A Pretty Definitive Read on Coconut OIl

The “fat is bad for you” and “saturated fat is worse” memes are still going strong. So here is a great article by Dr. Mark Hyman that is straightforward, only a little technical, and clear:

https://www.ecowatch.com/is-coconut-oil-healthy-2460958093.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=6d76ed8b5b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-6d76ed8b5b-86116394

Beyond Simplistic Cholesterol #’s

Lately there have been some great strides forward regarding better tests for heart issues. Unfortunately most family doctors are either not aware of these new tests, or choose not to use them, even though they give us better info on what is happening internally. Maybe because they are not attached to a particular drug?

The Cleveland Heart Lab has partnered with Pure Encapsulations (a health practitioner supplement company) to measure certain bio-markers that are predictive of heart issues. Here’s is their joint statement:

Pure Encapsulations is committed to producing the most complete line of science-based nutritional supplements. Available through health professionals, finished products are pure and hypo-allergenic to best optimize the long-term health of the most sensitive patients.* Pure Encapsulations is an industry leader in quality, with an extensive raw material and finished product testing program that includes analysis for identity, potency, environmental contaminants, oxidation and more by certified third-party laboratories. Pure Encapsulations manufactures its own products in an FDA-inspected, NSF-GMP registered facility in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Cleveland HeartLab Inc, is a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified clinical reference laboratory that provides novel and affordable testing developed at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland HeartLab is an established leader in the cardiometabolic testing arena and offers proprietary testing such as Myeloperoxidase (MPO) that examines the health and integrity of the artery wall. Their testing expands the scope of cardiovascular assessment beyond standard lipid panels.

Our Vision

• Promote the collaboration of complementary health systems by coupling Cleveland HeartLab Cardiovascular Biomarker Testing Profiles with Pure Encapsulations research-based, cardiometabolic nutritional supplements.*
• Provide integrative solutions for cardiometabolic health providers (primary care physicians, internists, cardiologists, nurse practitioners, oral-systemic health providers, naturopaths, nutritionists, pharmacists) and corporate wellness programs.
• Develop The PureHeart™ Initiative to include a consortium of health experts from the private sector, academic institutions, medical associations, laboratories, and integrative health companies to combine and share expertise and knowledge to foster the advancement of cardiometabolic care.

Your doctor can order information about the tests and SUPPLEMENTS not drugs to treat potential problems by going HERE.

And here’s another great test, described by Dr. Mercola:

Cholesterol has been blamed for just about every case of heart disease for the last 20 years, when in reality, you need cholesterol in order to be healthy; your body uses cholesterol for cell membranes, hormones, neurotransmitters and overall nerve function

• Your total cholesterol number is not a good indicator of heart disease risk. One of the most important tests you can get to determine your risk is the NMR lipoprofile, which measures your LDL particle number. This test also has other markers that can help determine if you have insulin resistance, which is a primary cause of elevated LDL particle number and increased heart disease risk
• Research published over the past 10 or 15 years suggests that neither saturated fat nor high-cholesterol foods will raise your cholesterol serum levels
• The primary cause of heart disease is not high cholesterol but insulin and leptin resistance, which increase LDL particle number via a couple of different mechanisms. Poor thyroid function can also directly increase LDL particle number, and should be checked if your LDL particle number is high
• Insulin and leptin resistance is caused by factors inherent in our modern lifestyle, including a diet high in processed and refined carbohydrates, sugars/fructose, refined flours, and industrial seed oils; insufficient physical activity; chronic sleep deprivation; environmental toxins; and poor gut health

 

Rethinking Cholesterol

I was at my Internist’s office yesterday discussing my shingles improvement, when he asked about my getting blood work–specifically a cholesterol test as mine was from years ago.  My answer was: the research I’ve done seems to support the fact that the numbers are not nearly so important as whether or not our cholesterol is oxidized, and if it is nice and plump or really small particles. He looked at me a moment and replied: we (the practice he is part of) discussed this very situation last year. Evidently there isn’t (yet) a decent blood test for that purpose. Can you imagine my shock at being heard with an alternative view…that maybe is not really so out in left field after all….we only have drugs when there is a test to prove we need that drug.

This does not mean that cholesterol is unimportant. Too much or too little (yes, you can actually have too little! Hormones and your nervous system and all cells need cholesterol) can certainly negatively affect our health. So here a few of the basics:

Solution #1 – Stop Forcing Your Liver to Manufacture Excessive LDL cholesterol     This is basically a 2 part process: first, remove the junk food from your diet (sugar, fried fats, fast food, ingredients you can’t pronounce), and secondly (and this one is the kicker) don’t overeat good food either.

Solution #2 – Decongest Your Stagnant/Fatty Liver     This step is about losing weight around our middle, eating more fiber, and de-gunking our liver (ooh, back to the detox section).

Solution #3 – Stabilize Cell Membranes, Reduce Inflammation      Here we are asking ourselves to do some serious stress management, eat more fresh food (especially leafy greens and berries), and look at how we can bring balance into our lives so that our over-all inflammatory markers stay down. All these steps, by the way, are from an article I will highlight at the end of this post. This article goes into greater detail about:  explaining cholesterol and how it works in our body and what strategies and supplements to use to assist us in following these steps.

Solution #4 – Restore Cellular Oxygen Utilization, Fix Thyroid Problems      We gotta keep moving! Exercise is not just about going to the gym…our ancesters didn’t have gyms. We worked. We walked and lifted, and moved around A LOT. Recently I read that for those of us who are sedentary (at that computer all day) were much more likely to have heart attacks because we weren’t moving around enough.

Solution #5 – Reduce Your Toxic Burden, Especially from Your Own Digestive Tract     We’re back to more detox, as well as adding plenty of probiotics to our diet. This can include yogurt and supplements, but also fermented foods like (unheated) sauerkraut and kim chi.

Piqued your interest? Want to get off statins? Want to address/ balance your cholesterol numbers? You can click  HERE to read the entire article. Any one who, after reading this article, would like to order any of the supplements mentioned, call me toll-free @ 877-286-2970, and we can talk about excellent quality at excellent prices.