# Lifestyles & Discussion > Personal Health & Well-Being >  Ok, now it's my turn to go through this cholesterol fight....

## fisharmor

Opinions from those who have done/are doing it?

They told me to eat more fiber.
Yeah, at least half of my diet is fruits and vegetables.  That's not going to happen.

They told me to have a drink every night.
Yeah, I get home from work and most nights I'm playing with power tools.  I'm not drinking before bed because I sleep like crap.

I don't eat red meat more than once or twice a week.  I'm trying to cut back on wheat.
I do eat a lot of butter... any margarine love out there?


Any other ideas?  It's 241 right now but the HDL level is really low (like 36), but I'm seriously going to choose heart disease before I get on a pharmaceutical for this.

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## Dr.3D

Here is what I'm on.  http://www.paulingtherapy.com/
I have one totally blocked coronary artery and another on it's way to being that way.  My hope is to reverse this using the *Pauling Therapy*.

Here is where to get an idea of the dosage.
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/fo...71222&start=15

I'm taking 12 grams of ascorbic acid.  2 grams every four hours.

Here is what I take every 4 hours.
2 grams ascorbic acid
2 grams L-Lysine
500 mg Proline

I would only need half that amount if I didn't have the blockages.

Here is where you can get a decent package at a fair price.
http://store.ourhealthcoop.com/Heart...Caps-p/hev.htm

Here is another that is probably better, but it costs a lot more.
http://stores.paulingtherapystore.co...hip/Detail.bok

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## Acala

I suggest you read this:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/chole...#axzz2KtP7H4tv

And keep in mind a few things.  
The relationship between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels is not significant.  Your body makes cholesterol to order.
The relationship between blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease is far more complicated than mainstream medicine would have you believe
The levels of blood cholesterol that trigger "official" concern are actually perfectly consistent with long, healthy life
There are many far more important risk factors for heart disease than blood cholesterol - chronic stress and chronic inflammation being two of them.

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## Seraphim

Unfortunately (for you it seems) the easiest way to digest properly and have healthy levels of cholesterol is to have A LOT of plant fiber in your diet.

Fruit is delicious so I'm not sure what your beef is there...veggies need to be done right, but boy are they good for you...Can't be understated.

Keep away from grain carb fibers...plants...





> Opinions from those who have done/are doing it?
> 
> They told me to eat more fiber.
> Yeah, at least half of my diet is fruits and vegetables.  That's not going to happen.
> 
> They told me to have a drink every night.
> Yeah, I get home from work and most nights I'm playing with power tools.  I'm not drinking before bed because I sleep like crap.
> 
> I don't eat red meat more than once or twice a week.  I'm trying to cut back on wheat.
> ...

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## Todd

RED YEAST RICE

a buddy has reduced his cholesterol to healthy levels by taking this supplement.

nothings a panacea, but you're going to have to start exercising doing cardio, weights and such to change it completely.  Better than Pharmo.

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## Acala

> RED YEAST RICE
> 
> a buddy has reduced his cholesterol to healthy levels by taking this supplement.
> 
> nothings a panacea, but you're going to have to start exercising doing cardio, weights and such to change it completely.  Better than Pharmo.


Ugly story.  Red Rice Yeast naturally contains a statin compound.  Merck patented the compound and began selling it as a cholesterol drug (mevacor).  The FDA then ruled that red rice yeast cannot be sold over the counter because it contains a regulated drug.  The FDA now tolerates the sale of red rice yeast ONLY if it contains none of the statin compound.  It actively abuses any seller of the product if testing shows any statin content.

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## Dr.3D

> Ugly story.  Red Rice Yeast naturally contains a statin compound.  Merck patented the compound and began selling it as a cholesterol drug (mevacor).  The FDA then ruled that red rice yeast cannot be sold over the counter because it contains a regulated drug.  The FDA now tolerates the sale of red rice yeast ONLY if it contains none of the statin compound.  It actively abuses any seller of the product if testing shows any statin content.


Let's hope they don't do that with Orange Juice and make them remove all of the ascorbic acid from it before it can be sold.

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## dannno

First of all, your doctor and most doctors are $#@!ing morons when it comes to diet. Your health and your stress levels will be much better off if you stop going to them unless you are having complications.

*Read this:

How to Interpret Cholesterol Test Results*
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-t...-test-results/

My gf had an HDL level of 89 which is off the charts superb and it was because I had been feeding her grass fed meats, wild caught seafood, shellfish, coconut oil and fish oil supplements... and they told her to stop eating red meat because her TOTAL cholesterol was 'too high' even though total cholesterol ADDS good cholesterol in with the bad!! TC is a horrible measurement to go by, if you read the article above you know that even HDL and LDL readings have significant limitations in what that can tell us about our health.

You need to pretty much do the exact opposite of what they say, keeping a few things in mind.

The right kinds of dietary fat and cholesterol are VITAL to your health and reducing fats and cholesterol which come from unhealthy grain fed animals should be avoided, especially in your case!





> the dietary intake of cholesterol stops the internal production of cholesterol (Schwarzbein).


http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/?p=12


You need to find good sources of pastured (grass fed) meats, eggs and butters and you need to incorporate coconut oil into your diet. You need to eat wild caught fish and shellfish. Eat organic vegetables and some fruit, avoid grains and legumes as much as possible.

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## brandon

241 total is not that bad.  A bit back I had 230 total. I was sedentary at that time.  I spent only two months lifting weights and got it checked again...down to 190.

Some simple exercise 3 times a week might be all you need. If that doesn't work then you need to start looking at dietary changes.

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## Acala

> Let's hope they don't do that with Orange Juice and make them remove all of the ascorbic acid from it before it can be sold.


They should not have been able to patent the natural product in the first place.  But guess who has more clout with the FDA and the Patent Office, Merck or Ho Fat's Red Rice Yeast co-op?

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## jj-

When your thyroid is working well, cholesterol is converted to other hormones. This is what you do to improve thyroid function:

-Stop consuming all significant sources of polyunsaturated fats (however, it takes the body 4 years to change all its fats, but in a few months you should notice some effect)
-Consume at least 80 grams of protein from good sources daily. That helps the liver convert T4 to T3, the active form of the thyroid hormone. Good protein sources are milk, cheese, eggs, potatoes, gelatinous meat cuts, especially from ruminants such as cow or lamb. Limit chicken or pork to at most once every 10 days, they're high in PUFA.
-Avoid all soy products
-Avoid raw vegetables that slow down thyroid function, like raw cabbage.

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## Danan

From what I've heard from a doctor who actually bothered to read scientific studies and meta-studies, the whole cholesterol issue is a pretty good example of unscientific work.

They found high levels of it in people suffering from heart attacks and concluded that the cholesterol was casual, while it actually might very well be the case that cholesterol production is a function of your body to prevent a thrombus, or heal the effects of one.

So having a naturally low cholesterol level might be an indicator for lower risk of having a heart attack. But lowering a high level medicamentously might not make you healthier, but have the opposite effect of increasing your chance to get a thrombus.

The same doctor is very keen to get rid of those arbitrary guideline targets, like blood parameters, BMI levels, etc, because he believes most of them are not sufficiently proven to increase your overall health if you target them blindly. An "officially" overweight guy might very well live a shorter and more stressful life if he tried to get to a BMI level that is considered to be "healthy", than if he simply didn't change anything at all.

On diet his views are that there is no sufficiently scientificly proven diet that can improve one's health over the course of one's lifetime. Very often changing the usual diet because it's commonly considered to be "bad", or to achieve arbitrary targets, causes more harm than good. Listening to your body and eating what makes you feel good afterwards might be a good heuristic approach. Your body has a good way of telling you what you should and shouldn't eat.

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## dannno

If you WANT to have a heart attack, start eating margarine instead of butter. That $#@! is horrible for you, especially if it has partially hydrogenated oils.

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## AFPVet

Fiber is great, but what you really need to do is get your HDL levels (good cholesterol) up. Once you get your HDL up, your LDL (bad cholesterol) will go down. Virgin coconut oil is something that you may want to consider.

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## dannno

"Sketti" is what Honey Boo Boo's mom feeds all her kids, primarily.

This has got to be one of the worst combinations of foods you can possibly eat, and it shows.

It is made from spaghetti noodles (gmo wheat), catsup (high froctose corn syrup) and a lot of margarine (partially hydronated vegetable oils)

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## TonySutton

You don't smoke, do you?

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## Restore America Now

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, does wonders for cholesterol. Slo-Niacin is the best kind and won't damage your liver like some formulations.

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## opal

> When your thyroid is working well, cholesterol is converted to other hormones. This is what you do to improve thyroid function:
> 
> -Stop consuming all significant sources of polyunsaturated fats (however, it takes the body 4 years to change all its fats, but in a few months you should notice some effect)
> -Consume at least 80 grams of protein from good sources daily. That helps the liver convert T4 to T3, the active form of the thyroid hormone. Good protein sources are milk, cheese, eggs, potatoes, gelatinous meat cuts, especially from ruminants such as cow or lamb. Limit chicken or pork to at most once every 10 days, they're high in PUFA.
> -Avoid all soy products
> -Avoid raw vegetables that slow down thyroid function, like raw cabbage.


/threadjack

so.. if your thyroid is OVER producing.. do the opposite of this?

/end threadjack

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## jj-

> /threadjack
> 
> so.. if your thyroid is OVER producing.. do the opposite of this?
> 
> /end threadjack


That is very rare, it's often misdiagnosed. I heard a thyroid specialist advise people to drink raw cabbage juice if they accidentally took more than they should in thyroid supplements and their heart rate was very high, to slow down the thyroid.

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## opal

I don't think it's a misdiagnosis  - several doctors.. multinodual goiter.. on meds for over 10 years - refusing to get radiation - just thought there might be a dietary route that I haven't found in lieu of the meds

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## dannno

> I don't think it's a misdiagnosis  - several doctors.. multinodual goiter.. on meds for over 10 years - refusing to get radiation - just thought there might be a dietary route that I haven't found in lieu of the meds


http://www.nativeremedies.com/produc...ism.html#tab-2

Also eat lots of cruciferous veggies. 

Use sea salt instead of iodized salt.

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## RickyJ

> Opinions from those who have done/are doing it?
> 
> They told me to eat more fiber.
> Yeah, at least half of my diet is fruits and vegetables.  That's not going to happen.
> 
> They told me to have a drink every night.
> Yeah, I get home from work and most nights I'm playing with power tools.  I'm not drinking before bed because I sleep like crap.
> 
> I don't eat red meat more than once or twice a week.  I'm trying to cut back on wheat.
> ...


The main problem with your cholesterol level is your HDL level, not the overall number which while being high, wouldn't be that bad if you had higher HDL levels. One way to increase HDL levels is exercise. If you aren't exercising then start now and your HDL levels should improve. by itself high cholesterol levels do not cause heart disease, what causes it is usually inflammation of the arteries and scar tissue of the arteries which can be caused by synthetic trans-fats. Avoid anything with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in it and you can avoid synthetic trans-fats.

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## presence

Dump the butter for organic-extra-virgin-unrefined coconut oil and olive oil.  Change your breakfast to oatmeal and go for a 10 minute walk before you eat breakfast.

I recently (5 months ago) ditched ALL dairy, gluten, and corn.  I'm feeling much better.

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## dannno

> Dump the butter for organic-extra-virgin-unrefined coconut oil and olive oil.  Change your breakfast to oatmeal and go for a 10 minute walk before you eat breakfast.
> 
> I recently (5 months ago) ditched ALL dairy, gluten, and corn.  I'm feeling much better.


Raw grass fed dairy and butter is actually really good for you, but it isn't necessary if you're getting good fats from coconut oil, seafood, grass fed meats, etc..

I found out recently that at Trader Joe's has, or wherever you can find butter from Ireland, it is all grass fed (if there's no local source that is reasonably priced)

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## presence

> Raw grass fed dairy and butter is actually really good for you


I became medically "severely lactose intolerant" when I turned 30.  The freezer is full of dead cow though... we're about 6 of 12 months into her grass fed goodness.

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## PatriotOne

True story.  I ate a lowfat diet (and I mean REALLY low fat diet) for yrs.  Ended up with above avg cholestral...not terrible...but not average,  and I gained weight on my near 0 fat diet because of all the carbs.  I went on the Atkins and after 2 full yrs of being on Atkins and eating copious amounts of all kinds of meat (alot of red meat), butter, eggs, mayo, and vegetables, heavy cream, and somewhere between 5 and  30 carbs a day) I had my bi-annual workplace check up, which included blood work.  The result of my extremely high fat diet was, and I quote the doctor, "I had the cholestral level and blood pressure of a young child".  He said it was very rare for an adult in their 40's to have such results.  He looked at me like I had 2 heads when I told him what I ate on a daily basis.

Take it for what's it's worth but I don't believe for second animal fat has anything to do with cholestral.  If it did, I would surely be dead by now .

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## heavenlyboy34

OP-if you haven't yet, get some ph paper and test your ph.  If your ph is bad (IDR the number right now), you'll develop chronic inflammation over time, which leads to/worsens heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other lifestyle-related diseases.  There are supplements out there to help improve your ph, but IDR the names right off except Buffer ph-as I am too healthy to need it yet.  They're available at regular drug stores/health stores though, so ask around about it.

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## dannno

> I became medically "severely lactose intolerant" when I turned 30.  The freezer is full of dead cow though... we're about 6 of 12 months into her grass fed goodness.


Did you ever try raw dairy? I've heard of people who have severe lactose intolerance actually doing quite well on raw dairy. Supposedly the amount of people who are truly lactose intolerant is incredibly small.. The majority of the world is lactose intolerant towards pasteurized dairy.

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## dannno

> OP-if you haven't yet, get some ph paper and test your ph.  If your ph is bad (IDR the number right now), you'll develop chronic inflammation over time, which leads to/worsens heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other lifestyle-related diseases.  There are supplements out there to help improve your ph, but IDR the names right off except Buffer ph-as I am too healthy to need it yet.  They're available at regular drug stores/health stores though, so ask around about it.


The best way to regulate your blood pH is apple cider vinegar - 2 teaspoons of UN-filtered raw apple cider vinegar well shaken to get all the red/brown gunk off the bottom - with a cup of filtered water with a squeeze of lemon or lime and optional but very beneficial, raw local honey. Once or twice a day. Rinse your mouth out with some water or brush your teeth after, the vinegar is a little acidic, but it will actually raise your blood pH.

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## heavenlyboy34

> The best way to regulate your blood pH is apple cider vinegar - 2 teaspoons of UN-filtered raw apple cider vinegar well shaken to get all the red/brown gunk off the bottom - with a cup of filtered water with a squeeze of lemon or lime and optional but very beneficial, raw local honey. Once or twice a day. Rinse your mouth out with some water or brush your teeth after, the vinegar is a little acidic, but it will actually raise your blood pH.


Never heard of that...but the ingredients are alkalizing, so it probably works.

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## Eagles' Wings

I would go with Danno's advice.  Primal Diet, Weston Price Foundation, Nourishing Traditions, Bee Wilder, Schwarzbein, Mercola.

Most of these talk about fear people have when getting cholesterol findings back.  Too high, too low.  It is confusing.  Bee Wilder suggests that blood tests are not an accurate way to "read" the body.  Her thoughts are interesting and backed with science.

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## Dr.3D

> I would go with Danno's advice.  Primal Diet, Weston Price Foundation, Nourishing Traditions, Bee Wilder, Schwarzbein, Mercola.
> 
> Most of these talk about fear people have when getting cholesterol findings back.  Too high, too low.  It is confusing.  *Bee Wilder suggests that blood tests are not an accurate way to "read" the body.*  Her thoughts are interesting and backed with science.


Finding out the Lipoprotein A level in your blood is a far more accurate way to determine if you are at risk.  Physicians like to group everything together into what they call cholesterol and that is a poor approach.
http://www.paulingtherapy.com/

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## Chester Copperpot

> Opinions from those who have done/are doing it?
> 
> They told me to eat more fiber.
> Yeah, at least half of my diet is fruits and vegetables.  That's not going to happen.
> 
> They told me to have a drink every night.
> Yeah, I get home from work and most nights I'm playing with power tools.  I'm not drinking before bed because I sleep like crap.
> 
> I don't eat red meat more than once or twice a week.  I'm trying to cut back on wheat.
> ...


Vitamin C... 500 mg/day will lower your cholesterol no problem.

If youre older and have had high cholesterol for awhile you might see a temporary increase in blood cholesterol as the cholesterol removes itself from your arterial walls and is returned to the blood so it can go back into the liver.

cholesterol is a nutritional problem.

You can look up all the holocaust victims who ate nothing but watery broth and basically starved to death.. Their cholesterol levels were all super high.

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## Chester Copperpot

> Did you ever try raw dairy? I've heard of people who have severe lactose intolerance actually doing quite well on raw dairy. Supposedly the amount of people who are truly lactose intolerant is incredibly small.. The majority of the world is lactose intolerant towards pasteurized dairy.


My gf has issues with store bought milk EVERYTIME... if she buys regular milk from the store.

When we go to the farm and buy raw grass fed milk there are never any issues.

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## Lucille

> Never heard of that...but the ingredients are alkalizing, so it probably works.


I've read to maintain pH balance, you take both ACV and baking soda every day.  I do!  ACV in the morning, and baking soda at night.

Some mix them, and let the volcanic action settle, add water.  They say there is an immediate change in the body's pH.

ACV is a miracle food.

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## Thor

I ate oatmeal every morning for a month and made a difference.




> Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, does wonders for cholesterol. Slo-Niacin is the best kind and won't damage your liver like some formulations.


And yes, Niacin, but according to this, NOT the slo-release kind: http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxifi...iet/niacin.htm




> In the high doses used for controlling cholesterol levels (anything above 100mg/day), nicotinic acid can cause skin flushing and skin itching as well as headaches, lightheadedness and low blood pressure. The niacinamide form of niacin does not cause these side effects, but it is not effective in reducing cholesterol levels, so it is seldom taken in such high doses. The slow-release versions of niacin supplements have the potential for causing liver damage (even at lower doses of 500mg/day) - so blood tests to monitor for liver damage are recommended and high-dose niacin supplementation should only be undertaken under the guidance of a natural physician. Anyone with liver disease, including those who consume more than 2 drinks of alcohol daily, should not take high-dose niacin.
> 
> Niacin is cheap, so its effectiveness in reducing cholesterol levels may be an inexpensive solution to reducing a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. When monitored properly by a natural physician, niacin therapy can be almost as effective as the popular (and expensive) statin drugs for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Niacin may be the most cost-effective lipid-lowering agent currently available.

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## fisharmor

> You don't smoke, do you?


Max for the last two years has been < 10 per week.  I stopped altogether a couple weeks ago to get back in jogging shape.
For a couple months I've been getting light exercise a few times a week, with some serious weightlifting 2-3 times per week.

We also just signed up with a home food delivery service that does only organic meat, and the beef is grass fed.

I mentioned margarine to the wife and she told me if that's what it takes, she's choosing the butter over me.  




> Vitamin C... 500 mg/day will lower your cholesterol no problem.


I'm going to look farther into vitamin C... I was like 'Hang on a second, I have like two citrus fruit per day' but I just looked it up, and it turns out there's only like 70mg in an orange.

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## Thor

And 241 is really not that bad...  According to current standards it is, but I heard the current standards were dropped to 200 so the statin drug companies could cast a wider net.  Not sure if that is true or if there really is science behind the 200 number.

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## AFPVet

> /threadjack
> 
> so.. if your thyroid is OVER producing.. do the opposite of this?
> 
> /end threadjack


Hyperthyroidism is more rare than hypothyroidism, but it does happen. Anything that 'regulates' the thyroid—like virgin coconut oil—will bring your thyroid back to where it needs to be.

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## tod evans

> If you WANT to have a heart attack, start eating margarine instead of butter. That $#@! is horrible for you, especially if it has partially hydrogenated oils.


I believe this too!

Eat stuff the way nature grew it, not how man remade it....

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## Ender

> Opinions from those who have done/are doing it?
> 
> They told me to eat more fiber.
> Yeah, at least half of my diet is fruits and vegetables.  That's not going to happen.
> 
> They told me to have a drink every night.
> Yeah, I get home from work and most nights I'm playing with power tools.  I'm not drinking before bed because I sleep like crap.
> 
> I don't eat red meat more than once or twice a week.  I'm trying to cut back on wheat.
> ...


First of all, blaming cholesterol for bad health is like blaming the firefighters for the fire. 

Next, I recommend the Blood Type diet- If you are an 0, then you need a primal diet- if an A, a vegetarian diet is best. Fiber is not particularly good for either.

I had a stomach ache most of my life until I found that Blood Type O does not do well on wheat flour and should be eating red meat.

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## AFPVet

> First of all, blaming cholesterol for bad health is like blaming the firefighters for the fire. 
> 
> Next, I recommend the Blood Type diet- If you are an 0, then you need a primal diet- if an A, a vegetarian diet is best. Fiber is not particularly good for either.
> 
> I had a stomach ache most of my life until I found that Blood Type O does not do well on wheat flour and should be eating red meat.


The blood type diet isn't for everyone. Like Dannno said, you may have a particular blood type, but a different digestive system.

It says that I don't do well with foods that I actually do well with lol.

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