I am not overweight. I work a physical job get lots of exercise and avoid junk food. I am 6'1 and 180lbs. I'm a SWHM looking for a SWHF...no not really icon_biggrin.gif:D--> icon_biggrin.gif:D-->. My cholestrol is on average 220 even with the statins. Medical advise is to increase amount of Lipitor or change to another statin. I have had stress tests with ultrasound and eckograms ...all I have passed with high grades.

I'd rather chew on a clove of garlic or injest monkey balls if they work without the pain of statins. Please don't tell me I have to go to the rain forest in Brazil to collect Butterfly Bass eggs and mix them with tree bark from the dogwood tree to be healed. icon_biggrin.gif:D--> I have limitations.

Edited by Hills Bro
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Here's what I know from my experience with cholesteral - though in my situation I was focusing most on the triglycerides.

1. Stay away from sugar and yes this means alcohol too.

2. Go real easy on the caffiene

3. Get more protient from chicken and fish and less from pork and red meats. Fish in particular has a very healthy fat in it.

4. If you have to cook with oil, use olive oil

5. Check with your doctor/pharmacist before taking vitamin E (or any other supplement)- it may interfere with the effectiveness of your medication.

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quote:
1. Stay away from sugar and yes this means alcohol too.

icon_frown.gif:(--> icon_frown.gif:(--> No alchohol? My cholestrol just went up thinking about that. icon_wink.gif;)-->

I found this article hehe

The Beer Diet

I, like so many Americans, have tried many different ways to lose weight. I have never been obese, but I had been trying to lose 20-30 pounds for quite some time. I have tried diet pills, but I got hooked. I have tried the protein diet, but I learned that you can't drink beer, so I quit that one pretty quick. I was almost to the point where I was going to start exercising, but an intervention of some of my closest friends saved me from that dreadful fate.

So one night, while doing my obligatory research in the BIGFY laboratory, I looked up and realized that it was 10:00 PM and I had forgotten to have dinner. I chose to forego dinner, and have more liquid nutrition. Unbelievably, I had just stumbled onto a discovery that would ultimately lead me to create my own weight loss regime: The Beer Diet.

I began eating breakfast (which I had never done before on a consistent basis), usually just a breakfast burrito or an omelet will suffice. I continued to eat my normal crap for lunch, such as a cheeseburger and fries. Then, in the evening, I would simply enjoy my brew and skip dinner. Pretty soon, the pounds began to fall off like the digits of a leper. After six months of this "diet", I actually went from a pudgy 185 lbs to a lean 155 lbs. Ironically enough, I also lost my beer belly!

Maybe the most important difference between the Beer Diet and other diets, is that those other diets have a not-so-pleasant side effect called sobriety. When my friends and co-workers began to notice my new slender physique, they asked how I did it. To a man, they were all incredulous to learn that the key to my weight loss was beer. Most still do not believe me to this day, but I swear to God it is true.

The diet works because the majority of all the fat-producing caloric intake is ingested in the early part of the day; say, before 3PM. Food that is consumed after that time would normally turn into fat while you sleep and relax in the evening. I don't have any scientific proof of this, but it makes sense to me, and it's the best explanation I can think of.

I began to research the reasons for the diet's success and found that beer is, among other things 93% water, contains no sugars or fat and only low levels of additives. In fact, according to Dr. David Williams (a professor of chemistry at the University of Wales), beer is the complete food because it contains carbohydrates, protein and vitamins. It also contains liberal amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. Add to this the vitamins folic acid, Niacin, pantothenic acid (B3), riboflavin (B2) and pyridoxine (B6), and you have the perfect dietary supplement. And it is available in convenient 6,12, and 24 packs. I actually prefer the industrial strength and economically prudent keg. You don't even need a prescription!

It has been almost a year since I began this diet, and the weight has stayed off. I do allow myself one or two dinners per week, and I am still able to maintain my slender look. While the Beer Diet does not act as quickly as some other, more drastic diets (it took about 4 months to lose 30 pounds), it is much easier to stick to. You are eating the normal foods you always have (i.e. junk food for most of the readers of this web site), and you get to drink as much beer as you'd like.

One word of caution: If you attempt to lose weight using the technique I've described above, you must do it from home. Do not attempt to use beer as a dietary supplement at your local watering hole. For some people this may be difficult as I certainly understand the importance of getting away from your spouse, or parents, or housemates whenever possible. But I suggest converting your garage into a sanctuary/bar/weight loss center and smoke lots of cigars to ensure privacy. People will leave you alone, and you'll be able to lose weight in peace. Never, under any circumstances attempt to "diet" at a neighborhood pub, as your local law enforcement probably doesn't want your operating heavy machinery after a busy night of "dieting".

If anyone would like more information on the Beer Diet, or if you would like to share your own success stories, please email me.

Happy Dieting!! ( From: http://www.beerisgoodforyou.com/The%20Beer%20Diet.htm)

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Here is an article you might find interesting......

Lowering Cholesterol - The Natural Way

By Brian Sanderoff

The idea of lowering cholesterol has been pretty much pounded into our "collective health psyche" for a long time now. Getting the blood test, understanding the HDL and the LDL, eating a low fat diet, and keeping that number under 200 has become standard health care in industrialized nations the world over. Of course, everyone knows that if your cholesterol is under 200 then you won't be clogging the arteries around your heart and having a heart attack… right?

Well, maybe that isn't right. Here are some facts to consider. More than 1/3 of all people that have heart attacks have total serum cholesterol levels below 200. Cholesterol is an important part of and needed for the proper synthesis of every cell in your body. Cholesterol is one of the building blocks that the body uses to make certain hormones. Having high cholesterol does not cause clogging of the arteries in and of itself.

The truth is that it is the oxidation of the LDL cholesterol in the body that starts the very complicated cascade of events that leads to the formation of plaques that eventually causes a clogged artery. Usually, the offending substances, the things that are oxidizing the LDL cholesterol, are heavy metal toxins that we pick up from our environment: the food we eat, the water we drink and the air that we breath.

So, the first question should be… "Does it make sense to try to lower cholesterol levels?" I think the answer is yes, to a certain extent. It is clear that the more LDL cholesterol you have floating around, the more likely it is that it will get oxidized to start the chain of events that leads to clogged arteries. And this is a worthy goal.

Of course, the next question is… "How does one lower cholesterol levels?" Ah, this is where the real controversy starts!

The first thing the typical physician recommends to lower your cholesterol is to go on a low-fat diet. I have lost count of how many people I talk to who have had this experience. Most of you give it the college try and really behave, for a while. Then you go and get your cholesterol tested again and the number drops by maybe 15 points, if at all. Indeed, it is not too uncommon for people's cholesterol to go up when they eat a low-fat diet. Another interesting side effect of the "low-fat" diet is that usually the triglycerides will go up because in our society a low-fat diet usually means a high sugar diet.

You must understand, and I can't stress this enough, an inflated cholesterol level is not about diet, it's about liver function. When the liver is not functioning properly or optimally, that is when the body has a tendency to show the symptom of high cholesterol.

The next thing on the physician's list to is put you on one of the "statin" drugs (Mevacor, Lipitor, Pravachol, etc.) that lower cholesterol. Of course, if the physician is following proper established protocol then you now have to have your blood test every 3 to 6 months. And what is the doctor looking for in these new blood tests? Liver function… the statin drugs are toxic to your liver. The statin drugs also cause a depletion of CoEnzyme Q10, a very important nutrient for heart and liver function. This vital nutrient will be discussed in a future column.

So… what are the best, and safest, ways to lower cholesterol? Here are a few ideas. But first, let me state that when it comes to health issues like this I think it is wisest to educate yourselves and use the advise of qualified health professionals that know you, your body, and the ramifications of all of the possible decisions you make. I would be disappointed if you took this information and just stopped taking any prescription medicine, including the statin drugs. What would excite me is if you read this column, begin to seek out all of the information available, begin to take responsibility for your own healthcare decisions, and find a healthier way to live a disease-free, pain-free life.

Here are some simple ways to help lower cholesterol…

Niacin had been shown to be the most effective substance at lowering cholesterol. However, niacin in high doses can be toxic to the liver and has a bothersome side effect of causing flushing in the face and neck. There is a form of niacin called Inositol Hexanicotinate, also known as "No-Flush Niacin" that is much safer and does not cause the bothersome flushing, as the name implies. I usually recommend 500mg three times daily.

Tocotrienols are a group of compounds related to vitamin E that have been shown to help lower cholesterol by helping to modulate an enzyme in the body that helps synthesize cholesterol. I recommend a capsule twice daily of a potent tocotrienol formula, like the one made by Pure Encapsulations.

Guggul is an herb from the country of India that has been shown by double-blind placebo controlled studies to be as effective as certain prescription medicines in lowering cholesterol without any worrisome side effects. It is important to make sure that you get 75mg of the guggulsterones (the known active ingredient of guggul) daily. Make sure you read the label carefully!!

Garlic is an herb that has been shown through numerous studies to help lower cholesterol, be beneficial to heart health and lower blood pressure.

Psyllium, taken twice daily as a fiber supplement, has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels, sometimes up to 20 points. I would postulate that normal bowel function and normal bowel transit time play an important role in liver function and preventing the reabsorption of cholesterol from the bile that uses the bowels as an exit from the body.

It is important to note that different people have high cholesterol for different reasons. We also recommend supporting general liver function through the use of herbs like Milk Thistle and Dandelion Root. Also, taking a plant based digestive enzyme can be very important in not overloading the liver with the work of digestion, which allows it to get back to its other functions, including the proper modulation of blood cholesterol.

Lastly, a discussion of proper liver function would not be complete without pointing out that the emotion of anger is tied to liver function. Invariably, my patients who have liver issues, which may range from indigestion to high cholesterol to Hepatitis C, have underlying (and sometimes not so underlying) unresolved anger issues from their past or present. The holistic approach to health dictates looking at all aspects of our lives and seeing a sign like having high cholesterol as a symptom of something deeper going on.

Cowgirl

bucking_horse1.jpg

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Wacky..Red Yeast Rice capsules. I just happened to come back from the Health food store with a bottle of those bad boys.

Cowgirl...he's right about levels below 200. My mom just died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Three arteries were over 90 % blocked. Her cholestrol was 145 at her last check up. She was also on 20 milg of lipitor.

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And let's not forget our friends, lecithin and flax seed. When I told my Doctor that I wasn't/couldn't afford the medications he wanted me on. He told me to take lecithin and the flax seed.

It's bringing down my cholestor slowly but surely. And they are both cheap compared to the prarmacy priced of prescriptions.

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abi-

"1. Stay away from sugar and yes this means alcohol too."

sugars only effect your triglycerides, not the HDLS and LDLS.

"2. Go real easy on the caffiene"

Really I had not heard that one before. My docs have never said anythign about giving up coffee.

"3. Get more protient from chicken and fish and less from pork and red meats. Fish in particular has a very healthy fat in it."

LOL, I dont do red meat. We do fish twice a week and either veggie or turkey the rest.

Some of us dont do red-meat and the 'change' of dropping the red-meat seems to be a possible catalyst in running cholesterol up.

"4. If you have to cook with oil, use olive oil"

Woo, easy there, some of us, including me can NOT do olive oil. Olive oil runs my HDLS way up.

I have to use grapeseed oil.

Olive oil has way toooo much cholesterol in it. Most oils do have some, olive oil simply has less than some others and olive oil has better marketing.

But there are other oils that has less chlesterol than olive oil.

When we were inour late 30's we decided to begin changing our menu to make it 'better'.

Bonnie does our menu on a monthly schedule, so she was easily able to slowly drop out red meats and bring up the levels of fish and veggie meals. We had fun with it. We also got rid of frying.

2 years later during my annual physical, my cholesterol had gone up, 400+. They can not read it when it goes above 400, they only know that it is above 400. So they say 400+.

I began going to a nutricianist and dietician monthly for one year, at the time I had already gone off red-meat and fried foods. I was stationed in Italy at the time. They kept saying that I needed more fruits and veggies. So I did, but that ran my trigylercides up too much. I learned you can NOT do fresh fruits, fruit juices or V-8 either. So no fresh fruit and no fresh veggies.

Finally between Zocor [80mg 2X] and Lopid [600mg 2x], we got it under control again.

I go in now annually for a physical and new scripts. The docs tell me, that at this level of meds, no menu is going to have any difference in my cholesterol. So I should be able to again eat anything.

We still dont do red-meat, or fried foods. We eat fish twice a week and the rest is either turkey or veggie. and I drink a little .

I have read the stuff saying that cholesterol is a scam, pushed on us by the medical-pharm industrial complex, I dont know. If I had to pay for all these drugs, I would not. But being a servicemember I get it all for free, so I will be a 'good' boy and take it for now. :-)

Hills-

Since your problem is that your actually feeling the muscle fatique, have you spoken with your doc about it, and tried to get some other alternatives proscribed? Since this is a 'known' side-effect, they are kind of expecting to see some percentage of us to have this problem. There must be an alternative they can proscribe. :-)

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You may want to check out the Portfolio Diet. It's no surprise that the Almond Board of California is promoting it, since almonds play a role in it.

It's an addition of several foods which have been individually shown to help lower cholesterol naturally. Soy is one of them, and you should know that some folks also caution that soy has so many natural estrogen-type things in it that they worry that it could be feminizing to men. That said, there are other things in the Portfolio Diet which may be of benefit to you. Granted, I am a woman, but I found a dramatic decrease (20% or so) in one month of being smart about my food, and also adding the things on the Portfolio Diet list.

Good luck with this.

niKa

http://www.portfolioeatingplan.com/p_intro.php

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notinKansasanymore:

"... Soy is one of them, and you should know that some folks also caution that soy has so many natural estrogen-type things in it that they worry that it could be feminizing to men."

LOL

and boostering little girl's into their puberty earlier, and

lowering sperm-counts among boys, and

it counts as HRT among post-menopausal women who are at high-risk for breast-cancer or cervical-cancer.

Just like cow's milk, another source of estrogen.

:-)

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