You hear about it every night on the television. First they tell you how dangerous it is. Then they tell you they have the drug that will get rid of it for you. Then they tell you they have the drug to get rid of the side effect from it. What they don't tell you is that the side effect is not from the high cholesterol itself, but from the drugs they sold you to treat the high cholesterol.
Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for medications. If you have already had a heart attack due to cholesterol blockage, or you numbers are so high they are afraid to let you go home because you might have a heart attack on the way then you need the immediate effect of medications. My philosophy is that if my life isn't in immediate danger then I want to try the more natural approaches to health care before taking any medication, especially one I will have a hard time getting off of down the road.
So, what are the books saying about the natural way of dealing with this common problem? There are times I think the authors were all studying together before they wrote their individual books. This is one of them. They all agree that diet and exercise are the keys to this threat of good health. It is beginning to sound like a broken record.
They all agree to cut out trans fats completely. Trans fats can be found in margarine, shortening, and most baked and prepared foods. If you are picking up a package of something read the label. It may claim to be trans fat free, which by law means it has only a small amount. They key word you are looking for on the label is hydrogenated. This is the process of mixing a fat with hydrogen to turn it from a liquid into a solid. They do this because solid fats spoil more slowly than liquid fats do. If a manufacturer is looking for a long shelf life they will do many things that are not healthy for the consumer, but makes their product look and taste better for the longest time possible.
Another thing they all agree on is to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. You want both the insoluble and the soluble fiber. They both do different things. The insoluble fiber attracts the fats in the digestive system and shuttles them out of your body. The soluble fiber binds the bile salts to prevent gallbladder disease. That is a bonus while it lowers your cholesterol levels.
They all emphasize the importance of antioxidants in the diet. Cholesterol by itself is not harmful to our bodies. It is when the cholesterol is oxidized that it causes problems. The best way to prevent oxidation of your cholesterol is to make sure you have plenty of antioxidants in your blood stream. Fruits and vegetables are a good start, but for added assurance try either the Enriching Gifts Metabolic Complete or the Enriching Gifts Heart Algae both are highly bioavailable antioxidant formulas. We have tried both of them. My husband prefers the Heart Algae, and I think I prefer the Metabolic Complete. The Metabolic Complete contains the CoEnzymeQ10 and the Grapeseed Extract called for by name by many of the authors. The Heart Algae is a propriety red algae that has been shown to nourish the heart and vascular system. Because they are both so powerful we do not recommend taking them together. Finish a bottle of one before you start on the other.
All of the books mentioned Garlic as a very good food to eat. In fact any plant from the Garlic or allium family would be helpful in lowering cholesterol. The best way to eat these plants for medicinal purposes is raw. The recommended amount is 1-3 cloves of raw garlic a day. If you can't stand smelling like Garlic there are now many products in the vitamin store that claim to have reduced or eliminated the odor.
Dr. Decker Weiss, N.M.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix Arizona says we need to get lipotropic compounds to aid the liver. He mentions choline, Vitamin B6, folic acid, and Vitamin B12 by name. All these are found in the Enriching Gifts Complete Vitamins Plus. It also contains the Niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Gugulipids, Grape Seed Extract, Gingseng, and Coenzyme Q10 called for by him and the other authors.
Sugar was one thing that Don Colbert, M.D. says we need to avoid when fighting high cholesterol. He says it is because when the insulin levels are raised it increases the cholesterol and triglycerides (the worst form of cholesterol) that the liver produces. This is one reason why diabetics have a greater problem with high cholesterol.
Exercise is a key component in reducing cholesterol. Besides raising your metabolic rate so you burn more fat it lowers the bad LDL cholesterol and raises the good HDL cholesterol. It also encourages the body to create its own "bypass". Studies have shown that people with blocked arteries that exercise regularly will actually grow "feeder" arteries to increase the blood flow to the heart.
We mentioned earlier the importance of a healthy liver in maintaining a proper cholesterol level. Dr. Gloria Gilbere, N.D, D.A.Hom., Ph.D., has found that when the liver is congested and unhealthy the cholesterol levels increase. She has linked this also with a problem called Syndrome X. Many people with MARS (Multiple Allergic Response Syndrome) will later develop Syndrome X. This syndrome is connected with weight gain and an increase in cholesterol levels. One of the things she recommends is a good Enzyme supplement. When I met with her earlier this year she was just being introduced to the Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes. She had been taking them for a short time. While I was there she had her blood tested with Nutritional Live Blood Microscopy. She, and the people doing the test, said there was a huge improvement in her blood. She told us that the Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes were the most powerful enzyme mix she had run across. She attested to the fact that the Enriching Gifts Plant Enzymes would help in lowering cholesterol.
The Enzyme Research Institute has done numerous studies on cholesterol. They have found that not only have they found that enzymes reduce the triglycerides in your blood stream, but also the fibrin. This is one of the substances that allow your blood to clot. When you are bleeding you want there to be enough of this to do the job quickly. The problem is that with our stressful lifestyles most of us have too much fibrin in our blood stream. This slows down the blood flow, and also allows the blood to form clots in our system. Combine this with an artery that has been narrowed by plaque (oxidized cholesterol) and you have the prime ingredients for a heart attack or stroke.
One thing that none of the authors talked about was plant sterols. Studies have shown that plant sterols when taken with meals compete for absorption with the fat molecules from that meal. You may remember the fat called Olestra that promised to do the same thing. The problem there was a side effect of oily diarrhea. With Enriching Gifts Sterol-Max you get all the benefits and none of the side effects. Enriching Gifts Sterol-Max taken with your meals will block the absorption of some of the fats from that meal. Excess fat is what the liver uses to produce the cholesterol you are fighting to control. This way you won't have to insult your hostess when she serves you a high fat meal. Just take a couple of Enriching Gifts Sterol-Max and enjoy the meal, knowing that you are reducing the harmful effects from it.
Bottom line: take good care of yourself, eat right, exercise, lower your stress level, and get the right supplements, including many of the Enriching Gifts products.
Nature's Medicines by Gale Maleskey and the Editors of Prevention Health Books, copyright 1999 by Rodale Inc.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White MD and Steven Foster, copyright 2000 by Rodale Press
The Good Herb by Judith Benn Hurley, copyright 1995 by Judith Benn Hurley.
Wholistic Skin and Body Rejuvenation Level One Certificated Course Material by Gloria E. Gilbere, N.D, D.A.Hom., Ph.D, Wholistic Rejuvenist, copyrighted 2008 by Gloria E. Gilbere, LLC.
Enzymes the Fountain of Life by D.A Lopez, M.D., R.M Williams, M.D., Ph.D and K. Miehlke, M.D. copyrighted 1994 by the Neville Press Inc.
Invisible Illnesses by Gloria Gilbere, N.D., D.A. Hom., Ph.D., copyrighted 2nd edition 2005, 2002 by Gloria Gilbere, N.D., D.A. Hom., Ph.D
Blended Medicine Combining Mainstream and Alternative Therapies by Michael Castleman copyrighted 2000 by Michael Castleman.
Smart Choices in Alternative Medicine by Samuel Benjamin, M.D. copyrighted 1999 by Meredith Corporation.
